Interfaith & Intercultural Engagement

Interfaith/Intercultural Engagement Grants

Connecting Interfaith Individuals to Judaism

NCEJ funds a variety of programs sponsored by synagogues, JCCs, Federations, and other groups, that help interfaith and intercultural individuals and families learn about Judaism. We want to encourage Jewish organizations to reach out beyond their walls and welcome new people to Judaism. If you have an idea for a program, but aren’t sure if it meets our guidelines click here or call 301-802-4254.

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Our grant-giving at a glance:

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Here are just some of the grants we have funded recently:

Synagogues

Program: “BI Neighbourhoods” – Congregation Beth Israel Vancouver

BI Neighbourhoods is a year-long program designed to engage young families who are new to Jewish traditions, including interfaith families and people who have recently converted. At each event, there is time for Jewish learning and education, suitable for all ages. As of Fall 2021 the synagogue plans on offering some in-person events. BI also provides take-home baskets with Jewish-themed items to help families bring Judaism into their homes. Activity kit details | Kit photos

The BI Neighbourhoods program has been successful in reaching interfaith families, who don’t often take the initiative to connect with the Jewish community and synagogue life. The program connected those families to the rabbis, the synagogue, and to each other. The take-home kits strengthened the connection to Judaism.

BI seeks to ensure that its programs have a “low-cost barrier to entry” so that it is extremely easy for families to join in.

Activity Kits: BI creates holiday baskets and delivers them directly to participants’ homes so they will learn about Jewish traditions and have items available in their homes for each holiday. By hand-delivering the boxes the congregation removed any barrier to entry of coming into the office to collect a box.

Spring 2021 — The congregation put together a Pesach Kit for families, with haggadahs, a seder plate, a bag of plagues, kids kiddush cups, and other items. For the first time, there was a small suggested donation. Approximately 70% of people paid $10, 10-15% of people paid more than the suggested amount. ($18-$20), helping cover some of the cost for others, and the remainder paid $0-$5. One of the congregation’s rabbis hosted a Zoom Seder on the first night of Pesach where everyone could use their items. Over 80 families purchased the kit. This was a highly successful initiative. Activity kit details | Kit photos

Fall 2021 — Chanukah basket. BI plans on including a small Chanukiah, candles, a Chanukah memory game, and a fun booklet with age-appropriate information about the holiday and how to celebrate at home/ideas for new family traditions.

Advertising: The program was advertised through email, social media, posters in various Jewish buildings (synagogue, JCC), individual phone calls reaching out and in person connections. What seemed to work best? Emails, followed by an individual invitation (either via text or call). Seeing the event advertised either on email or social media, and then in the synagogue was also effective. For details on the kits see our Supplementary Program Kits page.

“We are continually identifying new families that we can reach out to and connect to our programs… We try to send families home with new knowledge of traditions that they can incorporate easily at home.”

For more information contact Debra Bulmash, BI Neighborhoods Coordinator.

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Program: “Jewish Holidays 101 – Celebrating Interfaith” – Temple Beth El of Huntington, NY

Temple Beth El of Huntington, NY offered an educational 6 session program that informed, taught and created discussion around several well-known Jewish holidays and traditions. The program facilitated conversations for interfaith households and help families embrace celebrating Jewish holidays together. Each session was composed of learning about the holiday; its origins, meanings and traditions as well as discussion on how to respectfully integrate those traditions into an Interfaith household.

Participants noted that learning about the customs and rituals made it easier for them to practice the holidays at home, and they appreciated being able to talk in a nonjudgmental way about how to incorporate traditions in an interfaith household.

“This grant allowed us to run a different kind of program that was focused on Interfaith households… Congregants found the program engaging, helpful, insightful… It was interactive and everyone participated… Thank you for giving Temple Beth El the chance to grow and educate all who want to learn about Judaism.”

For details contact Lisa Tricomi, Partnership Liaison.

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Program: “Hava Nagila Havdala with Israeli Food” – Congregation Children of Israel

Congregation Children of Athens, GA is planning a Hava Nagila Havdala service and Israeli dinner for PJ Library families (many of whom are interfaith). Many PJ families have never celebrated Havdalah, and this is an opportunity to introduce them to the concept, as well as to provide a positive experience related to Israel.

