Home Archives for In the Media

Six Points Arts Fellowship Closes as UJAFed NY Declines To Renew Grant

Posted on May 24, 2013 Written by Leave a Comment
Six Points

Almost two years following the announcement of JDUB's closure, a 2nd high-profile Jewish cultural initiative is closing its flagship New York fellowship program. According to The Forward, "The Six Points Fellowship, a program of the Foundation for Jewish Culture that has given away some $1.26 million to artists over seven years, is shutting down its flagship New York fellowship program after the local Jewish federation decided not to offer it a new grant. The Six Points Fellowship was started in 2006 as a partnership between the Foundation for Jewish Culture, JDub Records and Avoda Arts, an organization that promotes Jewish education through the arts. It was funded by a $948,300 grant from the UJA-Federation of New York through its Commission on Jewish Identity and Renewal (COJIR), and has … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Media Tagged: , ,

Jewish Agency and Quad City Groups Dedicate New Computer Center for Ethiopian Immigrants

Posted on May 24, 2013 Written by Leave a Comment
Ibim computer center; courtesy The Jewish Agency.

The Jewish Agency for Israel has dedicated a new computer room for the Ethiopian immigrants who have recently arrived at the Ibim absorption center in Southern Israel. The computers will provide critical education and a gateway to successful integration into Israeli society for the new immigrants at the absorption center. The computer room’s renovation and equipping was made possible by a gift from The Quad Cities Association of Evangelicals in cooperation with the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities and through the Israel Education Fund of The Jewish Agency and the Jewish Federations of North America. In July 2012, due to the continuing difficult conditions in Gondar, the government of Israel decided to increase the rate of Aliyah from Ethiopia in order to complete the process as quickly … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Media Tagged:

URJ’s Camp Harlam Launches Reform Day Camp

Posted on May 24, 2013 Written by 2 Comments

The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and Camp Harlam, the URJ's Philadelphia-based regional overnight camp, announced that they will open a URJ-affiliated day camp in the summer of 2014. The URJ's most recent foray into Jewish day camping is a strategic initiative meant to complement the Reform Movement's focus on Youth Engagement and the URJ's North American Camp Committee's strategic plan. With 14 URJ overnight camps across North America serving more than 8,000 children and young adults, this entry into day camping is expected to create exciting new opportunities for outreach to young Jewish families and act as a gateway experience into Jewish camp for hundreds of young children. The URJ's selection of Camp Harlam to launch this program was based on the camp's reputation and brand, the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Media Tagged: ,

Adelsons Announce New Double Commitment To Birthright

Posted on May 24, 2013 Written by Leave a Comment

Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson have provided a new $40 million gift to Birthright. The gift brings the Adelsons' total donations to the program to $180 million, making them the world's largest private donors to Birthright Israel. Their gift includes a new $20 million challenge grant that will match dollar for dollar new and increased gifts for commitments made in 2013 and for the years 2014-2015. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Media Tagged:

Claims Conference Considers Various Holocaust Commemorative Proposals

Posted on May 23, 2013 Written by 1 Comment

On April 29, 2013, the Committee Memorializing Lost Jewish Culture and Heritage - revitalizing what formerly was known as the Memorial Committee - of the Claims Conference met in New York to consider various Holocaust commemorative proposals. Committee members attending the meeting or participating by telephone or video included the following; Amy Bressman, Sandra Cahn, Menachem Hacohen, Ben Helfgott, Judith Kaufthal, Mark Levin, Dan Mariaschin, David Marwell, Baruch Shub and Susie Stern. Julius Berman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Claims Conference, as well as Claims Conference staff members - Greg Schneider, Dr. Wesley Fisher and Arie Bucheister - also participated. Chaim Chesler, Chairman of the Committee, had undertaken preliminary research with respect to the seven potential … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Media, Life in the FSU Countries Tagged:

Sharansky Joins Lauder in Call for Independent Claims Conference Probe

Posted on May 22, 2013 Written by Leave a Comment

According to The Jerusalem Post, Jewish Agency Chairman and Claims Conference board member, Natan Sharansky has joined fellow Claims Conference board member and World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder with a call for an independent probe to investigate allegations against senior executives of the Claims Conference: Sharansky made his call in a letter to Conference chairman Julius Berman in which he “recommended that a public independent committee of distinguished members who are not connected to either the Board of the Directors or the beneficiaries be established, in order to investigate the allegations so that the public trust in this important organization not be damaged...” Lauder, who has called the allegations facing conference leaders a “long-term issue with potentially … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Media Tagged: ,