ShalomCT! This week in Jewish life

THIS WEEK IN JEWISH LIFE Jan. 27, 2023

Shabbat Shalom CT!

This week, I attended a pretty awesome evening of information, conversation and questions, at a Federation Young Families program called, You are Not a Sh*tty Parent. Sara Beitman leads our Young Families and she put this together. A young parent herself, she has created spot-on programs that speak to young families and have garnered a lot of community attention. This one was no different.

I learned a lot from the moderator, author and even the attendees-- enough so that I am glad my kids are grown-- and enough so that when the time ever comes, I don't become be a sh*tty grandparent!

But let's hear from Sara....

There’s No Such Thing as a Sh*tty Parent

That’s what we learned this week when Federation Young Families hosted an engaging conversation with best-selling author Carla Naumburg and local parenting coach, Erika Brunwasser.

Close to fifty parents gathered virtually for a fun and supportive conversation on parenting.

It’s one of the many ways that our Federation has been bringing young families together, many of whom are new to our community and are looking for ways to connect and grow.

In the past few months, we’ve picked apples, made sun catchers at the beach, read silly stories, baked burekas and even had a parents’ night to taste Israeli beer.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about building community today, but about building our Jewish community and leaders for tomorrow.

We hope you join us on this journey.

Sara

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As always, I wish you a warm and peaceful Shabbos.

Carin Savel, CEO

carin@shalomct.org

Civil Rights Mission Moments: Jan Magid

My goal for the Southern Civil Rights Mission was to better understand the African American experience---by hearing stories of the people who were organizers and active in the tumultuous times of the Civil Rights Movement and visiting museums and historical sites which highlighted different facets of this period. I wanted to indirectly “live the experience for three days” by walking in the shoes and talking to the people who were involved in, and made a difference in, the outcome of “the movement”.

I realized that having been employed by ADL for 18 years, and doing a tremendous amount of reading on the subject, I had little direct involvement or significant knowledge of Civil Rights issues. Yet I knew I wanted to learn as much as possible and, most important, do more upon my return. To me this trip was a formal introduction to a very important part of our country’s ongoing troubling history which would provide me with a blueprint of what I hope to do, and collectively what we can do together; hence to embrace this history as our own and develop a mutual respect for our shared history.

There were so many moments of the trip that truly left me speechless, confused, angry and yet, in total, mesmerized by the experience of witnessing dynamic speakers like Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock and Bishop Calvin Woods who put their whole being into their remarks. I was deeply moved by Rev Warnock when he implored us to think about the “The Substance of Life” and how many “Things” one needs to be truly happy.

And then, answers his own question, “Things are good to have. But Things are not the substance of life. Things are not the bread of life. Things will never satisfy us.” Bishop Calvin Woods, 89 years old, is an electrifying speaker, a hero of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950-1960’s who marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. He intoned about the light of Martin Luther King, Jr, how he fought with all of his might against injustice and “the sacrifices he made for all people--red, yellow, black, white-- precious in his sight”. Both men inspired and challenged us to live up to their example in fighting for “freedom, justice and equality.”

What had the most profound effect on me were The National Memorial for Peace and Justice and The Legacy Museum located in Montgomery AL. These cultural institutions are part of the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit law organization working for over 30 years to combat abuse and injustice within the criminal justice system whose Founder and Executive Director is Bryan Stevenson.

The solemnity that surrounded the Memorial for Peace and Justice, i.e, The National Lynching Memorial, is palpable. To walk through and view the 800 six-foot monuments of corten steel on which are listed, by county, 4,075 names of black people who were lynched from 1877 to 1950 in 12 states, is deeply disturbing. The enormity and magnitude of these numbers are hard to fathom. I will never forget the images I have in my mind.

The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration continues the story of trafficking and enslavement of Black people in America that we witnessed at the accompanying museum, The Memorial for Peace and Justice. A vast museum in size and scope, it sits on the site of a former cotton warehouse where enslaved people were forced to work in bondage.

Starting in the 17^th century with kidnapping African people and carrying them across the Atlantic Ocean through racial terror lynching, the hopeful phase of the Civil Rights Movement to mass incarceration of Black American, it is a museum that you must experience to fully appreciate and realize the horrific conditions of poverty and inequality that many Black Americans experienced.

Although the entire museum was spellbinding, I found the section on mass incarceration the one that disturbed me the most. What I did not know was that after finishing their prison terms, millions of Americans faced additional consequences: barred them from voting; restricted access to public housing and food stamps; abject discrimination in employment and, in countless other ways.

Some interesting facts from the Legacy Museum to ponder:

· The US has 5% of the world’s population but nearly 25% of its incarcerated population.

· In 1972, 200,000 people incarcerated; today there are over 2.2 million.