Families will make spice containers with mesh bags and whole cloves, to be used later for Havdalah. Then they will be served a dinner of Israeli food–falafel, hummus, pita, etc., and Israeli wine for parents. After that a volunteer will teach Israeli dances. The program will end with Havdalah.

Marketing: The program will be promoted via emails and newsletters to all PJ parents, as well as with individual personal outreach to each family and through paperless post.

For more details contact Marilyn Gootman, Athens GA PJ Library Coordinator.

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JCCs/Federation Programs

Program: “Interfaith Family Outreach” – JHUB | Jewish Federation of Cleveland

JHUB, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, is a central resource for interfaith families to connect to each other and to Jewish Cleveland through social gatherings, holiday experiences, and Jewish learning.

The first NCEJ grant supported marketing and advertising for programs designed for interfaith families including Family Jewish learning, Young Adult programming, and innovative Shabbat experiences. This enabled JHUB to reach out to a larger audience and increase participation in JHUB programs, with the goal of engaging more individuals and families in the Jewish community.

Activity Boxes: In 2021 JHUB received a grant to produce and market digital J-boxes, such as Shabbat boxes, that can be downloaded. The boxes contain blessings, activities, recipes, and related items.

For more information about this program contact Melinda M. Mersack, Director of JHUB.

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Program: “Building Sacred Spaces” – Jewish Federation of Nashville

Jewish Federation of Nashville’s program seeks to engage interfaith / intermarried couples in Jewish conversations. The goal of the one-year program, (start date Fall 2021), according to Adam Bronstone, director of planning, is to help these individuals and families “establish a Jewish identity and traditions in their respective homes.” NCEJ funding will be used to design meaningful content, including the development of kits containing ritual items such as candlesticks and cooking materials for sessions on traditional Jewish foods. The program will be marketed through social media and word-of-mouth.

For details contact Adam Bronstone, Director of Planning & Israel Partnerships.

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Program: “Jewish&” – “Jewish Foundations”, course Miles Nadal JCC, Toronto

‘Jewish&’ is the MNJCC’s programmatic umbrella for initiatives geared towards individuals, families and couples with interfaith and inter-cultural identities. The 8-week “Jewish Foundations” course, taught by Rabbi Julia Appel was launched in response to increasing demand from the Jewish& ‘family’ to learn more about the basic tenets of Judaism.

The program was for everyone: “Whether you identify as Jewish or not, have prior knowledge of Judaism or don’t, come explore the foundational topics of Jewish living, including Shabbat, the year cycle, lifecycle events, synagogue, and spirituality.”

Advertising: The main marketing avenues (given the current virtual reality world) were Facebook, Instagram, word of mouth, and promotion at other programs.

In 2019 the Toronto JCC received an NCEJ grant for a series of holiday family programs for its “Jewish &” programming. The goal was to gather multi-faith and cross-cultural couples and families for Jewish exploration and education. The program was publicized via social media, newsletters, flyers, and word of mouth.

They ran 8 events in 6 months that were attended by over 350 people. Examples included:

Crafternoons: Rosh Hoshanah, Sukkot, Tu b’shvat – an afternoon of holiday crafts, snacks, and fun inspired by the particular festival.

Challah Hang – participants gained some pre-shabbat bread-making skills while learning about the variety of Jewish& experiences Toronto had to offer, and took home a loaf of bread.

“Our gratitude to yourself and NCEJ is immense. This support will go a long way in enabling new people to connect to Judaism. I have already heard feedback about how impactful the class has been and how much people are getting out of it.”

For details on the “Jewish Foundations” course, contact Rabbi Appel. For more on the JCC’s “Jewish &” programming contact Cara Gold, Manager of Downtown Jewish Life.

