tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20612533544447500602024-02-18T22:50:32.139-05:00JDC Ambassadors - philanthropy that changes livesJDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.comBlogger449125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-71262843238980400702013-10-22T10:32:00.001-04:002013-10-22T10:33:51.256-04:00JDC Supporters Join Together To Create Impact Network<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Several years ago, Jon Deaner traveled to Argentina on a UJA-Federation of New York-led mission with other young professionals to learn about Jewish life and tradition. Among the most moving experiences he had was his visit to a JDC day care program called Baby Help where he met young children living in poverty.</div>
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A photographer, Jon captured his visit in beautiful pictures. But as his initial connections to the children faded with the passage of time, it was that tangible feeling of being involved and making a difference Jon sought to replicate in a brand-new initiative at JDC. </div>
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At about the same time, Doron Goldstein -- the son of JDC Board Member Yoine Goldstein and one of the founders of Entwine, JDC’s young Jewish leadership platform -- was looking to transition from Entwine but remain actively involved with JDC.</div>
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Doron grew up traveling all over the world, meeting Jewish leaders from different communities and witnessing firsthand the lifesaving work of JDC. He understood the only way to be an instrumental player in JDC’s work was to engage head-on with program directors and content. </div>
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Together, Jon and Doron founded the first donor group under <a href="http://www.jdc.org/get-involved/ambassadors/" style="color: #4780af; font-weight: bold;">JDC Ambassadors</a>. At a membership level of $2,500, the Impact Network model provides access to JDC Ambassadors events and engagement. Group members focus on a particular issue under JDC’s purview and then commit to raising funds for a project they believe in.</div>
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All of this comes as no surprise in 2013. <a href="http://www.nextgendonors.org/wp-nextgendonors/wp-content/uploads/next-gen-donors_jewish_2013.pdf." style="color: #4780af; font-weight: bold;">Jewish philanthropy research</a> shows new donors are excited to be involved in charitable causes. Many serve on non-profit boards, encourage friends to give and donate online; and once they are hooked, they want to go “all in.” </div>
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“They want to develop close relationships with the organizations or causes they support; they want to listen and offer their own professional or personal talents, all in order to solve problems together with those whom they support,” the research sats. Jon and Doron’s desire to “be information-driven, impact-focused, proactive, and peer-oriented” spoke to all members of the Child Intervention Impact Network.</div>
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Under Jon and Doron’s leadership, the group chose to learn about JDC’s involvement in early childhood programming and voted to support JDC’s Baby Help in Argentina. They met over Argentine wine and discussed Argentine history and politics; they learned about Baby Help from the director, Viviana Bendersky; they asked early childhood experts based in New York about the most up-to-date practices. They plan to support Baby Help concretely by purchasing vaccines and meals, raising awareness and communicating new trends in care. The bottom line: They are strategic philanthropists.</div>
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Following this idea, other groups have formed using the Impact Network model focusing in an issue of their choice. JDC is looking forward to engaging individuals more directly and giving donors the opportunity to be hands-on involved. <strong>To learn more about or join JDC Impact Networks, visit: <a href="http://www.jdc.org/impact" style="color: #4780af;">http://www.jdc.org/impact</a>.</strong> </div>
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This blog post features information from pages 11-16 from the report <strong><em><a href="http://www.nextgendonors.org/wp-nextgendonors/wp-content/uploads/next-gen-donors_jewish_2013.pdf." style="color: #4780af;">Next Gen Donors: The Future of Jewish Giving</a></em>.</strong></div>
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JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-7143685947029721452013-05-09T15:43:00.006-04:002013-05-14T16:32:16.687-04:00Making the Connection: JDC's Ambassadors Symposium<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Making the Connection</i> was the theme of the JDC Ambassadors Symposium, May 6-7, focusing on how we can make a genuine and meaningful connection between us as caregivers and philanthropists and the people in need around the world that we help. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ideal connection would look very different from the top-down approach that too often has served to increase the divide among people. It would be about achieving true empathy, about empowering the people we help so that they are the best allies in helping themselves, and about stretching how we do philanthropy and engage others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Monday's session</b> looked at how we care for our friends as a model for how we do good in the world. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Park Avenue Synagogue’s Rabbi Cosgrove spoke about empathy and the Hebrew concept of <i>arevut</i>, the responsibility we have towards one another (</span><a href="http://pasyn.org/resources/sermons/arevut" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">click here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">). </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Letty Cottin Pogrebin spoke about her personal experience fighting breast cancer and the type of care that she sought from friends and family, and articulated </span><a href="http://imgur.com/XZLMuke" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">principles</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that resonated with her experience and others' with whom she spoke. Foremost among them was the importance of listening to the voices and wishes of the people we want to help and not assuming that we know best. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What might this principle look like if we put it into play in our humanitarian work as well as our personal lives? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are few programs that better demonstrate JDC's vision of listening to and empowering the people we serve than Jay Ruderman’s groundbreaking work with disabled people in Israel -- a partnership among his family foundation, JDC and the Government of Israel that goes by the name Israel Unlimited. A staggering 1 million people suffer from disabilities in Israel (key stats <a href="http://brookdale.jdc.org.il/_Uploads/dbsAttachedFiles/MJB-Data-Snapshot--Disabilities-in-Israel-October-2012%281%29.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>), but the program does not focus on accessibility alone. Instead, it makes disabled people the actors in their own story -- helping them to challenge stigmatization (<a href="http://mediacenter.dw.de/english/audio/item/941937/Blind_Israeli_empowers_disabled/" target="_blank">here's</a> an excellent piece on an inspiring blind Arab Israeli woman) and build up their confidence and abilities to act as positive forces in their communities through volunteerism and a new emphasis on work.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, in a <i>tour de force</i> around the world, from Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine to Buenos Aires to Havana, JDC's Dov Ben-Shimon spoke about how JDC has learned that respecting the dignity of those we serve is the best -- and sometimes only -- way that we can help them. The goal is not to continue to give, but to empower communities to take care themselves. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tuesday's breakfast</b> looked at the other side of the equation, facilitating a discussion with major U.S. and Israeli businesspeople who are breaking new ground in philanthropy. </span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We hope to use this blog to tell their stories in more depth in the coming months. Each of them shared several characteristics:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">a passion or role model that inspired them to give </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">an interest in leading others -- whether engaging their children in giving or their (reluctant) peers </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">and a desire not just to put band-aids on problems, but to make real change by leveraging each other and the knowledge and connections that an organization like JDC brings to the table.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Together, the speakers agreed that it is okay not to know all the answers. That's the fundament of true innovation and the heart of a new philanthropic strategy, our strategy-- not top-down, but interrelated, <i>connected</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><i>JDC offers opportunities through Ambassadors to support JDC's lifesaving work and make change. Join an Impact Network to leverage your learning with peers, join a mission to see for yourselves and CONNECT. </i><a href="http://jdc.org/ambassadors"><i>http://jdc.org/ambassadors</i></a><i> </i></span><br />
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JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-38317466358800905962013-04-22T16:26:00.000-04:002013-05-14T16:31:42.264-04:00Poland: 70 Years Later<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
by Rebecca Neuwirth<br /><br />
In the end, it’s Agatha who makes it impossible not to hope. <br /><br />
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I’m with a <a href="http://www.jdc.org/get-involved/ambassadors/">JDC Ambassadors</a> delegation at the 70th anniversary commemoration of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. At midnight on April 19, in the light of two flames that rise from menorahs on either side of the famed Ghetto monument, Cantor Yaakov Lemmer sings in Yiddish about small boys who steal outside to sell cigarettes, and of a searing loss of innocence. Next to me, a member of our delegation sings quietly along—she remembers the tune from childhood. <br />
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Jewish cemetery in Warsaw." border="0" data-large-height="800" data-large-src="http://www.jdc.org/jdc-field-blog/photos/rebecca.jpg" data-large-width="597" height="200" src="http://www.jdc.org/jdc-field-blog/photos/rebecca.jpg" style="width: 250px;" title="" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Children's Memorial in Warsaw Jewish Cemetary</td></tr>
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<br />Loss of innocence is an elegant metaphor for the brutal desperation that drove parents to allow their young boys to risk their lives to bring home crumbs. The story of the Warsaw Ghetto is unendingly heinous. At its height, over 400,000 Jews were imprisioned in 1.3 square miles. Starvation and violence killed some 100,000 in the first year, and the Nazis deported almost 300,000 to mass murder in Treblinka. Cruel selections separated mothers and fathers from their children; sadistic and senseless acts were the rule, with human kindness used as a lure for brutality. <br />
<br />But the commemoration of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, unlike other forms of Holocaust remembrance, focuses not on atrocities but on courage. <br />
<br />It draws attention to acts of resistance and stubborn humanity, from the courage of small boys to the sharing of crumbs of food, the caring for orphaned children – embodied by the amazing Janusz Korczak, even the creation of culture that persisted in the Ghetto in the face of inhuman conditions. Above all, it focuses on the final armed resistance waged by a few thousand Jews against the impossibly larger, full force of the Nazis, and that ended one month later in total destruction and with only 13 Jews remaining.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Only three of the Jews who fought in the Warsaw Ghetto are still alive today. One of them, Symcha Rotem, received a Polish medal of heroism and standing ovations from the crowd of dignitaries at the commemoration, including the Polish president, survivors, and guests. He spoke movingly about how alone the fighters were and of the doubts he still harbors about the decision to fight, which cost the lives of the 50,000+ remaining Jews, though their fate was sealed even before. <br />
<br />"I cannot and do not want to understand," he says, the pure bestiality that he saw, and the people who participated in pogroms against Jews after the war.<br />
<br />And he calls the destruction "the silence that cannot be replaced by anything." <br />
<br />But there is something. Rotem concludes by speaking about his two sons and five grandchildren. There it is: hope.<br />
<br />It is there as the Israeli Philharmonic plays Hatikva and the Song of the Ghetto Fighters at the National Polish Opera, and then plays the same Beethoven Symphony No. 5 that the Nazis loved. It is hard to hear the beauty, to reclaim it, but it is also impossible to deny.<br />
<br />A major new Jewish Museum opens its doors on the site of the Ghetto. Its glass structure stands like a gaping chasm, but its exhibits will put the destruction in the context of 1,000 years of Polish Jewish history and incredible achievement. As plans are forged for every Polish schoolchild to visit, hope again emerges.<br />
<br />And as one walks through Warsaw and sees the yellow flowers, symbolizing the Ghetto Uprising, on the clothes of so many people, hope is undeniable. <br />
<br />There has been a great deal of interest in Jewish heritage among Poles over the last decade, and our delegation is moved by the activism of the young people we meet who are taking on anti-Semitism and working actively for a more diverse Poland that includes Jews. <br />
<br />Most surprising, there has been an immense upsurge in Jewish activity in Poland. Many people are discovering that they have Jewish roots, and every day someone turns up at the doors of the Jewish community with a moving story and an interest in exploring what Jewish life means.<br />
<br />We meet <a href="http://www.jdc.org/where-we-work/europe/poland.html">JDC's dedicated staff</a> and hear about crowded Shabbat dinners, some 1,000 people coming together for Limmud in Warsaw, and 10,000 people attending the night of seven synagogues in Krakow. And on a daily basis there are Jewish study groups, children's camps, discussions, even family cooking classes.<br />
<br />It's hard not to be overwhelmed by the remembrance of Warsaw past, but it’s impossible to close one's eyes to what is happening today. <br />
<br />We meet Agatha, a young woman who works for JDC. Everyone is tired and not in the mood, but she insists that we must sing on Shabbat and so we begin oseh shalom. And is it Agatha, or us, or the irrepressible Jewish spirit? Whatever the answer, soon no one can hold back and we sing loudly together. And it's hard not to call that hope.</div>
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JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-34801997843403811892013-02-19T12:31:00.000-05:002013-02-19T12:31:10.577-05:00Jewish Renewal in Kazakhstan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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by Dov Ben-Shimon<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Yulia" -- dressed in orange</td></tr>
