by Erica Lyons The story of Laura Margolis reads like an epic novel. She embodies what larger-than-life literary heroines are made of, though without embellishment, exaggeration, panache or hubris. She was the real thing. Yet despite this, to most, this remarkable and dignified woman remains unknown. Imagine the scene: Japanese-occupied Shanghai. The city has been ravaged by war. Hardships and serious deprivations abound. Then add in the arrival of over 20,000 Jewish refugees desperate to escape the fate of their brethren in German Nazi occupied Europe. They arrive in the last free port in the world, seeking refuge. A lone American woman travels by boat determined to help as many of these refugees as possible to emigrate to America, as well as to assist in meeting the daily needs of all the … Continue Reading
Two Years Later: JDC in Haiti
For 8th grader Fabienne and her fellow students at the Zoranje educational campus, learning is the order of the day at a new, state-of-the-art, handicap-accessible middle school built and opened by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). That's because two years after the earthquake, JDC has focused its relief work on children’s education and disabilities-related programming in collaboration with its Haitian, Israeli and other NGO partners. Through $8.6 million dollars in donations from the Jewish Federations of North America and tens of thousands of individual donors, JDC’s projects, including the middle school, have impacted nearly 300,000 Haitians to date. The middle school, which was funded by The Bonita Trust and JDC, is located 30 miles outside of Port-Au-Prince on the … Continue Reading
Spotlight: Do Jews from the FSU in Germany Volunteer?
by Julia Itin The whole concept of volunteer work among the numerous Jews from FSU living in Germany today seems to be a nonexistent. But only at first glance. During Limmud Day Berlin, we interviewed participants only to discover that volunteerism does exist as part of the post-Soviet Jewish experience in Germany - but it faces many challenges. Stand up, all Victims of Oppression! Involvement in politically motivated groups such as subbotniks, mandatory days of volunteer work, unions, as well as the Komsomol, the Communist Union of Youth carried with it a strong social component. Under communism, people volunteered not necessarily because they felt they were "building the country’s future," but because these committments gave them "social capital," a feeling of being responsible for … Continue Reading
Leveraging Networks: From Commitment to Action
by Andres Spokoiny and Jay Ruderman On December 6th, nearly 175 leaders - funders, academic experts, and program leaders - came together in New York to explore ways that our community can do more to be fully inclusive of people with disabilities. With the collaborative leadership of the Ruderman Family Foundation and the Jewish Funders Network, the conference showcased two important lessons for active philanthropy. The Jewish Federations of North America, its Boston affiliate Combined Jewish Philanthropies, and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee all played important supporting roles. First, and most obviously, disabilities is a critical issue: no community, let alone one the size of the Jewish community, can afford to exclude people on the basis of what Tim Shriver, CEO of the … Continue Reading
JDC Hosts First International Women’s Leadership Workshop in Jerusalem
by Abigail Pickus Tegest Heruy Belayneh turned to her colleagues from across the globe who had gathered in Jerusalem for the First International Women's Leadership Workshop sponsored by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). “Suddenly, I don’t feel so alone any more because we’re all doing this together,” said the Senior Director of the Clinic, Pharmacy, Cafeteria and Girls' Education program at Unity University in Ethiopia. “That is what is so fascinating about this meeting: We are women from different corners of world, but the moment we met we shared something in common. We are all doing something to better the world.” Belayneh is one of six leading female civil society leaders from Haiti, the U.S., Sri Lanka, India, and Ethiopia who met in Israel on December … Continue Reading
The Cuban Jewish Community (or is it Jewish Cuban?)
by Alex Kadis The Jewish community in Cuba is one of paradoxes. They have rarely faced outright discrimination, yet fear of persecution led to their current precarious existence. The Cuban Jewish community is in the midst of a blossoming revival, yet years of neglect have left the community too far gone to return to its former glory. Before the Cuban Revolution, there was a thriving Jewish community of 15,000 Jews. Sensing the dangers of civil war, most Cuban Jews did in 1959 what Jews have done for thousands of years - they ran. Those who didn’t flee, faced Soviet-style suppression of their culture and religion. While Jews in Cuba were never treated violently, the government hoped was that over time, they would simply forget what it meant to be Jewish. The synagogues were permitted … Continue Reading
A Different Slant on the Global Planning Table
by Carl Sheingold, Ph.D The decision of the JFNA to create a Global Planning Table (GPT) has been greeted with a good deal of skepticism in the press, including several pieces in eJP. Many observers have asserted that it will be a bureaucratic anachronism, out of step with the culture of a new era in which decentralized philanthropy and innovative start ups are replacing a system of large institutions seeking to set or reflect communal priorities. Some within the system have expressed the opposite concern built on the assumption that the GPT will lead, as a likely if not intended outcome, to a withering if not destruction of the long standing relationship of the federation system with JAFI and JDC. The values of Jewish peoplehood, collectivity, and mutual responsibility are indeed … Continue Reading
JDC Hosts First International Women’s Leadership Workshop
Six leading female civil society leaders from Haiti, the U.S., Sri Lanka, India and Ethiopia are in Israel for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) First International Women's Leadership Workshop that opens today. The 5-day workshop will provide educational, networking and professional development opportunities in disaster relief and global development. Additionally, individual meetings and site visits have been tailored for each leader according to their specific interests - children’s welfare, healthcare, disabilities, education and employment. “One of the more outstanding features of social change we’ve witnessed in places affected by natural disaster, war, or poverty, is the incredible leadership provided by women. We are thrilled to have these extraordinary women join … Continue Reading
The Shtetl: Vinnitsa Then and Now
by Nathan Roi A wonderful example of cubist period art is a painting of the Russian poet Anna Akhmatova, by the avant-garde Jewish artist, Nathan Altman. When I visited Vinnitsa for the first time, few people, including the residents of Vinnitsa, knew that it was the home town of Altman before he left for Paris. From 1902 to 1907, he studied painting and sculpture at the Art College in Odessa and in 1906 had his first exhibition in the town. In 1910 he went to Paris where he studied at the Free Russian Academy, working in the studio of Vladimir Baranoff-Rossine, and was in contact with Marc Chagall, Alexander Archipenko and David Sternberg. In 1910, before the Russian revolution, he became a member of the group Soyuz Molodyozhi (Union of Youth). When speaking to some of the young people … Continue Reading
Claims Conference Chair Honored
With an annual budget of approximately $750 million, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) is certainly one of the major players in the Jewish world. However, with a significant portion of their budget coming from the government of the Federal Republic of Germany, the organization is mainly off the radar screen of all but their service partners and program recipients. Since 1952, and as a result of negotiations with the Claims Conference, the German government has paid more than $60 billion in indemnification for suffering and losses resulting from Nazi persecution. The organization is the largest provider of services to Holocaust survivors worldwide. Today, approximately $100 million is allocated through the JDC's Hessed program to provide services for victims … Continue Reading
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