Aaron Lazowski
Avraham Lazowski
Chaya Gittel Lazowksi
Joseph Lazowski
Rachel Lazowski
Five out of six million. Five of the names I read yesterday – out of hundreds of names of Holocaust victims and survivors whose family members live in Greater Hartford today, recited during Voices of Hope’s Yom HaShoah commemoration. An indelible, incomprehensible reminder of the potency of anti-Semitism.
This week I also had the opportunity to speak at a rally organized entirely by students affiliated with UConn Hillel in response to seven anti-Semitic incidents on campus this year, including swastikas and the SS symbol spray-painted on university buildings and a verbal assault on a Jewish student walking home from a Seder at the campus Chabad House.
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A few things stood out for me at the rally. One was just how impressive the students were. Supported by outstanding professionals at Hillel and Chabad, the students were unabashedly proud of their Jewish identity and determined to respond constructively to hate on campus. It was also heartening to see student government leaders and representatives from minority groups participating as allies: They recognize that anti-Semitism doesn’t only affect the Jewish community and that if anyone in society is endangered, we all are.
Campus police are actively investigating these incidents. I spoke with UConn President Thomas C. Katsouleas this week; he and his administration are committed to combating anti-Semitism and hate crimes and to ensuring that UConn remains an inclusive, respectful community for all of its students, faculty, and staff.
I closed my remarks at the rally on Monday by reiterating that the measure of a community is not whether incidents of bias occur; the measure is how the community responds. The staff and student leadership at UConn Hillel are doing a terrific job of enriching Jewish life on campus. They are instilling pride, mobilizing allies, and catalyzing a sustained, effective response to recent incidents. Federation is proud, with your help, to support their vital efforts.
Shabbat shalom.
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David Waren
President & CEO
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From Hartford to Texas: Warm Hearts and Helping Hands |
When the Dallas and Houston metro areas were walloped by a devastating freeze this February, Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford sprang into action to help our friends recover. Your generous donations to the Annual Campaign allowed us to make a special allocation to the Dallas and Houston Federations, offering relief to their Jewish communities. Our President and CEO David Waren and Chair of the Board Carolyn Gitlin spearheaded a donation drive, and with our Board's approval, we made the lead gift of $10,000. In total, large and intermediate size Federations across North America sent more than $145,000 in relief funding to Dallas and Houston. “[Your] allocation dollars provided close to 5,000 hot kosher dinners and Shabbat packaged dinners," noted Mariam Shpeen Feist, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas. "We were also able to provide kosher for Passover food for another 500 people!" Click here for the full story.
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Above: A frozen street in the heart of Texas, February 2021. |
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Memories of a Lost World, from a Living Survivor |
“I was given a new name... I was given a new religion... I was told never to mention, at the cost of my life, that I was a Jew.” - Leon Chameides, M.D.
Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford, a local Federation partner, collects, preserves, and shares the history of our region’s Jewish community and its contributions to society through a variety of media – including the very personal stories of beloved community members. Program Administrator Lynn Newman recently recapped a wildly popular virtual program presented by JHS and Voices of Hope in January: “Poland, the Jews, and My Family,” with local Holocaust survivor and renowned pediatric cardiologist Leon Chameides, M.D. The program was co-sponsored by The Emanuel Synagogue. Click the image below to view the Youtube video, or click here for a summary of highlights.
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Technical Training Helps Russian Jewish Women Thrive |
Did you know that your donations to Federation’s Annual Campaign allow thousands of underserved Russian Jewish women to receive vocational, technical, and professional training that helps them achieve financial stability? ORT, one of Federation’s Israel and Overseas partners, works tirelessly to provide training, job search assistance, and Jewish educational opportunities in economically disadvantaged communities of the Former Soviet Union. Its KesherNet program has trained over 60,000 students - 83% of whom are women - in 13 centers in the FSU since 2002. “[ORT] gave me the opportunity to improve myself, both in professional and personal spheres," noted ORT KesherNet graduate Natalia Handel. "I am now confident I will be able to apply for a promotion in the near future.” Click here to learn more about ORT's KesherNet programs for women.
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Above: Natalia Handel learned about cybersecurity and improved her job outlook at her local ORT KesherNet training center. Image courtesy of ORT America. |
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