A Final Column from JDC CEO, Steve Schwager

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.

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.

The Latest Briefing From Steve Schwager, JDC CEO

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

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

WILLIAM RECANT

Special to the CJN

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

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

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

JDC Receives Prestigious Honor from Susan G. Komen for the Cure

From Steve Schwager, CEO

A Bosnian breast cancer survivor, with her kids,
wears a specially made pink head covering
at the Fourth Bosnia and Herzegovina Race
for the Cure. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
 September 2011. Photo: JDC.

In 1982, Ambassador Nancy Brinker created the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, just two years after the death of her sister, Susan, who lost her battle with breast cancer at the age of 36. Since then, the Komen Foundation has invested nearly $2 billion in breast cancer research, education, advocacy, health services, and social support programs both in the U.S., through its affiliates network, and internationally, through partnerships in more than 50 countries.

Breast cancer is a global crisis. It kills more people in the world than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. Every 74 seconds, a woman in this world dies of breast cancer, a frightening statistic by anyone's standards.

From Steve Schwager, JDC CEO

I spent all last week in Israel, visiting both new and old JDC programs. I also had numerous meetings with various Israeli government officials. So you can probably predict my next comment to you, which is that I wrote this column in "an old, familiar place" – 37,000 feet in the air while flying back to Newark Airport.

On the government side, I met with the Cabinet Secretary and Director General of the Prime Minister's office. We discussed JDC's upcoming 100th anniversary Board meeting in Israel and how the government would officially recognize JDC's work. These sessions were very meaningful; the government officials were very supportive and spoke glowingly of our mission in general, as well as our specific programs.

I then met with the new Commanding General of the IDF's Home Front Command, which is responsible for protecting the citizens of Israel during war or terrorist attacks. The General had come to be briefed on our work and asked JDC to partner with the IDF if Israel is once again faced with war. Specifically, he was impressed with our networks of volunteers, including our 200-plus Supportive Communities for the elderly and disabled, our 20-plus Young Adult Centers, and the local ESHELs that have been established for Israel's seniors. Formal coordination procedures are now in place and regularly tested. JDC is a full partner with the State of Israel's response system to ensure that the most vulnerable citizens will be helped in times of crisis.

The third official I met with was the Deputy Accountant General of the Finance Ministry who is responsible for reviewing programs in the social services. He told me how amazed and impressed he was with the scope and the number of cities in which JDC works. He also expressed his appreciation for our partnership and the unique contributions that we have made and continue to make to the State.

During all three visits, what was truly rewarding was being able to clearly see the esteem in which JDC is held by these senior officials.

On the program side, I visited various sites and enjoyed rewarding and interesting conversations.

In Jerusalem, I visited a prepatory program for young adults who are going into the army. Those of us who do not live in Israel typically believe that every Israeli young adult—whether male or female—goes into the army right after high school. But the 20 young people I met in this program changed my view forever. These were young adults coming from the kibbutz movement or small towns. They felt that they were not ready for the army and needed more time to mature before serving. So during this year after high school, they were taking part in this preparatory program in which they studied about Israel and Judaism and did volunteer work with the elderly or children. This was a meaningful approach that reflected both maturation and a dedication to the State of Israel; I saw these young adults as a new generation of pioneers who will continue to build Israel.

We also visited the Arab village of Sachnin in the north of Israel. The village is home to 27,000 Muslim and Christian Arabs who are among the most vulnerable citizens of Israel. Each division in JDC has established programs in Sachnin that address the needs of this population. We have separate programs for the elderly, the disabled, children at risk, the unemployed, etc. Until a few years ago, each program operated independently. JDC-Israel has now implemented a more holistic model by appointing a senior staffer to coordinate our efforts. Evaluations by the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute show that this change has had a meaningful impact both on JDC and on the local municipalities. While I was there, I met the mayor, who was deeply grateful for all our work.

I always talk about how important it is to see our programs first-hand, but I must admit that it is also very rewarding to hear from our partners that what JDC is doing most certainly makes a difference. Irv and I are very grateful to the Israeli government for its partnership and support; and we are grateful both to the JDC professionals and to the volunteers who make it all happen.

The Latest from JDC CEO, Steve Schwager

As most of you already know, the Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship in International Jewish Service is JDC’s premier opportunity to engage young Jewish leaders. It is an unparalleled experience, providing an inside look at JDC’s global operations while enabling Fellows to craft individualized field assignments in multiple locations around the world.

This year we are fortunate to have two stand-outs as Ralph I. Goldman Fellows, Alejandro Okret and Zev Nagel. Back in April, I shared with you some reflections from Zev, who at the time was based in Budapest, Hungary. He has since been in various parts of East Asia, mapping ex-pat Jewish communities in the region, and he participated in Limmud Oz in Australia. He is currently finishing up his fellowship in Israel, working with our Africa/Asia team.

In this column, I would like to continue to update you on the very meaningful and enriching experiences that the Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship brings to the Fellows and to Jewish communities overseas by sharing some words from Alejandro.

Alejandro was first based in Jerusalem, working with TEVET employment initiatives and JDC’s Center for International Migration and Integration (CIMI). He then spent a few months working with the Jewish community in Minsk, Belarus, and recently began his final post in Budapest, Hungary.

Looking back at my experience as a JDC Ralph I. Goldman Fellow in International Jewish Service, I can say that the Alejandro I was before setting foot in JDC-HQ in New York is not the Alejandro writing these words today. And how much more meaningful it is to write these words while working at Camp Szarvas in Hungary with young Jewish campers from all around the world.

The Fellowship has allowed me to live—and to feel. In Israel, I worked with the Ministry of Economy on food security and developed financial literacy programs for foreign workers. In Europe and the former Soviet Union (FSU), I was involved with community development, which included visits to the Gesher international gathering in Bulgaria for over 300 young European Jews and JDC’s incredible Metsuda young leadership program in Ukraine. These placements truly allowed me to gain a level of understanding and admiration for the global future of Jewish life.

Belarus was home to one of my most personal and meaningful projects. In Minsk, I had the privilege of spending time with those individuals who have been designated the “Righteous Among the Nations” (also translated as Righteous Gentiles), as well as ghetto survivors. As you know, the Righteous Among the Nations is a term of honor used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their own lives during the Holocaust and gave shelter and protection to Jews.

The Righteous Among the Nations are supported by JDC. They are considered non-Nazi victims and receive assistance according to established criteria. Hesed prepares "warm homes" for them; they are always invited to community celebrations and are honored guests of the JCC at every event. Hesed also celebrates their birthdays. Yad Vashem lists 555 Righteous Among the Nations from Belarus; today only 23 of these distinguished individuals are still alive.

I wanted to learn from these Righteous Gentiles and from the Holocaust survivors, but I also wanted other people, especially the younger members of the Minsk community, to be moved by their courage and commitment. I spent time with them and listened to their stories. I was truly inspired by our interaction, and so I photographed a number of these individuals and developed poster-size prints that were displayed at Minsk’s JCC.

The goal of my project was to connect different generations to these incredible people and the remarkable bravery reflected in their stories. They enthusiastically participated in this endeavor and chose to pose for their photographs with a funny face. A blurb with their personal story is attached to each poster. I encourage you to view the unique online gallery of my project and get to know these incredible people by going to JDC’s website and clicking on JDC Next Gen’s blog.

I admit to you that I was profoundly affected by my time in Belarus. The dignity and the respect JDC pays to a community that survived oppression and has now blossomed is remarkable; and that reality has changed me forever.

In closing, I could not write something about the Fellowship without mentioning Ralph Goldman. I was privileged to sit in an office next to Ralph’s in Jerusalem, often sharing lunch with him, constantly learning from him. When it was time to leave Israel and travel to the FSU, I felt the power and energy of a teenager; I was ready for my adventure and thankful for the experience of a lifetime.

Alejandro
Writing from Szarvas, Hungary
July, 2011

Year-after-year, Ralph and I grow increasingly more inspired by our RIG Fellows. Alejandro and Zev have been no exception. As they wrap up their year of service, Irv and I thank them for their dedication and commitment to JDC’s mission; we know they will stay connected to JDC for years to come.

JDC Board Member To Be Named Chair of The President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

From Irv Smokler, President and Steve Schwager, CEO

A week ago we shared with you a White House blogpost recognizing JDC’s non-sectarian work in Haiti. Today it is our pleasure to share the exciting news from the White House last Friday afternoon that President Obama intends to appoint Susan Stern, a long-time JDC Board member and lay leader, as Chair of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. In 2009, Susie was the founding Chair of JDC’s Government Affairs Committee and now serves as our Special Advisor on Government Affairs. She is a long-time leader in UJA-Federation of New York, as well as the Jewish Federations of North America.

