Update from Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey • Fall 2019 • Volume 10
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Jew, once again, are anti-Semitism and the security issues that come with it. As we have through our 70-year history, Jewish Federation leads the way in connecting partners to ntity. Jewish ide s’ d navigate these ki s ild mp bu Jewish ca concerns — including Jewish organizations, interfaith neighbors, and civic leaders.
All the while, we continue to care for the vulnerable among the Jewish collective — the elderly, those grappling with mental illness, people with special needs, families in crisis… We continue to invest in our future, connecting young people with the joy and meaning of their Jewish identity and community. Read on for the latest ways Federation is connecting all Jews to the communal resources and experiences that matter to them — and many ways the Jewish heart of NJ is thriving together.
Zeroing In on Anti-Semitism and Security According to a NJ State Police and Division on Civil Rights report released in August, 569 bias incidents were reported in NJ in 2018 — higher than any year since 2011. The report also documents a 32% increase in reported bias incidents from 2016 to 2017 — the largest single-year jump in more than a decade. Anti-Jewish offenses formed the bulk of reported bias incidents driven by religious prejudice in the past two years (including a combined total of 152 swastika incidents). Jewish Federation is working on several fronts to address anti-Semitism and related security concerns, so this vibrant and inclusive Jewish community stays strong, safe, and supportive Federatio n and pa rtners co mbat anti today and for generations to come: -Semitism with edu cation an • Communicating closely with federal, state, and local d advoca cy. law enforcement agencies • Providing hands-on support for facility assessments, security grant applications, and security committees within individual synagogues and Jewish organizations • Working with Middlesex and Monmouth County Offices of Emergency Management (OEM) for Jewish facilities to be recognized as OEM sites in times of emergency • Expanding the Law Enforcement Officers’ program — partnering with Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and Chhange (The Center for Holocaust, Human Rights, and Genocide Education) — to help officers identify and respond appropriately to anti-Semitic and other bias-driven activity • Making grants to bring Chhange’s Building Bridges program to more public schools, helping administrators, educators, and students build a culture of mutual respect and understanding • Funding the Chhange Colloquium engaging thousands of public high school students in a day of education to stem hate and address human rights issues • Spearheading and sponsoring community-wide training workshops for individuals and communal professionals on topics ranging from active shooter and use-of-force to cybersecurity and avoiding spams and scams • Making grants for Rutgers Hillel to roll out new programs strengthening tolerance and empowering students in their response to hate on campus. To get involved, contact stacyf@jewishheartnj.org
Today’s Teens Become Tomorrow’s Leaders This past school year, with help from a Jewish Federation Teen Israel Grant, Sarah Schildkraut went to Israel for a week with Write On For Israel, a competitive two-year leadership training and Israel engagement program for high school students. Participants learn about current events related to Israel and the wider Middle East and how to navigate complicated conversations about Israel, especially on college campuses. To hear an array of narratives concerning Israel, the students met with top journalists and authors,
“... we remain hopeful for a future where everyone can coexist peacefully.” Write On for Israel is one of several programs supported or offered through Jewish Federation and its partners for teens to develop life and leadership skills while discovering what Israel and their Jewish identity means to them. Eitanim connects teens to Israel and empowers them to be active in their communities while developing entrepreneurship, teamwork, problem-solving,
J-SERVE is the international day of Jewish teen service, with handson projects benefitting the elderly, the food-insecure, active duty military families, and more. Israel Teen Grants provide financial assistance for teens to participate in immersive cultural and educational programs in Israel. Fresh Ink for Teens is a website presenting original articles, essays, and creative writing by and for Jewish teens around the world, covering high school, politics, Israel, sports, culture, college prep, Judaism, family, and more.
an IDF commander, a Druze family, a Palestinian activist, a Supreme Court justice, government officials, and Israeli Jewish and Arab teenagers. Standing on a hill overlooking Syrian villages recently occupied by ISIS and Al Qaeda, visiting an IDF base during tank drills, and driving past spots where terrorist acts had previously occurred, Sarah nonetheless felt safe. Meeting Israeli Arab teens from an Arab city near ‘the Green Line,’ Sarah recalled, “They all go to school or are pursuing careers. Afnan listens to hip hop. Tasneem’s favorite ice cream flavor is caramel and she likes Zac Efron. Suma likes going to the gym and finds school boring… “things that my friends and I can relate to…,” Sarah realized.
communication and other skills.
“I really bonded with Tasneem and we stay in touch,” Sarah added. “As we pursue our own life plans, we remain hopeful for a future where everyone can coexist peacefully.”
JTeam Teen Philanthropy develops experience in social justice, as teens assess and advocate for grant applicants then award funding to make the greatest impact possible.
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For details, registration, and applications, go to jewishheartnj.org/teens
Doubling Down on Community Relations and Advocacy You’ve heard the old line: two Jews, three opinions. While those Jews may be well informed in arriving at their opinions, they may not get their information from the same sources, hold the same priorities, or filter their perceptions through the same life experiences. Plus, social media has given us echo chambers in which we can hear only from those who share or amplify our views. As a result, it is a challenge for the Jewish community to achieve consensus on certain issues, let alone a path to address them. This is compounded when segments of the community care passionately on different sides of an issue while others say the community should not align itself with any position.
