Tucson Jewish Community Center

Minneapolis Jewish Federation Community Campaign Raises $11.6 Million

The Minneapolis Jewish Federation 2011 Community Annual Campaign raised $11.6 million in support of programs and services that benefit the Minneapolis Jewish community, Israel and Jewish communities around the world. From creating an inclusive, welcoming and vibrant Jewish community to helping people in financial crisis feed their families, pay their rent and get back on their feet, donations through the Federation Community Annual Campaign are making a world of difference. Danielle and Adam moved to Minneapolis last year from Tucson, Arizona with their two children, Natalie, 6, and Edan, 10, both of whom are on the autism spectrum. In Tucson, they never had the chance to be part of the Jewish community. The resources Natalie and Edan needed didn’t exist. In moving to Minneapolis they were hopeful that the Jewish community would offer their children more opportunities to participate in Jewish life and feel like they belong. They were right. This summer, Natalie and Edan experienced the magic of Jewish summer camp. The Federation, in partnership with Sabes Jewish Community Center (JCC), provided their children with the one-on-one support they needed to partake in all summer camp activities. They swam, played with crafts, sang Jewish songs, and made lots of new friends. During the school year, Natalie and Edan continue to be active in the Jewish community through Federation-supported Darkaynu, a Jewish education program for children with moderate to severe disabilities. Without Darkaynu, a collaborative effort between Sha’arim and the Sabes JCC, children like Natalie and Edan would be unable to receive a Jewish education. For Natalie, Darkaynu has been a life-changing experience. “Natalie is now 6 and is able to be included in all the activities within her age group. She is making amazing progress with her language skills,” says Danielle. These are just a couple of examples of the many ways the Federation is improving lives on a daily basis. From creating an inclusive, welcoming and vibrant Jewish community to helping people in financial crisis feed their families, pay their rent and get back on their feet, donations through the Federation Community Annual Campaign are making a world of difference.

Local Israel Action Network to fight ... - AZ Jewish Post

Members of the Weintraub Israel Center and the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona have formed an Israel Action Network to counter efforts to delegitimize Israel.

The network is “part of a national trend among Jewish communities,” says Dan Karsch, chair of the network and co-chair of the Israel Center. “It’s a grassroots movement of a group of people approaching Israel issues from a reactive and proactive standpoint.”

The local network is connected to a joint initiative launched by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs in October 2010. The JFNA and the rest of the federation system agreed to invest $6 million over three years for Israel Action Network efforts across North America, JTA reported.

“Israel’s enemies,” says Karsch, “have been trying to defeat Israel militarily but were unable to do it. They’ve switched strategies,” which now include boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns. “The underlying message is that Israel doesn’t have a right to exist, whether the issue is about the West Bank or about water treatment.”

The new network involves “people in our community who care about Israel and want to promote proper and positive engagement with Israel,” says Guy Gelbart, director of the Israel Center and community shaliach, or emissary. The Israel Center is a joint project of the JFSA and the Tucson Jewish Community Center.

“Our goal is to involve our community, both Jewish and non-Jewish, in what’s going on in Israel,” says Karsch. “The media gives an incomplete picture, sound bites without context.” Karsch cites the example of the May 2010 flotilla interception, when nine people were killed after Israeli naval commandos boarded aid ships trying to break Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. “All people saw was the shooting,” he says, although the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs reported that people on board the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara attacked Israeli troops with knives, clubs and other weapons, including a gun taken from an Israeli soldier.

Network members will respond to local attempts to delegitimize Israel by writing letters to the editor and speaking at churches or other community organizations “to present a fuller background” of issues in the Middle East, says Karsch, adding that “our proactive stance will be to educate our own Jewish community.

2000 JCC Maccabi Games, Tucson guide book

Senior Now Generation Programs socialization-nutrition multi-service centers information and training guide 1975-1976

Jews of the American West

The Jewish community required new buildings for its Conservative and Reform congregations and for its new community center; in addition, many Jews, ...

Explorer's Guide Tucson, A Great Destination

TUCSON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER 520-299-3000 www.tucsonjcc.org 3800 E. River Rd., Tucson, AZ 85718 Anyone is welcome to join the JCC (Jewish Community ...

Background studies prepared by state committees for the White House Conference on Aging

The Tucson Jewish Community Council was the sponsoring and parent organization of the Jewish Community Center and has helped to develop and direct it so ...