Super Heroes

By Marc B. Terrill

As we spend this Chanukah Sunday with our families, many of us will think about the heroism demonstrated by the Maccabees, a small band of Jews who stood up for their beliefs against the Greeks and the Syrians. Fighting off an army is an act that most of us will never experience, but, as part of this community and our global Jewish family, we, nonetheless, have the power to perform acts of heroism every day.

Thanks to THE ASSOCIATED’s Annual Campaign, a centralized fund which makes possible the vital programs and services offered through our system of local agencies and our overseas partners, the vulnerable have heroes to turn to in their hours of need.

• Those heroes might be the social workers and counselors at Jewish Community Services who help a mother coping with joblessness and mounting bills find work and feed her family.
• Those heroes might be young adult volunteers serving potato latkes to adults with special needs at a Chanukah gathering at the Jewish Community Center.
• Those heroes might be the youth counselors working with Israeli students holed up in bomb shelters during rocket fire in our sister city, Ashkelon.
• Those heroes might be organizational coaches and teachers providing a child with learning differences the tools needed to be successful in the class room through Shemesh.
• Those heroes might be the team at Weinberg Village who keep the older adult residents engaged, happy and safe in their homes.
• Those heroes might be the therapists providing counseling to survivors of domestic violence and trauma through CHANA and the Shofar Coalition.
• Those heroes might be the dedicated donors and volunteers whose selfless contributions to our community make all of this, and much more, possible.

In Baltimore, we are blessed to have a system of heroes who work together to ensure that daily needs are met with compassion and speed and that future generations are nurtured and guided toward a vibrant tomorrow. The beauty of our community is that, at any given time, any one of us has the power to be a hero, to be that spark of light in someone else’s life. Ask any one of the thousands of volunteers who find their place in THE ASSOCIATED system each year and they will likely tell you that serving that role, fulfilling that mitzvah, fills them with more joy and reward than the effort they put forth.

If you have not yet taken the opportunity to be a hero in our community, to be the person whose gift of talent, time and resources touches countless lives, I invite you to get involved today and feel the warmth that comes from making a difference in our world. You can make your contribution at www.associated.org/donatenow or volunteer your time through Jewish Volunteer Connection, www.jvcbaltimore.org. (Giving your gift before December 31 will enable you to enjoy a tax benefit for 2011.)

And if you are among the heroes in our community – either a professional in our system or a volunteer or donor to THE ASSOCIATED –  I thank you for the work you do on behalf of all the people in Baltimore, Israel and in Jewish communities around the globe who cannot thank you themselves. You are all my heroes and I am so proud that we are part of the same team. Happy Chanukah.

Meet Alex: Baltimore-Odessa Partnership

Born and raised in Cherkassy, Ukraine, Alex did not grow up with a strong sense of Jewish identity, although he was aware that he came from a Jewish family. “My parents never told me about the traditions,” he says. Rather, it was his grandparents who informed him that he was Jewish.

He also found out about the Jewish Agency through his grandparents, who now live in Haifa.

“They helped my grandparents get to Israel,” Alex explains.

He began attending events at the Jewish youth center in his hometown, where he learned about customs and holidays.

“Without the youth center, it would be tough for me to keep in touch with my peers, keep up with all the events in Israel, all the traditions, celebrations of Jewish holidays. “I have come to love this life, these traditions,” Alex says. “To feel this, you have to start taking part in all the activities and meetings, and when you get to talk to people, you start understanding all those feelings that you… You feel like you are brothers and sisters.”

Thanks to support from THE ASSOCIATED, Alex has been able to pursue his interest in learning about Judaism, and eventually to get to Israel and experience it for himself.

“I went on a Birthright trip, which helped me realize the most that I belong there,” he says. “In Israel, you can approach a stranger, ask them something, and they would help you. It’s not a big deal. You feel that connection.”

Having just graduated from university, Alex will soon travel to Israel again in order to spend five months learning Hebrew.

“I feel like it’s the country for me, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to go there and to help myself and help the country.”

Although his parents don’t have the same strong feelings about being Jewish as their son does, they support Alex’s trips to Israel. He is not sure if he wants to make aliyah – he says that it depends on how good his Hebrew gets. But he is eager to visit his grandparents in Israel.

“I feel that I belong,” Alex says. “Before I first came here, I knew I was Jewish, but the things I’ve learned and people I’ve met at the youth center really helped me realize it.”