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I've just spent the last week in Turkey and Kazakhstan on a JDC Strategic Partnerships/Ambassadors Circle mission and wanted to share something that made a deep impression on me. <br /><br />At dinner the other night in Almaty, Kazakhstan, I sat with two young leaders of the Jewish community. Michael and his wife Yelena are very involved with the Almaty community. He is a building contractor and she is a graphic designer. They're both in their early forties and they both volunteer in the Hesed, our federation-supported welfare center. In Almaty the Hesed also functions as a JCC, and they sit on the Board. <br /><br />Here's the story: Michael grew up knowing he was Jewish. It wasn't a particularly significant part of his life. His mother actually listed their nationality as "Ukrainian" rather than "Jewish" on their internal Soviet passports. She had lived through nasty anti-Semitic attacks in Ukraine before the family moved to Kazakhstan, which has a low level of anti-Semitism. When Michael and Yelena married, religion wasn't really an important topic for either of them, and in a country in which there are high levels of intermarriage, he thought nothing of marrying a nice non-Jewish girl like Yelena.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />But as their two children started to grow up - they're now 12 and 16 - Michael increasingly felt the need to connect to his Jewish roots, and to get his children involved in their Jewish heritage. <br /><br />Yelena had no objection; she grew up with no connection to anything religious, and as the children participated more and more, she and Michael also started to get more involved. The Hesed reached out (as many do) to the parents through the children. And since Michael and Yelena's generation grew up with no connection to Jewish knowledge or community, the Hesed became their Jewish home.<br /><br />After some years, Yelena finally plucked up the courage to tell her parents that her children were now actively involved in the Jewish community, and that she, too, was becoming involved through them and increasingly seeing herself as part of the community. It was at that meeting that she learned, from her mother, that both her parents were actually Jewish, and so was she! "It hadn't been important for them," she said, "and they never knew how to explain it to themselves or to me." It's a very common story in the former Soviet Union, where so many Jews were cut off from Jewish life for some seventy years.<br /><br />But here's the final part to the story that made it all so worthwhile.<br /><br />After dinner with Michael and Yelena, I sat in the Hesed and watched as dozens of teenagers talked, sang and led discussions on Jewish identity. There we were, in the middle of Kazakhstan, inspired and moved by their commitment to Jewish life and learning. And in the middle of the performance of "Heyvenu Shalom Aleichem," as I was watching five beautiful young women sing in harmony, another young member of the community leaned over to my seat and said, "do you see the girl in the middle - Yulia? With the red hair and the black-brown sweater? I think you just had dinner with her mom and dad - Michael and Yelena ...."<br /></div>
JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-22660645503777565352012-12-04T20:26:00.001-05:002012-12-04T20:29:19.479-05:00What is our Global Jewish Responsibility?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<![endif]--><a href="http://www.centralsynagogue.org/images/our_people/rubinstein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Peter J. Rubinstein" border="0" class="People-Photo" height="200" src="http://www.centralsynagogue.org/images/our_people/rubinstein.jpg" width="149" /></a>Remarks by Rabbi Peter J. Rubinstein, Senior Rabbi, <a href="http://www.centralsynagogue.org/" target="_blank">Central Synagogue</a><br />
Delivered at the JDC Ambassadors Global Symposium<br />
December 3, 2012 <br />
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It is a tremendous honor to be with you this morning and a special joy to personally salute you who are involved in and support the JDC. In my mind you are responsible for and further the work of one of the great heroic organizations of Jewish life. To say this is not hyperbole because I have seen your work in action around much of this world.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the most personally stunning and surprising experience I had with JDC was when in the late 1990’s I travelled with a small group of Jewish leaders to visit an Albanian refugee camp during the height of the Kosovo conflict and then to take some of those refugees with us to Israel. In those days brutalized refugees were flowing across the border seeking food and water and shelter and refuge.<br />
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I’m not sure what I expected when I arrived in Albania but a tent with a JDC sign outside was nowhere on my screen of possibilities. It was there and then that I came to understand the expansive theater of JDC operations which combat the results of human warfare and misery and are on the ground in the face of the most horrendous natural disasters as in Haiti after the earthquake. I comprehend the exquisite purity of an organization which has as its focus saving people in extremis no matter what their national origin, race, religion or gender. For that I salute and thank you.<br />
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The topic you have asked me to address is “What is our Global Jewish Responsibility?” In forming this question I suspect the planners of this symposium were purposeful in framing the question with inherent ambiguity for in fact this topic properly raises two very separate issues.<br />
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The first: What is our universalistic responsibility as Jews on a global level to communities who are not of our faith or background such as Haitians after an earthquake or Kosovo refugees or in India or Japan after a tsunami? Why should Jews who globally number only .2% or one out of every 500 people in the world use their resources as limited as they are, and why should we believe we are responsible to ameliorate the extraordinary, terrifying, horrific results of human misery?<br />
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The second framing of the question is about our more particularistic responsibility as Jews to other Jews around the world? Why should we care about and care for Jews in small communities in faraway places and what is our responsibility to them? After all we could argue many of these people were given the chance to move to Israel and if they didn’t take that opportunity then didn’t they also choose to forfeit Jewish communal support? Some of them allowed their connection to Jewish life lapse or even repudiated their faith to better their circumstances? So why do we care about these widespread Jewish communities and what is our responsibility to them?<br />
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In its basic and most naked form the question with which we really begin might seem so simplistic and fundamental that unless compelled we might not honor it with our attention. But we need to ask it. Why do we care at all about Jewish survival and Jewish life whether for ourselves or our offspring or for far flung Jewish communities around the world? And why should we care one iota about others who are not Jewish and if the tables were turned probably would have no concern for us? In its most fundamental form the question is: what is our mission and what is the purpose of our Jewish existence?<br />
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Until we unlock an answer to those questions we will not frame the driving core purpose of this organization and in fact we will not be able to express why being Jewish means something to us personally or why our survival as a Jewish people matters in this creation.<br />
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I confess to you that the answers to why Jewish existence matters are complicated and difficult and as individual as all of us are. I remember when my then 10 year old son asked me about God because he figured his dad a rabbi should be expert in such matters. After significant hesitation my brilliant response was “Go ask your mother.”<br />
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Rather than deflecting the question as I did with my son let me in good faith begin personally. For me I care about Jewish continuity and survival partially from tribal instinct. I do not want to be responsible for the end of Jewish life in my family and I certainly don’t want to see us perish from this creation. I do not want to be responsible for cutting the thread and dishonoring the memory and the sacrifices of my forebears who sometimes passed on Jewish life at the risk of life itself.<br />
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But there is another reason I care about the survival of Judaism. I believe we Jews are a unique people with an extraordinary history. I believe we’ve been given an unparalleled mission and the world needs us. I have faith that God wants us to be here and we the Jewish people matter as a result.<br />
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When our ancestors gathered at the foot of Mt. Sinai our tradition says we were all there. Against the backdrop of a barren mountain, still exhausted from the cauldrons of Egyptian slavery we heard the words that once and for all time launched us into history and gave us our purpose. Upon the mountain God said to Moses “Tell the people ‘v’ atem tihyu li mamlechet cohanim v’ goi Kadosh’ “And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6) You shall uphold the sacred and live it in your history. As I bore you on eagles’ wings to keep you alive, so shall you carry aloft the banner of your mission. And our people’s response to that Divine commission at Sinai was simply “na-aseh” All that God has asked of us we will do! (Ex. 19:8)<br />
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For me the single most powerful proof for the existence of God is that we Jews are still here. Without God’s existence our survival is inexplicable. With God our survival is miraculous. And our survival provides our mission: to care for ourselves when no one else does; and to care for others when no one else will.<br />
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We were born into history to do good works, to be a holy nation not only for ourselves but for all nations. Though we have suffered every manifestation of human evil from the tortures of the inquisition to the massacres of the crusades, from the humiliation of the pogroms to the crematoria of the Holocaust we are still here. And our mission is to do our best that no other people has to live through what we have suffered. We recount every Pesach and remember that we were slaves in order to be sensitive and to do our best that no one else is enslaved.<br />
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We are and have always been few in number but our will remains strong, our faith intact and our people still lives. And our instinct to care for those who are hurting and in need, Jewish or not, still abides within us.<br />
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We Jews don’t count the house. The population of a struggling Jewish community is not significant in determining our allegiance to them. That they exist is the miracle and our mission.<br />
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It’s extraordinary, isn’t it?<br />
<br />
In response to our global responsibility one of our congregation’s priorities is to visit Jewish communities around the world, in our own way to bear witness and to engage in projects in the communities we visit, hopefully in some small way providing for the survival of Jewish life. But our travels are not altogether altruistic. By visiting other communities we learn about Jewish existence by looking beyond ourselves.<br />
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We travel to Cuba because being with a community that has hung to life by its fingernails teaches us about tenacity and commitment. And we are awed by the JDC’s teams leading that community in fulfillment of our people’s mission, one of your core missions: to revitalize Jewish life. In fact during our most recent visit I was so taken by the JDC team there I offered them jobs.<br />
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We traveled to South America to be with communities that worship differently but are very much a part of our Jewish family. We were in Argentina after the collapse of that country’s economy when the middle class evaporated, when former Jewish bankers and manufacturers became the ‘sudden poor’, when at least 25% of the nearly 200,000 Argentinean Jews were in need of emergency assistance to survive.<br />
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And at that time we learned from them what it means for the Jewish family to take care of each other through the vicissitudes of communal life, especially when part of our family is hurting. And we found you, the JDC, there fulfilling our people’s mission, another of your core missions: to support and save the world’s poorest Jews. Since our visit we’ve supported the Jewish day school in Mendoza.<br />
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And we traveled to Germany and Spain and the FSU supporting projects in each of these countries and especially developing a unique relationship with the Jewish community of Minsk. With that Belorussian Jewish community we celebrate the B’nai Mitzvah of each other’s children. We support their camps and send our teachers and post-confirmation students to be counselors at those camps. Why do we do it? Because except for the incongruous decisions of my grandparents from the shtedl of Ivinetz outside Minsk to come to this country I and my family could be those Jews in Belorussia and they could be us.<br />
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You the JDC are devoted to developing tomorrow’s Jewish leaders throughout the world and for the same reason is why we especially support the youth programs and summer and winter camps in Minsk.<br />
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And we travel to Israel regularly. My congregation will have groups there three times this year because we should always be engaged with Israel, hopefully love Israel.<br />
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They are our people. That is our nation. They are our family and family should be with family not only in good times, but especially perhaps even more so in times of struggle. Without my telling you what any of you should do I believe our presence in Israel is most significant when missiles are disrupting life and innocent people are bombed on buses and when the nation is on the edge of war, on the edge of fear.<br />
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Whenever possible we should be in Israel joining them in re-embracing the incredible miracle, spirit, hope and dedication of Israelis when times are tough. The poignant recent image of Israeli troops called up for reserve on the borders of Gaza joining in song and dancing the Hora and giving the power of their own spirit to their colleagues-at-arms is a remarkable metaphor for who we are as a people: strong and tenacious, unwilling to submit to murderous forces of injustice and oppression.<br />
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That is our mission, it is your mission: to empower Israeli’s future, to be with them in the midst of their celebrations and to be with them to share their heartache; to care for their immigrant and other children and youth at risk, and as you say “to develop visionary solutions to meet the needs of all disadvantaged in Israeli society.”<br />
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But here’s the rub. When Israel is in need of our support and there are few, if any others beyond the Jewish community who will rise to stand by Israel, can we muster the will and resources to both stand with Israel and to continue our commitments to helping suffering non-Jewish populations throughout the world? Can we expect of ourselves that our Global Jewish Responsibility applies both to Jews who are particularly in extremis and to non-Jews often living in territories and nations that refuse to support Israel’s well-being.<br />
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Can we do always do both? I’m sure that within this hall there are those who would argue that there are times when we need to take care of our own because no one else will and let the others take care of themselves. On the other hand there are those who will argue we are never without the resources to both care for our own and care for others at the same time.<br />
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Personally I believe our Global Jewish Responsibility is to do what is right, not only when it is convenient, because to live out our Jewish mission is not always easy. To be honest I wrestle with myself. I was brought up as Jew in the Bronx. When someone hurts me or my people the Bronx in me seeks payback and revenge or at least prompts me to walk away and tell the rest of them to “Go to hell!” But the Jew in me swallows hard and drives me back to take control of my brutal instincts and instead to fulfill the mission of being a light to the nations, to be a goy kadosh, a holy people.<br />
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Therein lies the inexorable eternal dilemma of Jewish responsibility<br />
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Despite the innumerable horrific tragedies that have beset us, and perhaps because of them, we remain a people endowed with sacred purpose. That is how our parents raised us and why we care.<br />
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We tell ourselves and our children that our existence is to be a beacon, a light to the nations. To be a Jew means to not turn away from the pain of others even when we hurt.<br />
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When someone is in pain, we Jews provide for their comfort. When there is need to stand strong for principles of decency, we stand taller. We envision a better world, and then work for it even harder. We tell the truth when it is difficult and support the weak when it is uncomfortable. We are witness to God’s existence in our improbable, indefinable wondrous journey. And that is our mission and you are part of it all.<br />
