"What people don’t seem to understand is that Birmingham is not only a great place to raise a family, but as I have come to realize over the last eight weeks, a great place to set an example of how people take care of others during a crisis."
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Everyone Thought This Jewish Man Crazy for Moving to Birmingham
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Please enjoy this feature article written by Danny in the current issue of the blog, Comeback Town (Published by David Sher). The article has also been featured on
AL.com
. It is a wonderful showcase for our Jewish community and organizations. Yasher Koach to Danny!
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Many Jewish kids from Birmingham attend Jewish summer camps around the Southeast and nationwide
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Summer Camp in the Southeast
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Summer Camp is integral to the identity of Jewish kids in the South. Nowhere else can Jewish kids from Southern towns come together to be surrounded by other Jewish kids just like them. Campers learn new skills in athletics, aquatics, the arts, and adventure, while immersing themselves in a wide range of Jewish educational pursuits, and making lifelong friends.
Jewish kids from Birmingham attend a wide variety of Jewish summer camps around the Southeast and nationwide. Many of these camps have sadly been canceled for the 2020 season and are serving their camp families in different ways. Jacobs Camp, in Utica, Mississippi is keeping their community together during this difficult time with virtual programming for all ages at “HSJ 365.”
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A joint program of the Birmingham Jewish Foundation and CJFS makes need-based interest free loans available.
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These are challenging times and many individuals are feeling financial pressure. The Birmingham Jewish Foundation, in cooperation with Collat Jewish Family Services (CJFS) has need-based loan funds available. Two funds, the Charles and Minnie Temerson Fund and the Marion and Herman Siegel Fund, are available for college and post-graduate loans. Two other funds, the Brateman-Block and the Jewish Free Loan Fund are available for general needs such as rent, car payments and medical needs. These are interest free loans for those who face current financial pressures and who cannot receive nor afford a conventional loan. Application is made through CJFS and is reviewed anonymously by a volunteer committee.
For more information contact Lynn Rathmell at CJFS (205) 879-3438.
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Israel was recently ranked the safest country in the world in its response to Coronavirus
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Israel on the Front Line of the Coronavirus
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The Israel Advocacy Movement (IAM) aims to establish a “mass movement” of Israeli advocates through training and mobilizing a network of passionate supporters of Israel. Watch the video produced by IAM below about Israel and their fight against COVID-19.
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"By bringing these communities access - to information, to education, to mental health support, to masks, soap, water, and more - we can help them get through this crisis and prepare for what comes next. "
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IsraAID: Access for Vulnerable Communities
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Today, IsraAID's teams are focused on COVID-19's impact on some of the world's most vulnerable people. Some communities have no access to safe water and soap, are without strong medical infrastructure, and lack reliable sources of information about how to be safe. That is the reality for many of the people they work with worldwide, from refugees fleeing conflict to populations recovering from disaster. IsraAID is funded by the IWJB which receives money from the Birmingham Jewish Federation Annual Campaign and the Birmingham Jewish Foundation.
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Community Programs & Announcements
Judaism at Home
May 11, 13, 18, and 20 from 7:00 - 8:00 pm via Facebook Live. Many people assume that the synagogue is the heart of the Judaism. In this new six part series, Rabbi Yossi Friedman will explain how the heart of Judaism is really in the home, practical ways to practice Judaism in your home, and deeper insights in why we do what we do.
Watch via Rabbi Friedman's Facebook
Bearing Witness: Stories of the Holocaust
Thursday, May 14 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm, via Zoom.
BHEC ZOOM Webinar! Community Education Series, Bearing Witness: Stories of the Holocaust - Featuring Esther Levy. Second Generation
. My Mother’s Story: Tobi Komornik Gerson.
Esther will share the story of her mother, a Holocaust survivor from Szczerców, Poland.
Register here
Temple Emanu-El Healing Service
Thai Shabbat Takeout
Friday, May 15 at Chabad of Alabama. Thai Shabbat Takeout by Josh Haynes. Get Kosher Thai food for your Shabbat table. All orders must placed by May 11.
Order now
Plug In and Power Up
Sunday, May 17 at 9:00 am via streaming. Meet Hadassah’s new President Rhoda Smolow. She will update us on the latest Hadassah projects and tell us about how COVID-19 has impacted operations in the National Office. We will also have an exciting and interactive session on using social media to connect with Hadassah. Luisa Narins will energize us as she provides the “7th inning stretch”. Bonnie Boring will emcee this fun and informative morning. Join us for the first ever Virtual Tri-Region Conference.
Register here
Fresh Baked Challah Pickup
Chabad of Alabama has weekly curbside challah pickups from 12:00-3:00 PM. Challahs are first come, first serve and can be reserved by
emailing Chabad
or sending your payment for your challah via Venmo. Challahs are $5 each.
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Support our Local Agencies and Synagogues with Amazon Smile
Amazon Smile, a website operated by Amazon lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com. The difference is that when customers shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations selected by customers. Please visit:
smile.amazon.com
If you have an existing Amazon.com account, you use the same account on AmazonSmile.
All of our Birmingham agencies and synagogues are listed on Amazon Smile and you may choose one of them as the beneficiary of your purchases.
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