Welcome our allies and listen to their stories of resilience, leadership and love as they stand against hate, extremism and anti-Semitism
Orangetown Jewish Center
8 Independence Ave, Orangeburg, NY
Registration required.
BOOK THE TRIP
Jewish and Zionist voices are being silenced in creative spaces. Join us on this new endeavor as we read and review from a curated list of Jewish authors. We have 38 books to choose from. Select one and we will reimburse you. Submit a review and be featured in our newsletter and social media.
I had three conversations over the past two weeks that I have spent some time thinking about. The first was via Facebook messenger, the second was on the phone, and the third was via Zoom. The first one left me a bit discouraged, the second one tested my self-control, but the third one left me uplifted and hopeful.
In my first conversation, I was engaging (privately, as there is little to nothing constructive about having a public flame war on social media) with someone who took issue with t...
Last night, I had the challenge and privilege of unexpectedly reading Megilat Esther for my family, as one of us was unable to attend reading at our shul. It’s been several years since I had done the reading, but I had learned it in order to teach it to my eldest more than 15 years ago as he read it on his bar mitzvah. I was a bit rusty, but the notes and tunes came back to me pretty quickly.
One of the things I paid particular attention to as I read was the nature of and need for the Jew...
March 8th is globally recognized as International Women’s Day. In 1987, the United States expanded upon that to designate the entire month of March as Women’s History Month. This designation was shaped with the help and support of groups like the National Women’s History Alliance who lobbied Congress for an official recognition. There are so many women to admire and celebrate. Here are a few of the Jewish women who have been incredible examples to us here at Federation.
Dr. Gerda Lerne...
Since October 7, we have been reminded that being Jewish is about more than faith. It’s about responsibility, unity, and perseverance. Even in the face of unimaginable tragedy, we come together to rebuild, heal, and stand strong. This week’s Parsha, Terumah, speaks to the concept of voluntary contribution—Terumah—and the importance of dedicating what we can to a higher purpose. I find a powerful parallel between the work of building the Tabernacle in the Parsha and my own efforts to w...
I know that many of you, our newsletter subscribers, have been reading these weekly messages regularly, for up to three years. It has been an honor and a privilege for me to write for our community, to share thoughts, ideas, convictions and consolation. It has been especially cathartic for me, after October 7th, to crystallize our community’s pain, its love, and what it needed to do in these unprecedented times.
Today’s message will be different. Today, I’m setting aside gentle suggest...
This month, we honor Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month, a time to bring together Jewish communities around the globe to increase awareness that every member of our community, regardless of ability, deserves access and opportunities to engage in Jewish life.
Individuals with varying abilities may face challenges in connecting with others, but they possess a deep and meaningful bond with G-d. This connection can even be more profound than a typical bond. As a community, it is our...
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.
