Trending in Our Jewish Community

TRENDING IN OUR JEWISH COMMUNITY

June 23, 2023

Shabbat Shalom CT!

Exciting week....The opening of our new website also marked the opening of a new Federation program, The Future Fund.

We created the Future Fund to help our young Jewish community members develop an understanding of and connection to Israel.

From summer programs in Israel, to studying in Israel for a semester, to Jewish pre-college and gap-year programs, there are plenty of enriching opportunities available for funding.

Students can apply for $1,000 grants for programs from a list of provided opportunities or select one of their own.

Who is eligible:

Students in grades 8 through undergraduate degree (including gap year)

Residing in the Federation catchment area*
Attending school in the Federation catchment area*

*The Federation catchment area is recognized as Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Georgetown, Monroe, Norwalk, Redding, Ridgefield, Rowayton, Southport, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport and Wilton.

Applying is simple: Students write an essay explaining why and how they believe this program will enrich their connection with Israel. Students can choose from a list of provided programs or they can choose one of their own.

Essay length is 500-1,000 words.
Application deadlines are January 15 and October 16.
Applicants will be notified via email approximately 30 days after their respective deadline.
Applications are blind submissions and will be reviewed and evaluated by the Future Fund committee.

The Future Fund can be accessed here.

The Future Fund is a program supported by the Jewish Federation.

If you wish to further support the program and increase the number of participating applicants, let me know!

We hope The Future Fund will be of help to all students!

Am Yisrael Chai. I wish you a safe and peaceful Shabbos.

Carin Savel, CEO

carin@shalomct.org

This week, we were delighted to partner with The Westport Library on a conversation about this wonderful book, The American Way - A True Story of Nazi Escape, Superman, and Marilyn Monroe.

Authors Helene Stapinski and Bonnie Siegler gave an entertaining talk about their families' histories -- including the little-known fact that Bonnie's grandfather shot the original film footage of the iconic scene with Marilyn Monroe standing on the subway grate. These hidden gems were amazing! Watch this clip below:

Today, over 5.8 million refugees have fled Ukraine and are currently in Europe, with millions more internally displaced or forced to shelter in or near their homes.

THIS IS A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.

While thousands of Ukrainian Jews have fled the country, most of the 200,000-strong Jewish community is still sheltering within its borders.

Federations have contributed over $90 million to our partner agencies -- the Jewish Agency for Israel, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and World ORT -- who have been working steadily in Ukraine for generations, so we’ve been able to be on the ground responding to emergency needs from day one of the invasion.

The immediate and short-term needs that we are addressing include:

Providing food and medicine to vulnerable populations in Ukraine
Helping people make aliyah to Israel and providing a soft landing
Assisting internally displaced people with shelter and food
Housing subsidies and employment assistance for refugees in Europe
Supporting integration of refugees in Europe
Strengthening health services and capacity in Ukraine through emergency medical support and training
Providing medical treatment to refugees
Training mental-health professionals in Ukraine, Europe, and Israel to meet the increasing mental-health issues of traumatized populations
Supporting a gender-based response to the refugee crisis

Since Russia first invaded Ukraine, an estimated 10 million people have been displaced, making this one of the largest humanitarian crises since WWII.

As the war continues, Jewish Federations and our partners continue to work together to ensure that urgent relief reaches the neediest, including both refugees who have fled as well as those remaining in Ukraine – millions of whom are displaced.

The needs are many and urgent. They include food, water, shelter, clothing, medical supplies, safe passage, and help to make aliyah or resettle in another safe haven – whether in Europe, Canada, or the U.S.

Donate Now

FREE-FAMILY FRIENDLY-FUN

Tickets for Lyman Aid

We hope you enjoyed a beautiful Father's Day last Sunday.

In honor of Father's Day, we thought you'd enjoy spending some time with this classic funny father-and-son team.

In Real Times – Arthur Szyk:

Artist and Soldier for Human Rights

September 29 – December 16, 2023

The Jewish Federation is honored to partner with Fairfield University to bring you this extraordinary event.

Coordinated at Fairfield University by Philip Eliasoph, PhD, the exhibition will feature more than 60 original works by the acclaimed artist, including political cartoons, illustrations of critical texts of the Jewish tradition, and stamps and seals that honor the power and importance of democratic ideals.

Click here for the full program.