This is a well-deserved recognition of Susie’s tireless efforts on behalf of the Jewish community and people in need of all faiths and backgrounds. We share with you below JDC’s media statement, as well as the White House release. Most of all, we also share with you our pride in the accomplishments of a member of the JDC family.

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CONTACT:
Michael Geller/JDC/(212) 885-0838
michael.geller@jdcny.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCES INTENT TO APPOINT SUSAN K. STERN, JDC LEADER, AS CHAIR OF THE PRESIDENT'S ADVISORY COUNCIL ON FAITH-BASED AND NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIPS

NEW YORK, NY, February 7, 2011 - Following the White House announcement that President Obama intends to appoint Susan K. Stern, longtime American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) leader and JDC Special Advisor on Government Affairs, to Chair the President's Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, JDC CEO Steven Schwager lauded Stern's unwavering commitment to humanitarian causes and public service.

"We are incredibly proud that Susie has been recognized by President Obama for her unparalleled leadership and life-long devotion to repairing the world, contributing to America's future, and improving Jewish lives around the globe," said Schwager. "In a world racked by critical economic and social challenges, we have been blessed with Susie's support, friendship, and dedication to our mission to ease the burden of those who face hopelessness from Port-Au-Prince to Siberia."

JDC's global humanitarian assistance program includes the distribution of food, clothing, medicine, and basic needs to poor Jews and others in more than 70 countries. JDC has also pioneered a number of job training, micro-loan, and financial support programs that have been implemented in places like Argentina, Israel, and nations throughout South Asia. JDC has created and implemented these programs to address the needs of people facing sudden poverty during economic crises; vulnerable populations with high rates of unemployment or non-employment; or those who have lost their livelihoods in the wake of natural and manmade disasters.

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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 4, 2011

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships:

Susan K. Stern, Chair, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Leith Anderson, Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Andrea Bazán, Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Angela Glover Blackwell, Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Brian Gallagher, Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Bishop Mark Hanson, Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Lynn Hybels, Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Archbishop Demetrios Trakatellis, Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Sister Marlene Weisenbeck, Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Reverend Elder Nancy L. Wilson, Member, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

The President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships brings together religious and secular leaders as well as scholars and experts in fields related to the work of faith-based and neighborhood organizations in order to make recommendations to the government on how to improve partnerships. The President will announce additional members to this Council at a later date.

President Obama said, “I am pleased to announce that these experienced and committed individuals have agreed to join this Administration, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

[For bios of all appointees click HERE]

Susan K. Stern, Appointee for Chair, President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Susan Stern currently serves as Special Advisor on Government Affairs to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), which is a humanitarian assistance organization helping Jews and non Jews in Israel and in more than seventy countries around the world. Ms. Stern also serves as Chair of the New York State Commission on National and Community Service and represented the agency on the Cabinet of Governor David Paterson. Additionally, she sits on the Executive Committee of the Jewish Federations of North America. Prior to her gubernatorial appointment, Ms. Stern was Chairman of the Board of UJA-Federation of New York and President and Chairman of National Women’s Philanthropy of United Jewish Communities. She has also been active in other organizations, including the Leadership Council of Repair the World, the Board of Trustees for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the Dean’s Advisory Committee for the University of Michigan, the Board of Directors for the Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, the President’s Advisory Committee for Hebrew Union College, the Board of Directors of the Peter J. Alderman Foundation, and serves as an Alumni Fellow to the Wexner Heritage Foundation. Prior to her involvement in philanthropic causes, Ms. Stern was the first Director of Quality Assurance at the American Dental Association. She holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.P.H. from the University of Illinois Medical Center.

JDC Featured on White House Blog

From Irv Smokler, JDC President and Steve Schwager, CEO

We are proud to share the article below posted yesterday on the White House blog recognizing JDC's work in Haiti and our partnership with USAID (the US Agency for International Development).

Throughout its history, JDC has maintained ties with the American government as we provide humanitarian aid around the world.

A little over a year ago, we formed the first Government Affairs Committee of the JDC Board, initially led by Susie Stern and now Chaired by Irene Kaplan, in order to expand our links to and cooperation with the US Government.

We are pleased that our JDC projects in Haiti, which are funded by the Jewish Federations of North America and tens of thousands of individual donors, have now been highlighted by the White House and USAID.

Read the blog post on the White House Blog

A Look at Our Partners – Relief Work in Haiti
Posted by Joshua Dubois on January 31, 2011 at 11:28 AM EST

After the one year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, I wanted to highlight some of the great work our nonprofit and faith-based partners have been doing to help the Haitian people rebuild and recover. From such a tragic event came an outpouring of giving and companionship for our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Led by the great folks at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), we have been working hard to assist in feeding over 3.5 million people in partnership with the World Food Program as well as distributing emergency shelter materials to more than 1.5 million people.

One of the partners we work closely with is the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s (JDC). The JDC has a proud history of giving time and resources for humanitarian relief projects in over 70 countries, and the devastating earthquake in Haiti is no different. One year later JDC’s relief efforts have directly impacted over 240,000 Haitians. With $7.7 million dollars in donations, JDC has demonstrated the power of successful collaboration. Together with Haitian, Israeli and other NGOs, JDC and its partners have delivered medical services to more than 53,000 Haitians and additionally aided more than 800 people and fitted more than 70 prosthetics through its state-of-the-art rehabilitation clinic at l'Hôpital de l'Université d'Etat d'Haïti and nearby prosthetic lab. JDC also ran 10 schools in tent camps in Port Au Prince and ensured that 150,000 displaced Haitians had access to 80 emergency water tanks.

We are proud of the outstanding work that JDC and many of our partners are doing in the effort to rebuild Haiti. As USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah said in his recent ‘Modern Development Enterprise’ speech, “Organizations of faith not only express the moral values of millions of Americans, they also provide some of the most dependable support systems for millions in the developing world… Our success depends on listening to communities of faith, connecting with them deeply, and supporting the vital work they perform around the world.”

To learn more about JDC and their work in Haiti visit http://www.jdc.org/ and read their Haiti Relief One Year Report.

If you would like to comment about this posting or to receive more information, email Ari Alexander at fbci (at) usaid.gov.

Joshua DuBois serves as Special Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships

JDC in the Tsunami Region Today

From Steve Schwager, CEO

The Maldives is a small Muslim island nation in the Indian Ocean spread over 1,192 islets—only 200 of them inhabited—with a widely scattered population of some 300,000 people. The islands are actually the tops of a vast undersea submarine mountain range. Maldives is the smallest Asian country in both population and land mass. But its most remarkable distinction is that it is the lowest country on earth, rising to a mere 2.3 meters above sea level at its highest point. That’s just 7 feet, 7 inches!

That makes the Maldives especially vulnerable to natural disasters, particularly where water is involved. The archipelago’s government ministers dramatically demonstrated that fact a year or so ago: they donned scuba gear and held a cabinet meeting underwater, highlighting the threat their island country faces from rising sea levels associated with global warming.

So you can well imagine that heavy rains, storms, and typhoons are all taken very seriously in the Maldives. And so are tsunamis.

Compared to countries that bore the brunt of the 2004 tsunami, the Maldives was fortunate. Partly sheltered from the vast wave, “only” about 100 Maldivians are believed to have died that December 26 (2004)—a tragedy that would have made global headlines were it not for the massive loss of life in nearby countries.

Indeed, given the scale of the suffering caused by the tsunami six years ago, JDC’s own relief programs focused first on the countries hardest hit—Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, and Thailand—where an estimated 225,000 people lost their lives and another 1.5 to 2 million were displaced.

JDC’s tsunami relief efforts have made a lasting difference in the affected countries. Over these six years, we have supported more than 150 projects, dealing with both immediate relief—food, water, blankets, etc.—and the long-term reconstruction of communities, individual dignity, and quality of life.

JDC projects have included:

Indonesia: Providing psychosocial support, creating child friendly spaces, and establishing a fishing cooperative as well as other income generating activities.

Sri Lanka: Working with USAID and the Bush-Clinton Fund to construct 85 playgrounds throughout the coastal plain; and partnering with local organizations to provide skills training and empowerment activities, establishing five multi-purpose community centers along the southern coast, and creating a management center that has developed a regional network in the field of disaster preparedness.

India: Helping reestablish livelihoods by implementing cash-for-work programs in 10 villages, in addition to emergency shelter, medicine, and food relief programs.

Thailand: Collaborating with a local partner on a full range of psychosocial and community development projects, including a series of workshops for teachers to learn how to provide psychological support to their students and trauma relief seminars led by Israeli experts; establishing a number of school-based computer centers; supporting vocational retraining programs; conducting school lunch programs; and building playgrounds and toilets.