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Above all we stand by our own people in their best and worst times because that is what family does. Like fragile shoots flowering after the passing of winter, Jewish communal life has again emerged in central and eastern Europe.<br />
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Jewish communities have returned with vigor and purpose, with resilience and longing, in search and in need in places like Minsk and St. Petersburg and Odessa, Prague and Budapest, Berlin and Warsaw, Kiev and Vienna and they are our responsibility and you are part of it all.<br />
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And in Israel our homeland, our birthright, our soul-place we help by supporting Jewish life, ensuring their future, providing our strength and making it clear that the finest expression of Jewish life and mission is embedded in the life pulse of that wondrous state and we need to be part of it.<br />
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Emma Lazarus suggested in her poem “Gifts” that while great nations have fallen by the wayside of history we Jews yet endure. The Roman and Greek empires that conquered us have disappeared from the landscape. The Pharaohs of Egypt that enslaved us are gone. The inquisitors who tortured us have been damned. The power of the Cossacks…gone! Hitler…gone! Stalin…gone! And we the Jewish people glorified in her words “Seek…[us] today, and find [us] in every land “ We survive! We live! We endure!<br />
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To paraphrase Emma Lazarus our proclamation is: “No fire consumes us, neither floods devour us. Immortal we are with the lamp in our hand.”<br />
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The answer to the question What is our Global Jewish Responsibility? is we know it when we see it and hopefully when we fulfill it<br />
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You the JDC have a pure ineffable but powerful message to take to Jews throughout this world: to fulfill our wondrous destiny for “Immortal we are with the lamp in our hand”. May we passionately recommit ourselves to the ongoing and miraculous venture of Jewish life. Launched as we were into human history we have a mission and a purpose so with passion, courage and especially with the incredible energy that is the hallmark of this organization may you continue to lead us forward.<br />
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It’s amazing work you do so keep on with it because it is the mission for which God commissioned us and for which we were brought us into existence. For our existence and our mission, for it all we should be enormously grateful.<br />
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Thank you.<br />
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JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-36949089753638437562012-10-22T15:25:00.000-04:002012-11-06T13:15:43.613-05:00JDC Ambassadors Global Symposium, December 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUypuKl41CoXwZGr31IYjjfRHw_4bekevLLCbzsh-9F3FFxzLJHEcMiqeqTYZyrP5b8H-C_kQVGTEdKI2GOOIO2ZeSzA0by8-fuT4yTU_5h9ZXY__olV8Y_lfc2sxl7fQzQZsAj6zhoMAU/s1600/est11.07nd+okIMG_2912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUypuKl41CoXwZGr31IYjjfRHw_4bekevLLCbzsh-9F3FFxzLJHEcMiqeqTYZyrP5b8H-C_kQVGTEdKI2GOOIO2ZeSzA0by8-fuT4yTU_5h9ZXY__olV8Y_lfc2sxl7fQzQZsAj6zhoMAU/s320/est11.07nd+okIMG_2912.jpg" width="320" /></a><strong>The Jewish Future:<br />New Strategies for Sustaining and Inspiring Jewish Life</strong><br />
New York City<br />
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Guest Speakers: <br />
Peter J. Rubinstein, Senior Rabbi of New York's Central Synagogue<br />
Anne Heyman, Founder & Board Chair - Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village<br />
Jack Habib, Director, Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute<br />
and more...<br />
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FOR MORE INFORMATION -- go to <a href="http://jdc.org/ambassadorssymposium">http://jdc.org/ambassadorssymposium</a><br />
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JDC has worked for almost 100 years in supporting Jewish life around the world. But even as we help individuals and communities deal with crisis and handle extreme poverty on a day-to-day basis, our middle and long-term aims are more elevated and strategic: to ensure robust and inspired Jewish communities that care for one another.<br />
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The December 3 Ambassadors Symposium examines the Jewish future. How can we support small, vulnerable Jewish minorities in Muslim countries against the backdrop of the Arab spring and heightened global tensions? And, how can we share successful local Jewish and Israeli program models of care with other communities and the larger world – as a way to build bridges, scale impact, and fulfill our mandate of tikkun olam, or healing the world.<br />
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Peter J. Rubinstein, Senior Rabbi of New York's Central Synagogue, will offer a keynote address on what global responsibility really means today. <br />
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The Symposium will also introduce a new feature: JDC Think Tank sessions, which will allow key leadership to “roll up their sleeves” with participants to address current open questions on the spectrum of JDC’s work. Roundtable discussions will range from maximizing renewal activities in the increasingly trendy city of St. Petersburg, Russia to inspiring young American Jews to embrace a global and Jewish tikkun olam agenda, and more. <br />
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<em>JDC Ambassadors Symposia provide in-depth opportunities to understand how the latest global events are impacting Jewish communities around the world – and what we can do about it. Symposia are open to JDC Ambassadors, members of our Ambassador Circle and Society, and select guests.</em></div>
JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-23738585720558829092012-10-15T14:54:00.000-04:002012-11-06T13:15:20.286-05:00Argentina Expedition, RESCHEDULED for 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>JDC Ambassadors Argentina Expedition<br /><span style="color: red;">NOW RESCHEDULED -- March 10-13, 2013</span></b></div>
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<b></b>Home to Latin America’s largest Jewish population, Argentina has been a prosperous country for much of its history. The country and its Jewish community were catapulted into economic turmoil during the 2001 economic crisis and resulting devaluation of the Argentine peso. Middle class families in particular bore the brunt of the collapse, and many Jewish families found themselves turned into “the new poor” virtually overnight.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaTPOTjktcs-7S5m01QTM2-D4GYRHwJm2S0leE-wubwlPf9dDTS10x_kvS6IKl4T9McS4OCRMDbu3cfzJeGLysx8C4h4GfG266EMFOmXOUnpXRQjR_B3uMxDewLLmQVRFF-MGVSxDzBGz/s1600/argentina+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaTPOTjktcs-7S5m01QTM2-D4GYRHwJm2S0leE-wubwlPf9dDTS10x_kvS6IKl4T9McS4OCRMDbu3cfzJeGLysx8C4h4GfG266EMFOmXOUnpXRQjR_B3uMxDewLLmQVRFF-MGVSxDzBGz/s320/argentina+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a>This visit will offer an unprecedented opportunity to meet an important Jewish community in recovery. JDC’s work has focused on helping the most vulnerable Jews in Argentina and supporting the community’s ability to rebuild itself in a sustainable way. Throughout the trip, we’ll meet the wonderful people who are working with JDC to help children and elderly and to ensure the vibrancy of Jewish life and community. </div>
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We’ll also see the sites of Argentina, enjoy an evening of tango, and get the inside story of a world-class city that has undergone more than its share of instability in recent decades.</div>
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For more information and costs, contact Rebecca at <a href="mailto:rebeccan@jdcny.org">rebeccan@jdcny.org</a> or (212) 885-0878<br />
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<i>JDC Ambassadors travel opportunities allow you to see the inside story of how Jews and others live in key cities around the world. Travel is open to JDC Ambassadors, members of our Ambassador Circle and Society, and select guests.</i></div>
JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.comBuenos Aires, Argentina-34.6037232 -58.3815931-34.7082817 -58.5395216 -34.499164699999994 -58.223664600000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-49167490808089729232012-10-10T14:49:00.000-04:002012-11-06T13:17:44.678-05:00JDC Ambassadors New York Program, October 22<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Can we turn the tables on poverty? Real lessons from the field in Israel, Russia, Haiti and beyond
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</strong>JDC Ambassadors Meeting
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Monday, October 22, 5 pm doors open, 5:30-7 pm program<br />
New York<br />
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<a href="http://www.jdc.org/jdc-field-blog/2012/turning-the-tables-on-poverty.html?s=g_npr_in" target="_blank">An article about this event is now available on the JDC Field Blog.</a><br />
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JDC's experience in combating poverty around the world contains not only a treasure trove of stories of individual dedication and initiative in the face of adversity, but also a myriad of valuable lessons learned about how best to address and ultimately end poverty. </div>
<div>
</div>
The largest Jewish humanitarian organization, JDC leverages nearly a century’s experience to create effective programs that benefit some of the world’s neediest populations faced with disaster, extreme poverty, political instability, and genocide. JDC’s lifesaving interventions in the World War I and World War II eras are legendary; its work today helps hundreds of thousands of people in crisis and focuses on sustainable solutions to Jewish poverty and beyond.<br />
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Featuring from the field:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Galit Sagie on the keys to social mobility in Israel</li>
<li>Rina Edelstein on addressing overwhelming need among elderly Jews in the former Soviet Union</li>
<li>Mandie Winston on the importance of empowering people to help themselves</li>
<li>Moderated by Gideon Herscher, program development expert</li>
</ul>
For more information, contact Rebecca Neuwirth, rebeccan@jdcny.org <br />
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<em>JDC Ambassadors programs provide insight into the state of Jewish communities around the world – and what we can do about it. Programs are open to JDC Ambassadors, members of our Ambassador Circle and Society, and select guests.</em></div>
JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.comNew York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.3292248 -74.637687100000008 41.0994808 -73.3742591tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-14589517041634129742012-09-06T12:46:00.001-04:002012-09-06T12:46:45.430-04:00Bringing a Sweet New Year to Families in the Crimea<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #797979; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">With their local Hesed now a second home, </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;">Vika, her sister, and her mom know they won’t </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;">be alone this Rosh Hashanah.</span><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: <a href="http://jdc.org/news/features/bringing-a-sweet-new-year-to.html" target="_blank">JDC Website</a></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Six-year-old Vika, her sister Vera, 11, and her mom, Olga celebrated their very first Rosh Hashanah last year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since then, they’ve come to call the Jewish community in Feodosiya, their native town in the Crimea, a second home. For this single-parent family, Jewish life has become a much-needed anchor in their otherwise tumultuous existence. This year they couldn’t be more excited to visit their local<em>Hesed</em> social welfare center for communal festivities and honey cake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Olga grew up under communism, when religious practices were outlawed and Jewish life was hushed for decades. She never learned any Jewish history or traditions in <em>her</em> home as a child; when she became a mom, she had none to pass on to her daughters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But last spring Olga brought the girls to an educational program at the local <abbr style="border-bottom-style: none;" title="American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee">JDC</abbr>-supported <em>Hesed, </em>an outpost of <abbr style="border-bottom-style: none;" title="American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee">JDC</abbr>’s network of welfare centers that ensure the critical needs of impoverished Jews for food, medicine, winter relief, and community are met. To help this and other local Jewish communities rebuild across the region, <abbr style="border-bottom-style: none;" title="American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee">JDC</abbr> creates programming that engages and educates community members, strengthens their commitment and connection to Jewish life, and assists them on the path to self-sufficiency.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The local staff welcomed Olga and the girls—and they haven’t missed a lesson, community event, or Shabbat or holiday celebration since!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Vika loves the <em>Hesed</em>. She’s usually a shy and introverted girl but when she’s there she is at ease, talking openly, connecting with other children her age, dancing and singing,” Olga explains. “She’s become more sociable, active, and inquisitive. She is interested in everything she learns.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What is more, the family has taken what they’ve picked up back home, where they now celebrate every Jewish holiday with pride. “We prepare for Jewish holidays together: for Purim I made the girls’ costumes myself; for Pesach the girls prepared hand-made art projects. The holidays keep our spirits high.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Olga does everything she can to provide a sense of comfort and stability for Vika and Vera, who’ve never known their father. Life is extremely hard for this young family, living literally hand-to-mouth on the miniscule monthly allocation the state provides to single mothers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Olga’s struggle is comparable to those of tens of thousands of families across the former Soviet Union (<abbr title="former Soviet Union">FSU</abbr>) countries, which still lack social safety nets for their poor. Many rely on insufficient state assistance as their primary or only income while they struggle to live in a climate of rising food prices, expensive and often unavailable medicine, and inaccessible social services. To make matters worse, unemployment, underemployment, and inflation force them even deeper into poverty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Olga and her girls experience this first-hand. Olga is not able to find a permanent job, so she’s turned to the Jewish community for material help. They rely on the <abbr style="border-bottom-style: none;" title="American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee">JDC</abbr>’sfood program—a card they can use to purchase groceries at a chain of local supermarkets—to have enough to eat through the month. Last winter they received warm clothing through <abbr style="border-bottom-style: none;" title="American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee">JDC</abbr>’s SOS emergency relief program.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">These services are part of the crucial IFCJ-<abbr style="border-bottom-style: none;" title="American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee">JDC</abbr> Partnership for Children in the <abbr title="former Soviet Union">FSU</abbr>, which seeks to meet the material, health, social, and spiritual needs of the region’s at-risk Jewish children. In 2011, the Partnership served nearly 30,000 children in 1,185 locations across the former Soviet Union (<abbr title="former Soviet Union">FSU</abbr>)—from major cities and small towns to the region’s farthest, most desolate areas. In larger cities, Jewish Family Services offers material and social support to families, while Jewish Community Centers run vibrant cultural and educational programming. In smaller communities, like Feodosiya, <abbr style="border-bottom-style: none;" title="American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee">JDC</abbr>’s <em>Heseds</em> facilitate both relief services and activities that revitalize Jewish life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“When Vika received her winter boots from the <em>Hesed, </em>she wore them around the house for a week. They are the first brand-new shoes she’s ever had,” Olga recalls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Thanks to <abbr style="border-bottom-style: none;" title="American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee">JDC</abbr>, we know our material and spiritual needs are always taken care of.”</span></div>
