E-Connect
December 18, 2020
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The End of Hanukkah and the Beginning of a New Year |
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Today is the last day of Hanukkah. When the sun goes down tonight, and we welcome Shabbat, we get to move from one holiday to another. It’s been a strange holiday with COVID-19 in the midst. I am fortunate because my college student daughter lives in town, and she could come home a couple of nights to light candles. We didn’t take photos this year but had we done so; we would’ve been wearing our masks because we are not currently in the same “pod.” However, we were fortunate to be in the same space, even if it was a bit awkward.
This is likely the last E-Connect of 2020 for Jewish Social Services. I want to use this time to thank everyone who is reading this newsletter and our staff, volunteers, and donors. And actually, I think that this photo says it all. As Hanukkah began, a volunteer socially distanced and brought Alice an electric menorah and sufganiyot (jelly donuts). Alice has dementia, and as we know, connections to the past are so important to people with dementia. According to her daughter, these small touches to the past really have been very special to both of them. And we couldn’t have done this for Alice and all the other seniors who received gift bags without all of you. And of course, thank you to Adamah, which made the sufganiyot for us.
You have enabled Jewish Social Services to shine during the pandemic, but we need your help now to do even more. We have many “Alices” in our community. We have been working hard to reduce isolation among our seniors. We are helping families who have lost jobs or hours at work will not be evicted. We are ramping up for the new refugees coming to our community in the next year. Please donate to JSS help by sharing your light.
On behalf of all of us at JSS, we wish you a Shabbat Shalom. May the new year bring light, peace, health, and happiness to all.
Dawn Berney
Executive Director
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Humans – we are the storytellers
Wednesday, December 30 from 10:30-11:30 am
Schmoozing time before online yoga a few weeks ago brought about an impromptu round of “how you met your partner(s).” Some amusing, some touching and some illuminating stories of how times have changed, and yet much stayed the same. As an unprecedented 2020 draws to a close, join us for an informal reminiscence and telling of cycles of beginnings and becomings.
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“Valuing the Invaluable: Using Ecosystem Services to make Better Environmental Policy”
Thursday, January 7 from 3-4 pm with Professor Steven Davis
Ecosystem Services refers to the idea of granting natural systems the value of all the actual things nature does for us and provides us. It has become the cutting edge of environmental economics and policymaking.
Dr. Steven Davis has taught in the Social Science Department at Edgewood College since 1994. He teaches courses on American political institutions, environmental politics, politics and media, and political ideology and in 2012 was awarded the James R. Undekofler Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award. His research, on the environmental movement and also the politics of public land management, has been published in a number of journals. His book, In Defense of Public Lands: The Case Against Privatization and Transfer was published by Temple University Press in June 2018.
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Let’s Talk Hearing: Advice to Make Your Ears Smile with Audiologist Dr. Juliëtte Sterkens
Thursday, January 14 from 10:00 - 11:30 am
Note: this program is being shared and sponsored by the Participatory Learning and Teaching Organization. There is no fee and no membership is required, but we do need to register by entering email for return invite to this program: https://platomadison.org/event-4061412/Registration
Hearing loss comes on gradually and can have a big impact on a person’s life. Many people with hearing loss will say they can hear just fine but that they have difficulty understanding speech, particularly in background noise, watching TV or while attending religious services or theater performances, even while using hearing aids. Learn about hearing care best practices, what’s new in hearing technology and how it can help users hear their best.
Dutch born audiologist Dr. Juliëtte Sterkens has 40+ years of experience in the field of audiology and hearing rehabilitation. She is on her encore career as a consumer and hearing loop advocate for the Hearing Loss Association of America(HLAA). She has lectured extensively around the country to consumers as well as audiologists, hearing care dispensers and audiology students. For her advocacy efforts, she has received numerous awards. She is the recipient of the Wisconsin Audiologist of the Year.
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Join JSS on Mondays for Schmoozing at 11am and
Yoga From A Chair at 11:30am
With Betsy Haimson
Meeting ID: 406 575 567
Join by phone: (312) 626-6799, 406 575 567#
For questions about Zoom programs, call Paul Borowsky at (608) 442-4083.
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Refugee Mentorship Program
Volunteer Opportunity
JSS is launching its new refugee mentorship program, Aljirani Madison, and is now seeking volunteers! From the Swahili “jirani - neighbor” and Arabic “aljar - neighbor”, Aljirani Madison is a 6-month long volunteering program that partners community volunteers with a local refugee individual or family to provide a warm welcome, companionship, and practical help. For a full description of the program please click the "Program details" link below. Please note: partnerships will meet digitally for the foreseeable future due to COVID-19.
For questions, contact Sam Van Akkeren at (608) 563-9674 or sam@jssmadison.org.
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GOOD NEWS!
Transportation Program for Older Adults: Significantly subsidized private rides
JSS is excited to announce that we received a grant from Bader Philanthropies of Milwaukee to allow JSS to provide additional transportation support to older adults throughout Dane County, specifically focusing on those with fewer resources. When JSS cannot find a volunteer driver, trips to and from medical appointments, grocery stores, and similar necessities will be made available for $8.00, round trip, with fee waivers available.
For transportation assistance, please contact us at 608-442-4081 or office@jssmadison.org. We will connect you with one of our social workers who will be happy to help you access this service. We thank Bader Philanthropies for their interest in our community.
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A tribute gift is a meaningful way to convey sympathy to the bereaved, memorialize a loved one, commemorate a special occasion or honor a person’s life and accomplishments.
Your gift to Jewish Social Services made in honor or memory of this special person ensures a legacy that extends far into the future.
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Volunteer Wish List: Seeking Volunteers with Tech Skills
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Zoom and IPad Technological Support for a client. JSS can set up a practice Zoom event to use to help you troubleshoot with the client,
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Other tech issues for seniors and immigrants – examples include connecting to zoom, using email, attaching or uploading files, and other basic operations.
We have so much social isolation in our community right now. And many services can only be accessed via the internet. Please contact Paul Borowsky, paul@jssmadison.org, 608-442-4083 today to help out.
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Download or read online our paper Connections newsletter. It has different stories and photos than you see in our electronic newsletter.
To reach our office, call (608) 442-4081.
*Please leave a message, we check the voicemail frequently
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Do you have a car you would like to get rid of???
Donate your car to JSS! The proceeds go directly to our programs.
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JSS is proud to be a beneficiary agency of: |
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