Once Again, JDC Received Charity Navigator 4-Star Rating

From:  Penny Blumenstein, President

           Steve Schwager, CEO

Re:  Charity Navigator Rating

Date:  April 25, 2012

We have just been informed by Charity Navigator that we have once again been awarded a 4-star rating, which is the highest rating possible.

Charity Navigator is America’s premier charity evaluator.  They highlight the work of efficient charities and provide donors with essential information needed to give them greater confidence in the charitable choices they make.

Ken Berger, President and CEO, wrote the following about JDC:  “Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that your organization adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way.  Only 15% of the charities we rate have received at least 2 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee outperforms most other charities in America.”

We know you share our pride in their faith not simply in what we do, but also how we do it.  

Baby Help in Argentina Goes Intergenerational

Watch this video to learn about the JDC-established Baby Help program, a social and emotional haven for Argentina’s youngest Jews.

"Mora" (teacher) Rosana Jacofsky, a long-time teacher at JDC's Baby Help program in Buenos Aires, Argentina dedicates the majority of her time to children with physical and psychological difficulties at the day care. "We are constantly reminded that love can break through any barrier," she says.

Watching her students interacting with the elderly residents of the LeDor VaDor senior complex, Rosana revels in the value, for all ages, of this intergenerational exchange. "I wish that every child would have a chance to experience something like this."

The Latest Briefing From Steve Schwager, JDC CEO

Join us on May 8 for our JDC Ambassadors luncheon to hear Will Recant speak more in depth about his work.  The lunch will focus on JDC's efforts in rescue and reconciliation in conflict zones.    

The op-ed  piece below, written by Will Recant, JDC’s International Development Program (IDP) Director and Assistant Executive Vice President, appeared in the Cleveland Jewish News after Will spoke at a Jewish Federation of Cleveland event.  It’s all about tikkun olam, the philosophy of caring, and the partnerships that help make it all happen.   And for Penny and me, it’s also about the very soul of JDC’s non-sectarian mission.

WILLIAM RECANT

Special to the CJN

Our rabbis and sages taught us that the Jewish people are to be a “light unto the nations.” But what does this mean in 2012, especially in a world wracked by economic instability, war, and natural disasters?

For an organization like the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) – which every day rescues Jews in danger, alleviates hunger and hardship among the poorest and most helpless Jews, revitalizes Jewish communities outside of North America, and helps Israel provide a better future for its most vulnerable people – it means upholding and continuing our historic tradition of supporting victims of natural and man-made emergencies and disasters.

From our earliest years, JDC has shared its expertise and the very best programs developed in the Jewish world and especially in Israel with others during their hour of need. A look at JDC’s work in earthquake-ravaged Haiti and post-genocide Rwanda gives a picture of exactly how we save lives and put people back on the path of recovery.

Scholarships Give Greece’s Jewish Children Second Chance at J-School

JDC’s scholarship initiative for Greek families

facing financial crisis is ensuring children like

Moni can continue to receive a Jewish education.

Photo: JDC Website

Since closing the doors of the family clothing business in Athens for good last year, Rafail, 58 has had to count every Euro. Unable to afford the mortgage or sell the house, he and his wife, Sara were forced to cut spending back to a near halt—including pulling their small children, Lela, 10, and Moni, 6, out of Athens’ Jewish Community School.

As Greece’s sovereign debt crisis turns into a full-fledged domestic economic emergency, the skyrocketing unemployment and small business bankruptcy rates are rattling families throughout the country. Rafail and Sara are among hundreds of families in the Jewish community making heartbreaking decisions just to keep a roof over their children’s heads.

The Greek Jewish community, consisting of some 5,000 Jews, operates synagogues, a Jewish school, a cultural center, and a soup kitchen to aid the most vulnerable members of their community. But with the country’s dire financial situation, the majority of Jewish communal institutions are struggling to stay afloat.

Chag Sameach

Today, as we have for nearly a century, JDC is ensuring that tens of thousands of Jews around the world can celebrate this Passover thanks to your generous support.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Pesach.

You can send your own customized JDC Pesach greetings.  If you would like to send your own JDC e-card, please visit www.jdc.org/ecards.

Passover Inspires Volunteerism in Belarus

Simon G., 18, is one of hundreds of grassroots

volunteers leading Seders in JDC-supported

centers throughout the former Soviet Union 

this Passover.

Photo: JDC Website

“I remember our family receiving support from the Jewish community when I was three or four years old. Now I finally get the chance to give back,” says Marina L., who at 17 years old is leading her first Seder—a community holiday celebration for children and families at the Minsk Jewish Campus.

Marina is an only child. She shares a rundown two-room flat in Minsk, Belarus with her parents, both of whom are disabled and struggle to subsist on a monthly pension. The Jewish community has been this family’s lifeline since Marina was a young girl. In addition to providing her with basic food and medicines, JDC has enabled Marina to attend Jewish camp, participate in Hillel activities, and attend myriad programs at the local JDC-supported Jewish Community Center (JCC).

“Every trip, every event organized by the Jewish community, has been unforgettable for me … full of vivid impressions and memories,” she said.

Two decades from war, a new fight to save Bosnia

JDC Ambassadors will be holding an important lunch marking 20 years since the start of the siege of Sarajevo, which ironically is April 6, the start of Passover this year.

The discussion centers around an extraordinary Jewish response to the breakdown of ethnic trust and cooperation in this diverse city.

But there are also clear lessons to be learned today, when ethnic strife in Bosnia, the Middle East and virtually across the globe seems to be heating up, not cooling down. We'll feature some very unique and meaningful efforts that the Jewish community has undertaken to lead in the rebuilding of trust and the solving of shared challenges across the globe.

And stay tuned for information about the Ambassadors trip to Sarajevo to participate in this work of rebuilding.

More info? Contact Rebecca At rebeccan@jdcny.org

Two decades from war, a new fight to save Bosnia

Young Teacher Promotes Jewish Continuity in Ancient Community

At a JDC-supported girls' school in Zarzis,

Tunisia, students get the unique opportunity to

study Judaism, Torah, Talmud, and Hebrew.

Photo: Chrystie Sherman (via JDC Website)

Geula is 21, born and raised in Djerba, Tunisia, to a Jewish family whose roots here go back for centuries. But in the spirit of the times—and her country—she isn't spending much time looking at the past. Instead, she sets her sights on her work as a teacher, equipping her female students with the tools to be the next link in the unbroken chain she believes makes her community special.

"I think it is very important to be a teacher. I see myself as a leader and a guide to my students," says Geula. "Parents give life; teachers give knowledge. I take a lot of pride in fulfilling my role."

Geula teaches at Torah v'Hinuch, the first Jewish girls' school in Djerba that was founded in the 1950s. Today approximately 130 girls are enrolled in the school, where she teaches Judaism, Torah, Talmud, and Hebrew. Students attend class six days a week, getting time off only on Jewish calendar holidays; there is no summer vacation.