Dear Friends:
Shabbat Shalom!
I hope despite the election week chaos, you were able to have some semblance of a peaceful week. I know no matter what side you were on, anxiety and tensions were running high. I myself went through a whole cherry pie on election night! Now that the election has passed, I look forward to finding things that bring me joy – like preparing for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday followed by Hannukah celebrations.
Before we can start thinking about the holiday season, I would like to ask you to take a moment to remember. This Tuesday evening marks the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass; the night rioters destroyed hundreds of synagogues and Jewish institutions throughout Germany, Austria and other German controlled territories. Many synagogues burned throughout the night in full view of the public and local firefighters, who had received orders to intervene only to prevent flames from spreading to nearby buildings. SS and Hitler Youth members across the country shattered shop windows and looted an estimated 7,500 Jewish owned businesses. Additionally, Jewish cemeteries became objects of desecration in many regions.
This past September, research conducted by the Claims Conference revealed that 63% of Alabama’s young adults did not know that 6,000,000 Jews were murdered during the Holocaust and 6% of them believe Jews were responsible for their deaths. Alarming, isn’t it? In an effort to #NeverForget, The March of the Living invites us to join them in the "LET THERE BE LIGHT" campaign. This initiative encourages communities worldwide to keep the lights on in synagogues, Jewish institutions, and in private homes on the evening of November 9th. You can learn more here. I urge you to pass this on so that we can get that percentage in Alabama down to zero. Our local Birmingham Holocaust Education Center is also a great educational resource for our community and state for those looking to learn more.
As a close for this week I want to leave you with a poem that I have had on my desk since I arrived here – “Eli, Eli”. It was written in 1942 by Hungarian Jewish WWII resistance fighter Hannah Szenes. I’ve always loved the sentiment and it seems fitting to share this Shabbat.
You can also hear it sung here.
My God, My God
May these things never end:
The sand and the sea
The rustle of the water
The lightning in the sky
The prayer of Man.
Wishing you a joyous Shabbat and a week of peace.
B’Shalom,
Danny
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CALL FOR MATERIALS:
Birmingham Jewish Community History Project
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Did you know Beth El has a graphic display of congregational and community history from 1907-1999?
Each poster contains pictures, newspaper articles, and a lot of other information and memories.
We would like to update the posters, add any missed historical data, add the missing decades, and display them at Beth-El as part of a history, communication and outreach project underway. There is so much that our Jewish Community was an important part of, from the “early days”, through the Depression, the Civil Rights movement and era, politics, improvement, growth, development, more! There is much in our Birmingham and Beth-El history that is and was interesting as well as significant and important. It should be preserved and shared in a good and accessible way.
We are looking for: pictures, flyers, reports, newspaper articles, documents, letters, bulletins, memories, stories, memorabilia, interest. Specific wording for specific events and/or memories that pertain to the years 2000-2020, even suggestions for items to add and include. These can be materials relating to anything in the Birmingham Jewish community from 2000-2020. ANYTHING YOU SHARE CAN BE SCANNED AND RETURNED IF YOU WISH. WE WILL KEEP AND MAINTAIN AN ELECTRONIC VERSION AND WHATEVER GRAPHICS RESULT, and will return the originals to you if you wish
Email digitals materials, questions, and comments about submitting to jbrook359@gmail.com (Julian Brook)
AND/OR if you would like to be more actively involved in the collection
and planning of this project, we would love to have you. Anyone in the community is welcome to join in.
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PJ Library's Hanukkah: It's in the bag! |
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*This program is for families with children 0-8 years old* |
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The Jewish Community Relations Council of The Birmingham Jewish Federation Announces Community Impact Micro-grant Initiative |
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Grants to Promote Transformative and Collaborative Work in Greater Birmingham |
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The micro-grants are available to any individual, community agency, or organization for programming, projects, or initiatives that work to create powerful experiences and spark long-term systemic change and social good for our communities. Grants will be awarded up to $1,000.
“The JCRC is looking to invest and collaborate in new ideas that will engage other faiths, cultures, races, nationalities and neighborhoods,” said David Romanoff, chair, JCRC. “It is our hope that this effort will lend itself to creating a more unified Birmingham.”
Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis.
To access the microgrant overview and online application click here.
For more information contact Joyce Shevin at jcrc@bjf.org or 205.915.0486.
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About the JCRC of The Birmingham Jewish Federation
The JCRC builds bridges of understanding within our Jewish community and to our broader community, combats Antisemitism, educates in support of a strong and secure Israel, and advocates for public policy and social justice issues important to the Birmingham
Jewish community.
