THIS WEEK IN JEWISH LIFE Feb. 17, 2023

Shabbat Shalom CT!

If you want to check the pulse of a Jewish community, check out what the children are doing. In this community, our children are reading PJ Library books!

As many of you know, we have a thriving PJ Library program which currently distributes monthly books to over 800 families in our local community.

In addition to book distribution, we’ve expanded our programming to include fun events for our new Young Families program, helping to connect them with other young families who want to 'do Jewish' their way.

Sara Beitman, a young parent herself, leads these programs and much of our PJ Library growth can be attributed to her insightful leadership.

While the program is partially funded by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, there are significant additional costs associated with all we are doing.

So we were intrigued when we were contacted by Congregation Rodeph Sholom, a Conservative synagogue in Bridgeport, asking to discuss the impact of the PJ Library program.

I’m thrilled to announce that Congregation Rodeph Sholom has generously funded a large portion of our 2023 annual PJ Library program costs. While the gift reflects the wishes of their board, I think it also underscores our whole community's commitment to PJ Library, and we are very grateful for this unexpected gift.

FYI, recently Sara delivered empty bins to each synagogue for members to return their used PJ Library books back to the Federation. We are sending those books to Israel, where PJ Library is an important tool in teaching English to young children and refugees. What a wonderful addition to the power of PJ Library!

Enjoy the long weekend. I wish you a warm, safe and peaceful Shabbos.

Carin Savel, CEO

carin@shalomct.org

This week I met David, my new friend in the community.

Last Thursday I joined the Kesher Project, an amazing project in our community that provides social and educational activities for adults with disabilities.

Together, we learned about Tu Bishvat, listened to Israeli songs and played musical chairs to the sound of Tu Bishvat songs.

Right after I flew to the Jewish Agency conference in Baltimore for professional development, one of the more important conversations we had was about increasing the Jewish and Israeli engagement with as many communities as possible. We talked about left-out communities that often are not part of the mainstream of Jewish programming.

Immediately I was thinking about the Kesher Project. This amazing organization creates a wonderful place to connect with our Judaism and Israel in a community that sometimes is left out.

Going back to David, my new friend, because of the Kesher Project, I got to meet him and share my love of Israel with him. I’m lucky to have the chance to work with Kesher.

Ofek Moscovich

Federation Israel Emissary

ISRAELI BREAKFAST - REGISTER

WHAT FUN! Tie-dyed tallitot (prayer shawls) coming out of Merkaz CT.

Merkaz offers exciting courses with something for everyone. Come and meet our amazing teachers, who are dedicated to providing classes that are fun and rewarding.

Renew old friendships and make new ones. Explore our rich heritage and culture in the warm and inviting environment teens experience at Merkaz. Interested in Merkaz? Ask Seth! #MerkazCT

HONEY CAKE & LATKES - REGISTER

PJ LIBRARY @ FAIRFIELD WOODS LIBRARY

We had a blast celebrating Tu Bishvat with young families last week! Special thanks to Kulanu: Jewish Learning Adventure for leading us in fun songs, stories and crafts. So nice to see some familiar faces and meet so many new friends!! Are you interested in getting connected to PJ Library? Contact Sara!

There are a million reasons to join us this year.

But if you’re looking for some, we’ve got 75.

Because you celebrate Israel.
Because you’re connected to Israel.
Because you care about Israel.
Because you understand Israel.
Because you want to understand Israel.

View all

GA IN TEL AVIV - REGISTER

The Jewish Federation will be hosting the next Civil Rights Journey on January 21-23, 2024. Participants should plan to fly into Atlanta on afternoon/eve of Jan. 20. The 2023 mission sold out quickly -- Email Carin if you wish to add your name to the list. Registration will open soon.

Read 2023 Mission reflections here.

We are heartbroken by the news of the devastating earthquake and aftershocks that hit Turkey and Syria this week. Right now, the death toll is over 20,000 and is rapidly rising. While thousands of homes and businesses have been destroyed, rescuers are racing to pull survivors from beneath the rubble.

Our focus, alongside our partners, will be on helping this population cope with living outside in the difficult conditions by supplying thousands of tents, heaters, thermal clothing, ready-to-eat meals, and first-aid kits.

Jewish Federations power the emergency response on the ground through our core dollars. We are able to respond so quickly because of the work we do all day, every day.

HELP EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS