November 12, 2021

8 Kislev, 5782

A Message from our CEO

Dear Friends–

Shabbat Shalom! I hope everyone has had a good week! We’ve been busy at the Federation wrapping up programming for 2021 and planning ahead for 2022. As part of our Veterans Day programming, The BJF hosted Birmingham native, Representative Elaine Luria in conjunction with Jewish War Veterans Post 608 and the Jewish Community Relations Council. If you missed it, the informative conversation can be viewed in its entirety here. This coming Tuesday, November 16th at 7:00 p.m. is a program that I am very proud to participate in with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI). A Courageous Conversation of Healing for our Black and Jewish Communities will feature an open and frank dialogue between myself and DeJuana Thompson, BCRI President and CEO. The conversation will be moderated by Sherri Jackson of CBS42. The goal of the program is to bring together our Jewish and Black communities - not only to understand the issues that are most concerning us but to also listen to each other and heal. We hope this honest dialogue will be the first step towards more meaningful collaborations that will benefit both our communities, and as a result, our city as a whole. The event will be live-streamed on the BCRI's Facebook & YouTube. Questions? Contact Joyce Shevin at jcrc@bjf.org. The event was made possible in part by funding from the Perry Schwartz Community Outreach Fund at The Birmingham Jewish Foundation. Looking around the corner, Hanukah is on the horizon. Birmingham’s first “Matzah Ball” will be December 2nd, from 8:00 pm-10:00 pm! Dress to impress in your favorite holiday cocktail outfit and your fanciest face mask and join us on the upper level of Avondale Brewery for a Hanukah celebration featuring a DJ, drinks, sweet treats, and a menorah lighting. Early bird tickets are $18 until November 19th, and then $20 until November 29th! The Matzah Ball is hosted by Temple Beth El, Temple Emanu-El, Chabad and You Belong in Birmingham, and The Birmingham Jewish Federation’s NextGen Group (ages 21-40). Click here to purchase tickets. For additional family, friendly Hanukah fun look for more information on The Grand Menorah Lighting which will occur Sunday, November 28th from 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the Summit. We are proud to partner with Chabad of Alabama and the Levite Jewish Community Center on this community celebration. Wishing you a restful Shabbat and a week of peace.   B’Shalom, Danny

Upcoming Programming

Courageous Conversation of Healing November 16, 2021, at 7 PM

The JCRC and Birmingham Civil Rights Institute are hosting a Courageous Conversation of Healing between Danny Cohn, BJF CEO, and DeJuana Thompson, BCRI President and CEO at 7:00 pm on November 16th. Sherri Jackson of CBS42 will be moderating. The event will be streamed live on Facebook and a link will be available beginning in November - so stay tuned!  The aim of this program is to bring together our Jewish and Black communities - not only to understand the issues that are most concerning us, but to also listen to each other and heal. This honest dialogue will be just a first step towards more meaningful collaborations that will benefit both our communities, and as a result, our city as a whole.   For more information contact Joyce Shevin.

The Abraham Accords: One Year Later- How have Israel, UAE, Bahrain, and Beyond Benefited? Wednesday, November 17th at 10 AM CT

Register Here!

Momentum: A Year Long Journey to Becoming Your Best Self

Learn more!

The Sam Lapidus Montclair Run November 25, 2021, at 8 PM

The Levite Jewish Community Center is thrilled to welcome the community back, in person, for the 45th annual Sam Lapidus Montclair Run. The SLMR started in 1976 as the Montclair Run and quickly grew in popularity throughout the state. Now hosting approximately 1500 runners of all ages, the SLMR serves as a Thanksgiving tradition for many families and out-of-town visitors. The SLMR is the largest annual fundraising event supporting the LJCC. In 2009 the run was renamed to honor Sam Lapidus. Sam lost his battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a form of childhood cancer, in November 2008 - just nine days before his 15th birthday. Five dollars of every runner's registration is donated to the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Alabama in Sam’s memory.

Register here!

The Matzah Ball December 2, 2021, at 8 PM Early bird tickets sale ends 11/19

Early Bird Tickets on Sale Here!

Israel Unplugged October 24-November 1, 2022

Contact Florina for more info!

