Dear Colleagues,
This week, Jewish Federations expanded the scope of funding to NGO’s in Ukraine, adding five organizations to the list of agencies that are receiving support. Jewish Federations’ core partners, The Jewish Agency for Israel, American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), and World ORT also received additional funding.
For the latest update on the crisis in Ukraine, please click here. Also, please read this JNS article about the summer camp in Warsaw, not far from the site of the infamous Warsaw Ghetto, where 85 young Ukrainian refugees received a three-week respite, thanks to Jewish Federations and our local partners. Ten Russian-speaking volunteers from Federations helped staff the camp, as highlighted in this AP article.
Also in the news this week: Federations partnered with the First Ladies of Israel and Ukraine and NATAL-the Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center to bring more than two dozen therapists from Ukraine to Israel to receive specialized training in treating patients with war-related trauma. The launch of this four-month program was covered in the Jerusalem Post.
Jewish Federations’ Fundraising University cohort of 20 senior FRD professionals from across North America completed a weeklong trip to Israel, capping off a year of in-depth education, skills development, training, and personal and professional growth. Fundraising University features an integrated approach to Total Financial Resource Development focusing primarily on major gifts in order to maximize resources to meet today and tomorrow’s urgent needs at home as well as in Israel and overseas. We are proud of our graduates and expect much from them in the years to come! Lead staff include veteran faculty members Vicki Agron, Shary Levitt and Rachel Sternberg.
The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee has unanimously passed the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) Improvement Act, a bipartisan, multi-year authorization of $360 million per year. Jewish Federations worked with our partners at OU, ADL, and Agudath Israel, as well as with interfaith allies, to ensure that the Senate version of the bill retained important provisions of the House version. Thank you to all the Federations that helped in this important effort.
For additional updates and reminders, please see below:
GA Registration Now Open: We are pleased to be working with Federations, partners, and affinity groups across the system to bring together participants for this year’s 2022 General Assembly in Chicago, October 30- November 1. We encourage invitees to register soon. For questions, please consult our FAQ or visit generalassembly.org.
JEDI Cohort #2 Applications Now Due 8/15: The responses to JEDI Cohort #2 have been inspiring and encouraging. Many Federations are deeply committed to this work and doing it in a thoughtful way. A number have asked for a little more time to assemble their teams; we are honoring the requests by extending the application date to Monday, August 15. Click here to apply and direct questions to Stacey Aviva Flint.
Engage Local Attorneys in Pro-Bono Legal Assistance for Ukrainians: Jewish Federations of North America are hosting a meeting on Tuesday, August 16th from 3:00-4:00pm ET for Federations and JCRCs interested in mobilizing their attorney networks in support of displaced Ukrainians who need pro-bono legal help. The webinar will feature speakers from HIAS and other organizations involved in similar work who will discuss the immigration and non-immigration legal needs facing displaced Ukrainians, as well as provide resources and recommendations for community outreach to related nonprofit organizations in your community. Click here to register.
Inspiring Volunteerism Through a Transformational Fellowship: Jewish Federations, in partnership with Repair the World, are excited to launch The Catalyst, a game-changing professional development initiative. This cohort-based training program will give Federation professionals working with constituents in their 20s and 30s the tools to design and deliver programming grounded in Jewish volunteerism and service. The first Catalyst Cohort of ten professionals will engage in monthly learning, and each fellow will be eligible for funding of up to $7,000 to pilot a new service initiative in their community. Space is extremely limited. Learn more about The Catalyst here. Submit your application here by Wednesday, August 24!
Join the JEDI Professional Working Group (PWG): The PWG provides mutual support and collaboration across Jewish Federations to Jewish professionals who hold Jewish Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) in their work portfolios. Together we will develop a work culture of collaboration and partnership with peer-mentorship support and guidance to advance a JEDI agenda and best practices for organizations. Click here to join us.
Shabbat Shalom,
Shira Hutt
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