Ukraine Appeal

We have received an email from the Zvenigorodka congregation that the façade of their building has fallen off. They have raised $1600 to do the immediate repairs before the winter begins, but $1100 more is needed to complete the work. This is money that they do not have. Anyone interested in supporting this project and helping these 300 Ukrainian Jews restore their building?

Chanukah, 5768

Last year we spent Chanukah in New Orleans. This year we go down when it’s over. In the past we lit one candle and we kept the flames burning. Now we serve once again as the shamash to brighten up the darkness still felt by so many whose lives have not yet been restored. That shamash candle will bring them hope and a new beginning. More than that, we hope that it will restore their faith as well.

When my sons were younger, we would celebrate Chanukah in our own special way. Yes, there would be gifts on some nights, but there would also be two nights for “family” and two for “services” and one for tzedakah.

A night for family would be celebrated by using something we had bought for everyone to enjoy together – from a crepe maker to a ping pong table.

A night for services would involve each of us writing those things we would like other members of the family to do for us: chores, cleaning up, cooking, etc. We would each write three possible services for each member of the family to do, fold them up and put them in a cup. Then on two nights of Chanukah, each of us would pick one folded paper from the cup. If we were lucky, the third unpicked chore (the one we escaped from having to do) would be the worst!

And finally, the night for tzedakah would be the time we would contribute the money we might have spent for extra gifts and decide where it should be donated.

Why not try some of these ways of celebrating Chanukah and if you have a tzedakah night, donate it well!

Bonim Banim – Building our Youth

We just received the ninth application for the program. That leaves 11 more places for next year’s eighth and ninth graders. Teens from New Jersey and Maine are already on the list. Any eligible Reform teens are welcome. The DEADLINE for applications has been extended to FEBRUARY 1. Don’t miss this opportunity to spend August 17-24th in mitzvah heaven! For applications, see the program page on the website.

Micro-Loans: from Mexico to Ethiopia

Based on our very successful experience with micro-loans in Mexico (the first community “bank” is almost completely funded already), we are expanding our efforts to reach out to Ethiopian Jews in Israel and to help them in a similar way.

Today, Wednesday, we had a meeting with Avraham, an Ethiopian activist from Israel, who was very encouraging and helpful. He validated many of our assumptions about the community there. There is great unemployment, especially among the middle-aged Ethiopians and the elders. The community is composed in large part of separate enclaves within Israeli society and has not yet been absorbed to any great degree.

There would be the potential for small businesses created by Ethiopians to meet the needs in their own neighborhoods for food, clothing, and other items that remind them of Ethiopia. Indeed, there are already some such businesses in operation in areas like Jerusalem and an expressed interest by others to design enterprises of their own. It could be very feasible for us to apply the principles of micro-financing there. Avraham will help us to find a local coordinator who will go into a pilot neighborhood, after training provided by us, to identify and to begin to coordinate a group of potential borrowers.

While all of the details remain to be worked out, it is possible that we will have some representatives of ours in Israel in December to meet with Avraham and with people in various local communities as well as with potential coordinators.

This was a giant step forward.

Cambodia - Schools, Orphans, Human Trafficking, and More...

We are continuing to fill in the details of our Cambodia trip in January. We have multiple goals that need to be carefully balanced in the very short time – only five days – that we will have in country.

The possibility of funding the building of schools is very real. Yet, we have also had conversations with people who have businesses in Cambodia and who know of others working with poor orphans who are on their own. We plan to meet with them and to see firsthand what they are doing. There will also be discussions with people knowledgeable about the human trafficking situation as well as children in hospitals and orphanages. We plan to bring in hundreds of pounds of gifts/supplies for the children.

One of our advisors is in Cambodia now researching some of the places we will be going and connecting with the people we need to meet. We’ll have more details when she returns in December.

The six of us who are going are busy getting every shot known to man!

Back to New Orleans

Thirty of us are going to New Orleans in December for our third rebuilding project. We spoke with Miss Brenda on whose home we worked last year, and she seems to be doing well. She is about to order her new kitchen cabinets and to have them installed exactly as she wants them!

I’m soon to get the tetanus shot required by Rebuilding Together, but there’s nothing to buy since they supply all of the materials. An Advisory Board member is shipping down gloves, face masks and hard hats for us to use – a lovely gesture of support. We have also received a substantial grant through the URJ to cover other expenses.

We’ll be hosted by a family whose home we helped to repair two years ago. The Torah discussion will be about the Jewish Understanding of Poverty as well as lessons from Rabbi Loewy of Congregation Gates of Prayer in Metairie. We’ll be using the brand new Reform prayerbook Mishkan Tefillah as well as participating in a Guided Meditation and Jewish origami.

Our age range is from nineteen to the eighties. Each of us is getting ready to use his/her building and mitzvah muscles!