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Program: “A Taste of Hebrew” & “Finding Your Place in B’nai Mitzvah” – The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis

The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis (JFGI) received a grant in 2018 to help fund two programs that were geared towards increasing Jewish learning and ritual involvement, especially among intermarried families. Both programs aimed to deepen parents’ commitment to raising Jewish children and strengthen their connection with the Jewish community. Each program was featured in JFGI Connections magazine resulting in strong community interest and registrations. View a digital copy of the magazine here, where you can find the feature about Taste of Hebrew on page 13 and Finding Your Place in B’nai Mitzvah on page 15. Program descriptions can also be found below:

A Taste of Hebrew was designed to teach Hebrew decoding skills to both Jews and non-Jews who cannot read Hebrew, with a focus on parents of children who are in the process of learning Hebrew. The class was intentionally designed only as a very basic introduction to Hebrew in order to make it easily accessible and open to everyone. Learn More | View Program Flyer

Finding Your Place in B’nai Mitzvah, aimed to create a place for non-Jewish parents to deepen their understanding of b’nai mitzvah and feel supported as their children went through this important life-cycle event. Special outreach to interfaith families who were currently synagogue members along with unaffiliated interfaith families who might have been seeking b’nai mitzvah outside the organized Jewish community was made to identify participants for this seminar. Learn More | View Program Flyer

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Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA): NCEJ gave out umbrella grants in 2018 and 2019 to (JFNA) for subgrants to federations located in small to medium-size cities. The programs ranged from family activities geared to PJ library participants (many of whom are intermarried) to discussion groups and holiday events for adults.

Program: “Interfaith Family Engagement Project” – Jewish Federation of Greater Orange County, NY

Jewish Federation of Greater Orange County, NY (subgrantee for Jewish Federations of North America): This initiative offered monthly 2 hour conversations for parents (with children welcome) focused on building a Jewish home: Shabbat, holidays, and life-cycle events.

Program: “PJ Simchas” – The Jewish Federation of Raleigh-Cary, NC

The “PJ Simchas” program featured multiple experiences, including Shabbat dinners, holiday celebrations, and havdalah, held in both Jewish locations and in public / secular spaces. The goal was to build relationships and connections to Judaism through small group settings.

Here are some tips from them for anyone else considering a similar outreach effort:

• The “connector” model was a more effective way of reaching families than other methods. Federations relied on individuals with backgrounds that were similar to the prospective audience to recruit participants. The personal approach took more time than other approaches but resulted in higher attendance.
• Discussion groups offer an informal opportunity to talk about Jewish beliefs and values. The grant encouraged creative ways of reaching people who do not identify as Jewish and who previously had minimal interaction with the local Jewish community. For example, Tampa offered art and activities for small children while the parents conversed and Charleston offered monthly playgroups and holiday get-togethers.
• Discussions with people who are intermarried and active in Jewish life shows participants they can find a home in Judaism.
• Concrete education accompanied by hands-on-activities helps interfaith families build Jewish homes that work for them. In Orange County, NY a monthly federation initiative introduced families to welcoming ceremonies for newborns and other life-cycle rituals, along with details on celebrating Shabbat and other holidays. It also provided a place to talk through challenging issues that may be faced by families where one partner is not Jewish, such as “How can the non-Jewish family be educated and included in these practices?”
• People are receptive to learning about Judaism in a small group setting. In several cities the non-Jewish partner showed up for programs more often than anticipated, because they felt welcome. Many participants increased their engagement with communal life as a result of these initiatives, including becoming involved with synagogues, enrolling in Jewish preschools, and attending JCC holiday celebrations. They appreciated the opportunity to raise questions and have substantive conversations in a comfortable environment.

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Holiday-Related Interfaith Programming

Program: “Home to Home: Celebrations of Jewish Life” – The JCC of Greater Pittsburgh (JCCPGH)

The JCC of Greater Pittsburgh (JCCPGH) received a grant in August 2020 and January 2021 for a series of virtual holiday programs led by a trained educator, geared towards interfaith families and others who are marginally connected to Jewish life. The goal of the JCCPGH’s Home to Home programming is to “support and encourage interfaith families who are just beginning the journey to make Judaism a part of their lives.”

Activity Kits: In the fall, families received a welcome kit, and then picked up a “Jewish Celebration Kit” prior to each holiday. 60 families picked up at least one kit. Each Zoom session was 45 minutes. Danielle West, PJ Library Coordinator, reports that the sessions created opportunities for friendship, invaluable during a time when activities were limited. For details on the kits see our Supplementary Program Kits page.

