Join tens of thousands in unity as we march for Israel!
$36 for transportation and t-shirt
Estimated departure and return times and other details TBD
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'd like to share a narrative with you, and two questions, not unlike some of those we ask on the Seder night. The purpose is to provoke thought and further discussion. The questions may provide an opportunity to turn a lens on ourselves, and draw conclusions, as we celebrate the story and the holiday of our liberation.
The 22nd and 23rd chapters of the second book of Kings tell a remarkable and troubling story. The kingdom of Judah, after the righteous reign of King Hezekiah, falls into evi...
Vegan Matzo Ball Soup
A lot of people are leaning into a more plant based diet and lifestyle, so we searched for a way to make some of the classic Pesach recipes- meatless! No meat doesn’t have to mean no flavor. Here is a recipe for Vegan Matzo Ball Soup by Tori Avey. The challenge was to find a way to make the matzo balls eggless and Zardy Plants provides several different options!
https://zardyplants.com/recipes/the-best-vegan-matzo-ball-soup/
For a touch of somet...
Wednesday evening, 4/2/25 Rockland Federation’s Community Security Initiative hosted the second annual Pre-Passover Security Briefing in Spring Valley. This is a proactive effort to bolster community safety ahead of major Jewish holidays and keep everyone up to date regarding overall threat levels and concerns.
There was a large turnout of community leaders, representatives from dozens of local institutions in CSI’s network, law enforcement, elected officials and leadership of several lo...
The Jewish people have a complicated relationship with the concept of gratitude. After the exodus from Egypt, we are told that the grumbling and complaining began immediately, and the idea of ‘God took us out of Egypt to have us die in the desert’ was repeatedly heard. And yet, some of our most compelling biblical and liturgical works are filled with expressions of gratitude - no more apparent than in Psalms, where King David wrote the words said in prayer every day ‘Hodu L’Hashem Ki ...
Every spring, Jews from around the world gather with their family and friends to celebrate Pesach. For seven days, we eat unleavened bread and tell the story of the exodus of Israelites from slavery in Egypt. While it is customary to hold a seder, did you know that not all celebrations are the same? Below is a list of unique Pesach traditions from around the world.
Last Friday, the Olympia neighborhood in Monsey and people across the nation were stunned and grief stricken by the sudden and tragic death of Rabbi Eliyahu (Eli) Fink z’l in an accident. R’ Fink was 43 years old, a father, husband, lawyer, journalist, educator and Rabbi. He founded the ‘Shul on the Beach’ on the Venice Beach boardwalk in LA, welcoming everyone who crossed its threshold. He wrote the ‘Fink or Swim’ Blog at a time when the kind of respectful and thoughtful debate w...
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.