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JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-5000832371259131472012-08-24T16:02:00.000-04:002012-09-21T14:24:21.432-04:00JDC Event to Feature Professor Dan Ben-David on Israel's Internal Challenges<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Professor Dan Ben-David</td></tr>
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Professor Dan Ben-David, along with JDC Israel Regional Specialist Kobi Tav, will give a talk on September 13th at 5pm called “The Start Up Nation’s Threat From Within; Finding Solutions.” <br />
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“The academic achievements of Israeli students are incredibly low compared to other westernized countries.” This startling statement from the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies should give one cause for worry. Its effects could mean a disastrous future for Israel if they are not reversed soon.<br />
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This troubling fact is one of the reasons why Professor Dan Ben-David devotes so much time to researching ways to improve the economy in Israel. The Executive Director of the Taub Center, Professor Ben-David, is one of the foremost economic voices in Israel in the push for a greater and less stratified Israeli economy. At an upcoming event that will take place at JDC Headquarters, Professor Dan Ben-David will detail the socio-economic changes that pose a challenge for the long-term health of the Israeli economy.<br />
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More and more people are immigrating to Israel, many of them from different ethnic groups. However, in contrast to the rising population rates employment rates have been decreasing. New immigrants are not contributing to the growth of Israel’s economy.<br />
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Professor Dan-Ben-David argues that by putting strength into the education system, more people will become part of the Israeli economy. “Education is the basic national infrastructure. It is a primary factor in providing equal opportunities for full realization of individual abilities.” <br />
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Ben-David, one of Israel’s leading economists, has discovered a multitude of alarming facts concerning the state of Israeli education. Education gaps in Israel are among the highest in the West. Few students take core classes and the class sizes are inconceivably large. The education gaps between students also rate as some of the most unequal in the west. “The failure is systemic; continuing in this way is no longer an option,” he wrote in a recent study. <br />
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Professor Ben-David, as the Executive Director of the Taub Center, works closely with JDC’s Israel program office to address the issues that are holding back Israel’s potential and threatening its future success. “The ability of the Joint [JDC] to join forces with the government in innovating social services, in doing pilot projects that are studied as they go ahead in order to measure the potential national impact that they can have…this is having a long-term impact on Israeli society,” said Professor Manuel Trajtenberg. <br />
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JDC founded the Taub Center in 1982 and still remains a fundamental supporter of the institution. RSVP is mandatory to this event. For more information email Rebecca Neuwirth at rebeccan@jdcny.org or call 212-885-0878.</div>
JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-18363946419131662292012-08-20T15:57:00.001-04:002012-08-20T15:59:36.343-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<td bgcolor="#78a22f" style="font-size: 16px;" width="230">September 28-30, 2012</td>
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<td bgcolor="#9cb866" colspan="1" width="350">Extension to the Croatian coast</td>
<td bgcolor="#9cb866" style="font-size: 16px;" width="230">October 1-3, 2012</td>
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From top to bottom: Latin Bridge, a <br />historic Ottoman bridge
over the River Miljacka; participants in the Race for the Cure®
organized by JDC's Women's Health Empowerment Program
(WHEP) and Susan G. Komen for the Cure®; the Sarajevo
Synagogue on the south <br />bank of the river Miljacka, Bosnia and
Herzegovina.</div>
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<td style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 10px;" valign="top" width="380"><span style="color: #78a22f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 600;"><i>
Mission Highlights</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #78a22f; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;"> <b>Join</b></span> families of diverse faith and ethnicities in Sarajevo in a 5-mile run/walk to fight breast cancer<br />
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<span style="color: #78a22f; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;"><b>Meet</b></span> the Jewish leader who pioneered JDC's Women's Health Empowerment Program in the Balkans and the unsung heroes who have expanded it across the region<br />
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<span style="color: #78a22f; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;"><b>Be embraced</b></span> by the hospitality of the Jewish communities in Sarajevo and the picturesque cities of Mostar and Dubrovnik<br />
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</span><span style="color: #78a22f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 600;"><i>Visit Sarajevo and the Croatian coast</i></span><br />
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<b>Open to JDC Ambassadors and their Families</b><br />
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As we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the siege of Sarajevo, which<br />
marked the start of the Bosnian war, we will join together in an act of strength and hope: a walk to promote breast cancer awareness and treatment. We will also meet the city's resilient Jewish community, which took the lead in protecting its members and helping others during the Balkans' drawn-out conflict.<br />
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We will explore Sarajevo's centuries-old Jewish heritage, including visits to the Jewish synagogue, the Jewish cemetery, and a viewing of the world famous Sarajevo Haggadah.<br />
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This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity includes a chance to see Croatia's<br />
breathtaking coast and meet its small, embracing Jewish communities.<br />
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</span><span style="color: #78a22f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 600;">For more information, please contact:</span><br />
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Contact: Rebecca Neuwirth 212-885-0878 or <a href="mailto:rebeccan@jdcny.org">rebeccan@jdcny.org</a><br />
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Participation in the mission requires a minimum gift to the 2012 JDC<br />
Ambassadors Campaign to help Jewish Rescue, Relief, and Renewal programs around the world.<br />
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<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400;">
<i>JDC Ambassadors. Philanthropy that Changes Lives.</i></div>
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The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is the world's leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization. JDC works in more than 70 countries and in Israel to alleviate hunger and hardship, rescue Jews in danger, create lasting connections to Jewish life, and provide immediate relief and long-term development support for victims of natural and man-made disasters. To learn more, visit<a href="http://www.jdc.org/"> www.JDC.org</a>.</i></td>
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JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-18300273947318037632012-08-20T14:45:00.002-04:002012-08-20T15:39:35.025-04:00Campers with Disabilities Rejoice at Szarvas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #797979; font-family: Arial; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">“I return to Szarvas every year to see my </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;">friends and feel something I cannot feel </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;">anywhere else—happy,” says Henrik Z., 32, </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;">who has Down’s syndrome.</span><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sourse: <a href="http://www.jdc.org/" target="_blank">JDC Website</a></span></span></td></tr>
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All year long Henrik Z., 32, who has Down’s syndrome and lives with his pensioner mother in<span class="locality">Budapest</span>, <span class="country-name">Hungary</span>, looks forward to the most special week of his summer. That’s when he goes to camp <span class="locality">Szarvas</span>, where he sees his friends, plays soccer, and celebrates Shabbat with the community he feels closest to.</div>
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“I return to <span class="locality">Szarvas</span> every year to see my friends and feel something I cannot feel anywhere else—happy,” he says.</div>
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Home taught by his father for much of his life, Henrik started to attend a special school for the first time when his dad died about 10 years ago. As he began to socialize with his peers, his teacher recommended that he attend a summer program to maintain his social development and interaction throughout the year. That’s when he learned about the one-week summer program for people with disabilities at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation/<abbr style="border-bottom-style: none;" title="American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee">JDC</abbr> International Summer Camp in <span class="locality">Szarvas</span>, <span class="country-name">Hungary</span>.</div>
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Established twenty years ago to reconnect young Jews from post-Communist Central and Eastern Europe to Jewish life, today <span class="locality">Szarvas</span> provides a venue for hundreds of campers from over 25 countries to explore their Jewish identity, connect with <span class="country-name">Israel</span>, and build an unparalleled Jewish community that transcends geographical borders and religious denominations. For a week each summer, the integration program for people with disabilities brings youngsters with special needs as well as elderly residents of the Újpest Israel Sela Nursing Home to the camp.</div>
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For participants like Henrik who are greatly limited in access to programs tailored to their unique needs, this is a dream come true.</div>
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“I love <span class="locality">Szarvas</span> and feel I belong there more than anywhere else in the world. I like to swim, bake pita, play football, and dance there. But most of all I love Shabbat, when we go to services together. As a result, now I sometimes go to synagogue at home, to pray for my father.”</div>
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Jewish communal life has become increasingly important for Henrik; while he and his mother struggle from day to day to make ends meet, they find comfort in the Jewish community and are grateful for the help they receive here. Similarly, many of the camp participants live bound by limited resources and mounting daily struggles in single-parent homes, welfare institutions, day cares, or nursing home facilities. For all of them the camp offers a refreshing sense of freedom.</div>
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Misi S., 30, who also has Down’s syndrome and has attended the unique program since its inception, says it best: “Since both of my parent passed, I live in the Sela home during the year. When I come to <span class="locality">Szarvas</span> I celebrate my birthday: We celebrate together in the dining hall. I stand on a chair as everyone sings. I feel happy. I feel family around me. I feel home.”</div>
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JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-72689338431154645842012-08-13T11:07:00.002-04:002012-08-20T14:55:49.008-04:00Helping in Haiti<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Hollis Rafkin-Sax</td></tr>
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<i>by Jayne Lipman<br />co-chair, JDC Ambassadors<br />member, JDC Board of Governors</i><br />
<br />
There is something addictive about helping in Haiti.</div>
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During my recent trip with <a href="http://interface.jdc.org/" target="_blank">JDC Interface</a>, I met volunteers from all over the world who told me that they came to help in Haiti and never left, or that they couldn't wait to come back again.</div>
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It's a strange thing to say in a country that has been so devastated - not only by the 7.0 earthquake, which occurred on January 12, 2010 and immediately hit the front pages, but also by decades of corruption, questionable foreign interventions, revolutions and coup d'états that have eroded the once beautiful countryside and stolen the hope of so many of its people.</div>
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But that's precisely how outsiders fit in. Relief organizations bring equipment and know-how, but also a stubborn imported optimism.</div>
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I saw JDC's operations, in partnership with several impressive Haitian organizations, and the people who work and volunteer there. The premiere destination for prosthetics and physical therapy in the country, they are overrun, but totally committed and energized. Person by person, patiently, they are helping and making a difficult reality better.<br />
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In the process, these representatives of a unique American Jewish-Israeli partnership are also nurturing the spirit of the Haitians they serve.</div>
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We met George, the former top Salsa dancer in Haiti. Now fitted with a prosthetic limb, he is back on his feet, learning to dance for the second time in his life. George’s demeanor was quiet, almost shy, when we met – it is his dance (see amazing video - story of George at 3 minutes, dance at 6:50) that expresses his renewed passion for life.</div>
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And that joy, in return, strengthens those who do relief work. It's like a cycle of light emerging out of the darkness, where those serving and served feed and build up each other.</div>
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Our conversation centered on Jewish giving in the world. For my part, I felt immensely proud of the work I saw, which leverages JDC's long experience in disaster relief and the unique know-how of Israeli doctors, medical professionals, educators, trainers, and more. Helping thousands of individuals in Haiti have access to a second chance at active life feels to me like the perfect embodiment of my Jewish values. How fitting that a Jewish organization should also realize those values on the ground.</div>
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JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-28245403825073130322012-08-01T14:58:00.000-04:002012-08-03T11:44:34.149-04:00Mostar on the Map<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Stari - Most Bridge in historic Mostar. Photo: Ramirez HUN</td></tr>
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As part of the JDC Ambassadors Expedition to Sarajevo and the Croatian
Coast, which takes place on September
28-30 and October 1-3, there will be a visit to the gorgeous city of Mostar. A city rich with </div>
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history and a story behind every step, Mostar is one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most mesmerizing
cities. </div>
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Mostar’s roots stem all the way back to the 15<sup>th</sup>
century as part of the passage between the Adriatic Sea and important parts of Bosnia. As Jewish
refugees escaped to Mostar during the Spanish Inquisition, a small Jewish
community grew over time into a thriving one, with many members finding
successful livelihoods as doctors and merchants. A small hamlet of Jews
continuously existed in Mostar, numbering up to 100 people at the dawn of WWII.