  Goals of “Home to Home: Celebrations of Jewish Life”

• Encourage interfaith families to engage in Judaism that is meaningful to the entire family.
• Connect Jewish families to one another through community-wide Jewish holiday celebrations from home.
• Empower Jewish families to create sacred spaces to build Jewish memories in their homes.
• Provide Jewish families with trusted Jewish leadership for Jewish holiday celebrations.

Highlights of the “Home to Home” programming (August 2020):

Shabbat: Challah Detectives – The Challah Detectives experience aims to bring families together to make their own challah while learning some of the lesser known traditions surrounding this weekly treat. Together families will mix their ingredients to make dough. While waiting for the dough to rise, families will use their detective skills to discover the answers to questions such as “What does it mean to salt a challah?” Families will also create their own challah cover to be used as they build their own Shabbat traditions. While the challah is rising, families will practice braiding techniques using Play Doh. Families will bake their challah on their own following the program.

Havdalah: Grateful for… Havdalah – Grateful for… Havdalah will bring families together to experience Havdalah. Each family will create a Havdalah kit and will have the opportunity to use it in a virtual Havdalah service. Throughout the program, participants will brainstorm ways to make gratitude part of a Havdalah experience.

Rosh Hashanah: Sounds of the Season – Sounds of the Season will use creative experiences to immerse families in welcoming the New Year. Learning the sounds of the shofar and practicing the notes will connect families to the global Jewish community. Building on the “call” from the shofar, families will create a wind chime of Intentions for the coming year. Once completed, this family project will serve as an audible reminder for the intentions set as a family. Finally, families will enjoy the sounds of crisp apples and sweet honey. Connecting the holiday to the sense of sound will build a rich memory for families to revisit throughout the year.

Yom Kippur: Uh Oh! Oh No! Reacting to Our Actions – Starting with a shared reading of “Oh No! George!”, families will begin to think about what happens with their individual actions. Our choices have an impact on others. What happens when that impact hurts someone else? How can we apologize and make amends? These difficult questions will be answered as families play with dominos! Children will build a domino chain and then based on action cards may have to send their dominos tumbling. This hands-on experiment will guide families through the act of t’shuvah as they repair the domino chain.

Sukkot: Guests in the Sukkah – This year guests cannot be welcomed into a sukkah. Families participating in the “Guests in the Sukkah” session will be invited to use a wall in their home as an indoor sukkah. They will be encouraged to fill their indoor sukkah with photos of family members and to share family stories throughout the holiday. Children will use art materials to create their own Super Sukkah Guests.

Chanukah: Donuts in the Dark – Shining a light on the determination of the Maccabees, families will be challenged to create a chanukiah using donuts, donut holes, frosting, and other edible treats. Once all families have completed their challenge, together as one community everyone will recite the blessings and “light” the chanukiyot using glow sticks for candles.

Highlights of the “Home to Home” programming (January 2021):

Tu b’Shvat Terrariums (January 27, 2021) – Tu b’Shvat is the birthday of the trees. The Tu b’Shvat Celebration will remind families of their connection to the earth and in particular to the land of Israel. Once completed, these indoor gardens will be a constant reminder of the importance of our natural resources and of the Jewish People’s connection to Eretz Yisrael. The celebration will conclude with a Tu b’Shvat kiddush of two kinds of juice.

Much like Jewish tradition teaches that we should plant trees not for ourselves, but for the generations to come, Tu b’Shvat Terrariums will plant the seeds of Judaism for the next generation.

Purim Hamantaschen and Purim Players (February 26, 2021) – The virtual Purim celebration will remind families of the bravery of Esther, the sweetness of hamantaschen, and the resilience of the Jewish people. As the celebration begins, the Zoom screen will be filled with costumed families. Together families will roll, cut, and fill dough to make hamantaschen while talking about the mitzvot and traditions of Purim. After adults put the hamantaschen in the oven, the JCCPGH will lead families in an interactive and participatory Purim shpeil. As the story is told, families will change their costumes to represent the characters in the story. The goal is to create a long-lasting, fun memory of Purim.

