Dear Friends:
Shabbat Shalom!
It was wonderful to see more than 150 of you at our Family Campaign Kick-off and Volunteer appreciation last weekend at the Grand River Drive-In. In spite of the freezing rain and low temperatures so many of you came out to get our 2021 campaign underway and we are most appreciative. I think it was HaShem teaching me a lesson, as just last week I had been bragging to a friend about the mild winters down here in Alabama! Our next program featuring Mosab Hassan Yousef, the author of Son of Hamas takes place on March 10 via zoom – no issues with the weather on that one! You can register for that program here.
I’d like to thank the staff of the Federation along with our campaign co-chairs Robin and Clayton Bromberg and Drew and Lauren Weil for all the planning that has gone into making these events so successful. I also want to share with the community our annual campaign video below.
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I hope you will agree that your contribution to the Federation enables our agencies to provide important and sometimes life-saving services to our community and overseas.
As I close, I would like to pass along an invitation from our friends at the Mobile Jewish Federation. Their 2021 Film Festival is March 5-26th. This year they are doing it in conjunction with the Jewish Federations of Huntsville and Pensacola and have opened it up to our donors as well. They will be showing seven films virtually with programming following the films. This year’s line-up includes Aulcie, Crescendo, Here We Are, Incitement, Shared Legacies, The Keeper, and The Picture of His Life. To register or for more information please click here. A special thank you to Rickie Voit and Barry Silverman, Co-chairs for bringing us this opportunity.
As I close, I want to remind you all to be on the lookout for your pledge cards towards the end of next week, and thank you in advance for your continued generosity to our community. Please enjoy the calls from our solicitors and take the time to catch up with new and old friends in the process.
Wishing you a restful Shabbat and a week of peace.
B’Shalom,
Danny
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Stay tuned for more exciting details
Please click the registration buttons below to register
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The Landscape of Hate 2021: Understanding White Supremacy and Extremism in America Today |
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In her role as an Investigative Researcher with the ADL, Amy’s areas of focus include white supremacist groups, Incels, and the Black Hebrew Israelite Movement.
Amy is based in the Southeast Regional Office in Atlanta.
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If you missed it, watch the 2021
Lion of Judah Conference!
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This year’s Lion of Judah conference, although virtual, was still able to unite and inspire Lion of Judah women worldwide. Featured at this conference was Birmingham’s own Victoria Kimerling, daughter of Sheryl and Jon Kimerling. Victoria talks about her connection to Federation through Women’s Philanthropy and how her role as a Lion has lead her to where she is today. Please click on the link to hear from Victoria and other inspiring young women in the world of Jewish Women’s Philanthropy. |
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You Belong in Birmingham
Purim Party and Hamentashen Bake!
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Don’t forget to sign up for the Purim Hamantaschen bake and costume party on February 28th at 3:00 pm. This event will be outside Knesseth Israel and each YBIB member will get their dough ball and fillings to create delicious hamantaschen! We will have music, snacks, and drinks to enjoy throughout the event. Please come prepared to wear a mask and respect social distancing guidelines. Use the link below to sign up!
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Inter-everything: Kid Friendly Cook-A-Long and Recipe Swap
February 14 @ 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Temple Beth-El
Food is one of the most wonderful ways in which diverse backgrounds, cultures and faiths come together. Therefore, it is fitting that the first installment in our new Inter-Everything Initiative is a kid-friendly cook-a-long and recipe swap. Join Engagement and Collaboration Coordinator Margaret Norman in preparing an easy meringue cookie—customizable for a variety of holidays—while engaging in a discussion about food and family, and having some fun. Participants who register by February 3rd will receive the recipe and a cookie kit drop off and are invited to bring along a sweet or savory favorite recipe to share with the group.
Kids of all ages welcome! Register here!
Tirdof Discussion Group:
The Movement Continues
February 15 @ 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Temple Beth-El
In December we gathered to discuss the Institute of Southern Jewish Life’s Virtual Vacation feature, “Empathy or Complicity? Southern Jews and Black Civil Rights.” Now, join us for “The Movement Continues,” a conversation between Carolina Jews for Justice, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the ISJL’s Community Engagement Department. Participants are asked to view the video ahead of time and come ready to discuss. Watch the video here.
