In a time of increasing need for support, ESEK's mission is to showcase the soul and spirit of Israel through products as unique as the stories of those who create them.
All goods will be available to purchase.
This Thanksgiving we are dedicating our Giving Tuesday campaign to the Israel Trauma Coalition. Trauma can create such a lasting impact that it’s often passed down through generations. What can we in the Jewish community do to help each other heal? Especially in the aftermath of the October 7th attacks and the ensuing and ongoing war, it’s essential to focus on support, both in Israel and globally.
In 2001, after the second intifada, the UJA Federation of New York picked seven organizat...
My apologies for not focusing on a positive message this week. Sometimes you just have to tell it like it is.
In the 15th and early 16th Century, the Roman Catholic Church was a globe-spanning endeavor. Under its umbrella were many priests, bishops, and cardinals, but it also was the spiritual and temporal underwriter of kingdoms, countries and colonies. The title ‘His Most Catholic Majesty’ was of common usage. The Church owned vast lands and fiefdoms, had revenue sources everywhere, an...
What do you do when your good friend does something that really and justifiably irks, even hurts you, but on a day-in-day-out basis, is as reliable and amazing as she can be? What if that generous, amazing nature is why you became friends in the first place? Will her getting it wrong on one thing ruin your friendship? Or will it give you an opportunity to trust her with your feelings, offer constructive feedback with the goal of seeing your friend succeed, thereby strengthening the relationsh...
It has been an eventful and consequential week, and I wanted to share a few thoughts, hopefully tying them together in a coherent way.
Tuesday’s Presidential and local elections have left some of our community members disappointed or worried, others excited or motivated, and many of us hoping that we soon find some starting point for common ground among the disparate political perspectives we encounter. Anyone (especially locally) who participated in the electoral process - as a candidate,...
The connection between Rockland’s Jewish Federation and Kfar Silver Youth Village is a recent one when a group of Rockland County residents visited the school, which is supported by ORT. The agricultural/residential school located just eight miles from Gaza is part of the Zionist dream to make the Negev bloom.
Students come from all over to Kfar Silver, some born in many parts of the FSU…former Soviet Union, as well as students from Ethiopia who were airlifted to Israel with their parents. One third of the student body—750 students—live on the campus. Many come from low socio-economic and single parent families, the disadvantaged part of Israeli society. By the time these kids graduate and move on to the IDF and further educational opportunities, Kfar Silver will have given these kids a leg up they might otherwise not have had.
Rockland County’s Jewish community supports Israel in many ways. Federation’s direct support of Kfar Silver is as much about supporting Israel as it is about supporting a special project we feel a connection with…one we have grown to love.
Rockland’s Adult Jewish Education classes are for you. Background doesn’t matter. Level of education doesn’t matter. A desire to learn and participate in riveting, fascinating classes is all you need. Join our classes taught by fascinating, articulate teachers and enjoy!
Got questions? We have answers.
For young moms and dads, reading stories to their children is something many do every night at bedtime…or even in the middle of the afternoon! PJ Library, which is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, is underwritten in Rockland County by Rockland’s Jewish Federation. It provides Jewish-themed books for children, ages 2-8 every month and gives those moms and dads a wonderful way to help them understand and appreciate what it means to be Jewish…even at a young age.
PJ Library books are wonderful additions to every Jewish family’s library. It doesn’t matter what the family’s background, knowledge or family make-up or observance is. There are PJ Library books for every kind of Jewish family.
But PJ is not only about books. It’s also about Jewish-themed activities…like Zoom classes on cooking for the holidays. And outings where young Jewish families can meet and make friendships with other young Jewish families.
Leket Israel is the largest food bank and food rescue organization in Israel. Rockland’s Federation has had a long-standing relationship with Leket because we know how important it is to take care of the most basic need of making sure people who struggle to feed themselves and their families have food to put on the table each and every day.
During the year of the pandemic, Leket Israel had to change the way it feeds people in need. It went from rescuing good, nutritious food from restaurants, hotels, and even the IDF, and feeding more than 200,000 Israelis per week, to buying 12,000 meals a day because just like here in Rockland County, the need for food increased tangentially as the Pandemic worsened and people lost their jobs.
Here in Rockland County’s Jewish community, we have a strong relationship with Leket Israel. It’s a special project we support directly and that has come to mean a lot to us. Through donations to Jewish Federation, we can see the difference those donations make in the lives of those who are helped by Leket Israel.
If you see something…
The Community Relations Council is Federation’s advocacy arm. One of its prime roles is as the Rockland Jewish community’s voice with elected officials at every level from national to local. The CRC has developed relationships with many of these people and will contact them when there’s an issue that is of concern, and must be addressed. From gatherings the were highly visible, such as the one that occurred after the Monsey stabbings, to those that are strictly behind-the-scenes, the CRC takes a strong and active role in combatting antisemitism no matter where it occurs.
The CRC makes sure our elected officials understand the pernicious effects the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) has on the State of Israel, and the hateful rhetoric that is too pervasive on certain social media channels and group pages in and around Rockland County. When the CRC becomes aware of such hate speech or any violent threats against the Jewish community, it makes sure our local officials are aware of them so they can be dealt with.
The most important role Jewish Federation plays in the community is in community weaving. Federation has built a platform where all organizations and individuals can come together to share common concerns. Through Community Weaving, Federation brings synagogues and organizations together to work for the common good of Rockland’s Jewish community.
Whether it’s to learn how to apply for security grants, or the PPP during the pandemic, or learning how to set up endowment funds for the financial security of an organization through Life and Legacy, Federation has made Community Weaving the important initiative it is for the community.