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About The Birmingham Jewish Federation
The Birmingham Jewish Federation (BJF) the Birmingham Jewish Community’s central fundraising, community relations and community development agency.
The BJF is dedicated to enriching Jewish life, supporting Israel, helping all people in need, and building
a better Birmingham.
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Israel Antiquities Authority coin head
displays treasures from the vault
Dr. Donald T. Ariel joins the ToI Community’s exclusive Behind the Headlines series for a deep dive into early and rare coins found in excavations in Israel
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"There are some 750,000 coins stored in one room in a well-protected Israel Antiquities Authority vault and Donald T. Ariel, the head of the IAA’s Coin Department, stands watch over them all.
Ariel, who immigrated to Israel from the United States, has headed the department since 1991. He is the editor of the Israel Numismatic Research journal and serves as the coin expert on several ongoing excavations in the country. He took The Times of Israel Community on a virtual tour of the history of Holy Land coinage and pulled out some of the IAA’s treasures during a recent Behind the Headlines conversation."
The Times of Israel (courtesy Donald T. Ariel/IAA)
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Kol Tzedek: A Virtual Conference on
Racial Justice with USCJ
November 8, 9, & 10 @ 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Join the Beth El congregants and the USCJ for an engaging conference on racial justice and community organizing for synagogues and lay professionals and lay-leaders. Interact with experts, hear success stories from synagogues doing important justice work, and gain tools to initiate and build on social justice work in your community. This is the opening panel for a three-day workshop on this topic. See more about the panelists and the program and to register at this link.
S.A.J.E (The Southern Alliance for Jewish Education) presents Sing a New Song Unto God: or, Why Doesn’t My Cantor Sing the ‘Traditional’ Mi Chamocha?
November 8 @ 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Join us for an engaging presentation on Reform Jewish music. Cantor Jamie Marx will walk us through how we went from classical reform choral music in the early 20th Century to the folk/pop worship tunes we sing today, using musical examples and socio-historical context to show the progression. Click here to register.
“The New Jew” in Modern Israel:
Return, Rebuild, Restore
November 10 @ 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
The Holocaust in Focus: Who Took The Pictures?
November 12 @ 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Photographs of Holocaust events and places have become some of our lasting memories. But do we really appreciate what those photographs have to tell us?
This series, “The Holocaust in Focus,” will narrow the focus on iconic Holocaust photographs and critically examine what we know and how we know it. In this first session, Amy McDonald will examine photographs from across the historical timeline of the Holocaust, looking at “Who Took the Pictures” and how that informs our historical knowledge.
“What Has Been Will Be Again”: A photographic survey of Alabama at a time of national urgency
November 12 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Zoom
Following the state’s recent bicentennial celebration and now in a time of pandemic and protest, looming economic depression, and a generation-defining national election, artist/photographer Jared Ragland is at work on an ambitious state-wide photographic survey to compassionately and critically address the complex history and identity of Alabama through thoughtful consideration of the state’s people and landscape. In his lecture, Jared will reflect on this consequential moment, discuss his artistic practice, and share stories and photographs from the road. Register for the program here.
Jewish Summer Camp Q+A Session
Sunday evening, November 15 @ 7:00 pm
Give your child (or grandchild) a gift that will last a lifetime…a summer at URJ Jacobs Camp! URJ Jacobs Camp, the Reform Movement’s camp in Mississippi, offers a unique environment for campers in grades 1-10. Children from URJ congregations across the Deep South join together each summer to experience the fun and magic of Jewish camping. Next Sunday evening, November 15th at 7:00, staff from URJ Jacobs Camp will be hosting a Birmingham Parent Q+A Webinar. They'll share what makes Jacobs great, answer parents’ questions, and fill us in on exciting plans for Summer 2021. We hope to see you there! For more info and to RSVP for the webinar click https://jacobscamp.org/birmingham/
Collat Jewish Family Services Bereavement Group
The meetings will be led by Gail Schuster, and the group will determine the frequency and meeting times.
For more information and to register for the Zoom meeting, please contact Gail Schuster at gail@cjfs.org or at 205-879-3438.
Financial Assistance Available
for Jewish Community Members
Thanks to a grant from the Greatest Needs Fund of the Birmingham Jewish Federation’s COVID Relief Campaign, Collat Jewish Family Services is offering financial assistance to Jewish community members who are facing financial insecurity because of job loss, caring for family or other issues. Confidential assistance is available to members of the Birmingham Jewish community who need help with rent or mortgage payments, utilities, prescription costs or other needs. To learn more, please email CJFS Clinical Director Marcy Morgenbesser LICSW, marcy@cjfsbham.org or call 205.879.3438.
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The Birmingham Jewish Federation
@jewishbirmingham
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