A synagogue was built in 1902, serving the city’s Jewish population until
anti-Semitism erupted in 1942. Only two years later Nazi and Ustasha soldiers
burnt the Mostar synagogue to the ground. </div>
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Sadly, only a few Jews returned to Mostar after the war;
most of them either survivors of the Holocaust or escapees from other parts of Eastern Europe. Although they had found their homes
ravaged by tragedy and destruction, they stayed and worked hard at re-building
their once-thriving Jewish community.</div>
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The Jews lived in relative peace until the Bosnian War,
where, this time, they were not on the receiving end of discrimination.
However, as victims themselves of ethnic violence and intolerance, many of Mostar’s
Jews became activists and even heroes during the turbulent Bosnian conflict.
Mostar’s Jewish community president, Zoran Mandlbaum, came to be known as the
“Bosnian Schindler” for his valiant efforts. Mandlbaum risked his personal
safety to care for the citizens of his beloved city, bringing them food and
medicine, access to shelter, and even personally safeguarding the marriage of a
couple on opposite sides of the war. One such recipient, Ramiz Pandur, said
“Zoran never turned down anyone who asked him for a favor.” He was
representative of the Mostar community at large, knowing all too well the
horror that springs from cultural warfare. </div>
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Progress has since advanced, and Mostar is now among one of
the top tour destinations in Bosnia
and Herzegovina. Today it is a city where
Muslims, Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Jews live together peacefully. In
fact, there is a plan for a new synagogue to be built. Jewish life in Mostar is
also visible at its Jewish cemetery, established around the early twentieth
century, and still in use today. There is also a Holocaust memorial that was
completed in 1999, containing the names of 137 Mostar Jews who died in the war.
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Perhaps what is most famous about Mostar, however, is its
famed Stari-Most bridge that connects the two banks of the Neretva River.
Built in 1556 and destroyed in 1993 during the war, it was re-built in 2004, a
symbol of Mostar’s rebirth. Like the Jewish people, it has gone through
destruction and renewal, and only has a promising future ahead of it.</div>
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The visit to Mostar during the JDC Ambassadors Expedition will be a memorable and enriching experience. For more information please contact Rebecca Neuwirth at rebeccan@jdcny.org or Rachel Rosenthal at rachelr@jdcny.org</div>
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<br /></div>JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-80939503514186610572012-07-24T12:00:00.000-04:002012-08-03T11:43:13.655-04:00Sights From Dubrovnik<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2AZSPE5EwHnsQIXtQJROaiGrB-f-EzC8l4rrldbz-lgxVur768eLnTgMZvLeB_bnaXKMhD-OtQ4yE-1QuLFda_ZY1zQ2No8Uy0rLaS-R-CGcKrPxy-6wy5r2alf8Hx6lrpdPvW4E_B1B/s1600/Dubrovnik's+main+street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2AZSPE5EwHnsQIXtQJROaiGrB-f-EzC8l4rrldbz-lgxVur768eLnTgMZvLeB_bnaXKMhD-OtQ4yE-1QuLFda_ZY1zQ2No8Uy0rLaS-R-CGcKrPxy-6wy5r2alf8Hx6lrpdPvW4E_B1B/s400/Dubrovnik's+main+street.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main street of Dubrovnik's Old Town. Photo: Laszlo Szalai</td></tr>
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From
September 28-30 to October 1-3 JDC Ambassadors will be leading an expedition to
Sarajevo, Dubrovnik,
and the Croatian Coast. This mission will combine historic
insight, social advocacy, and an exploration into the fascinating Jewish life
of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.</div>
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With a breathtaking view of the Adriatic coastline,
spectacular medieval walkways, and culture and history at every turn, the city
of <span class="il">Dubrovnik</span>
is not to be missed. Beneath its picturesque exterior however, lies a city that
was once home to a reserved but robust Jewish community. Dating back to the 14<sup>th</sup>
century, the Jewish community of <span class="il">Dubrovnik</span> is a resilient one, hosting
a synagogue, museum, and multiple treasured artifacts.
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One of the most famous sights in all of <span class="il">Dubrovnik</span>, and not just
in the Jewish world, is the <span class="il">Dubrovnik</span> Synagogue. Built in
the 14<sup>th</sup> century, it is the second oldest synagogue in the world in
addition to being the oldest Sephardic synagogue. It houses torah scrolls
dating back to the 13<sup>th</sup> or 14<sup>th</sup> century that contain some
of the oldest styles of Hebrew script. They demonstrate a variety of
calligraphy that is noticeably different from the writing style seen in most
torahs. These scrolls are now housed in the synagogue’s museum and have been viewed
as far away as New York City.<br />
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Not far from the museum and synagogue is the “Jewish
fountain,” nicknamed for the fact that it was the only water fountain in which
Jews were allowed to drink until Napoleon invaded <span class="il">Dubrovnik</span>. It serves as
a reminder of the contentious past that Croatian Jews were once forced to live.</div>
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“<span class="il">Dubrovnik</span>
was a Jewish melting ground,” due to its Sephardic, Ashkenazi, and other
widespread influences that thrived in the area called “Zudiska Ulica,” or “Jews Street,” the neighborhood
in which the Jewish people of <span class="il">Dubrovnik</span> were confined for many
years. The community of Zudiska Ulica produced a great many Jewish <span class="il">Dubrovnik</span> residents, such as the physician and discoverer
Amatus Lusitanus and the poet Didacus Pyrrhus. </div>
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Although it is a small community today, it is swelling in
pride and determination. A member of the Coordination Committee of Croatian
Jewish Communities, <span class="il">Dubrovnik</span>’s
Jewish community and sites boast visitors and admirers from all over the world.
It continues to grow, establishing a future for itself for years to come. </div>
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For more information please contact Rebecca Neuwirth at rebeccan@jdcny.org or Rachel Rosenthal at rachelr@jdcny.org. </div>
</div>JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-54717059617950424862012-07-12T16:03:00.004-04:002012-07-12T16:03:37.227-04:00Camping in Belarus Brings Families to Jewish Community<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This summer Pavel will be among thousands </div>
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of Jews
participating in JDC-supported day </div>
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camps, family retreats, and
intergenerational </div>
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Shabbatons taking place throughout the </div>
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former <st1:place w:st="on">Soviet Union</st1:place>.</div>
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Mirroring a common reaction among fellow Jewish 10-year-olds
in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Minsk</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Belarus</st1:country-region></st1:place>, Pavel’s eyes light up with
excitement at the mere mention of “Shemesh” Camp at his local Jewish Community
Center (JCC). That’s because Pavel can’t wait to join his friends for a 10-day
session of fun and Jewish learning that will include trips to parks, museums, movies,
and other attractions around <st1:city w:st="on">Minsk</st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With hundreds of kids and families attending the Minsk JCC
annual summer program, Jewish camping has become the new “in vogue” thing to do
in the Belarusian capital.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For the past 20 years, JDC has exponentially expanded
opportunities for Jews in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Belarus</st1:country-region>
and across the former Soviet Union (FSU) to connect with their local
communities. In the process, Jewish camping has become a premier outreach
activity, bringing together kids and families eager to take a holiday with rich
Jewish content and offering a gateway into Jewish life year-round at <st1:city w:st="on">Minsk</st1:city>’s JCC Emunah.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pavel’s family reflects the trend: Last year, Pavel and his
parents participated in the JDC-supported Summer Family Retreat Camp operated
by JCC Emunah. Pavel loved playing sports, learning about Jewish traditions and
history, and making honeycomb Shabbat candles at arts and crafts with his
friends. At the end of the retreat, the family came together and joined the
camp-wide Shabbat celebration.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Lighting the candles as a community was remarkable for us,”
said Pavel’s mom Natalia. “We wanted to continue the tradition, so we started
coming to other JCC programs. And this year again we are returning for another
retreat with the families we’ve befriended in our community.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pavel’s family will be among thousands of Jews participating
in JDC-supported day camps, family retreats, and intergenerational Shabbatons
taking place throughout the FSU this summer. During the year, local madrichim (counselors)
are trained to lead arts and crafts, games, and sports competitions, and
organize Jewish content-rich summer programming including storytelling, song
sessions, and Jewish trivia contests. In a region where decades of communism
ensured that families would not have Jewish traditions in their homes for
generations, the programs serve as a gateway into Jewish life for many.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Some of the participants are invited through their
affiliation with the JDC-supported Jewish Family Outreach Service (JFOS), which
helps cover camp costs for those who cannot afford to attend on their own, and
also provides material, medical, psychological, educational, and vocational
assistance to children and families in need, as well as special Jewish holiday
celebrations and programs year-round for their client base.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Camps and retreats are not the only engagement opportunities
for Jews in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Belarus</st1:country-region>’s
vibrant community. All year long, JCC Emunah, part of the capital’s one-stop
Jewish “hub”—the Minsk Jewish Campus—offers a variety of programs to enable
individuals and families, young and old, to explore Jewish traditions and
culture through educational, cultural, and recreational opportunities in an
inclusive community setting. The organization serves the existing Jewish
community and attracts new families to Jewish life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pavel first came to JCC Emunah with his mother when he was
two years old to attend the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Mazal</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Tov</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Early</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Development</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
He’s been attending community events ever since. Today Pavel participates year
round in arts programs, dance classes, and cultural activities at the center.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But last year was the family’s first time on a retreat
together—and they couldn’t wait to come back.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This two summer family retreats will be held, for families
from <st1:city w:st="on">Minsk</st1:city> and from other cities throughout <st1:country-region w:st="on">Belarus</st1:country-region>, rounding
together some 200 participants. In addition, about 250 kids will attend day
camps organized throughout the country.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“We are so grateful for these special opportunities to
reconnect with our friends and learn more about our traditions together. We are
so happy to have a place—a community—to call home,” Natalia says.</div>
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</div>JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-65223586909128478592012-07-09T15:01:00.000-04:002012-07-09T15:01:16.798-04:00JDC Helps Russian Jews Affected by Floods<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In response to Saturday's flash floods in Russia's Krasnodar region -- which
left more than 150 people dead -- JDC activated its emergency network and staff
in the region immediately began reaching out to the local Jewish population and
assessing damage. Though there were no reported Jewish victims among the dead, a
handful of elderly, including Holocaust survivors, reported extensive, and in
some cases irreparable damage, to their homes.<br />
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Rescue teams from Russia's
Ministry of Emergency Situations evacuated many people from their homes. In the
meantime, JDC's Hesed staff have been in continuous touch with clients in the
hardest hit towns of Krimsk, Gelendzhik and Novorossiysk to ensure they are safe
and JDC will be aiding in repair and rebuilding costs for homes as damage
assessment is completed. There are more than 500 Jews in the affected areas.