But the unique situation of the Maldives also demanded our attention. So JDC began to support several post-tsunami relief initiatives there starting in 2008.

Working with the Care Society Maldives and the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute, an Indian-based NGO, JDC supported a school safety program in 2009. The program, which mapped the safety of schools in the Maldives to withstand manmade and natural disasters and implemented improvements in the level of disaster preparedness in vulnerable schools, also provided a “training the trainers” aspect related to school safety.

In 2010, through Magen David Adom (MDA), JDC equipped a floating ambulance for use in the southern Maldives and trained local medical teams in the use of the equipment. Viewed as a critical addition to the country’s emergency response medical fleet, the floating ambulance is being used to respond to the medical needs of citizens living on the country’s 200 populated islands.

A Workshop on Disaster Preparedness and Inter-Organizational Coordination was implemented by Mashav and MDA in 2010, in cooperation with the Maldives National Disaster Management Centre. Three Israeli experts trained some 40 participants from the Maldives’ public sector during the weeklong workshop.

Just a few weeks ago, with support from JDC, a mission of eight Israeli ophthalmologic volunteer medical professionals from Eye from Zion spent 10 days in the Maldives as invited guests of the island-nation’s government. The mission was coordinated and closely chaperoned by Government Undersecretary Abdulla Shahid, Coordinator of the Maldives National Disaster Management Centre.

JDC’s partnership with Eye from Zion—an Israeli-Jewish NGO that provides free ophthalmologic treatments and surgeries that are often unavailable locally in developing countries—dates back almost to the organization’s founding in 2007.

The Israeli doctors who were part of the Maldives mission worked with local health authorities and local physicians to provide medical support to the vision impaired. They held “eye surgery camps” in the capital Male and in the Southern Island region. Using their own mobile sterile operating facility brought from Israel, the doctors successfully performed some 40 surgeries and gave consultations and other treatments to an additional 400 Maldivians.

The Israeli team also left behind a stronger Maldivian capacity to render similar treatment. They provided training for local medical and paramedical personnel and left the mobile operating facility to the local authorities when they departed.

President Mohamed Nasheed met with and thanked the Israeli team on behalf of the “vast majority of Maldivians” for their humanitarian work. And during the mission, Minister Shahid called Judy Amit, Global Director of JDC’s International Development Program, to extend his profuse gratitude for JDC’s support of this worthy project.

As we have mentioned many times, JDC’s non-sectarian initiatives aim to foster greater goodwill and to employ the knowledge and experience of Israeli experts, Israeli governmental and non-governmental organizations, and JDC technical assistance wherever it can be valuable.

And that’s exactly what has happened in the Maldives. Asia’s smallest country it may be. But Irv and I believe that our IDP involvement there has had an enormous impact—one that will be felt there, and throughout the tsunami region, for many years to come.

One Global Jewish Family

From Steve Schwager, CEO

I share with you below e-mails from two young women—Lisa Kudish and Marcy Bass—who were involved in the Lion of Judah Conference in New Orleans. Their story reminds us not only how we Jews yearn to care for our needy elderly as though they were our own grandparents, but also how the thread of interconnectedness binds us together as a global family. Years apart, both Lisa and Marcy had a common experience of being touched by an elderly woman half a world away; years later she is still being cared for by JDC.

Marcy Bass sent the following e-mail to Michael Novick, JDC’s Executive Director of Strategic Development.

Greetings from Atlanta! I thought you would be interested in knowing about a wonderful coincidence that happened at the Lion of Judah Conference last week. One of the last speakers at the Conference was Lisa Kudish, a young woman from Chicago now living in Miami. She shared her Jewish story, which included a trip to Minsk and St. Petersburg in 2006. She told us about a home visit to a woman who was homebound but who had touched her heart and who she still thought about 4 years later. She flashed a picture up on the screen—and my heart leaped—I recognized that face! I was almost certain that it was Seina Meerman!

At the end of Lisa's talk, I found her and told her that I had been in Minsk this summer and had visited Seina—and that she was still alive and still being cared for. Lisa burst into tears at the news and I promised to send her my pictures from our visit. I sent her the pictures when I got back to Atlanta and her response is below. Needless to say, we were all touched beyond measure by this coincidence. It once again brought home to us the magnitude and importance of the work the Joint does. I hope this story helps to remind you that you are touching lives not only in Minsk but all over the world.

My very best to all of you,
Marcy

When Lisa received the photos of Seina, this was her response to Marcy:

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! I literally gasped when I saw the photo of you and Seina together—her face, I knew it instantly. And, it is virtually the same EXACT photo that I took with her (same position next to the bed, with a French-manicured hand giving her a gentle touch) that I have. I am attaching my photo, and you can look at it next to yours... if the face wasn't “proof” enough, the wallpaper is!

I am just blown away... I loved your presentation in its entirety. Reading about Seina, it was just stunning to see/hear someone telling the same story that I knew, the same person that I knew, and the same feeling that I knew... yes, she would be 85... she was 81 when we visited her in May 2006.

These pictures—seeing that she is still smiling and feeling cared for—I can't tell you what a gift that is to me. I am so grateful for you sending this.

Warmly,
Lisa

When Marcy sent the photos to Lisa, she, too, was confident that they had visited the same elderly woman. And she was thrilled to report that “Seina is alive and feisty, although still homebound and still completely dependent on the angels of the JDC.”

But the story doesn’t end there; Lisa then wrote to Michael Novick and added an interesting twist:

The world gets smaller by the minute. My sister Debra is very close with Eric, Jill, and Rebecca Schwager in Chicago and my father [David Kudish] knew Steve about 20 years ago. My own involvement has grown through National Young Leadership Cabinet, and it was on our 2006 Study Mission that I had the amazing experience of meeting Seina.

The story is not just shared between Marcy and me... the day before I spoke, there was a “Next Gen” breakout session at the Lion Conference, and one of the panelists was my dear friend, Stacy Siwak, from St. Louis. Stacy and I—along with one other Cabinet member—were the group of 3 to visit Seina in May 2006. During the breakout session, Stacy was asked what her “aha” leadership moment was... she and I had never discussed this since our visit, and she did not know that Seina would be referred to in my remarks. So when she answered the question, detailing our visit to Seina's apartment, recalling her tears of gratitude and smile in the most impoverished of circumstances, I welled up then... thinking “how amazing that this visit was so profound for us both.” The next morning, when Marcy approached me after my speech—it was just unreal.

Three young women—Marcy, Lisa, and Stacy—bound together by their devotion to the Jewish people and to one elderly Jewish lady in Belarus. Their collective, meaningful, first-person encounters with a JDC client personifies why Irv and I are committed to sharing JDC’s work with the Next Generation of Jewish leaders. And their story reminds us that wherever we live, however much time and geography may distance us, we are connected as one global Jewish family.

Continuing the Legacy of the Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship

From Steve Schwager, CEO:

I am happy to write this column while sitting at my desk in JDC Headquarters. Having followed doctor’s orders after my hospitalization on the first night of Rosh Hashanah, I am back in the office and savoring my full return to work. I’m not permitted to fly for another three weeks, but fortunately Irv has picked up the burden and, as I write to you, he is in the former Soviet Union on a Chicago Federation/JFNA Prime Ministers Mission. Thanks Irv! In the interim, I have been using my Blackberry and the telephone to stay on top of everything, and am grateful to all of the JDC staff who ensured that it was “business as usual.”

I was looking for an upbeat topic.

With the 25th and 26th Ralph I. Goldman (RIG) Fellows settling into Headquarters, it seemed appropriate to share excerpts from the inspiring farewell message from outgoing RIG Fellow Violetta Shmulenzon:

“…I am astounded by the amount of growth and learning I have had the privilege to obtain through my time at JDC, and by the numerous new friends and colleagues who have embraced me as a fellow Jointnik. My time here has been truly wonderful, and I have grown both professionally and personally.

When I first came to JDC NYHQ nearly a year ago, I quickly learned from many of you the extent and depth of JDC’s role and care for the global Jewish community. My first placement was Odessa, Ukraine; arriving there more than 30 years after my family’s immigration, deep and personal reflections enhanced my work in Odessa and my understanding of Jewish life in the FSU. I cannot express my enthusiasm and gratitude for the opportunity to live in Odessa and work with the Jewish community there. Under the dedicated leadership of Shira Genish and Ira Zborovskaya, and the Odessa Joint office staff, I was able to discover a vibrant and active Jewish community. I am grateful for the opportunity to add my own colors to the mosaic of Jewish life in Odessa.

