NCEJ Grant Enables JDC to Connect More Families to Judaism in Eastern Europe

Many people in Poland, Latvia, and other parts of Eastern Europe are only now 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 (partly funded by the Joint Distribution Committee). 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.

Participants posted pictures with the social media campaign #Shabbat hashtag

Riga: This past May, 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.

In 2020, NCEJ will help support JDC programming in Riga and Estonia. For more information contact Sandy Katz, Director of Strategic Relations.

Project Kesher Uses NCEJ Funding to Expand its Global Jewish Women’s Holiday Celebrations Initiative in Russian-speaking Countries

Images of Simchat Torah from Project Kesher Russia

Project Kesher’s mission is to build Jewish community and advance civil society by developing and empowering Jewish women leaders in Russian-speaking countries and Israel, connecting them to each other and strengthening their Jewish identity. Project Kesher-trained leaders hosted Jewish holiday celebrations in 120+ locations throughout Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, and Georgia in 2019. Group leaders and facilitators of these programs were trained throughout the year via webinars by expert Jewish educators. The group gathered on Zoom before each major holiday to study together and to learn how to facilitate the new programs.

Each new curriculum created this year was added to an online program database featured on the Project Kesher Russian language website. Group leaders and Jewish activists throughout the region can access the database and facilitate a range of programs for their community. This year’s events used social media in new ways and were well attended by young people, ages 15 – 35.

“I live far from the central part of Russia. Despite the distance, the Jewish holiday training webinars gave me an opportunity to study among like-minded people, to ask questions and analyze the answers, and bring the lessons back to my community.”– Svetlana, Magnitogorsk, Russia

Eleonora, a community organizer in Vladimir, Russia, says:

“Project Kesher provides a big database of tested educational materials and programs for different audiences and different levels of familiarity with Jewish life. PK’s programs are an important and unique resource.”

For more information contact Shira Pruce, Director of Development and Communications.

An NCEJ Grant Helped Bet Shalom, a Progressive Synagogue in Barcelona, Offer Special Holiday Programming for Interested Individuals

Purim Celebration, Bet Shalom

Bet Shalom provided a series of special programs for Purim, Pesach, Shabbat, and other holidays designed for people who were studying in their conversion classes and others who wanted to know more about Judaism. Here are two examples:

Purim: Over 75 people attended the Purim celebration, which included a costume workshop and party for young adults.

Pesach: First, there was a class of 35 participants, led by a teacher who talked about the traditions of the seder. The organizer states that, “This experience was very meaningful for those who are not used to being in contact with Judaism from an experiential perspective. It also helped some people get more involved in the community and build bonds with the rest of the members.”

This was followed by the seder itself, open to anyone interested in celebrating and learning about Judaism, as well as members. There were games for the children and an opportunity for the families to get to know each other.

Why Congregation Sha’ar Zahav San Francisco’s Journey to Judaism Discussion Group is so Successful Year after Year

Artwork advertising Sha’ar Zahav’s Adult Education

Sha’ar Zahav, San Francisco offers a Journey to Judaism discussion group, as well as a Judaism 101 class. This discussion group explores issues that arise for people who are considering, are in the process of, or have recently completed converting to Judaism. Those with a Jewish parent, but raised with little or no Jewish experience, and who are interested in exploring their connection to Judaism, are also welcome to attend. Topics include questions of identity, community and family. This group is not an Introduction to Judaism course, but rather a place to ask questions and discuss issues with others who are also on this journey.

After ten years of annual groups the coordinators have learned that:

A minimum of 6 – 8 participants is necessary for the group dynamics to be effective

Of the six sessions, the group is closed to new participants after session 2 to foster the intimacy and confidentiality that makes the group work

Continuation of no cost barrier to registration has provided diversity and allowed for folks to explore with minimal commitment in advance

Beginning each session with the personal story of an invited guest who is a member of the congregation who has chosen Judaism is an effective teaching element

The mikveh visit demystifies this important part of the conversion process

Ending the discussion group with a Friday evening Shabbat pot luck increases the appreciation of ritual in Jewish tradition

Grant News

Congregation Emanu-El of Waukesha, WI received a grant for a 4-session course called “A Basic Understanding of Judaism.” The subjects covered were “How Jews view God”, “Holidays and Shabbat and Services”, “Jewish Ethics and Interpreting it in the Torah”, and “The Jewish Community and Israel”. Several participants wished the class had been longer than 4 weeks. The class was promoted in the local paper, the Jewish press, and on the temple website and Facebook page. For more information contact Cantor Deborah Martin.

Pictured: KI “schlep” tote bag (click to enlarge)

Congregation Keneseth Israel, Allentown PA regularly offers A Taste of Judaism® class. The latest class had 18 participants, most of whom who had heard about the class through advertisements in the local papers or the lawn signs surrounding the building. About half of the class said they would be interested in an Introduction to Judaism class. Last year’s Taste class had 40 participants, and 2 of those are in the process of converting. The coordinator said that participants especially liked sampling a different Jewish dessert each week. One distinctive take-away from the class – each participant received a KI “schlep” tote bag. For more information contact Martina Obenski.

Lawn sign for A Taste of Judaism® class offered by Congregation Keneseth Israel

Tidewater Chavurah, Virginia Beach offered a program similar to URJ’s Taste, entitled “Belonging, Believing, Behaving.” Rabbi Ellen Jaffe Gill taught the class through a Reconstructionist lens, emphasizing that there are myriad ways to be Jewish. One person who attended had recently converted but wanted to fill in gaps in her knowledge. For more information contact Rabbi Ellen Jaffe Gill.

Friends of Bnei Anousim is an Israeli-based nonprofit that just received a grant for a conversion program in Mexico for descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jews who were forcibly converted to Christianity during the Inquisition and who wish to practice Judaism. For more information contact Yaffah da Costa.

Jewish Learning Lab, Montreal will be offering a year-long “Raising a Jewish Family” geared primarily towards people who did not grow up Jewish to help them live a Jewish life and connect to the larger Jewish community. The Jewish Learning Lab is a group of informal Jewish educators who seek to provide the knowledge that will enable individuals to choose the kind of Jewish life that’s right for them. The JLL works closely with other Jewish organizations in Montreal, particularly the Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA. For more information contact Rabbi Avi Finegold.

Recent Grant Renewals

• Union of Reform Judaism
• Joint Distribution Committee
• Jewish Federations of North America
• JHUB, Jewish Federation of Cleveland
• Temple Beth El, Charlotte, NC
• Rocky Mountain Rabbinical Council, Denver

Special Passover Grant Bonus

Pesach Celebration, Bet Shalom

NCEJ is offering up to a 15% bonus* for grants for programs geared to people who are new to Judaism to help them prepare for Passover. Examples include workshops on how to choose a haggadah and lead a Passover seder. ** NCEJ grants are designed to welcome new people to Judaism, and support programs both in the US and abroad. For details visit our website or contact us: Ellen Gerecht, Executive Director, or call 301-802-4254.

*For grants up to $5,000
**Seders do not qualify for the bonus.

Featured photo above: from Bet Shalom, a Progressive synagogue in Barcelona.

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