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THIS WEEK IN JEWISH LIFE

March 30, 2023

Shabbat Shalom CT!

On June 3, 2022 as the holiday weekend of Shavuot began, an unusual website appeared:

It showed a map of Massachusetts chock-full of dots interconnected by multicolored lines, like the corkboard of an overzealous detective or, perhaps, a conspiracy theorist.

Each dot represented an institution — a school, a corporation, a police department, a nonprofit — and the lines showed their ties to one another and to Jewish organizations or philanthropists.

The institutions and their purported relationships were highlighted, the Mapping Project’s anonymous creators wrote, “so we can dismantle them.”

My colleague, Boston JCRC Director Jeremy Burton, unpacks the Mapping Project here. And, this is happening right now.

ADL has just released their annual 2022 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents in the United States. There have been 10 antisemetic incidences a day.

Ten. We’ve never seen numbers like this.

That's just the national number. Here in Connecticut, antisemetic incidences rose by 100% in 2022, placing us number #11 nationwide in terms of the number of antisemitic incidents.

Last Friday, a group of Federation volunteers and community security professionals met with the team from SCN (Secure Community Network), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that is the official homeland security and safety initiative of the organized Jewish community in North America (see their video below).

The Jewish Federation has brought SCN into the community for trainings in the past. Many of our synagogues attended and utilized what they learned.

Clearly, this is the time for serious action in our community, and so we have begun a serious discussion about participating in the SCN state-wide coordinated security effort and the JFNA Security initiative, Live Secure.

This is a big, important and complicated step for our community, and the Jewish Federation is up to the task. More to come....

I wish you a safe and peaceful Shabbos.

Chag Sameach!

Carin Savel, CEO

carin@shalomct.org

A MONTH-LONG CELEBRATION OF ISRAEL'S 75TH BIRTHDAY

UPDATE ON ISRAEL

The last 36 hours have been among the most tumultuous in Israel’s history, culminating in a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would delay controversial judicial reform legislation to avoid a “civil war.”

Shortly after 8 pm Israel time, Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the nation, announcing that he would delay the legislation to allow for negotiations.

“We are not standing before enemies. We are standing before brothers. I am saying now, we cannot have a civil war.” The prime minister said that this move will give a real chance and real time for the dialogue needed to reach broad consensus and reiterated his intent to enact judicial reform while working to strengthen individual rights.

This information may already be out of date by the time you read this, but in response to the announcement, Jewish Federations released this statement alongside several other major Jewish organizations.

We will continue to monitor events and update you as necessary.

Last week, we spent time with Dan Elbaum, The Jewish Agency for Israel’s Head of North America and President and CEO of Jewish Agency International Development (JAID), on a Zoom call.

Dan spoke with us for an hour on Zoom. As the audience members asked questions, the answers were sometimes complicated (see video, right).

We’re halfway through the semester at Merkaz! This week we got back into the swing of things. Here is what has been going on in some of our classes this week:

In The Fabric of Our People – Make your own Tallit class taught by Rabbi Jason Greenberg, students cut and dyed their atarah, the edge of the tallit that symbolizes the crown.

Next week, the students will choose what they want to write on their atarot and begin stenciling their letters.

Students discussed the power of words and their positive, negative, and neutral connotations in Morality for Muggles taught by Susan Roth. In Jews and Taboos, taught by Rabbi Josh Ratner, students drew what they felt G-d meant to them.

MEET COCKTAILS SPEAKER AMANDA STEINBERG!

One of Forbes’ 21 new American money masters, Amanda Steinberg is the founder and CEO of DailyWorth, a website devoted to helping women manage their financial lives.

Launched from a Philadelphia attic office in 2009, its newsletter now reaches more than one million subscribers. She has discussed personal finance on a number of news outlets, including Good Morning America, CNN, Today, and MSNBC. In her book, Worth It, Steinberg outlines the vital financial information women need to create a healthy financial future, and draws a direct line to the ways women can use money as a source of personal freedom and power.

COCKTAILS FOR A CAUSE - REGISTER!

It was a special day as we said a temporary goodbye to our PJ Library Coordinator, Sara Beitman, as she takes her maternity leave of absence.

We will miss her-- and we sent her off with with her fav-- cupcakes and pizza! Sara's mom, Renee Beitman made a surprise visit to join the fun. See you soon, Sara!

Together, we can show the Jewish community that they’re not fighting alone. Share this video and # to express your support. #StandUpToJewishHate

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Are you interested in helping to preserve the stories of Holocaust survivors? Are you a survivor or adult child of a survivor who is interested in telling your story?

We need volunteers to help sort letters, catalogue photos and upload testimonials from local Holocaust survivors. We need general office help with creating databases, filing and fielding calls.

You will work with Federation staff and other volunteers to help archive these important documents -- and have an opportunity to protect the legacies of our survivors and their descendants.

Add Your Name to Volunteer at HRC

COMING SOON

In Real Times - Arthur Szyk:

Artist and Soldier for Human Rights

September 29 – December 16, 2023

The Jewish Federation will be hosting the next Civil Rights Journey on January 21-23, 2024. (Participants should plan to fly into Atlanta on late afternoon or evening of Jan. 20).

Registration will open soon.

Email Carin if you wish to add your name to the wait list.

Read 2023 Mission reflections here.