My second placement was in Jerusalem, where I observed and became a part of the heart of JDC. Under the inspirational guidance of Rebecca Bardach and the amazing staff of JDC’s Center for International Migration and Integration, as well as Rina Edelstein and the FSU Department staff, I explored the multitude of ways JDC is a part of the fabric and story of Israel and the Jewish People.

To say that I am in awe of JDC’s work and the dedication of the staff who maintain its mission is an understatement. Meeting dozens of JDC staff, seeing and being a part of current JDC projects, and most importantly, recognizing the impact JDC has had on individuals, organizations, and Am Yisrael has left me more than humbled to be part of this great organization.

This year was most meaningful and powerful thanks to the openness and warmth of Arnon Mantver and Danny Pins, Asher Ostrin and Shauli Dritter, all in Israel; the dedicated supervision and learning environment created by Sarah Eisenman, Natalie Szklarz, and the entire Next Generation and Service Initiatives Team in New York; the willingness of so many JDC staff from around the world to spend time teaching and sharing with me; the openness of Steve Schwager; and the incredible inspiration and belief in “my generation” by the one and only legend whose name I had the privilege to carry with me all year—Ralph Goldman.

Someone told me that although I am leaving JDC, JDC will never leave me. It’s true; I take all that I have learned here and the devotion I have to our global Jewish community as I move forward.

While I have already begun my new duties as the Director of Leadership Development and Camping at the Marks JCH of Bensonhurst, I look forward to continuing my relationship with JDC and each of you."

And who will continue the RIG Fellowship legacy this year?

The stellar Zev Nagel and Alejandro Okret have been chosen from an application pool that increased fourfold since last year. Deborah Lipstadt, the Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship Committee Chair said, “At a time when Jews feel worried about so many things, it is heartening to see such an outstanding group of people wanting to give to the Jewish community.”

Originally from Los Angeles, California, Zev Nagel had a strong Jewish upbringing and was very involved in his local Jewish community. He earned his BA in English Literature and minored in Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University; and he studied abroad at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel.

After graduation, Zev was a Senior Fellow at New York’s American Jewish Committee, where he researched policy monographs on relevant global affairs for publication, managed their international fellowship program, and worked with senior staff to launch a new generation donor/client relations program. Zev was one of 20 internationally placed public service fellows funded by the Legacy Heritage Fellowship Limited, through which he attended conferences in New York, Prague, and Jerusalem.

For two years, Zev worked as the speechwriter for Ambassador Dan Gillerman at the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN and drafted all statements delivered at the UN on a wide range of topics including international security, economic and social development, human rights, climate change, and political affairs.

Zev also worked for New York-based political consulting firm Charney Research, specializing in conflict zone polling, market research, and strategic communications.

Most recently, Zev completed his MA in Law and Diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Tufts University, where he focused on International Business Relations and International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, and became a certified mediator. Zev’s Graduate studies were complemented by a Jewish component as a Wexner Graduate Fellow.

Our second RIG Fellow, Alejandro Okret, was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He brings to JDC his tremendous enthusiasm as well as vast personal and professional experience living overseas and working with diverse international organizations. 

Growing up, Alejandro was active in Argentina’s Zionist youth movement and the Jewish Agency for Israel. He studied Political Science at the University of Buenos Aires and interned for the Commercial Sector of the US Embassy. Making aliyah in 2002, Alejandro spent some time on a kibbutz learning Hebrew. Alejandro went on to earn his BA in Political Science and Latin American Studies from Hebrew University, where he was also a research assistant at the Leonard Davis Institute for International Relations, translating key documents in academic publications. Additionally, he was part of a team set up by the Knesset to research Israel’s role during the military dictatorship in Argentina.

Alejandro served in the Israel Defense Forces in the spokesperson’s office, arranging security briefings for diplomats, congressmen, journalists, and other officials.

Following his army service, Alejandro worked in the Jewish Agency’s Missions Department, focusing on issues concerning olim from Ethiopia and acting as a liaison for missions to Ethiopia and Israel. He also conducted project research for the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute examining the social welfare of Spanish-speaking citizens in Israel.

Alejandro earned his MSc in Comparative Social Policy at the University of Oxford, studying policies related to social exclusion, poverty, public health, education and pensions, and specializing in welfare in Latin America. He is currently pursuing a Diploma in International Development/Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Irv and I are confident that these two young men will bring honor both to the Fellowship and to the remarkable Ralph Goldman himself. As Ralph has said, “The Fellows are like a large crowd of successful grandchildren. They give me such nachat.” They bring us great pride and joy as well, and we look forward to their many contributions to global Jewish life.

A Joyous Homecoming for Simchat Torah

From Steve Schwager, CEO

This week the Jewish world will observe the holiday of Simchat Torah, which celebrates the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle and marks the immediate start of a new one. Literally translated as “Rejoicing in the Laws of the Torah,” the atmosphere in the synagogue during Simchat Torah is joyous; the Torah scrolls are removed from the Ark and are lovingly carried around, accompanied by dancing and singing.

So I am pleased to share with you a JDC story about two very special Torahs that have found a “new home” at this auspicious time.

As you may know, unfortunately there has been a black market for many years dealing in the sale of stolen Torah scrolls. (A new Torah handwritten by a scribe can cost upwards of $50,000.) In the early 1990s, the office of the then Manhattan District Attorney, Robert M. Morgenthau, organized a “Torah Task Force” together with the Police Department and the New York Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) to investigate and crack down on Torah theft. They arrested several people; and in one such case, the DA offered to mitigate the recommended sentence for the mastermind of a Torah theft operation if he would hand over the stolen Torahs to the DA and to the police so they could be returned to their rightful owners. The thief tried to “pull a fast one” on the DA and brought in 10 Torahs, but good detective work determined that these were not the same 10 scrolls that were originally stolen. Never knowing the original home of these 10 Torahs, the DA was eventually handed a decision from the New York State Supreme Court that stated that these “homeless” Torah scrolls could be distributed to Jewish organizations and congregations designated by the JCRC.

Nearly 15 years later, this story has come to a happy ending just in time for Simchat Torah. The JCRC designated JDC as the recipient of two of these Torah scrolls, which we then had repaired over the summer. We identified two communities in Europe that needed new Torah scrolls: Sofia, Bulgaria and Belgrade, Serbia. In Sofia, the Torah will help replace scrolls stolen from the synagogue 10 years ago; the Torah traveling to Belgrade will be the first kosher Torah to be used since Yugoslavia was divided into five separate countries in 1991 and Jewish community assets were divided.

In a ceremony last week at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Manhattan widely covered by the media, the 150 year-old scrolls were handed over to JDC by Robert Morgenthau and current DA Cyrus Vance, Jr. Read about the event in The Daily News or click HERE (and watch below) to watch two short news clips from the New York affiliates of CBS and NBC.



While placing the Torahs into good hands is cause enough for celebration, there is an added dimension to this story for JDC: the thread of the Morgenthau family in rebuilding Jewish life around the globe. It was Robert Morgenthau’s grandfather, Henry Morgenthau, Sr., who in his service as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey cabled New York philanthropist Jacob H. Schiff in 1914 asking for $50,000 to feed starving Jews in then Ottoman-ruled Palestine. This marked the unofficial founding of JDC as an organization in that year. The original telegram is on display as part of the Morgenthau exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage and a metal replica of the telegram hangs in the entrance of JDC Headquarters here in New York. And the rest, as they say, is history.

In his remarks at the event last week, Robert Morgenthau said: “I am humbled by my family’s role in the development of the JDC. Our family has witnessed its global good works for practically a century and it is hard to imagine an organization having more of an impact on world Jewry. The fact that these Torahs possess DNA with threads from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the JDC is unbelievably gratifying, and reminds us that the JDC’s work of saving Jews, work that began 96 years ago, is never complete and never more necessary.”

Participating in the ceremony last week were JDC Board members Alan Jaffe (who is both President of the NY JCRC and JDC’s Treasurer) and Ken Witover; as well as Gideon Taylor, JDC Associate Executive Vice President and Herbert Block, Assistant Executive Vice President, who worked with the DA, JCRC, the Jewish communities, and the relevant diplomats to make all of this happen.

Irv and I were very happy to learn that in a sweet final twist, the Torahs were accompanied in their travels by the Bulgarian Prime Minister and Serbian Foreign Minister, who were in New York last week for the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. This “special delivery” will enable those Jewish communities to enjoy extra “simcha” (joy) on Simchat Torah. As this holiday marks the completion and immediate new beginning of reading the Torah, we are reminded of the cycle of JDC’s mission. Programs are completed; programs are beginning; and for as long as there are Jews around the world who need us, our work will continue.