<br /><br />Here is some of the latest coverage: <span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18765305" title="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18765305">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18765305</a></u></span></div>JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-11987956614115399212012-06-27T15:28:00.000-04:002012-06-29T10:21:33.424-04:00JDC Ambassadors Plan Fall Expedition to Sarajevo and the Croatian Coast<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The remains of the Stari -Most Bridge in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Over 400 years old, the landmark bridge was destroyed during the Bosnian War in 1993, as was much of the tranquil scenery that surrounded it. JDC Ambassadors will travel to the region, which has been rebuilt to its original beauty.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">The next mission with JDC Ambassadors will be to the majestic cities of Sarajevo and Dubrovnik from September 28-30 and October 1-3. Come meet the brave women who have battled breast cancer and the harsh societal stigma that is still associated with it. Explore the small but resilient Jewish communities that call Sarajevo and Dubrovnik their home.</span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">The highlights of this mission will include an optional 5k run/walk to fight breast cancer and a chance to meet the Jewish leader who laid the groundwork for the JDC Women's Health Empowerment Program in the Balkans, as well as the people who have helped to enlarge across all ethnic and religious communities in the area.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">We'll also visit Sarajevo's famous Jewish Cemetery, view the world famous Sarajevo Haggadah, travel along the gorgeous pathways that are home to the Latin and Stori-Most bridges among many other incredible landmarks and views along the breathtaking Croatian Coast. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Sarajevo is marking the 20th anniversary of the start of the infamous siege, which signaled the start of ethnic bloodshed and led to the Yugoslav wars, the bloodiest in Europe since World War II. Its Jewish community is small in numbers but not in spirit. Through the support of JDC the community took on an important role in providing a safe haven and essential supplies during the siege, and rescuing community members and others when the situation became unlivable. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">For more information please contact Rachel Rosenthal at rachelr@jdcny.org. </span></div>
</div>JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-85819570397313993572012-06-25T22:58:00.000-04:002012-08-20T14:48:46.775-04:00JDC Israel Focuses on Empowerment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em>By Rebecca Neuwirth, Director, JDC Ambassadors</em><br />
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A huge moon is hanging over my shoulder in Tel Aviv, a city I haven't been to since I became a mother over seven years ago and put a brake on long travel.
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A lot has changed in that time, but not the tender breeze, the slightly sweet smell of blossoming summer in a dusty city. The smell of cats too - in every small street I sense them - on steps and mailboxes and sliding between parked cars. The simple cafes, the handsome people, the certain knowledge that the ocean is just hidden beyond these small streets, win me over again.<br />
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I'm here with 70 people for the JDC Board mission. We are visiting projects that address serious social issues in Israel. I'm excited to see that JDC is hitting all the right notes. <br />
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I will leave Israel certain that it is a first-class development organization, combining the most cutting-edge best practices with age old humanitarian instincts to better the lives of the most vulnerable.
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Each program is being developed around sound principles. Staff speak of empowerment rather than service delivery. There is a priority placed on innovation, a can-do attitude that nevertheless is grounded in real trial, error, and context. <br />
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And all over I see a focus on filling needs through collaboration and community.
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JDC has an almost scientific process in place: each identified need is researched, piloted, evaluated, retooled, scaling up, and finally JDC ensures that successful national programs are made self-sufficient or taken over by the government, ie the JDC exit. The work lives up to the highest standards of any industry, except that it is all about addressing real needs and helping people.
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We see innovative pilots to introduce segments of the insular Haredi and Arab communities into the workforce. We visit community-based empowerment centers in the process of being scaled up nation-wide after proving effective in addressing isolated and at-risk children, youth, and their parents (I love the slogan at the disabilities center, borrowed from the U.S.: “nothing about us without us”). And we visit long running established projects that now "graduated" to become entirely self-sufficient or government-run; I wish one of them existed for my grandfather -- a program that enables elderly to continue to live in their own in their homes by fostering a community-based security systems, human connections and accessible medical care.
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We visit a park in south Tel Aviv where groups of asylum seekers live in limbo status, perhaps one of the most acute current issues, and the cause of recent violent riots. The conflict can be seen as pitting poor Israelis against African migrants who have lost everything in a desperate trek to get over the border. These two groups are in competition for cheap housing and the search for under-the-table work.
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We are told that Israel has become a destination city for Eritrean and Sudanese refugees. Since both countries are deemed unsafe for return, and therefore deporting refugees back is illegal under international law, the situation poses a major challenge to Israel on moral and practical counts. <br />
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JDC is working with local NGOs to help the most vulnerable of the vulnerable: creating safer conditions at unofficial day care centers where one woman cares for up to 20 babies and little children a small room or home.
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As I walk past the Habima theater, I feel strongly how many dreams this country represents. Jews have always tended to outsized ideas, and perhaps no other country has been etched with narratives as bold and passionate as Israel.
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But I stop myself. What we are doing on this trip is not revisiting the grand narrative of a country that finds itself in the throws of existential conflict in spite of its best hopes.
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JDC is all about making real, concrete changes. They are changes that are people-sized.
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This is not a political organization. The larger geo-political issues have come up only at the start and end, to frame almost a week of people-to-people meetings and site visits. I get the sense too that international politics are not foremost on the minds of the locals either. Perhaps there is a need by all human beings to focus on the things over which there is personal volition.
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In a country that counts more than most on true solidarity among its residents to survive, JDC's programs are attempting to re-stitch the fabric of community. In the United States such work is humanitarian; here in Israel it feels existential.
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The paper corroborates this thought: daily headlines focus on domestic issues and highlight almost all the themes of our mission visits. A Board member jokes that the JDC-sponsored version is being delivered to our hotels, but we all recognize it in fact as an authentic confirmation of how JDC's work dovetails so completely with the real cares of Israelis.<br />
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I am amazed too by the tremendous commitment of JDC's board to visiting programs for five full days. Each individual member seems to have adopted one or two specific projects - about which they know all the details, the staff, the current results and the future plans. They're not only proud of JDC's work here, they are eager to interact, to learn. Above all, though, they want to feel. They see the universal human dimension in this work. <br />
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One member says something that sticks with me as she recounts her amazing experiences crossing history and touching lives during the Ethiopian rescue and initial integration: we can do a lot of good things with our lives if we only see.<br />
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I'm so impressed with this work, so glad to be part of an organization that is "big and good," as my friend in Kiev, Anja, said. And, after seeing this work in detail, I'll add "smart" too. I am also excited about the opportunities for hands-on engagement, and see a lot of potential for JDC Ambassadors to get involved.</div>
JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-75501720300555114972012-06-12T14:00:00.000-04:002012-10-11T10:04:53.720-04:00Letter to friends: visiting Israel with JDC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<em>Judah Kraushaar, member of the JDC Ambassadors Steering Committee, joined JDC's Board for a mission in Israel in early June 2012. Below are reflections that he shared with a group of his friends about the work and impact of JDC in Israel. </em></div>
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Friends,</div>
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I recently had the good fortune to travel with the board of The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) examining in depth its work in Israel. As you may know, the JDC has become one of my passions, and I hope you’ll allow me to share a small part of what I saw and learned from this incredibly stimulating experience. I’ve been to Israel many times typically as a tourist or in the context of my interest in political advocacy; but this trip allowed me to see a very different side of the country—it focused on the challenges posed by the soft underbelly of society, a world where the poor, disenfranchised, and even migrant populations struggle daily. In many countries, such a focus would have been totally depressing; but, as you might have guessed, the commitment in Israeli society to address social problems, combined with Israeli innovation and passion—and helped along by the JDC’s work—made this visit to Israel one of my most uplifting ever. </div>
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Before going further, let me encapsulate the mission of the JDC. This nearly century old organization is renowned for its rescues of Holocaust victims, Jews from the Soviet Union, and refugees from Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and Ethiopia; but its relevance goes much further and has evolved with the times. Today, the JDC pursues a three pronged mission of rescue, relief, and community building for Jews living in nearly 70 countries (it also provides relief services for non-Jews who are in emergency situations most often as the result of a natural disaster). As I witnessed first-hand in Israel, JDC often provides seed capital and know-how to create and develop innovative social programs that are speedily taken over by third party partners such as government ministries and/or local municipalities, thus leveraging JDC’s expertise and allowing it to recycle resources to address new challenges. <br />
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Israel and the Former Soviet Union represent JDC’s largest areas of focus with each consuming over one third of the annual budget. In Israel, however, the power and leverage of JDC’s preferred operating model is exceptionally well illustrated. From a base of only $11 million in unrestricted funds put to work in the country each year, JDC has found partners that have added more than $90 million in additional financial resources. What’s more, JDC typically focuses on developing new programs that address the most pressing problems in society and provides seed capital that typically is replaced by third party partners within a three to six year time frame. Thus, the budget’s leverage compounds over time. For philanthropists eager to see the impact of their contributions maximized, this model is indeed impressive.<br />
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Another aspect of JDC has been its commitment to research and developing analyses that help steer resources most dispassionately to areas of real need. JDC has financial and operating partnerships with two preeminent research organizations in Israel. The Taub Center takes a top-down approach and analyzes economic and social trends, whereas the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute examines specific social programs and determines their need and effectiveness. Given my background as a research analyst, this part of JDC is especially distinctive and compelling—in my opinion, objective research is the key to making sure non-profit work doesn’t get carried away by natural emotional forces but rather prioritizes and focuses on things that really can have major impact.<br />
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I could go on discussing the things that I find compelling in JDC from a strategic and process standpoint, but I realize you’re probably more interested in learning what made this trip so invigorating. In brief, here are the issues and JDC programs that touched me:</div>
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<li>Poverty and Youth: About a third of Israeli children (more than 800,000) live below the poverty line with nearly half of those considered to be "at risk". Responsible Israelis understand that avoiding a permanent underclass represents a moral challenge of the highest order. JDC’s response has been extensive and longstanding. Over the past 13 years, 300 projects have been developed with 70% of these having been embraced and taken over by the government. JDC programs focus especially on bringing parents and children together to promote education, parental support, daycare, health promotion, literacy, and afternoon activities. There are specialized programs for the very young, for the Ethiopian community, and for parents of children with learning and other disabilities. Programs for the very young (less than 6 years of age) will soon be in place in nearly 170 locations. <br /><br />Our itinerary included a number of stops where we interacted first hand with relevant program participants: a primary school in one of Tel Aviv’s poorest neighborhoods that concentrates on effectively integrating Ethiopian and other recent immigrants into the broader community; a center also in a desperately poor area where children at risk, their parents, and the entire neighborhood come together under a holistic intervention strategy; and a high school where Teach First Israel—Israel’s equivalent of Teach For America—has been implemented and where graduation rates have risen decisively.</li>
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<li>Unemployment Among the Ultra-Orthodox: The challenge posed by the Haredim are generally well known; yet with this community exceeding 700,000 people growing 6% annually and with poverty rates at about 50%, the statistics are still devastating to hear. Importantly, JDC has been piloting a variety of programs with the IDF to bring Haredi men into the army in a manner that respects these young men’s religious needs. Special emphasis has been placed on technical training (e.g. computer skills) that hopefully can be useful for future job attainment once the army service ends. Other JDC programs have targeted the Haredim more broadly including programs geared at women that promote language and teaching skills.<br /><br />At a major army base in central Israel, we met with several ultra-orthodox soldiers. The exchange was riveting. One Hasidic young man revealed that he had kept his army service secret from his family for 18 months given their disapproval. At the end of each day, this soldier changes into civilian clothes before heading home to maintain the secret. Learning of such personal hardships wasn’t easy; however, all of these young soldiers have come to appreciate the dignity afforded by supporting oneself and family with meaningful employment. Somehow, hearing those sorts of comments suggested the future holds the seeds of progress. In fact, over the past 10 years, JDC sponsored work training programs have impacted 23,000 members of the Haredi community.</li>
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<li> Israeli Arab Economic Development: As with the Haredim, the Israel Arab population is growing exceedingly fast and suffers from very high unemployment. This is true especially among Arab women. Only 26% of Arab-Israeli women work. Demonstrating that JDC’s work does not stop with Jews, we visited Tira, an Arab village between Tel Aviv and Haifa where we met in a new employment center (one of six in Israel set up and initially supported with assistance from JDC) entirely devoted to helping Israeli Arabs enter the work force. Hesitantly, three middle aged Arab women described the cultural, educational, and logistical impediments to finding meaningful work in Israel. It was impossible to gauge how these women were inwardly reacting to meeting with a group of American Jews; however, their determination to make something of their lives was touching and certainly struck a universal chord.</li>
