To apply for a grant, simply fill out our short two-page application which can be downloaded here. Submit your application at any time throughout the year. Notification is made within 45 days.

Anyone who applies by November 15 is eligible for an additional funding bonus. See a special mention of our funding bonus in eJewish Philanthropy.

Apply today for an NCEJ Grant—and tell your friends in the field, too.

Here’s what one of our grantees said about the NCEJ grant her organization received:

“It is clear that our sisterhood leaders accepted the (NCEJ) grants with a clear vision. These programs are able to be easily replicated and will serve as models for sisterhoods in the future as well. Your gift is truly one that keeps on giving.”

We welcome ideas for innovative programs, as well as proposals for events that can be replicated by others.

An NCEJ grant can help you attract more people to Judaism from all walks of life and backgrounds.

• Temple Beth Israel, Broward County, FL offers conversion classes for Spanish speakers. Two of the students who went through the conversion class are currently members of the synagogue board.
• West Suburban Temple Har Zion River Forest, IL just received a grant for an Introductory Judaism class for Spanish speakers.
• Women of Temple Sinai, Pittsburgh, PA hosted a “Pride Seder” program which reached women in the congregation who were studying for their conversion, as well as others, including many from outside the synagogue.
• Jewish Federation of Greater Orange County / New York – Interfaith Family Engagement Project. This initiative will offer monthly two-hour conversations for parents (with children welcome) focused on building a Jewish home.

Have an idea? Give us a call or send us an email, contact Ellen Gerecht, Executive Director or call 301-802-4254.

Here are a few of our recent grants:

• Welcome to Judaism Course (Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine/Portland): Working collaboratively with all clergy in the community, the JCA will offer five sessions over six weeks.
• Finding Your Place in B’nai Mitzvah: The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis will hold a four-series seminar for Jewish/non-Jewish families in the bar/bat mitzvah stage to help them navigate some of the issues they may face.
• 2nd Nite Learners Seder for Conversion Students (Congregation Beth Tikvah, Toronto): This provided families an opportunity to celebrate Passover with others going through the same process.

Programs such as these can start participants on a Jewish journey. Here’s just one example:

“Our Taste of Judaism classes are a great way to introduce inactive and non-Jews to Judaism in a friendly, non-proselytizing atmosphere.”

Many students have continued on to other adult education classes. One Jewish retiree who had been unaffiliated took the Taste of Judaism® class a few years ago, got involved in the synagogue, and volunteered as an adult education chairman the past year. Additionally, a couple who attended the Taste of Judaism® class joined the weekly Torah study group.

In Other Grant News…

The NCEJ grant to the Union of Reform Judaism (URJ) was recently renewed. URJ will use the grant for marketing Introduction to Judaism and A Taste of Judaism® classes. The funds will be used to support classes held by individual synagogues and for social media and other advertising for URJ-sponsored classes.

The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) received an additional grant for 2018-19. This will enable more small- to medium-sized communities to receive sub grants for programming geared to interfaith families, including PJ library participants.

Want to Learn More?

To learn more about NCEJ’s activities and what we fund, click here to download our new flyer.

Have a program idea that needs funding?

Give us a call or send us an email, contact Ellen Gerecht, Executive Director or call 301-802-4254.

The post Start the New Year With New Programming—Apply for a Grant Today appeared first on National Center to Encourage Judaism.

The grants were publicized via email in the RA’s newsletter and other avenues as well as announced at conferences. Below is a summary of the key elements and special features of each grant awarded.

About the RA Subgrants

Program: “Spanish Language Conversion Services”

Temple Beth Israel: Broward County, Florida – Rabbi Hector Eppelbaum

Temple Bath Israel offers Jewish adult education and conversion courses to Spanish speakers. They are the sole providers of Spanish language conversion services in Broward County. The curriculum is based on the curricula of the Conversion Institute of the Rabbinical Assembly of America Southeast Region. They run two 20 session courses each year. As students progress through the program they become active participants in the congregation and the Jewish community. Two of the students who went through the conversion class are currently members of the synagogue Board.

Program: “Introduction to Judaism, With a Mentoring Rabbi” 

RA of Philadelphia: Goodblatt Academy – Rabbi Neil Cooper

The Goodblatt Academy offers an Introduction to Judaism program that runs for 30 sessions. In addition to attending formal classes, students are paired with a mentoring rabbi who they meet with monthly. As part of the program, the Academy sponsors a catered Shabbat dinner and encourages students to bring their families. Traditionally the Academy has relied on local rabbis to refer prospective students to them. Increasingly though, prospective students are finding information online, which leads them to the Academy’s website. NCEJ grant funds have been used to advertise the program with a more sophisticated website and place ads in the Philadelphia Inquirer, community newspapers and on social media and to defray the costs of the Shabbat dinner and childcare.

Program: “Introduction to Judaism, With Program Alumni”

Temple B’nai Amoona: St Louis, MO – Rabbi Carnie Rose

The centerpiece of B’nai Amoona’s efforts to encourage interest in Judaism is the Introduction to Judaism course. This year B’nai Amoona has begun to match students in this course with other B’nai Amoona members who have gone through the conversion process and can serve as guides and mentors. Regular meetings also occur with the Senior Rabbi and the teacher. Marketing for the class includes information in the monthly congregational newsletter and the weekly Shabbat Bulletin sent via email along with the regular ads in the Jewish in St Louis website; the NCEJ grant also covered the cost of materials for the course.

Program: “Keeping the Faith”

Toronto RA Region: Rabbi Adam Cutler

Keeping the Faith is an initiative designed to maintain and deepen the connection between recent converts (their Jewish partners) and the Jewish community. There is a weekly Mommy and Me program for recent converts and partners with babies; a convert and mother-in-law cooking class is currently being planned; and a bi-monthly learning is also about to start. Under discussion is a Shabbat morning ‘increase your prayer fluency’ course targeted to recent converts but open to all (which is better for the converts’ ultimate integration into the community). The Toronto RA Region will soon be launching a website.

Program: “Learners Seder”

Congregation Beth Tikvah: Toronto – Rabbi Louis Sachs

The local RA region runs an Introduction to Judaism class, to which all the RA rabbis in Toronto send potential conversion students. Many current students, and some past students, do not have a place to go for a Seder. A learners Seder was hosted on the second night of Pesach for individuals going through the conversion process or recently having completed it. Even for those partnered, many of their families do not do a Seder on the second night, again leaving them without a place to go and celebrate. Some find these Seder “hosts” experiences can be intimidating and leave students feeling negative about the experience. Therefore, subsidizing the cost of meals for students looking for a “learners” Seder with other individuals going through the same process helps. The grant covered the cost of haggadot, food, and staff, making it affordable for them to attend.

Program: “Second Night Adult Seder”

Congregation Beth Israel: Vancouver – Rabbi Adam Stein

Congregation Beth Israel runs a conversion program from September to June each year which is being marketing on Facebook and in local media (Jewish and mainstream). The Congregation also hosts three Shabbat dinners a year for the conversion class, as well as a second night adult Seder to encourage conversion students (and their partners for those who have) to attend. Scholarships are also provided for those who request them for the Shabbat dinners and the Seder.

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