Looking at Jewish Morocco

Briefing from Steve Schwager, CEO

Even in our Jewish world, with its rich heritage and great diversity, Morocco stands out. Its Jewish community is distinctive on a historic scale.

Jews first arrived in Morocco over 2,000 years ago, but they really came into their own after 1492 when Spain's Jews and Muslims chose expulsion over forced conversion to Christianity and together crossed the Straits of Gibraltar to North Africa.

This shared display of steadfastness in the face of oppression helped forge a special bond between Morocco's Jews and Muslims. Thus, while political conditions were not always favorable and many Jews lived in the grinding poverty of the mellahs, Morocco became a major center of Jewish life, giving rise to great scholarship and a distinctive culture.

Morocco granted Jews equal rights as long ago as 1864. And in 1940, when the Nazi-controlled Vichy government attempted to apply anti-Semitic policies to Jews under the French protectorate of Morocco, the sultan, Mohammad V, refused to carry them out.

Today as in the past, the country prides itself on the full and equal place its Jewish citizens hold. While their numbers are fewer than 5,000—a far cry from the 250,000 of only a few decades ago—this remarkable community occupies a special place both within the Jewish world and among the Moroccan people.

JDC's role in Morocco reflects the community's uniqueness. On the one hand, since it first began working in Morocco during World War II, JDC has been deeply involved in developing and strengthening the community's education, welfare, and healthcare. Indeed, while the Moroccan community operates and funds most of its institutions itself, JDC remains a key partner in helping the community maintain quality services, providing both financial and technical support.

The significance of this partnership, however, extends beyond the services it helps bring to Morocco's Jews. Here, JDC’s International Development Program (IDP) projects take on special meaning because they uniquely express the desire of the local Jewish community to contribute to the wider society of which they are a part.

In addition to the humanitarian impact of our IDP programs—bringing water or physical rehabilitation to victims of Haiti’s earthquake, for example—and our philosophical motivation by tikkun olam, an important component of this work is helping strengthen a local Jewish community's relations with its neighbors by having them participate in the creation and implementation of these IDP projects.

Nowhere is the potential for this dual impact greater than in Morocco—and it’s precisely what has happened through a wheelchair and medical-equipment distribution project for people with disabilities.

Developed in partnership with the local Jewish community and the Amicale Marocaine des Handicapés (AMH), the project began in late 2007 with the distribution of the first of 1,100 wheelchairs. At the ceremony outside Casablanca's Jewish Home for the Aged, 50 wheelchairs were distributed to Muslim men, women, and children with disabilities. The power of this good deed was expressed on the faces of the recipients and their relatives.

But its impact reverberated well beyond the first 1,100 beneficiaries and their families: The ceremony was attended by senior dignitaries, including the Minister of Social Affairs and the Governor of Casablanca, and was covered extensively in both print and broadcast media.

Importantly, the Jewish community received the kudos. As one headline read, "The Jewish Community is bringing Help to the Disabled."

The initial phase of this project has had a ripple effect. JDC Board members who attended the wheelchair event during their mission to Morocco were moved to raise an additional gift for the country’s disabled. Adele Lebersfeld, then chair of JDC’s Africa/Asia Committee, presented the president of the AMH with a check to help purchase vans and a mobile unit that now serve the disabled in remote towns and villages.

That first distribution has also since been followed by others around the country. In May 2009, I was privileged to join other Board members at an event in Casablanca held in conjunction with the opening of the Fred and Velva Levine Community Residence. This time, the distribution was of special wheelchairs and equipment for disabled sportsmen and women.

A few weeks ago the project entered a new phase and marked another success. An additional 100 wheelchairs were made available for distribution thanks to funding from an anonymous donor. This time, the focus was on the residents of Fez, Sefrou, and Oujda. The head of the Fez Jewish community presided over the distribution ceremony that marked the 11th anniversary of the King's coronation in the presence of dignitaries. Once again, the benefit to both the disabled and to Morocco's Jewish community was incredible.

So many lives have been improved thanks to our efforts and those of our partners in the Moroccan Jewish community. From my participation in one of the ceremonies, I can attest to the immense warmth and goodwill this project generated. Irv and I are proud that JDC is a part of a non-sectarian initiative that has done so much to renew and reinforce the ancient bonds between Morocco's Jews and Muslims. Sensitive and effective—JDC-IDP at our best.

Profile of a JDC Hero

From Steve Schwager, CEO

Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz

A long overdue biography was recently published in Israel on the life of Joseph (Joe) Schwartz, a JDC hero of historic proportions. Written in Hebrew by Ruth Bachi, an Israeli author who previously wrote a biography about Teddy Kollek, this engaging book—featuring a preface by Israeli President Shimon Peres—was acclaimed in Ha’aretz and has stimulated much interest. It has also prompted an exchange of letters in the newspaper from prominent figures including former Israeli Ambassador to the US Moshe Arens and Professor Yehuda Bauer of the Hebrew University. I am pleased to share that the author greatly utilized the JDC Archives in conducting research for this book.

Who was Joe Schwartz?

Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz was director of JDC’s overseas operations from 1942-1950. Hundreds of thousands of Jews now in Israel literally owe their lives to him.

Dr. Schwartz joined the JDC staff as its Secretary in 1939. The following year, he traveled overseas for JDC, touring Italy, Switzerland, and Hungary in connection with JDC rescue operations. Following the Nazi occupation of France, Dr. Schwartz moved JDC’s headquarters to Lisbon and helped thousands of Jews escape across the Pyrenees to Spain, while also arranging for their emigration. During these years, Schwartz shuttled back and forth to the US and to the part of France that remained unoccupied, striving to save additional Jews from Nazi terror.

In Lisbon, Dr. Schwartz helped direct extensive aid programs for European Jews trapped in Europe. He worked closely with President Roosevelt’s War Refugee Board in its campaign to assist Nazi victims in German-controlled areas. Approximately 10,000 Jewish children were kept alive in hiding in France because of those efforts. Thousands were given false passports and were helped to escape to safety in Switzerland, Spain, the Balkans, and Palestine.

Dr. Schwartz and the late Saly Mayer, JDC’s representative in Switzerland, worked as a remarkable team that helped dangle the idea of ransom in front of the Nazis for eight months, at the same time winning concessions that led to the cancellation of deportation orders for 200,000 Hungarian Jews scheduled to be transported to Auschwitz.

Immediately after the liberation of France, Dr. Schwartz reestablished his headquarters in Paris and began to organize JDC programs that would help to rebuild life for Europe’s 1.4 million surviving Jews. But the American government also turned to Dr. Schwartz for assistance. In 1945, Dr. Schwartz accompanied Earl Harrison, who had been recruited by President Truman to investigate the conditions of the Jewish displaced persons (DPs) in the American zones of Germany and Austria. Their findings and ultimate report resulted in the improvement of living conditions in the DP camps.

Dr. Schwartz enabled tens of thousands of Jewish DPs to find their way to Palestine as “illegal immigrants” before 1948. In August 1948, after the establishment of the State of Israel, Dr. Schwartz met with Israeli officials to plan for future emigration to the new State. The result of these meetings was the historic mass movement of Jews from the world’s distressed areas, especially Operation Magic Carpet from Yemen. This was not an easy task; Dr. Schwartz traveled repeatedly to Israel to iron out problems involving the transportation by JDC of as many as 20,000 Jews each month.

Dr. Schwartz played a key role in creating Malben in Israel in 1949 to care for the elderly, chronically ill, and handicapped Holocaust survivors who immigrated to Israel.

In that same year, Dr. Schwartz also turned his attention to the wretched living conditions of hundreds of thousands of Jews in Muslim lands. He directed and expanded assistance programs, particularly for tens of thousands of children in North Africa.

The globe was his workplace. Early in 1950, Dr. Schwartz’s official duties took him to Tehran, where he organized rescue operations for thousands of Jews who had escaped there from Iraq, and additional thousands of Kurdish Jews who had fled from persecution in the tribal areas in Northern Iran.

Joseph Schwartz was a brilliant and exceptional man. Known as Packy to those close to him, he was born in Ukraine and moved to Baltimore at an early age. A distinguished educator and scholar and an authority on Semitics and Semitic Literature, Dr. Schwartz received his doctorate from Yale, following his graduation from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Seminary of Yeshiva University. Dr. Schwartz taught at the American University in Cairo and at Long Island University and then served as Director of the Federation of Jewish Charities in Brooklyn. He served the JDC from 1939- 1950/1, and then went on to become the Executive Vice-Chairman of the United Jewish Appeal and later the Vice President of Israel Bonds.

