Making the Connection: JDC's Ambassadors Symposium

Making the Connection 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. 

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.

Monday's session looked at how we care for our friends as a model for how we do good in the world.

Park Avenue Synagogue’s Rabbi Cosgrove spoke about empathy and the Hebrew concept of arevut, the responsibility we have towards one another (click here). 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 principles 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.         

What might this principle look like if we put it into play in our humanitarian work as well as our personal lives?

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 here), 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 (here's 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.

 

What is our Global Jewish Responsibility?

Remarks by Rabbi Peter J. Rubinstein, Senior Rabbi, Central Synagogue
Delivered at the JDC Ambassadors Global Symposium
December 3, 2012

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.

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.

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.

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.

JDC Ambassadors Global Symposium, December 3

The Jewish Future:
New Strategies for Sustaining and Inspiring Jewish Life
New York City

Guest Speakers:
Peter J. Rubinstein, Senior Rabbi of New York's Central Synagogue
Anne Heyman, Founder & Board Chair - Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village
Jack Habib, Director, Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute
and more...

FOR MORE INFORMATION -- go to http://jdc.org/ambassadorssymposium

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.

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.

Peter J. Rubinstein, Senior Rabbi of New York's Central Synagogue, will offer a keynote address on what global responsibility really means today.

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.

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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.

JDC Ambassadors New York Program, October 22

Can we turn the tables on poverty? Real lessons from the field in Israel, Russia, Haiti and beyond

JDC Ambassadors Meeting

Monday, October 22, 5 pm doors open, 5:30-7 pm program
New York

An article about this event is now available on the JDC Field Blog.

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.

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.

Featuring from the field:

• Galit Sagie on the keys to social mobility in Israel
• Rina Edelstein on addressing overwhelming need among elderly Jews in the former Soviet Union
• Mandie Winston on the importance of empowering people to help themselves
• Moderated by Gideon Herscher, program development expert

For more information, contact Rebecca Neuwirth, rebeccan@jdcny.org
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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.

JDC Event to Feature Professor Dan Ben-David on Israel's Internal Challenges



Professor Dan Ben-David

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.”

“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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

JDC Israel Focuses on Empowerment

By Rebecca Neuwirth, Director, JDC Ambassadors

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.

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.

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.

Two decades from war, a new fight to save Bosnia

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

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

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

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

More info? Contact Rebecca At rebeccan@jdcny.org

Two decades from war, a new fight to save Bosnia

WE NEED YOUR HELP

We are trying to get an idea how effective and informative the various Ambassadors Circle social media outlets are for our friends and readers.

What do you think of our blog?

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What works? What needs more work? We’d love to hear from you.

You can comment here or email us at ambassadors@jdc.org.

2009 JDC Annual Report with 2010 Highlights

Our 2009 Annual Report is now available on-line. 

When an elderly woman in Ukraine needs food…

When an Israeli father struggles to support his family…

When a Jewish community in Uruguay seeks strong leaders…

Read these and other stories of how JDC, the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization, is there, impacting lives and rebuilding Jewish life around the globe.

JDC Ambassadors Circle - Forming A Chapter in Your Community

What is the JDC Ambassadors Circle?
The JDC Ambassadors Circle is a global forum for connecting philanthropists, who are caring and committed supporters of JDC’s mission of Rescue, Relief and Renewal of Jewish communities in Israel and around the world.

JDC Ambassadors Circle provides a deep and nuanced understanding of the most critical issues impacting the broader Jewish world and an opportunity to connect with some of the Jewish world's top leadership.

JDC Ambassadors have the opportunity to further connect with JDC by receiving the latest news through our blog and Facebook page, attend exclusive briefing engagements and symposia to learn about JDC’s work across the globe and participate in missions to visit with Jewish communities around the world and see JDC’s work first hand.

What is a JDC Ambassadors Circle Chapter?
A JDC Ambassadors Circle Chapter is a local meeting of dynamic Jewish leaders interested in the issues facing world Jewry.  During an intensive 12 to 24 month mini-course, members will learn about a variety of topics and themes in the Jewish world , culminating in a mission to a community chosen because chapter members feel a strong connection.

How it Works
Members meet every six to eight weeks to hear from a speaker from JDC or from a presenter arranged locally.  The group will begin with a general overview of Jewish themes such as:

• Rescue
• Poverty
• Hunger
• Jewish Renewal
• Relations with Israel

As the group progresses, the discussions will become more focused on a specific region or area of JDC's work and finally, concentrating on a specific community or topic of interest to chapter members.  Finally, the group will then participate in a lively debate about mission options, including discussion on components of the mission, to make their final decision.*
(*potential locations are subject to availability and timeframe of the proposed mission)   
 
For more information or to discuss forming your own JDC Ambassadors Circle chapter, please contact Dov Ben-Shimon at dov@jdcny.org or (973) 929-2939.  Or you can email ambassadors@jdc.org.