Would You Rather Passover (March 21, 2021) – This celebration is intended to help families prepare for the upcoming holiday. “Would You Rather”, is a popular format for ice breakers, conversation starters, and all-around amusement in which two equally unpleasant choices are presented and each participant has to make a choice and explain their choice.

For Example:
Question: “Would you rather swim in a lake filled with charoset or maror?”
Answer: “I would rather swim in a lake filled with charoset because I love the taste of all the things mixed together. Also, swimming in maror would probably burn my eyes and make me cry!”

During the celebration, families will create several “card containers” that will help mark key points in the Seder. The boxes will be filled with “Would You Rather” questions related to the Seder. Through this activity families will gain a deeper understanding of the elements, rituals, and food used throughout the Seder. Following the celebration, families can use the question boxes to add conversation and family involvement during their Seders.

Shavuot – Shoebox Sinai (May 16, 2021) – The story of Moses receiving the Torah is monumental moment in the story of the Jewish people. Families will craft their own Mt. Sinai, Moses, the Ten Commandments and other elements of the Shavuot story with items from the Shavuout activity kit.

For more details contact Rabbi Ron Symons, Senior Director of Jewish Life or Danielle West, PJ Library coordinator.

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Other Jewish Groups

Family Programming

Program: “Jewish Trails” – Congregation Shma Koleinu

Congregation Shma Koleinu, in Houston, will be offering “Jewish Trails,” a monthly program starting in Fall 2023, designed to empower interfaith/intercultural/low-non-practicing parents to raise Jewish children.

Sara Chen, program coordinator, says “It is geared towards families that feel on the outside of Judaism but don’t know how to begin to teach/celebrate the Jewish life cycle with their young children.”

Each session will have an art project done by parents and children together. Here are some examples:

• “Shabbat Shiners” and Shabbat to go kit – Shabbat candleholders made with little flashlights
• Blessing Trail Markers
• DIY Hanukkiah at a local ceramic studio.

Marketing: The program will be marketed on social media, YouTube, and flyers/mailings to local schools/preschools.
Program Materials: The NCEJ grant will help CSK provide arts and crafts supplies and for special programs such as a bookbinding class.

For more information contact Sahel Chen, Program Coordinator.

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Program: “Family Jewish Program” – The Jewish Enrichment Center of Chicago

The Jewish Enrichment Center of Chicago offers materials and support for families bringing Judaism into their homes, including interfaith families. JEC sends Jewish play kits and hosts weekly Circle Time for families with children ages 0-2 and 3-5 throughout the Chicagoland area and also across the country.

“The topics we chose throughout the year were wonderful entry points for families looking to bring Judaism into their homes.”

Activity Kits: The play kits are filled with developmentally appropriate play materials, craft projects, song sheets, and information for grown-ups about Jewish holidays and topics. The materials provide adults the content knowledge and confidence to play Jewishly with their children and bring Judaism into their families lives, regardless of their Judaic background. For example, the Fall 2020 series play kits offered family pretend play prompts for Rosh Hashanah, information on the origin of the Sukkot holiday, Chanukah candle lighting blessings, and more. The weekly online circle time included songs, stories, and play for the entire family, facilitated by an experienced early childhood educator. Activity kit details | Kit photos

Advertising: The Family Jewish program was advertised on the JEC website and Facebook page, and on the local Federation website, as well as via email campaigns. NCEJ grant funding was used to market to a wider community (including a hyper-local blog, several local newspapers, and a local online Jewish news site) which has resulted in new traffic to their website and a number of enrollments. The most successful advertising was word of mouth and the jBaby website.

Sara Grossman, Assistant Director, says “We’re excited to have gotten our advertisement in front of so many potential new families.”

“(The) program has been an overwhelming success… the craft projects, authentic Jewish materials, and information for parents… encourage Jewish play at home and offer basic Jewish knowledge to parents.”

For details contact Sara Grossman, Assistant Director.

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Program: “JIY: Jew-It-Yourself” – The Jewish Learning Lab (JLL)

JIY is a series of monthly classes about bringing Judaism into people’s homes. Geared specifically for young families who have had limited exposure to Jewish ideas, and with a particular focus on interfaith couples, the program worked on giving the participants tools to talk about Jewish values and integrate those ideas into Jewish practices set around the Jewish year.