Joe Schwartz died in 1975, leaving behind a legacy of countless good deeds.

Irv and I believe that the lay and professional leaders of JDC are carrying on the tradition of caring for the “world Jewish family” evidenced by the work of Joe Schwartz and his colleagues in the years prior, during, and after World War II. It is a tradition that serves us well and continues to make us proud.

Answering The Challenge of Employment in Israel

From Steve Schwager, CEO

If you have ever wondered about the impact that your dollars to JDC are having on global Jewry or life in Israel, look no farther than The Financial Times over the past few days. In the article entitled, “A not very secular shift” by Tobias Buck (excerpts below with permission from The FT) and a letter by me sharing JDC’s response, hundreds of thousands of high profile global leaders, from business to politics, were able to see our work—as the analysts of a critical problem and then, as the partner in bringing solutions to the table.

The article extensively cites Professor Dan Ben-David, Executive Director of the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel (an independent research institute that receives support from JDC). Dan shares and analyzes recent Taub findings on unemployment trends among Haredi men and Israeli Arab women, and their economic and political implications on the State of Israel.

As Isaac “Buji” Herzog, Israel’s Minister of Welfare and Social Services remarked at our May Board meeting, “The contribution of JDC to the resilience of the community in Israel—the resilience of the society in Israel in all of its ethnicity, multiculturalism, and mosaic-type structure—is enormous. It’s almost unimaginable… I’m saying this as one of your most serious partners who works with JDC, with Joint Israel, on a daily basis, and believes that you are an incredible partner and you exemplify what partnership is all about.”

As many of you know, JDC and the Government of Israel launched the TEVET initiative in 2005 to help break the cycle of poverty among population groups with high levels of chronic unemployment—Haredim, Israeli Arabs, immigrants, young adults, and individuals with disabilities. TEVET takes into account the cultural and other barriers that keep these citizens from finding and keeping jobs and develops programs to integrate them into Israel’s workforce in a way that is culturally sensitive.

I share with you my letter to the editor, which was published in The Financial Times, highlighting TEVET’s success in bolstering employment among Haredim and Israeli Arabs—meaningful economic boosts to them and to Israel as a whole.

Sir,

Tobias Buck (“A not very secular shift”, Analysis, August 5) uncovers a challenge for the State of Israel that requires both grassroots and governmental efforts to ensure that the Haredi and Israeli-Arab populations can become viably employable.

To that end, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and the State of Israel are already working together on 60 employment programmes, more than 15 of which have been strategically tailored to put the Haredi and Israeli-Arab populations to work.

In the last five years, we’ve placed more than 5,000 Haredi men and several thousand Israeli-Arab women into Israel’s workforce. Such jobs include positions in Israel’s high-technology industry as computer programmers, as well as jobs as bus drivers, photographers, cashiers and hairdressers.

And while the problem presented in your analysis seems staggering, our efforts to employ these groups – as well as the other 800,000 chronically unemployed adults in Israel – are producing encouraging results.

Steven Schwager, Chief Executive, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), New York, NY, US

I also share with you excerpts from the original Financial Times article.

…[An increasingly vocal group of economists and policymakers] point out that Israel is facing a dramatic demographic shift that will have a deep impact on its ability to sustain economic growth and keep public finances in balance, weakening its ability to deal with security threats in the region.

The problem, in short, is that the two fastest growing groups – the Haredim and Israel’s Arab minority – are also the poorest, least productive and least educated. Both include a disproportionately large number who do not work and depend on welfare. The problem is particularly acute among ultra-orthodox men, 65 per cent of whom do not participate in the labour force, and Israeli-Palestinian women, 76 per cent of whom are outside the workforce.

…The Arab minority already accounts for 21 per cent of the population, with Haredim estimated to make up 8-10 per cent. Yet their combined share is certain to rise dramatically. Analysts say the best way of illustrating their demographic potential is to look at education. According to a recent study by the Jerusalem-based Taub Center for Social Policy Studies, almost one in two elementary pupils is being taught in an Israeli-Arab or ultra-orthodox school. Prof Dan Ben-David, director of the Taub Center, argues that simply extrapolating this trend into the future is fraught with problems but yields remarkable results nonetheless. The Taub Center report finds: “If the changes of the past decade continue, then in 2040 the share of ultra-orthodox and Israeli-Arab pupils will be 78 per cent of all pupils in Israel’s primary schools.”

…Policymakers have only recently started grappling with the question of how to integrate the Haredim and the Israeli-Palestinians into the workforce. Mr Braverman’s ministry, for example, vowed this year to invest Shk800m ($213m, €161m, £134m) in projects designed to boost employment and education among the Arab population.

…Analysts agree that the shifting demographics require a bold policy response, and most argue that change is needed sooner rather than later. As Prof Ben-David says: “There is a point of no return, and when we cross it we will not be able to change things democratically – and maybe not at all.”

Irv and I hope that JDC’s research and programmatic response, highlighted in this media coverage, reaffirm that your support helps create solutions to systemic issues in Israel and to challenges facing Jewish communities worldwide.

To learn more about TEVET, please visit the JDC website.

Klara Kogan z"l

From Steve Schwager, CEO

Over the years, I have made many home visits to poor elderly Jews living in the former Soviet Union (FSU). Almost every visit involved trudging up flights of stairs to visit elderly “shut-ins.” I also have visited dozens and dozens of Federations, determined to bring the faces and needs of those elderly Jews home to the Jews of North America. And while my audiences will always hear the harsh statistics—that today we serve some 160,000 poor elderly Jews living in 2,900 cities in the FSU, and tens of thousands more need our help—what truly touches each of us is the story of one person. As many of you know, for me, that person has always been Klara Kogan. But for the grace of God, Klara could have been my mother or grandmother—so visiting her or just thinking about her moves me to tears. Indulge me to share her story one last time...

Klara Kogan was born on July 24, 1905 in Bendery, Bessarabia, then part of Russia (today Moldova). Klara never completed elementary school; in 1919, her entire family moved to Kishinev, where at age 14 she began working at a carton-making workshop. In 1925, the family moved again, this time to Bucharest, where Klara was employed in a textile factory. She married in 1929 and gave birth to her only son three years later. In 1940, when Bessarabia was annexed by the Soviet Union, Klara and her family moved back to Kishinev, where she started working as a cashier in a store.

During World War II, Klara was evacuated with her husband and son to Kazakhstan, near an oilfield. Shortly thereafter, her husband joined the Soviet army and left for the front lines; Klara worked as a cashier and raised her son. The remainder of Klara’s family was killed in the Holocaust: Nazis shot her mother, her older sister was taken to Germany, and her younger sister was sent to dig trenches and never returned. In 1948, her husband returned from the army and the family moved back to a one-room apartment in Kishinev, where Klara continued working as a shop cashier until she retired in 1960.

In 1981, when Klara was 76 years old, she lost her husband; her beloved son died four years later, leaving Klara without a living relative anywhere in the world.

The only people who cared for Klara were North American Jews, thousands of miles away. They reached her through JDC’s Hesed center network.

Thrust into poverty following the economic collapse in the former Soviet Union, Klara became a Hesed client in 1995. When I met her for the first time in early 2002, she was receiving a monthly pension of $16—the cost of her monthly utilities. In truth, Klara was kept alive by Hesed services and its network of volunteers who regularly visited her and provided her with food, medicines, and homecare as well as a hearing aid and rehabilitation equipment.

Compounding Klara’s difficulties was the fact that she lived on the top floor of a five-story walkup building. When I first met her, she had not been out of her apartment for several years. She actually could walk down the stairs, but could not get back up. On my first visit to Klara’s home, I expected to find a depressed woman; she blew me away by being the exact opposite! Klara impressed me with her crystal clear memory, quick wit, and analytical abilities. I grew to understand that she also had a very special gift for getting along with anyone, no matter what their age, social status, or educational background.

During that first encounter, Klara told me how grateful she was for all of the help she received from Hesed. She did, however, share one complaint: she was not happy with her homecare worker who came one hour per day, five days a week, to help her. The problem, she said, was that the homecare worker wanted to clean her apartment each day. I asked Klara what was wrong with that and she warmly responded that she would prefer to use the hour for conversation because she was otherwise alone. That was Klara: grace and good humor.

Klara never let a guest—including me—leave without her first sharing a joke. The one she often told me was: “A grandfather was walking on a beach with his grandson. All of a sudden a wave swept the child away. ‘Oh Lord!’ the grandfather screamed. ‘All my life I was a good man, followed all the laws, and helped others. How do I deserve such a cruel punishment? The boy’s mother will die of grief, his father will commit suicide—please do not let this happen!’ The wave grumbled and threw the boy back to the beach. The grandfather held the boy, looked up at the Heavens and at the wave, and complained: ‘But he also had a hat on!’”

