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Jewish
OBSERVER www.jewishobservernashville.org
Vol. 91 No. 6
JUNE 2026 16 Sivan - 15 Tamuz 5786
Jewish Leaders Encourage Congress to Increase Funding for Security Program, Introduce Jewish American Security Act By ERIN WIDES
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s news of the deadly shooting at the Islamic Center in San Diego was coming out, more than 400 Jewish leaders from across the country had just arrived in Washington, DC, to introduce a new bill and strongly encourage lawmakers to increase the nonprofit security grant funding to $1 billion. These funds would protect all houses of worship and faith-based institutions nationwide. CEO Judy Alperin was in DC to represent Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville along with colleagues across Tennessee. They met with leaders and sat in on briefings. “We came together to understand the rising and concerning threat environment in our country. We were reminded that while the Jewish community is par-
ticularly at risk, experiencing more than 55% of hate crimes, being just 2% of the population, this week’s horrific attack on the Islamic center in San Diego tells us that all faith communities do not enjoy what should be a basic right to live, learn and worship without fear,” Alperin said. Jewish Federations of North America shared that leaders from 41 states, representing 82 different communities across the country had more than 200 meetings with key Congressional leadership. The new, bipartisan Jewish American Security Act was also introduced. “This bill takes our priorities and translates them into actual federal policy: funding authorities, operational reforms, enforcement mechanisms, transparency requirements, and interagency and state and local coordination,” said Rachel Continued on page 14
Members of the Tennessee delegation with Federation CEO, Judy Alperin, preparing to meet with Congressman Steve Cohen.
National Young Leadership Cabinet Returns from Greece By MARLY BOEHM
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Celebrating Leadership 615 Cohort Three Graduates By ERIN WIDES
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he Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville’s Leadership 615 program celebrated its third cohort at a May graduation brunch. Surrounded by past participants, community leaders, and program sponsors, this year’s fellows shared their vision statements for the future of Jewish Nashville. Hineni, a Jewish concept meaning “Here I am,” anchored the morning’s message. Though simple, it carries deep A Publication of the
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meaning, said Michal Eskenazi Becker, the Federation’s chief impact officer and program coordinator. “I learned that community is not a given, it’s practiced. It has to be chosen again and again,” Eskenazi Becker said. “Community only happens when people decide what matters. When they say, ‘This is worth my time, this is worth my attention.’” In her opening remarks, Eskenazi Becker reminded fellows that they chose Continued on page 14 The Nashville Sounds Hit a Home Run with Jewish Heritage Night, page 4
his year’s National Young Leadership Cabinet recently returned from a mission trip to Greece, where they learned about its Jewish history and celebrated the Jewish community there today. This year’s mission trip included 126 Cabinet members in 37 Jewish communities across North America, according to the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). Cabinet is a leadership program of JFNA, designed to empower and equip emerging leaders ages 30-45 in the Jewish community. “The mission of the program is to accelerate the leadership capacity and trajectory of volunteer leaders,” said Ben Schindler, associate vice president of Cabinet. Members of Cabinet have the opportunity to attend retreats, national events, International Study Mission trips, and more. Cabinet’s 5-year program has upheld this mission of supporting emerging Jewish leaders since its founding in 1963. “We support them to learn,” said Schindler. “We support them to build their skills, specifically on how to support and serve the Jewish community, and Jewish Nashvillians Journey to Argentina to Learn, Explore and Engage, page 6
we help them connect with each other, because it is a network that becomes of tremendous value.” This past year, the Cabinet took a mission trip to Greece, a country bearing the deep memory of one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. “The trip was extraordinary,” said Rachel Whitney, a Cabinet member from Nashville on the Greece trip. “We started in Thessaloniki, then visited Athens, covering major monuments of Greek culture, learning about the Greek Jewish community, and the impact of the Holocaust and its aftermath.” The group had the privilege of visiting a memorial at the train cars in Thessaloniki and participating in an impactful Yom HaShoah commemoraContinued on page 30 Coupon Special Section, page 25