Community Programs

CJFS Senior Grocery Delivery Sunday, November 14 @ 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM CJFS Senior Grocery Delivery TravelStorys Launch Event: Jewish Birmingham and Civil Rights with TBE and TEE Sunday, November 14 @ 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Temple Beth-El and Temple Emanu-El Join us for a “soft launch” of the Beth El Civil Rights Experiences’ Jewish Birmingham + Civil Rights audio tour! For our “soft launch” event we’ll be previewing the first five stops of the tour, which will be complete Fall 2022. And we’ll be partnering with Temple Emanu-El so that we can enjoy engaging with our history as a whole Birmingham Jewish community. You must register for a timed slot to attend and plan to arrive at that time. We will be putting participants in groups to embark on this self-guided audio tour together. This tour will take place in downtown Birmingham and the walking route is approximately 1.5 miles round trip. Participants who register will receive a map, arrival information, and detailed instructions about accessing the audio tour before the event. Register Here! A Courageous Conversation of Healing Tuesday, November 16 @ 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Jewish Community Relations Council Join the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute for a courageous conversation of healing for our Birmingham Black and Jewish communities. The event will be moderated by CBS42 News reporter Sherri Jackson and feature a dialogue between BCRI Interim President and CEO, DeJuana Thompson, and Danny Cohn, CEO of the Birmingham Jewish Federation. The event will be live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Lunchtime Torah Study Wednesday, November 17 @ 12:00 PM-1:00 PM Temple Emanu-El This Torah study meets via Zoom and will cover that week’s Torah portion. All levels are welcome. Beit Midrash: Subversive Sequels in the Bible Thursday, November 18 @ 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Temple Beth-El Rabbi Norry’s virtual Beit Midrash will focus on Judy Klitzner’s book Subversive Sequels in the Bible: How Biblical Stories Mine and Undermine Each Other. Each class will focus on a chapter of this book. The book will not be required, though students are encouraged to read along! Join here! Threads of the Past: Recreating Clothing of Holocaust Survivors Thursday, November 18 @ 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Birmingham Holocaust Education Center Heidi Damsky is a talented knitter, a devoted grandmother, and a globetrotter, well-versed in the history of the Holocaust. All of these characteristics converged serendipitously when a friend of Heidi’s shared a pattern for a very special child’s sweater. The pattern replicates a green sweater worn by Krystyna Chiger while hiding from the Nazis in the sewers of Lvov, Poland, from 1943 to 1944. Knitted by her beloved grandmother before the war, the sweater survived Krystyna’s harrowing experience, which is now housed at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). Heidi knitted a beautiful replica of the sweater and generously donated it to Birmingham Holocaust Education Center’s archives. Join us in conversation with Heidi as we explore how these beautiful pieces are teaching tools and reminders of life, hope, and the wartime Jewish experience. Birmingham Hadassah Book Club: The Fox Hunt: A Refugee’s Memoir of Coming to America – Mohammed Al Samawi – facilitator Diane Slaughter Sunday, November 21 @ 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Birmingham Chapter of Hadassah New participants are warmly invited. Please contact Tammi Caldwell-Horn (tamarmichal67@gmail.com) for Zoom link Temple Beth-EL Sisterhood Bake Sale Sunday, November 21 @ 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Temple Beth-El Drive-by pick up Interfaith Thanksgiving Service with Southside Faith Communities Tuesday, November 23 @ 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Temple Beth-El On Tuesday, November 23rd join Rabbi Norry and our Southside faith neighbors for this annual coming together in prayer. Capacity is limited and attendees are expected to follow TBE’s current COVID policy. Register here for in-person attendance. You can also watch the service virtually on the Temple Beth El Facebook or YouTube.  Temple Beth El is pleased to be hosting this year’s Interfaith Thanksgiving Service! Lunchtime Torah Study Wednesday, November 24 @ 12:00 PM-1:00 PM Temple Emanu-El This Torah study meets via Zoom and will cover that week’s Torah portion. All levels are welcome. 45th Annual Sam Lapidus Montclair Run Thursday, November 25 @ 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM Levite Jewish Community Center Please join us for the 45th annual Sam Lapidus Montclair Run on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 25th at the Levite Jewish Community Center. Registration is open now for this extremely fun and rewarding, family-friendly, community event. The Sam Lapidus Montclair Run honors the short but very full life of Sam Lapidus, who died of Ewing’s sarcoma, a form of childhood cancer, in November 2008 – just nine days before his 15th birthday. Funds raised from the run will be donated to the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Alabama and the Levite Jewish Community Center. Fore more information head to bhamjcc.org.

Visit the community calendar for more details!

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The Federation and Foundation have been having issues with our post office box. Please send all correspondence to our physical address at  3966 Montclair Road, Birmingham, AL 35213

The Birmingham Jewish Federation federation@bjf.org  (205)879-0416 bjf.org

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