I am sad to report that Klara has passed away at the age of 103; I am comforted that she has joined her husband and son, and that JDC was able to help her in her time of need. May Klara’s memory be for a blessing.

Statistics and charts and projections are important to our programs; but Irv and I know that it is also our responsibility to remember that each needy elderly Jew has a unique and often difficult story to tell. Our helping and remembering them is a reflection of our humanity. How well we all know that JDC is often the only lifeline for these elderly Jews and, with your help, we will continue to care for them as long as they live.

Briefing from Steve Schwager, CEO

This August 31 will mark 96 years since the now famous telegram was sent by Henry Morgenthau Sr., then U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, to New York-based philanthropist Jacob H. Schiff asking for $50,000 to feed starving Jews in Eretz Yisrael. JDC began its work there—and we have never left. Israel is the strategic center of our global operations, which now span more than 70 countries.

Our commitment to Israel is constant, even as our method of operation in Israel and around the world is fluid. As circumstances have changed over the years, so has our work. In Israel, for example, JDC moved from operating a network of old age homes to partnering with the Government of Israel on the development of cutting-edge social service programs for its most vulnerable citizens (the elderly included). Today, JDC spends 40 percent of its global budget in the State of Israel.

In recognition of JDC’s ongoing commitment to Israel’s citizens, we were recently honored by the presence of Isaac “Buji” Herzog, Israel’s Minister of Welfare and Social Services, at our May 2010 Board meetings in NY. The following is an excerpt from his remarks there:

In 1914, JDC was established. A few years down the road you will be celebrating a hundred years. Little did the founders of JDC realize what they had done when they created this institution, combining two great causes that are typified in Jewish writings. One is what we say in the Haggadah: “b’kol dor v’dor”—in each generation, one needs to see himself as if he came out of Egypt. Namely, one needs to understand the challenges of the generation and realize that these challenges never fade away. And secondly, “kol Yisrael arevim ze leze.” All of Israel guarantees. The word is “arevim,” guarantee each other. This is what runs deep through Jewish life wherever we are throughout history. This is what keeps us going. This is what impressed Winston Churchill; in my mind, this is what should impress all nations on earth. Because if you think about it, you are sitting here, and at the end of Siberia, a Jewish family receives your help. This is enormous. This is awesome.

The same applies to Israel. One is very much aware that Israel is in a different context and situation altogether. I must tell you that the challenges never fade away; they can be much greater than people imagine just beyond the horizon. We may again meet challenges of the same magnitude as those in 1948, and for this reason the contribution of JDC to the resilience of the community in Israel—the resilience of the society in Israel in all of its ethnicity, multiculturalism, and mosaic-type structure—is enormous. It’s almost unimaginable. Now, I’m not saying this out of flattery. I’m saying it as one of your most serious partners, who works with JDC, with Joint Israel, on a daily basis, and believes that you are an incredible partner and you exemplify what partnership is all about.

Moreover, you are the greatest successful example of what government should do when they work with communities, and what government should do when they work with the nonprofit sector. This partnership is unique. Governments should not exclude themselves and say, “We know best.” And governments should not say, “We have enough resources. We don’t need you guys.” The other way around. The government needs partners to open its eyes, to come with bright ideas, to develop new ideologies, to think of changing the streams in society, to analyze in-depth and professionally, at arm’s length, and to move forward with partnerships that strengthen the innermost fabrics of society. Our partnerships with you range from the most delicate topic of the life of young children to the most complicated stories of Holocaust survivors. Our partnership ranges from the issue of feeding people—yes, in a modern country you have problems of feeding people, it happens here but it happens in Israel as well—to the most professional analysis as we see with Myers-JDC-Brookdale of where things are going in terms of the future of Israeli society or its current status.

This partnership is really vital; it’s one of the backbones of our services in Israel. And I urge you, those who haven’t yet done so, to come and see it. And those of you who are involved and have seen it, learn more every day. This partnership has taken on a new evolutionary stage, where we simply feel that when there is a new idea, a new phenomenon, a new thought, or a new challenge, we first turn to JDC because we know we will get the best stuff; we will get a very professional corporate culture, and a long-range vision of how things should look in the future while basing itself on past experiences that span sixty-two years.

So, I express my heartfelt thanks to the Board of JDC for all its commitment, to the leadership of JDC for its contribution, and to our fellow friends at Joint Israel for their outstanding work.

Irv and I were deeply impressed with Minister Herzog’s remarks recognizing the critical partnership we have with the Government. Our connection to Israel and to its people is forever. So we at JDC must continue to do our part to help Israel move ahead in its challenging yet inspiring charge to fulfill the biblical command of becoming a light unto nations.

Unexpected Outcomes

From Steve Schwager, CEO

As you know, PACT (Parents and Children Together) was established to reduce the educational and social gaps between Ethiopian-Israeli and veteran Israeli children by the time they reach first grade. But the following story reminds us that in practice, PACT accomplishes much more—it creates an open channel of communication among kindergarten teachers, parents, and the municipality, while also reflecting a cadre of caring and dedicated professionals who are prepared to go beyond their job description to strengthen—and sometimes save lives in—the Ethiopian-Israeli community. Irv and I want to take this opportunity to thank the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles for their support of PACT in Beit Shemesh, which is creating small miracles like this one every day….

Anat, the PACT Coordinator in Beit Shemesh, received a phone call about a month ago from one of the kindergarten supervisors; she had just witnessed a troubling conversation at one of the kindergartens between the parents of an Ethiopian-Israeli boy, the teacher, and Edna, the PACT Ethiopian-Israeli Liaison.

The kindergarten teacher was telling the parents that their child was very unsettled, wasn't able to sit and concentrate, and was being disruptive; the teacher wanted to hear from the parents how the child behaved at home. Edna facilitated the conversation by translating between Amharic and Hebrew.

Edna immediately visited the family in their home. She found a broken family in distress.

The mother and father explained that one evening, five years ago while they were still living in Ethiopia, the mother was bathing her baby son and asked her 12-year-old daughter, Avinu, to go down to the local shop to buy more baby oil.

Avinu went on the errand and never returned. The mother searched everywhere for her, but she had simply disappeared. After a few weeks of constant searching, the parents decided to seize the opportunity to make aliyah to Israel with their other children, but without Avinu or knowing what had happened to her.

From the moment they arrived in Israel, the parents told everyone the story of their daughter and of her disappearance in Ethiopia—but no progress was made.

Every day life in Beit Shemesh was unbearable: ridden with worry about the fate of their daughter, the parents couldn’t sleep at night and therefore struggled to function during the day. They explained that the stress and distress were affecting their son—and so he had become disruptive in kindergarten.

As for Avinu, no one knew her fate. Was she still alive?

Anat, the PACT Coordinator, immediately turned to a contact at the municipality. He, in turn, shared the girl's plight with his contacts in Israel and abroad, urging them to do everything in their power to facilitate Avinu’s return to her family.

A week passed and the kindergarten teacher contacted Anat to say that the parents had shown up at the school elated, hugging her and saying "mazal tov, mazal tov." She didn’t fully understand what had happened because they didn’t speak any Hebrew; Edna, the PACT Liaison, was contacted immediately to translate.

Edna explained that their daughter, Avinu, had been found in Ethiopia. She had been transferred to Addis Ababa and would soon be reunited with her family.

On May 14, 2010 at 1:00 am, the delegation left for Ben Gurion airport where the emotional reunion took place. After so much suffering and heartache, everyone’s sheer joy was palpable. Avinu safely made aliyah. And her little brother, whose involvement in PACT played a transformational role in the life of his family, was thrilled that his big sister had been found!

Avinu’s mother asked to share one thought with the media:

"I wish to the mother of Gilad Shalit that she will be able to feel what I feel at this very moment. I send you my thoughts and wishes, and I am praying for your son, Gilad, that he will return to you like Avinu was returned to her mother."

He who saves one life, it is as if he saved the whole world.

Haiti: A Change in JDC's Modus Operandi

From JDC CEO, Steve Schwager

I share with you some startling but basic statistics about Haiti. Prior to the January earthquake, Haiti had a population of 10 million people, two million of whom lived in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The quake killed 250,000 people, while another 600,000 fled the city and haven’t returned. Approximately 700,000 Haitians are now living in tents in Port-au-Prince, afraid or unable to return to their homes.