"The New Jewish Canon”:
A Conversation about Contemporary Judaism
February 16 @ 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Temple Emanu-El
The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have been a period of mass production and proliferation of Jewish ideas, and have witnessed major changes in Jewish life and stimulated major debates. Join this class to talk about the book, “The New Jewish Canon,” which came out this year in July. This book offers a conceptual roadmap to make sense of some of this rapid change. The New Jewish Canon is an entry point for the Jewish intellectual and communal zeitgeist of the contemporary period and the recent past, canonizing our most important ideas and debates of the past two generations; and just as importantly, stimulating debate and scholarship about what is yet to come. Join Rebbetzin Bethany with your lunch on zoom to talk about some of these debates. Register here for the zoom link.
Bearing Witness: Stories of the Holocaust – Uncovering My Family’s Heritage
February 16 @ 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Birmingham Holocaust Education Center
As Jews in Vienna in the late 1930s, Chris Berdy’s father’s family experienced the Holocaust across three generations. After Germany’s annexation of Austria in March 1938, Chris’s great-grandparents and grandparents were forced to emigrate to other parts of Europe. Chris’s grandparents ultimately made their way to Lyon, France, where Chris’s father was born in late 1942 as the Nazi occupation expanded into Vichy France. Through luck, hiding, and the support of friends, Chris’s family survived, and immigrated to the US in 1949. The Berdy family story is a realization of the American Dream. Visit here for more information.
Come Together- B'Yachad
February 16 & 23 12 PM - 1 PM. EST
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
The JDC is the leading Jewish humanitarian organization, working in 70 countries to lift lives and strengthen communities.
Come together with JDC for a three-part virtual journey to Israel featuring stunning nature views, from the North to the Negev. Discover how JDC is helping Israel chart a new course for the most vulnerable — breaking down boundaries and increasing opportunities for all. Join us on this powerful journey. All are welcome! Register here!
JewCurious?
February 17 @ 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Temple Beth-El
Are you JewCurious? Have you heard that Judaism is about asking questions? Questions are the start of a great conversation. I would say, Judaism is about a great conversation. Come learn more about what that conversation sounds like by joining this JewCurious Class. This class is for everyone looking to get a broad overview of Judaism. This 101 class lasts for 20 weeks and is open to anyone who is curious. We’ll explore the major narratives, history, practices, theology and values of Judaism. You can expect that the learning will happen with curiosity and open-mindedness and respect for one another’s boundaries and beliefs. Taught by Bethany Slater from Temple Beth El. To register: Click here to register!
Mensch Adventures
February 21 @ 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Temple Beth-El
Sunday afternoon, in-person, socially-distant, outdoor adventures for the sake of building empathy, integrity, kindness, and civic-mindedness. During our monthly adventures, we will focus on building our awareness of contemporary social challenges and Torah’s power to help us be better thinkers, feelers, and doers. Students will need to wear masks at all times and we ask that you bring your own kosher-style snacks and water bottles. This is a program organized out of Beth El for 4th-8th graders. It is open to all children in the community. Contact Margaret if you are interested in participating or would like more information (mnorman@templebet-el.net).
PURIM PALOOZA!!
February 21st @4:00 PM
Online
This interactive Purim musical is for kids age 3-5 online. All are invited! Bring your gragger/noisemaker and best Purim costume to join this interactive Purim musical for our youngest future campers! it’s going to be so much fun –Hope you can join us! You can register at https://jacobscamp.org/purim
Introduction to Judaism with
Rabbi Adam Wright
February 23 @ 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Temple Emanu-El
Join us for an engaging 12-session course for anyone interested in exploring Jewish life. Open to all, this course is perfect for interfaith couples, those rearing Jewish children, spiritual seekers, individuals considering a “return” – (conversion), and Jews who want a meaningful adult Jewish learning experience. Our programs welcome people from all backgrounds. Topics include holidays, life cycle celebrations, theology and core beliefs, prayer, Torah, history, antisemitism, and the Holocaust, Zionism, and Israel, the North American Jewish experience, and the tapestry of the Jewish people today. Register here.
Purim Parade at the LJCC
February 25th 5-7PM
Join Beth El for a festive Purim celebration, featuring a glow-in-the-dark costume parade, locally-popped kettle corn and small bites, megillah reading and a spectacular fire show! All are welcome to attend this community event, which will take place on the field at the LJCC. Reach out to mnorman@templebeth-el.net with questions -- and don't forget your costume! Picnic blankets or camping chairs recommended.
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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