Advertising: Publicity was done through PJ Library Montreal, word-of-mouth and social media. PJ Library’s marketing was good at targeting a broad number of families, but the best and longest lasting participants came because a friend told them about liking earlier sessions.

For details contact Rabbi Avi Finegold

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Adult Programming

Program: “Intermarriage: The Steep Challenges and Possibilities” – Route 613

Route 613 received a grant for advertising and other costs for a 3-part webinar series “Intermarriage: The Steep Challenges and Possibilities” for intermarried and interdating individuals who are interested in Jewish life but who may be hesitant to connect with the Jewish community in more formal ways, such as synagogue membership.

For details contact Rabbi Maury Kelman.

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Program: “Our Year of Firsts” – 18Doors

18Doors (formerly Interfaith Family) received a grant for a year-long program “Our Year of Firsts” which is open to all engaged or newly married interfaith couples to give them the opportunity to explore the meaning behind the Jewish holidays and create new traditions together. Couples will receive monthly emails, have monthly virtual discussions, and receive ritual gifts related to the discussion topics such as a Havdalah kit. In 2022, continuations of the program arranged for participants to interact in private groups on Facebook and Slack.

For details contact Mike Navisky, Director of Development.

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International Programming

Program: “Judaism 101 – An Immersive Experience” – Hillel Poland Foundation (Winter-Spring 2022)

Hillel Poland organized a series of 10 immersive, educational events geared to promote Judaism and Jewish values, beliefs and culture. The program was originally designed to attract Polish young adults, both non-Jewish and those who had recently discovered their Jewish roots and were interested in learning more about their heritage. Hillel Poland provided a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for exploration and discovery.

“We want to invite them to be part of Jewish life and experience it themselves, with the goal that Judaism and the Jewish tradition will become part of their lives.”
– Magda Dorosz, Executive Director

Participants gathered around a large table to discuss basic topics related to Jewish lifecycle and thought as well as more detailed aspects of Jewish culture. Most of the events had guest speakers whose role was to present the topic and inspire further discussion. The curriculum focused on areas where Jewish values overlap with universal moral issues and where similarities could be extracted between the Jewish and the universal experience.

“We want to inspire their lives by Jewish values and allow them to create a community that supports one another on the journey of creating their Jewish identity.”

Topics included:

• The cyclical nature of Jewish life
• Shabbat
• Holiday celebrations
• The power of community

Marketing: The program was advertised across Hillel Poland’s social media (Facebook and Instagram) and Poland Hillel’s monthly newsletter. The information about the program was also passed on between program participants and shared as individual text and social media messages from the Hillel staff.

The impact of the War in Ukraine: When the war broke out, Hillel Poland pivoted to provide services to refugees coming across the Polish border. Many non-Jewish refugee families participated in the program. Games and activities gave them a “bubble of normalcy” for a brief period. Ukrainian children drew flags of Israel and built the Hillel logo with Lego bricks.

“We hope that our program gave them even the slightest moments of focusing
on something positive and equipped them with hope for a better future.”

Contact Magda Dorosz, Executive Director, for more information.

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Program: “The Shira Hadasha Program for Russian Speaking Interfaith Families” – The Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism

The Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism received a grant for The Shira Hadasha (literally: “A New Song”) program for Russian speaking interfaith families in Israel. It enables hundreds of self-identified FSU Jews in Israel:

• To learn about and study the meaning behind Judaism.
• To engage with Judaism and Jewish community life via community-oriented practice of Jewish ritual, activities and holidays.
• To connect with Judaism on a deeper level, forging a path towards connecting with Jewish identity.

Participants join the Shira Hadasha program before embarking on a journey of study and Jewish experience and connection. The goal of this program is to enable these individuals and families to learn about their Jewish roots, to experience Jewish tradition and to become part of a Jewish community that speaks their language, both literally and in terms of acceptance and understanding.

Study groups, formal Judaism lectures and conversion classes (for those who wish) each happen weekly, with monthly Jewish community activities for the holidays bringing in newcomers.