• Strengthening interfaith relationships, building on open communication and shared goals;
• Interacting with state, local, and national civic leaders when matters of Jewish interest warrant. Three community leaders will spearhead these areas: Liran Kapoano in building connections within the Jewish community; Rabbi Marc Kline in interfaith
“Jewish Federation is creating a new Community Relations & Advocacy initiative.”
When an issue rises to a certain threshold, such as a threat to all Jews no matter what they believe, who they vote for, or how they practice, then “The Community” needs to get together and address it. More importantly, the community needs an infrastructure in place to readily do so, especially in the event of time-sensitive matters. In order to provide a platform for those who want to advocate for Jewish community needs that meet this threshold, and within precepts grounded in Jewish teachings, Jewish Federation is creating a new Community Relations and Advocacy initiative.
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Working with ethnic, religious, and civic leaders in the heart of NJ, as well as advocates for the Jewish community locally, in Israel, and elsewhere, the initiative has three prongs:
• Working across all facets of the Jewish community, connecting partners, organizations, and synagogues through positive interaction and support;
relations; and Amy Mallet in government affairs. They will confer with Joshua Cohen, director of the new Jewish Federations of NJ — the body that replaces the State Association of Jewish Federations. They are looking for others who share their interests and would like to be involved. To get involved, contact danr@jewishheartnj.org.
Your Federation Impact: It’s Not Magic…It’s Multiplication Each of us has the power to change the world, not by waving a magic wand, but by giving to Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey. One reason is The Federation Multiplier Effect: When you give one dollar to Jewish Federation in the Heart of NJ, it can generate as much as 10, 20, or 30 times its value in programs, services, and resources.
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For example, in the last four years, Jewish Federation invested $120,000 to help bring $4 million in security enhancements to dozens of synagogues, Jewish schools, and Jewish cultural and community centers. If you made a
PJ Turns 10!
$100 donation, your hundred dollars generated $3,300 in value for this Jewish community — a 33-fold return on your investment making a difference here and now. The Multiplier Effect echoes One Becomes Many, a familiar Jewish concept. Setting our sites on the Jewish future, Federation decided three years ago to invest in the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s Life & Legacy training and incentive program — sharing it, at no charge, with any and every Jewish organization that chose to participate. Driving our decision were data showing non-profit organizations will need 20 to 25% of their operating budget from endowments in 20 years to stay financially secure — and learning that most Jewish organizations in our area had no idea how to cultivate legacy giving.
Remember when you turned 10, how exciting it was to be double digits? This fall, PJ Library celebrates 10 years in the heart of NJ, and thousands of kids and their parents (and grandparents, too) are thrilled Jewish Federation makes the Harold Grinspoon Foundation program available here. In 10 years, more than 5,200 tykes to pre-teens have received some 150,000 age-appropriate books and CDs filled with songs and stories about Jewish life, values, culture, and more — mailed personally to them each month. Six-month- to eight-year-olds enjoy PJ Library at home and in many Jewish schools throughout our area. PJ events connect families for community activities. A recent meet-up brought together dozens of threeto 10-year-old Mighty Mitzvah Makers to make Fun Boxes for Israeli kids who came to NJ for cancer treatments. The Hebrew Academy’s PJ Summer Carnival attracted more than 100 families for games, rides, crafts, and music. The fun doesn’t stop there because, as PJ kids grow,
In three years, Federation has invested $550,000 and the effort has generated $14 million in future value for the more than a dozen participating Jewish organizations to secure their programs and services for generations to come. That’s a 25-fold return on your Federation donation. We have achieved a three-fold return in PJ Library for kids, 10-fold return on behalf of vulnerable Holocaust survivors, and much more. If you think your donation is not enough to change the world, think again. Every dollar you give to Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey, makes a difference — often more than you know.
PJ Our Way allows eightto 11-year-olds to Kids love P J Lib choose their own and Get To rary books gethers. books and share reviews online. They have their own live programs too, such as When I Grow Up, where they meet Jewish professionals in a variety of fields for career and hobby inspiration. Just in time for this PJ anniversary, Jewish Federation announced it has won a new grant from the Grinspoon Foundation for PJ Library Hubs and Ambassadors to create neighborhood-based gatherings and programs for PJ Library families to strengthen their ties to each other and the Jewish community. Also happening this fall, PJ Get Together grants are back, offering up to $100 for families to host PJ events with friends. Have you signed your child up for PJ? For more information contact inbars@jewishheartnj.org
Federation Leadership Cheryl Markbreiter PRESIDENT Adrienne Ross 1ST VICE PRESIDENT
230 Old Bridge Turnpike South River, NJ 08882
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Ed Guttenplan 2ND VICE PRESIDENT Murray Katz TREASURER Sheryl Grutman SECRETARY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Elise Feldman Alex Kemeny Naomi Lasky Jeffrey Schwartz Stuart Abraham Mitch Frumkin LEADERS COUNCIL LIAISONS Marlene Herman Eliot Spack Susan Antman EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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