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<li>Problems of the Elderly: We made a few stops to learn about programs for the elderly, but the one that especially hit home for me was a home visit in a neighborhood in Jerusalem where an effort has been made to provide community support services designed to keep elderly adults in their homes rather than sending them to more costly nursing homes. This was one of 250 similar supportive neighborhoods around Israel, serving over 50,000 elderly. Strikingly, this community has hired a group of adult professionals who are charged with checking in with their elderly neighbors daily and who provide assistance as needed. Moreover, a dedicated physician is on staff; and the community provides social activities all for a nominal charge. The simplicity, efficacy, and above all the humanity of this model for taking care of the elderly were impressive indeed. One should understand that the 65+ population accounts for over 10% of Israel’s population today, and that the number of elderly is expected to double over the next 20 years. </li>
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<li>Programs for the Disabled: Each challenge in Israel has its own galvanizing statistic, but here’s one more: the largest minority group in the country is that of people with disabilities. The key to an effective response is to combat isolation and loneliness and to provide services that empower this population. JDC has helped establish six Centers for Independent Living across the country geared at integrating people with disabilities into society. The centers offer peer counseling, job skill training workshops, technical assistance with medical devices, and courses in how to advocate for equal rights.</li>
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Before closing, there was one other much more unsettling experience that I’d like to share, namely a growing crisis in Israel pertaining to refugees, asylum seekers, and other foreigners seeking work in Israel. Current estimates suggest there are 60,000-80,000 people who have trekked hundreds if not thousands of miles to enter Israel; and new arrivals are coming at the pace of 2,000 per month. Ninety percent of these people come from Sudan and Eritrea. Until now, the Israeli government has not had a well developed policy response and has allowed these foreigners to disperse inside the country. The liberal minded Tel Aviv municipal government and private citizen groups have provided some help, but this has only served as a magnet to attract the majority of these individuals to the city. The numbers have grown sharply, and social tensions are rising. We toured the old Central Bus Station area of south Tel Aviv which effectively is an urban ghetto where hundreds of homeless people are living in the main park. Violent crimes are increasing in frequency and it is apparent that this population is bringing out some of the worst elements in Israeli society itself. This issue is problematic for Israeli society at large and is fraught with ethical issues (especially for Israel given its refugee oriented history). One hope is that a soon to be completed fence along the Sinai border may stem the tide. It’s not clear whether and how JDC can be of help, but I’m glad that our mission did not dodge this obviously fluid and threatening aspect of life in Israel. <br />
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Not wishing to end this missive on a down note, a couple of other quick observations helped me leave Israel with a warm feeling. Most importantly, Israeli society has an incredible embedded culture of volunteerism, particularly among its young adults. We visited with high school students working hand in hand with their local mayors and town leaders to provide peer counseling services, help for the handicapped, care for the aged, etc. You have to meet the people to really feel it, but it’s something that goes above and beyond, especially relative to my personal frame of reference here at home. There’s also the exceptional role played by the army in bringing all types of people together in a way that contributes to an incredible social and community ethos. This certainly is not a new revelation, but I come home to the US somehow feeling we would benefit as a country by having a national service program for our own young people. <br />
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Finally, my week in Israel was bracketed by two high energy events in Tel Aviv. Madonna kicked off her latest world tour in Tel Aviv to a sold-out crowd, and the rumors were flying all week of that she had stayed on and had been sighted all over the city. Who would have thought a star like Madonna would hang out in Israel for a week?! The other event was the annual Gay Pride Day/Parade which turned the city into a blur of rainbow flags and pink balloons. What hit me most was the sea of humanity that came out for the event, both gay and straight. Somehow, I felt far more uplifted seeing this celebration in Tel Aviv than in New York or elsewhere. I suppose it was recognition that for all the suffering over our long difficult history in the diaspora, the Jewish people, and perhaps especially those in Israel, have come closest to learning what it means to be a light unto the nations and to respect the dignity of all people.<br />
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One of my new friends at JDC recently taught me a powerful phrase: “the heart can’t feel what the eyes haven’t seen.” After an eye opening week in Israel, my heart has been truly opened. Thank you for allowing me to share this wonderful week with you. If you would like to learn more about JDC and how to become involved, I would be honored to help you engage with this truly exceptional and inspiring organization.<br />
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Warmly,<br />
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Judah</div>
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JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-75753766890160806752012-06-11T16:32:00.002-04:002012-08-02T16:28:45.338-04:00JDC Ambassadors In Cuba<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><b>By Dov Ben-Shimon, JDC Executive Director of Strategic
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I've just spent the last weekend staffing the JDC
Ambassadors Circle Mission to <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Cuba</st1:country>,
to see the amazing Jewish community there, learn about our challenges and horizons,
and participate in some unique experiences. I've been to <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Cuba</st1:country> many times
to show JDC supporters and Ambassadors the work we do, and each time I see
new and inspiring aspects of our work. </div>
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This time, three special aspects stood out:</div>
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<i><b>ONE:</b></i> I saw, once again, how our history shapes our mission
and its impact. In the <st1:placename w:st="on">Havana</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Airport</st1:placetype>, I met a young Ukrainian-American
couple, returning from a museum trip to <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Cuba</st1:country>. When they heard that I work
for the Joint, they both excitedly shared their life stories of being helped by
the Joint to escape the Soviet Union in the 1980s and move through the transit
camps in <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And for those of you who haven't been to <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Cuba</st1:country> in the
last year ... the Havana Sephardic Synagogue, in its renovated old-new
sanctuary, has opened a moving and thought-provoking exhibit on the Shoah
(Holocaust). It is educational and incredibly important as a tool for Jews and
non-Jews alike in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Cuba</st1:country>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>TWO:</i></b> I learned, once again, how
there is hunger in the Jewish world but there is also a
unique thirst. There's real hunger in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Cuba</st1:country> - and we work to provide
nutritional support, challah and milk programs, kosher meals, a chicken dinner
program for the synagogues, and more. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But there's also an amazing
thirst, for Jewish knowledge, for community, for involvement. Sitting in the
Patronato, the main Conservative synagogue and community center, and watching
hundreds of Cuban Jews dancing and praying and eagerly celebrating their Jewish
community, is inspiring and humbling. Singing Shabbat melodies, participating
in a Havdalah ceremony and watching <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Israel</st1:country>
dancing, learning about the aspirations and horizons of young Jewish leaders in
the community ... and much more ... shows you the excitement and eagerness for
Jewish life now vibrant in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Cuba</st1:country>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>THREE:</b></i> Finally, I saw, once again the
high quality of Jewish leadership in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Cuba</st1:country>. Who would have imagined,
perhaps even five years ago, that we would be looking today at a situation in
which the Joint no longer runs synagogue services, no longer maintains the
overhead and utilities and expenses of the synagogues, the education programs,
has handed over so many areas of responsibility to the Cuban leadership? We say
that we have phase-down programs and discuss the concept of
"kill-switches" in our programs around the world. And in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Cuba</st1:country> you can
really see how this has worked, and how this is going to develop in the years
to come. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Seeing <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Cuba</st1:country>
through the eyes of members of the JDC Ambassadors Circle and Society is a
life-changing experience. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to take this
group of warm, committed and philanthropic leaders to see a microcosm of the
Jewish world and the work of the Joint. It has reminded me of why our mission
statement, that all Jews are responsible one for another, is not just a core value,
but also a business plan.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-61933892132793158982012-06-06T11:59:00.001-04:002012-06-06T11:59:49.361-04:00A Final Column from JDC CEO, Steve Schwager<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since March 8, 2005, I have been sending you a weekly column
describing in detail some of the many programs and issues facing JDC as it
navigates within a turbulent world – always trying to ensure that the needs of
Jewish, as well as non-Jewish, men, women, and children are met across the
globe.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have written 331 columns; since I will be traveling over
the next few weeks, this will be my last column, and I thought it would be
meaningful to highlight some of JDC's achievements during my 23-year tenure. The
programs described below are in no particular order, but simply came to mind in
a stream of consciousness process as I began writing this piece.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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In the early 1990s, I was JDC's CFO. I was asked to directly
supervise a $15 million US Government grant that was the precursor of our FSU
welfare program. In a world without cell phones, Blackberrys, and today's
computer technology, my team of 15 Americans and Israelis, supplemented by
almost 100 local Russians, distributed more than 500,000 food packages to needy
Jews and non-Jews in Moscow and St. Petersburg over a six-week period. The
process ran smoothly and efficiently, with no loss of food to theft. In fact, at
JDC's 80th anniversary celebration at the State Department in Washington DC, Vice
President Al Gore publicly thanked JDC for its work in the FSU, noting in
particular that not one food package was lost in that process. What was the
secret to our success? We hired the
Russian world karate champion as our head of security. No one wanted to fool
with him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
JDC established and expanded the Women's Health Empowerment
program in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to bring together
Jewish and non-Jewish women in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Russia</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Bosnia</st1:country-region>, and
other places across the globe. Thanks to JDC, women of different ethnicities
came together because they shared one common bond: breast cancer. And through that reality, they
felt empowered to work together, to help strengthen each other, and to work for
a cure.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We responded to man-made and natural disasters in many
locations, such as <st1:country-region w:st="on">Argentina</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region>, Southeast Asia, and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Haiti</st1:country-region>. Each
time a disaster would hit, a well-oiled machine moved into action and created
hope out of despair. JDC at its best.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Connecting the next generation of young Jews to JDC's work
was an important goal of mine, accomplished by establishing a cutting edge
continuum of international volunteer programs for young adults to serve with
JDC in countries overseas. This included the expansion of our Jewish Service
Corps, as well as our Short-Term Service opportunities. Now each year, nearly 500
young Jewish men and women, primarily from the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region>, serve in countries
across the globe addressing challenges facing various communities. We have
established Learning Networks in seven <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> cities, with events that have
attracted over 5,000 participants since 2009. The Next Generation Initiative
has grown into a full department of 13 people with a budget approaching $4
million. For me, these programs have been a labor of love – a powerful way to
ensure that future generations of young people are connected to JDC and the
work we do around the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I served as the co-chairman and JDC was a founding member of
the Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues. The coalition began with 40
member agencies and over the years grew to more than 100 members, including
federations, foundations, and private individuals interested in this issue. Arabs
comprise 20 percent of the population of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>, and it is clear that much
more needs to be done to integrate them into society. This is the ultimate goal
of the Task Force.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Israel, I look with pride at all of our activities –
ranging from our assistance to the most vulnerable during the second intifada
and the 2006 Lebanon War to the life-changing Parents and Children Together (PACT)
program for Ethiopian-Israeli youngsters, the reinvigoration of the Taub Center
for Social Policy Studies in Israel, and the important work of the Myers-JDC-Brookdale
Institute. Our latest programs to expand employment opportunities for Arabs and
the ultra-Orthodox are changing <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
for the better. But more must still be done to improve the lives of the most
vulnerable and secure a more promising future for all of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>'s
citizens.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have felt a powerful responsibility all these years to
elderly Jews in the former <st1:place w:st="on">Soviet Union</st1:place>, lonely
and impoverished old men and women who I have often said could easily have been,
but for the grace of God, my grandparents or yours. Rabbi Abraham Joshua
Heschel wrote that: "A test of a people is how it behaves toward the old. It
is easy to love children. Even tyrants and dictators make a point of being fond
of children. But the affection and care for the old, the incurable, the
helpless are the true gold mines of a culture." Based on that standard and given the wealth
in the Jewish world, we need to do much, much more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, I remember being told of elderly grandparents
secretly bringing their grandchildren to our soup kitchens in the FSU. The children
were hidden under the tables and ate the meals intended for their grandparents.
When I asked my staff to look into this strange habit, they discovered an
enormous underclass of children living in homes where there was literally
nothing to eat. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On a subsequent visit to <st1:city w:st="on">Kharkov</st1:city>, I visited two such homes. The living
conditions were appalling. The children slept on dirt floors. They had none of
life's simple amenities - no warm clothes, no food, no books, no eyeglasses, nothing.