“We have received strong positive feedback from families who feel more connected to Judaism and more educated as a result.”

Contact Tamar Roig, Director of Partnership Development, IMPJ, for more information.

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Program: “Outreach Programming for Interfaith Families in Eastern Europe” – The Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)

NCEJ recently renewed a Joint Distribution Committee grant for outreach programming in Latvia and Estonia. JDC’s programs at the JCCs in Riga and Tallin provide a welcoming Jewish home to individuals who have recently discovered they have Jewish roots and are interested in developing their Jewish identity. Newly affiliated Jews experience the richness of Shabbat and Jewish holidays through a range of on-line and in-person celebrations. This (pictured right) took place during a brief relaxing of social distancing restrictions, and people welcomed the opportunity to reconnect to their newfound community.

Through virtual (and some in-person) activities people of all ages were able to celebrate Jewish holidays, participate in community service programs, observe cooking demonstrations, and socialize together. Participants were encouraged to ask questions and actively explore what being Jewish can mean to them.

Tallin, Estonia:

Purim: Prior to the holiday, all families were invited to participate in a “Secret Mordechai” activity – an online lottery that determined who would deliver real-life Mishloach Manot (holiday baskets) to whom young children and their parents were able to celebrate Purim outdoors and in person, with a costume parade, games and dances. The JCC’s youth club also enjoyed being outdoors together for a scavenger hunt that had youth counselors, dressed as characters from the Purim story, giving youngsters clues for locating a “lost” Megilla.

Passover: The JCC made it easy for families – even those who were new to Jewish traditions – to carry out their own Passover preparations and seder at home. Children and adults found a wealth of Pesach information and activities on the Passover page of the JCC website, including crafts, games, video performances for children, a practical review of Passover traditions, and a video reading of the Haggadah in Russian.

Couples and families also participated in an outdoor, in-person “Afikoman Hunt” through several Tallinn districts, guided by a special mobile app. The JCC Tallinn team developed the activity and its content so they could communicate with participants easily. They decided to use WhatsApp as a tool to make it accessible. This allowed a few people who organized the hunt to send out the tasks and follow the game, and enabled participants to send in their answers in a timely manner.

JCC RIGA

Purim: During the Purim season, the JCC engaged parents and children with online activities including a costume contest for youngsters, lectures, baking hamantaschen and a humorous Purimspiel performance.

Passover: For Passover, the JCC organized its online activities in collaboration with the Dubnov Jewish school in Riga. These included:

• A discussion about freedom with lecturers from Israel and Latvia
• A culinary master class on making desserts from matzah
• A model seder for the entire family
• A session of Pesach songs
• Preparatory sessions with local rabbis for conducting a seder at home
• A Pesach “board game” for younger children
• An online Zoom quest called “Escaping Egypt” for young adults. This was a Passover online event via zoom for students. The JCC Riga partnered with a Jewish educator from Moscow and his team. The event included different workshops all connected to Passover.

In 2018 NCEJ provided funds to the JDC to expand programming at the Warsaw and Riga JCCs. Many people in Poland, Latvia, and other parts of Eastern Europe are newly discovering they have Jewish ancestry. Slowly some of them are starting to reclaim their Jewish heritage by attending programs at the Warsaw and Riga JCCs. At the JCCs they meet others from similar backgrounds and learn how to incorporate Jewish practices into their lives.

Warsaw: The Warsaw JCC serves as the focal point of Jewish life in Warsaw. Activities include holiday celebrations, cooking clubs, and discussion groups. A fathers’ group and a women’s group meet monthly.

Riga: JCC Riga joined forces with Riga’s synagogue to create an explanatory brochure about Shabbat. Prior to its publication, JCC Riga launched a social media campaign, #ShabbatJCCRiga, in which community members were asked to “Gather your family, call your friends, and before the candle is lit, take a picture of your Shabbat.” Participants who posted pictures with the #Shabbat hashtag received a free copy of the colorful brochure.

For more information contact Sandy Katz, Director of Strategic Relations.