· Some 3,000 children nationwide have been sentenced to life imprisonment WITHOUT the possibility of parole, some as young as 13 years old.

The work of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) is unique since the story they are telling through these two museums is not well told and documented anywhere else.

As a result, they have created a duplicate set of steel monuments from the Memorial for Peace and Justice and placed them in the field surrounding the Memorial. EJI is challenging local counties where lynching occurred to take these monuments and erect them in their communities to confront the painful truths from those eras.

This mission has been the beginning of an eye-opening journey to broaden my horizons: to learn more about our country and its untold history, to speak out on injustices, to partner with others to make a difference in our communities and to work against bigotry and exclusion. It continues to be an exciting journey!

Janet B. Magid

MORE MISSION MOMENTS

Ellen Lautenberg and Melissa Kane

Mindy Siegel and Alan Feldman

Bonnie Slyn and David Ball

Carin Savel and Ofek Moscovich

Rabbi Evan Schultz and Rabbi Sarah Marion

Nancy Diamond and Jeffrey Mayer

Shalom!

This week I learned new things from our community!

As an emissary my main job is to engage our community with Israel, the tool I use the most is education. Education can be on a lot of different platforms, from playing games in religious schools, having discussions in Merkaz and leading a presentation about politics for adults in our Israel clubs in the afternoon.

This week I had the opportunity to be a student instead of a leader. Temple Shalom in Norwalk invited me to take part of their community ice skating.

Ice skating is not common in Israel and this sport was new to me. The community taught me how to skate and slowly I got better and more confident in the new skill I’ve learned.

Everyone was so patient and the kids from the Hebrew school shared with me their tips to skate in the best way!

After a lot of falls and a lot of laugh I can say I had the best time with our community.

Thank you!

Ofek Moscovich

Federation Israel Emissary

Urge your Congressman/woman to support Holocaust Education & Antisemitism Lessons Act

In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day this Friday, JFACT urges you to reach out to your Congressman/woman. Ask them to support the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act of 2023.

Led by Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Kathy Manning (D-NC), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), this bill would require the Department of Education to conduct a study on Holocaust education efforts across the country.

This bill is an important next step in understanding the state of this education across the country.

Please click on the following action alert from the Jewish Federations of North America.

https://jfact.salsalabs.org/HolocaustEducation

INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY - REGISTER

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COOKING ALLA GIUDIA:

A CELEBRATION OF THE JEWISH FOOD OF ITALY

with author Benedetta Jasmine Guetta

Sunday, Feb. 5 | 3 PM

Zoom

Take an expansive and inspiring tour of one of the world's oldest Jewish communities and learn how Italian techniques and flavors have long been a part of the Jewish diet and vice versa.

JEWISH FOOD OF ITALY - REGISTER

SHIRAH SKLAR INSTALLATION - FULL SCHEDULE

Operations and Office Manager

Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County

The Job

The Jewish Federation is seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented professional with exceptional communications skills and strong initiative to serve as our Operations and Office Manager. The Manager will be responsible for the organization’s day-to-day operations. The Manager will be an essential member of the Federation professional team and will play an active role in team meetings and organizational planning and decision-making. This fulltime position is an in-person role with some flexibility for remote work during certain times of the year.

What You’ll Do

Serve as first administrative point of contact for the organization
Manage all office peripherals, computers, copier, printer, office management
Manage IT, company computers and programs, Microsoft 365 and all office systems
Manage and administrate all aspects of CRM and Salsa Labs
Coordinate and communicate with vendors
Manage and maintain database – email, research, update, cleaning, notes,
Manage calendars and various tasks related programming & events such as reserving space, ordering supplies, and collecting RSVP’s
Work with the Finance Manager to process all donations and create monthly reconciliations
Work with Marketing Manager to facilitate online solicitations and ticket sales
Provide support as needed such as campaign mailings, preparation of thank-you letters and running reports
Assist with review of existing policies and development of new policies (e.g. operations manual, facility reservations, and security)
Anything else that falls from the sky

What You’ve Done

Bachelor’s degree required.
3+ years of relevant experience in an administrative, operations or office manager role.

What You’ll Bring to the Job

Outstanding organizational skills; should enjoy developing systems, organizing documents, creating and implementing systematic workflows.
Exemplary time management skills, including the capacity to juggle competing priorities and deadlines, and to remain flexible within an ambiguous, fast-paced environment.
Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
Ability to follow complex instructions and quickly learn new procedures and systems.
Knowledge of essential computer software programs, including Microsoft Word and Excel, and the agility and resourcefulness to learn new technologies. Familiarity with QuickBooks and Salsa Labs is a plus.
Impeccable discretion and appreciation of confidentiality.
Inclination to take the initiative and enjoy being a member of the team.
A great sense of humor!