Afterward, I asked our staff what we were going to do for these two families. Their
response was: "Nothing. There are
so many and the FSU budget has no money for children." <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was unacceptable, I told them, first for these two
families that I had just met and, more importantly, for the future of all
Jewish children in the FSU. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A subsequent field study by JDC Board member Dr. Spencer
Foreman concluded that 20 to 40 percent of Jewish children in Moldova, then and
now one of the region's poorest countries, were malnourished and in need of
supplemental food. A wider Myers-JDC-Brookdale
Institute survey confirmed this alarming finding, while pinpointing precise
needs. As a result, in 2002, we launched a new Children's Initiative in the FSU,
and from that beginning, the milestone IFCJ-JDC Partnership for Children was
born. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today we spend over $7 million annually on 35,000 children
and their parents in the former Soviet Union and in Central and <st1:place w:st="on">Eastern Europe</st1:place>. Of
course there are many more we do not yet reach, but we keep trying. I am proud
of the program and the fact that through our work, the future is brighter for
many.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also take much pride in the Memorial Wall that was
unveiled in the JDC-Israel building in <st1:city w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:city>
in the summer of 2009 – a moving tribute to the 40-plus JDC employees who, over
our 97-year history, have died serving the Jewish people.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the revenue side, the organization increased its global
reach from a $243 million budget in 2002, my first year as CEO, to a record
budget of $362 million in 2012. At the same time, the number of staff decreased
from over 1,000 people to 800-plus. Doing more with less is a key phrase at JDC.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Various independent organizations have recognized our work, including
Charity Navigator, which awarded JDC its highest rating, and the Israel
Government, which awarded JDC the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement and
Special Contribution to Society and the State of Israel. Another proud moment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the end of the day, a JDC professional wants to be able
to say that he or she made a difference. I step down as CEO on June 30 with
enormous pride for all that has been accomplished.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-47613031585747546612012-06-04T14:47:00.000-04:002012-06-04T14:50:31.497-04:00Jewish Book Council/The Forward Arty Semite Blog Features Post about 'The Joint'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Leslie Maitland, former New York Times reporter and author
of a new memoir about her mother, <i>Crossing the Borders of Time</i>, has blogged for the Jewish Book Council, and
republished by <i>The Jewish Daily Forward</i>, about JDC and how 'The Joint' saved her family during World War II. The piece also includes an interview with
Linda Levi, Director of the JDC Archives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Read her blog post at <a href="http://blogs.forward.com/the-arty-semite/157196/author-blog-the-joint/#ixzz1wZvCIpcK"><i><b>The Arty Semite</b></i></a>. </div>
</div>JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-39921362123537132022012-05-23T00:29:00.000-04:002012-05-25T13:11:50.294-04:00Traveling to Kiev with JDC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2FJDCAmbassadors%2Falbumid%2F5745570296347963521%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCK--ypvIkK6THw%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Kiev is a vast city of nearly 3 million. JDC's work feeds impoverished Holocaust survivors and other elderly, and helps families in need. It is also about building a caring community, and we felt an integral part of one during our visit.</span><br />
<br />
<i>by Rebecca Neuwirth, Director, JDC Ambassadors</i><br />
<br />
Before leaving for Kiev, someone told me that the city was beautiful, all orthodox churches and Dostoyevsky. And in JDC reports, I read about the immense poverty and dire living conditions of families with troubled children and the elderly.<br />
<br />
Not surprisingly, on the first day of our staff mission in Kiev, it seems all of this is true. A city of contradictions, a vast city, vital, sad, moving, with a future that is very uncertain.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Blocks of deteriorating Soviet housing greet us on the wide, crowded road from Kiev’s Boryspil airport. And the onion spires of orthodox churches poke their golden heads up across the Dnipro River. Next to them is a statue that symbolizes to me the alternate reality here: an impressive Soviet take on the Statue of Liberty, much larger than the original. Mother Motherland is armed not with a book and torch, but with a powerful shield and sword.<br />
<br />
The statue pays tribute to the Soviet heroes of World War II, a stark contrast to the small memorial erected by the Jewish community next to a pit grown over with grass and trees. This stands for the other side of that war -- Babi Yar, or the Holocaust by bullets, as our host explains. In this ravine, now grown over with trees and greenery, almost 40,000 Jews – men, women, and children – were shot, one-by-one, in 1941 – one of the earliest exterminations. Altogether, some 100,000 or more people were killed at the site, Jews and others.<br />
<br />
I am amazed by how Jews were able to resettle here after the war, and yet they did – many had little choice. Today the estimate is that 100,000 Jews live in the Kiev region alone. JDC is helping over 12,000 of them to survive.<br />
<br />
We visit the tiny apartment, home of a mother whose 13-year-old daughter, Ivanna, has a severe case of cerebral palsy. This is our first home visit and will be perhaps the most impactful for me of the entire trip.<br />
<br />
The daughter is bent over in her wheelchair, but she is staring at us and smiling – clearly excited to have company.<br />
<br />
I am honestly more concerned about the mother. She is completely isolated in her apartment of 13 years, her loneliness broken only by a dog and cat, whose smells strongly permeate the tiny room. She says she has no contact with her neighbors and that they sometimes look askew at her because of her “Jewish nationality.” Still, she looks very young, with a petite frame, a glittery sweater, dyed orange hair, and sad eyes. As she speaks to us, she plays tenderly with Ivanna’s long braids. We say that Ivanna is lucky to have her, and she looks down and smiles sadly and says she isn’t so sure.<br />
<br />
We see a picture of her mother, the grandmother of the family, who helps with Ivanna’s rehabilitation activities, many made possible by JDC. The photo has captured her in the midst of doing what seems like a dance in place and it looks to me that she has more of a sparkle in her eye than her daughter.<br />
<br />
Visits, medicine and food from the JDC social worker also break the loneliness. And as much as JDC is providing for physical sustenance, I feel that it is this emotional support and connection to an accepting and embracing community that is even more vital.<br />
<br />
I recognize of course that it is a drop in a vast bucket of misery, not in the life of this family - where JDC is actually providing a very tangible measure of hope and community, but in the larger picture. How many more Ivannas are hidden away in this housing bloc – or in the identical blocs surrounding it and scattered across this city?<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, for Jews, who have suffered more than most here, it is immensely heartwarming to know that JDC is seeking them out and extending a hand of help and warmth. The visit is deeply appreciated. Ivanna lights up and her mother is happier too by the time we leave.<br />
<br />
What is amazing is to witness the reconstitution of a Jewish community after 70 years of neglect – and to understand that thanks in no small part to JDC’s immense influence in these formative years, this new emerging community is characterized by a central ethic of caring and a sense of responsibility. I am impressed by the visible attraction of the amazing young people we meet to the work of JDC. They are beautiful, smart, highly capable, and one after another, in private conversations where I try to understand their attraction to this work – they tell me how moved they are by being part of a larger community that is helping others.<br />
<br />
One of our young guides recently discovered her Jewish roots and tells me what it means to her to meet up with some of the Jewish “babushkas.” She feels like they are the grandmothers she never had, and she tells me that she loves it when they ask her questions and insist that she sit down and eat. I see her in action, and she is kind with the old people we visit, but also jokes around with them and I’m amazed by the sense of warmth and family that pervades this makeshift gatherings.<br />
<br />
Another young woman we meet, a very smart and well-spoken tour guide, tells us that she found out that she was Jewish when she was 14, but that it was her interaction with Hesed, JDC’s welfare operation for the elderly, that really made her feel she wanted to belong to this community and that started her on a journey of education and exploration.<br />
<br />
On the walk back from Babi Yar, another of these young women tells me that she loves her work and being connected to the Jewish community because she feels that she is “part of something big and good.” I love that description for its simplicity.<br />
<br />
I love the idea as well that by visiting, even we guests become part of this community, if only briefly. It is important to me that the visits are not about voyeurism, though they certainly include a new appreciation for the tribulations of living in poverty for the weakest in society. But the visits are more -- they test who we are. The clients are not embarrassed, they are proud, and it is us in a certain way who is put on the spot – trying to emerge into this new reality, figuring out questions to ask and reaching inside ourselves for warmth to share.<br />
<br />
And though this is not service in the traditional sense, I feel vividly in the visit with Ivanna and her mother and the others we see over the course of the three day trip, that we are actively engaged in something good. We are actively building a sense of global Jewish caring and community from the other side of the world.<br />
<br />
The impressive JDC Kiev director, Amir, introduces the group to his work in Ukraine over lunch at the King David restaurant in the beautiful reconstructed Brodsky synagogue. A handsome man, surprisingly young, he speaks with gravitas about how JDC requires young people like himself to make very tough decisions on a daily basis about the welfare of individuals. How to allocate scarce resources when the needs are so great? How to balance between basic welfare and programs that create long term outlook?<br />
<br />
He is immensely resourceful. When he came to Ukraine, he tells us that social workers didn’t even exist, and it was JDC that in essence started the training programs needed to sensitize and prepare individuals to help. He has established a huge network now, but one that has retained its humanity and its ability to adjust to individual needs, to think creatively about new challenges.<br />
<br />
Amir asks us to take in the next few days with our hearts and our minds. Though he is very even tempered, his passion and commitment to this work are totally apparent. His beautiful wife, who is there with their three small children, tells us that life is not always fun, but that it is meaningful in Kiev, and that this drives them to stay.<br />
<br />
No experience drives home the message quite like this visit that the work in the field, the work of one individual and the many who report to him, and the many more who depend on this network, are tied in integrally to the self-understanding of a global Jewish community, and that the values of American Jews and others are reflected immediately on the ground in real lives in a city some 5000 miles away. <br />
<br />
As we build JDC's Ambassadors program, we are focusing on the concept that this is philanthropy that changes lives. Yes, it changes the lives of Ivanna and her mother and tens of thousands more like them. But it also leaves us altered... or it doesn't leave us at all.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2061253354444750060.post-23824857293758869672012-05-09T14:48:00.004-04:002012-05-09T14:49:23.645-04:00Woman of Valor Brings Hope to Struggling Jewish Families in Uruguay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQFvJ9-LB4TZELRrXuH7nkOyI7sOSZBEUcDEKep-NFZm9bbsS-ZAm6oj0hMqypnJZrxDP-qZSPAPBbAoYG8KqeG9UaYLn5QG-EJ3KIydB04dyMQ1Om8R4bZ71-BRTtMBMxlw0u7V1fX6o/s1600/woman-of-valor-brings-hope-to.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQFvJ9-LB4TZELRrXuH7nkOyI7sOSZBEUcDEKep-NFZm9bbsS-ZAm6oj0hMqypnJZrxDP-qZSPAPBbAoYG8KqeG9UaYLn5QG-EJ3KIydB04dyMQ1Om8R4bZ71-BRTtMBMxlw0u7V1fX6o/s1600/woman-of-valor-brings-hope-to.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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I am very honored and thankful to have the </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
chance to restore dignity to so many Jewish </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
families and to show them that there is always </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
a Jewish heart and hand to help,” says Miriam, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
one of the founding members of the Tzedaka </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
women’s commission in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Montevideo</st1:city>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Uruguay</st1:country-region></st1:place>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo:<a href="http://www.jdc.org/news/features/woman-valor-hope-families-uruguay.html" target="_blank"> JDC Website</a></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Miriam has been a dedicated volunteer with <st1:city w:st="on">Montevideo</st1:city>’s Jewish community for years
because, she says, “our people should know that there is always a heart and
hand to help each other in our time of need.” She spends hours each week giving
dignity back to hundreds of poor Jewish families through the Tzedaká Uruguay
Foundation (a Jewish social services organization established with help from
JDC) where her husband is currently president.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In fact, Miriam is one of the founding members of a Tzedaká
women’s commission that supports programs for children and families struggling
to rebuild their lives since the country’s economic crisis earlier this decade.
These are families like the Grinbergs, whose financial situation became so
desperate that the five of them were sleeping between washing machines in the
back of their laundromat business.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
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Poor and vulnerable Jewish children like the Grinbergs
receive food, health care, and educational support thanks to the work of Miriam
and her commission. The Jewish daycare center she helped launch offers a
nurturing place for these kids to spend after-school hours so their parents can
search for work and earn a living to support them. Beyond the financial help, youth
at risk of dropping out of school or hanging out on the streets participate in
Jewish activities that integrate them into their caring community.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But for Miriam and others, the transformation into an
effective women’s volunteer group required overcoming obstacles—challenges that
JDC’s <i>Leatid</i> training experts are uniquely qualified to help them tackle. A
leadership training program pioneered by JDC, <i>Leatid</i> works to develop Jewish
lay and professional leaders to better serve the needs and challenges of their
communities.<o:p></o:p></div>
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According to Miriam, <i>Leatid</i> has been no less than
transcendent in raising the professionalism and coordination of her group. With
coaching over the course of a few months, the women reconnected with the Jewish
values of mutual responsibility and compassion that inspire their work and
began collaborating with other community groups.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Since the commission began working with <i>Leatid</i>, it has grown
significantly— both in spirit and numbers. “Hundreds more women have joined us
because we are successfully and meaningfully addressing needs in our community,”
Miriam shares. She and this team of committed volunteers have assumed
responsibility not only for delivering the programs, but fundraising for them
as well. Today these women of valor are giving struggling Jewish families in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Uruguay</st1:country-region> the
opportunity to thrive, reinforcing the strength and viability of the entire
community.</div>
</div>JDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09321797051919312898noreply@blogger.com0