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Program: “Global Jewish Women’s Celebration” – Project Kesher

NCEJ has funded Project Kesher’s Global Jewish Women’s Celebration for several years. One of the goals of Project Kesher (located in NYC) is to strengthen the bonds to Judaism among Jewish women and girls in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, and Georgia. In May 2020, the virtual Shavuot celebration brought together over 150 Jewish women throughout the world, including the only woman rabbi in Ukraine, a US cantor born in Ukraine, and a Russian-born rabbi living in Jerusalem.

In 2019-20 NCEJ’s support (along with other funders) helped Project Kesher trained leaders host Jewish holiday celebrations in 120+ locations in Eastern Europe.

Jewish Women’s Global Celebrations 5781, Fall 2020-Spring 2021

From Fall 2020 through Spring 2021, despite pandemic-related limitations, Project Kesher (PK) supported virtual and outdoor Jewish holiday celebrations for over 1,500 families directly. One of Project Kesher’s goals is to highlight the role of women as the leaders, teachers, and innovators of Jewish life.

With each holiday that passed, Project Kesher trained leaders took the opportunity to reach out to new families and find ways to connect. For example, in Belarus in response to a matzah shortage, Project Kesher created a video “how to make Matzah at home” that was viewed more than 450 times.

One participant remarked, “Thanks to the training webinar and recipes obtained from Project Kesher my children and I prepared a meal with traditional symbols of the season. We discussed the legacy of women in Jewish life and the importance of handing down traditions.”.

The programming helped strengthen families’ traditions at home and taught each family how to develop a customized/personal approach to Jewish rituals. Each holiday provided leaders with another way of reaching women who were interested in participating in Jewish life, something that was particularly important when most Jewish institutions were closed.

Selected Holiday Celebrations

Tu B’shevat 2021 – PK Belarus leaders hosted a Tu B’shevat, the New Year for Trees Seder for 75 participants and families from 8 cities via Zoom. Each participant received a special package of food and supplies for the seder for their family. At the end of the l-hour program the women remained together on Zoom to sing songs about trees and nature for 40 more minutes.
Purim 2021 – In Russia 58 Russian Jewish women sent sweet gifts to each other by mail. As one woman said, “In the ongoing separation and the impossibility to gather in person for Purim, a parcel with favorite sweets became an important sign of our connection.”.
Passover 2021 – In total 43 families throughout the network participated in a Passover Seder for the first time this year with PK.

“Thank you so much for your investment in this program. Your support helped ensure that there was no vacuum in Jewish life in the region. Instead, we saw Jewish life thrive and grow resilient despite many challenges.”

Judaism 101 Holiday Celebrations 5782, Fall 2021-Spring 2022

The program was designed to reach interfaith families and those who were new to Jewish culture and traditions. It consisted of virtual webinars and educational meetings led by PK-trained leaders in Russian and Ukrainian. Registered families received packages with food items, crafts, activities, and ritual items so that they could lead their families in Jewish traditions at home.

Project Kesher created a Jewish calendar for 5782 in Ukrainian and distributed it throughout Ukraine. It portrayed Jewish women in celebration of Jewish life each month. View the full interactive calendar here to see each month and all the art.

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Selected Holiday Celebrations

Sukkot 2021 – In Russia, women in 11 cities were able to gather in-person for women’s Sukkot celebrations. For many, this was their first time in a Sukkah.

Hanukkah 2021 – On Hanukkah, Project Kesher Russia invited Jewish families and institutional leaders to a virtual event, lighting candles in honor of Jewish women. More than 80 participants gathered on December 2, 2021 to light candles together and share stories of inspirational Jewish women.

Alina Gonikman, past chairwoman of Russian Jewish Congress Women’s League said: “I would love each of us to understand that a lot in our lives depends on us. We can wait for a miracle -positive changes for our families, our country and all society – brought to us from the outside and face uncertainty, or we can become the agents of these miracles of change. Let’s create more miracles.”.

  TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM:

• Partnering with other organizations
• Offering engaging programs that can attract new participants as well as people who have participated in the past.

For details contact Shira Pruce.

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Find ideas for advertising your program and more about what we fund: NCEJ reimburses for some of the costs for graphic design and printing. Examples of promotional material we have funded recently include: print and digital ads, banners, postcards, brochures, and flyers.

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