Dear Friends:
Shabbat Shalom!
I have to admit I am giddy with anticipation to see so many of you this Saturday night at our 2021 Birmingham Jewish Federation Annual Campaign Family Kick-Off and Volunteer Appreciation event! This will be the first time since my arrival 11 months ago that I will have the opportunity to see many of you in-person. Although we will be socially distanced and masked, I know it will be a wonderful evening and I hope you are looking forward to it as much as I am.
Soon, you will be receiving a pledge card in the mail asking for your commitment to the 2021 BJF Annual Campaign. The mailing will be followed by a phone call from one of our 45 volunteer solicitors. We are asking that all pledges be made by Passover and that payment is received by December 31, 2021. Your pledge allows each of our agency partners to plan for their future and your gift is so important to our Jewish community here and abroad. Last year we hit our $2 million goal, and we are optimistic that we will be successful again this year.
I want to thank each of you in advance for your generous and meaningful contributions. A special thank you to those who have agreed to solicit this year; Barbara Aland, Jack Aland, Alyssa Blair, Brad Blair, Robin Bromberg, Clayton Bromberg, Steven Corenblum, Gary Cutter, Isa Dorsky, Lisa Engel, Sammy Friedman, Rachel Friedman, Stephanie Friedman, Brad Friedman, Susan Greene, Alex Grodner, Andrea Haines, Kent Haines, Jerry Held, Ginger Held, Brooke Kaplan, Jon Kimerling, Sheryl Kimerling, Asher Kahn-Krell, Jen Kulbersh, Justin Ladden, Randi Landy, Nancy Goedecke, Rachel Mazer, Rebecca Millsap, Aaron Nelson, Elisa Nelson, Joel Piassick, Amy Saag, Brittany Saag, Andy Saag, Kevin Sokol, Amanda Sokol, Jeff Sokol, Carlie Stein, Lauren Weil, and Drew Weil. These calls are so much more than solicitation, they are a way for us to connect with one another as a community. I hope you all enjoy speaking with each other during the campaign.
In addition to your pledge cards, you each will be receiving an invitation to our March 10th event featuring Mosab Hassan Yousef. Mosab is a Palestinian who worked undercover for Israel's internal security service, Shin Bet, from 1997 to 2007. Yousef has also co-authored an autobiography, Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices. You can register for the event here.
I continued to be impressed and humbled by the generosity of this community. Through your contributions to date, The Birmingham Jewish Federation has raised more than $10,000 for local tornado relief. Not only do you take care of our community, but the broader one as well. Yasher Koach to you all.
Wishing you a restful Shabbat and a week of peace. See y’all Saturday night!
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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Tuesday, February 16th at noon
Guest Speaker:
Amy Iandiorio, ADL Center on Extremism
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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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Join Us for Purim Palooza
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Sunday,
February 21st
4 PM CT
It’s an interactive Purim musical for kids age 3-5 online where everyone is going to be dressed up and have their noise-makers! It’s going to be so much fun – I hope you can join! You can register here.
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Together We Inspire People to Confront Hate and Help Shape a Future Different From the Past
February 11, 2021 6:00 pm CST
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At this difficult time for our nation—a time for reflection and action—members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum community from South Florida and across the Southeast region will come together for a virtual tribute event.
Join them for a moving experience with special guests—including Morgan Freeman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Alexander, and Ray Allen—and hear inspiring stories and important messages about the Museum’s role during these challenging times.
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If you missed it, watch the 2021
Lion of Judah Conference!
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NEW PROGRAM!
Young Jewish Philanthropy
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Young Jewish Philanthropy (YJP) is a youth program designed to strengthen the bonds of our youth in the Birmingham Jewish community. Born out of The Birmingham Jewish Foundation's Teen Tzedakah program, this new program seeks to increase philanthropic activity and the giving of tzedakah.
YJP will provide learning tools to grow, understand and educate about philanthropy in Birmingham as well as enhance leadership skills.
Visit https://www.birminghamjewishfoundation.org/yjp
to start your fund today!
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The Birmingham Jewish Federation
Annual Campaign Community Kickoff Event
February 6 @ 6:00 PM
Kick off the 2021 Annual campaign with the a family fun event! Join us at the Grand River Drive-In Saturday, February 6th at 6 PM! For more information and to RSVP please click here!
"The New Jewish Canon”:
A Conversation about Contemporary Judaism
February 9 @ 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.
Introduction to Judaism with
Rabbi Adam Wright
February 9 @ 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.
The Tikkun Middot Project
February 9 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Temple Beth-El
The Tikkun Middot Project is an innovative, national program to promote character development through mindful engagement with the Jewish Mussar tradition. Beth El is participating by building a small group that will meet to study, discuss, and practice character-forming techniques. Created by the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, the purpose of the program is to bring positive communal change by helping individuals acknowledge and reduce negative behavioural patterns. The course will help you be more skillful at navigating challenging situations by building up your wisdom and compassion. Beginning November 17th, Rebbitzen Bethany will be leading a group through this program using a curriculum created by Rabbi David Jaffe.
What Kind of Commitment Is This? Participants will meet once a month for two hours over the course of nine months. In between sessions, participants will check in with a chavruta (study partner) at least once, to study relevant material and check-in for approximately 30-45 minutes. During each unit participants will learn about an action and a focus phrase they can use to help them work on the character trait for that month. Registration is required and the group will close after the first session so that we can build intimacy as a group. Zoom registration can be found here.
JewCurious?
February 10 @ 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!
Come Together- B'Yachad
Tuesdays, February 9, 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!
What You Do Matters: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 2021 Virtual Event
February 11 @ 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
The choices you make matter. At this difficult time for our nation—a time for reflection and action—members of the Museum community from South Florida and across the Southeast region will come together for a virtual tribute event.
Together, we will renew our pledge to ensure that the critical lessons of the Holocaust—lessons about the fragility of freedom, the nature of hate, and the consequences of indifference—help shape the way forward.
Join us to watch a moving experience with special guests—including Morgan Freeman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Alexander, and Ray Allen—and hear inspiring stories and important messages about the Museum’s role during these challenging times. This virtual experience is accessed with a minimum donation of $118 per household and registration is required. For questions or to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact the Southeast Regional Office at 561.995.6773 or southeast@ushmm.org. Register online here!
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!
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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