These statistics—and much more—pounded in my head as I sat in Haiti’s airport last Thursday afternoon waiting to return to the United States. JDC’s International Development Program Chair Trish Uhlmann, as well as Board members Alan Batkin and Dr. Michael Levinson, joined Will Recant, Mandie Winston, and me on this eye-opening Board mission. Throughout the three-day visit and while sitting in the airport, I kept reflecting on how JDC’s traditional approach to disaster relief was not going to work here, given the complete lack of a central government in Haiti. Normally we initiate pilot projects with local NGOs that later take the projects over with their own resources.

But in Haiti, almost four months after the earthquake, there is still rubble from collapsed buildings and garbage everywhere. Not once did we see any heavy equipment or garbage trucks trying to clear away the debris. Occasionally we saw some small groups of workers, paid $5 a day, breaking up concrete by using sledge hammers. These limited efforts are hardly making a dent in what is an enormous task.

Virtually every government ministry building, the presidential palace, and hundreds of schools that were filled with students collapsed. Fifteen percent of Haiti’s children went to public schools, while 85 percent attended private schools which charged tuition. Haiti had a literacy rate of 50 percent.

The government ordered those schools that were still intact to open in early April. Some did open, but others could not, either because the parents could no longer pay tuition due to job loss or because the students no longer lived near the school. Further, most of the 350,000 children living in tent camps had nowhere to learn because the camps are a far distance from the undamaged schools.

Talking about the camps—they are anywhere and everywhere there is open space. The main park of Port-au-Prince is now a tent city with thousands of residents. A center median on a road is now housing tents. Camps generally have no electricity, sparse latrines, and limited fresh water. It takes very little imagination to realize that they rapidly could become frightening sources of disease and discontent.

Medical care is urgently needed but chaotic at best. The earthquake victims have been treated free-of-charge at government and private clinics and by non-Haitian NGOs that have opened free clinics. The ironic result is that as time has passed, Haiti’s private clinics and private hospitals are going bankrupt and closing their doors, since they are no longer collecting the fees needed to pay their medical staff.

In spite of all these difficulties, life is returning to Port-au-Prince. Food and other goods are being sold by peddlers on the street and in the camps as well. Cars and motorcycles are everywhere and traffic is impossible. I wondered what traffic was like before the quake.

Into this horrible situation comes JDC. Our model has always been to create pilot programs which can be taken over by others and replicated throughout the country. We usually partner with the government or large local NGOs, but this simply will not happen in Haiti in the near future. Our role will be to create niche projects with local NGOs and fund them for as long as we have resources available.

So for now, we change our modus operandi. Irv and I recognize that our focus has to be helping individual Haitians in the hope they will take their learning and make a difference in the future. So what are we doing?

We have partnered with a Haitian NGO to run 10 schools in the tent cities in greater Port-au-Prince. That translates to 2,000 children receiving an education.

In partnership with another NGO, we are helping amputees resume a normal life. We sat with a number of people who lost arms or legs or both in the earthquake. They shared that when their limbs were amputated, they thought their lives were over. But with the help of physical therapy and the use of a prosthetic, they were smiling and talking about the future.

At a medical clinic we are operating with a third NGO, I watched infants receive critical treatment that literally means the difference between life and death for them.

The more than $3.5 million dollars allocated by JDC to various projects is having real human impact and is a meaningful beginning. The American Jewish community should know, and be proud, that on their behalf we are touching the lives of literally thousands of individual Haitians. Our approach, for now, is helping to rebuild Haiti one person at a time.

You may recall that after the earthquake hit, I wrote a column remarking that the world Jewish community owed a debt to the people of Haiti for their changed vote at the United Nations in 1947, which resulted in the establishment of the State of Israel. At dinner one evening on my recent trip, I was retelling the story of the debt the Jews owed the Haitian people. A local banker stopped me—and then finished the story. He shared with all of us that it was his father who served as Ambassador to the UN in 1947 and he was the one who cast the vote to give us a homeland. I was amazed—what a remarkable coincidence that we met in Haiti so many years later, and how appropriate that we were there to offer our assistance in the people of Haiti’s time of need. This was one of those times when I was so vividly reminded that what goes around truly does come around.

Looking to the Future in Djerba, Tunisia

From Steve Schwager, CEO

Decades ago, when malnutrition still afflicted Jewish children in Djerba, Tunisia, JDC ran a school canteen serving approximately 200 meals per day. Early each morning JDC also served glasses of milk—and with each glass came a piece of Swiss chocolate. Those willing to drink a second vitamin-packed glass received a second piece of chocolate.

Sweet moments are rarely forgotten—even amidst great change.

Recently, a young teacher in Djerba told Yechiel Bar Chaim, JDC’s Country Director for Tunisia, that his father “still remembers the tasty olive oil” that JDC used to distribute to the poor 35 years ago. Even the current community president, Youssef Ouezzen, who is now a prosperous businessman in his mid-forties, reminisces fondly about the “incredibly durable shoes” and “long-lasting trousers” the Joint would hand out to the needy when he was a boy.

Over the years, as the Jews of Djerba have become better educated (with the help of JDC-supported schools) and living conditions have generally improved, JDC closed the canteen and no longer distributed goods-in-kind. A community tax imposed on the sale of kosher meat soon enabled our local partners in Djerba to take over the discreet payment of monthly cash assistance to needy Jews. And just recently, the community took the initiative to build and furnish a small one-room apartment for the last of the Djerban Jewish beggars.

These developments, made possible through JDC’s work with the local community, have allowed us to shift our priorities toward the community’s future—the flourishing Jewish education system. Largely funded by designated gifts, JDC’s Djerban agenda focuses on training teachers and modernizing the curricula for the 300 children who now study in the Jewish kindergarten, schools, and yeshivot.

The only other remnant of JDC’s welfare activities on the island is that we reimburse the community’s bikkur holim fund (bikkur holim literally means visiting the sick) half the cost of medications for Djerba’s neediest Jews.

A Loss in the JDC Family

From Irv Smokler, President and Steve Schwager, CEO

It is with profound sadness that we inform the JDC family that Eugene (Gene) J. Ribakoff passed away early Friday evening, April 9th, in Palm Beach. Gene was 84 years old.

Gene, born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, first joined the JDC Board in 1986 and quickly began to take on leadership roles that clearly reflected not only his leadership abilities, but also the Jewish soul of a unique personality who was devoted to helping the Jewish people around the world.

He effectively chaired JDC's Israel Committee, our Central and Eastern Europe Committee, and the Transmigrant Committee, where he oversaw the emigration of hundreds of thousands of Jews from the former Soviet Union and elsewhere.

Never weary of responsibility, he became JDC's thirteenth President from the beginning of 2001 through December 2004, and then served as the Chairman of the Board for the next four years. During his presidency, he was a caring and effective JDC ambassador who traveled to Federations throughout North America and to countries around the world, always seeking to highlight the needs, to strengthen partnerships, and to celebrate JDC's programs of rescue, relief, and Jewish renewal.

Equally important, he was a generous philanthropist who set the finest example for others to emulate.

Gene was a straightforward, no-nonsense advocate for the Jewish global family and an esteemed friend whose thoughtfulness and wise counsel were treasured.

While we shared his attention with a myriad of other organizations and institutions—World ORT, the United Way of Palm Beach County, Brandeis University, Massachusetts General, and the Palm Beach and Boston Federations, to name just a few—he often said that his tenure as JDC's President was "the best job in the Jewish world." Those of us, both professionals and lay leaders, who had the good fortune to know Gene will always remember him as a true gentleman, a good person, and an exceptionally successful businessman who, through his generosity, his kindness, and his devoted leadership, made a difference in the lives of so many in our global Jewish family.

Always impeccably dressed and with a lighter side that loved good cigars, fine wine, and the Boston Red Sox, we looked forward to spending time with him. The Jewish world has lost one of its best.

Gene was also a visionary; he recognized that loving kindness towards the Jewish people was a passion to be shared with the next generation, which is precisely what he did with his children and grandchildren. He clearly demonstrated the importance of Jewish peoplehood by example.

Please join us in extending our heartfelt condolences to Gene's wife, Stephanie; to his son and JDC Board member Charles Ribakoff and his wife, Patty; to Gene's daughter and JDC Board member Betsy Sheerr and her husband, Richard; to Gene's seven grandchildren: Ben and his wife, Elizabeth; Deborah and her husband, Zach; Jack, Corky, Nicki, Lauren, and Melanie; and to Gene's three great-grandchildren: Charles, Mia, and Noah.

Funeral services were held yesterday in Palm Beach, with burial taking place today in Worcester, MA.

May the family find comfort and peace and may Gene's memory be for a blessing for all those who were fortunate enough to know him.

Steve