Being ASSOCIATED is living Judaism.

Donate now to the 2012 ASSOCIATED Annual Campaign>>

Ptil Tekhelet (Threads of Blue)

By: Erika Schon
Baltimore Hebrew Institute and Towson University

I wrinkled my nose at the briny smell as I moved closer to photograph the clear plastic cup full of greenish liquid. Resting on the bottom of the cup were the dried glands of several chilazon, the Hebrew word most closely identified as the present day mollusk, murex trunculus.  As 25 curious students looked on, the guest presenter, Dr. Ari Zivotofsky from Bar Ilan University proceeded to dip a swath of pure white wool into the murky solvent.  Lo and behold, the soaked greenish-yellow wool slowly changed to a rich blue color, known in the Hebrew sources as tekhelet, the unique blue dye used to color the tsitsit (ritual fringes) and priestly garments of ancient Israel.

What a privilege it was to learn alongside these young adults who were enrolled in The Object is the Object, Dr. Barry Freundel’s freshman seminar at Towson University.   On Thursday, November 10, Dr. Zivotofsky expertly took the students on a journey from biblical to modern times, exploring the early textual references to ptil tekhelet, which are repeated daily in the Sh’ma blessing: “And it [ptil tekhelet] shall be for you as a fringe, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of G-d, and do them…” (Numbers 15:38-39).

The symbolism of ptil tekhelet is multifold; the rich blue colors recall the ocean and the infinite sky, reminding us of G-d’s presence in the world and of the bond between the wearer and G-d.

Yet, over time, the wearing of tekhelet became relegated only to royalty, placed under restrictions during Roman times, and ultimately banned after the Arab conquest. Thus, the source of this special dye was lost to modern knowledge, only to be rediscovered following research and exploration in the late 20th century.  Citing sources in the Talmud that referred to the special properties of tekhelet, researchers embarked on numerous diving expeditions off the coast of northern Israel that led to the identification of the most likely match for the chilazon.   As it turns out, the dye is derived from a relatively rare snail found in the Mediterranean.   This murex trunculus shellfish found off the coast of what was once ancient Phoenicia contains a special gland that produces the indigo-colored permanent dye. Today, the ancient dying process used to make tekhelet has been revived and wearers of the blue threads can be seen throughout the Jewish world.

At the end of last week’s class, students were intrigued by another challenging question posed by Dr. Freundel.  Why is Dr. Zivotofsky making history this week through his visit to the US?  Clearly, the answer was not in the tekhelet lesson just learned.  They will no doubt Google Dr. Zivotofsky and learn that he has sued the US State Department on behalf of his son, born in 2002 in Jerusalem at Shaare Zedek hospital.  His suit, now being heard by the Supreme Court, requests that the plaintiff’s passport records Jerusalem, Israel as the place of birth. Although this may seem obvious to some, the ruling on this seemingly benign passport case will have far-reaching implications on US foreign policy. Learn more about this>>

What interesting times we live in!  Students at Towson, from a variety of faith traditions, are learning to appreciate the “hows, whys and whens” of Jewish ritual and religious practice throughout history.  Courses such as Dr. Freundel’s tie ancient texts to modern traditions, while also demonstrating the inextricable historic link of the Jewish people to the modern land of Israel.  Yet, at the same time, students on college campuses throughout the world are barraged with messages that seek to undermine or at least call into question Israel’s very right to exist as a Jewish state.  As revisionist “historians” gain traction with naïve and impressionable audiences, Israel advocacy is more important than ever.

Which brings me to Israel Advocacy Day.

On Sunday, November 13, threads of blue were boldly displayed on the graphic design for the Israel Advocacy Conference.  Baltimore Hebrew Institute of Towson University was proud to be one of 18 communal organizations who sponsored this important event.  Attendees reflected the broadest spectrum of Israel advocates, from the far left to the far right, underscoring the importance of unconditional dialogue and engagement in the complex issues that affect Israel today.  Shoshana Cardin honored her parents’ memory as she introduced the day’s Sraiah and Chana Shoubin Memorial Lecturer, William Daroff, with recollections of her father.  Sraiah Shoubin had wisely taught her that it was ok to sometimes disagree with Israel and its policies, while also underscoring the critical and enduring importance of Israel to the Jewish people.  Daroff expertly presented a succinct review of Israel’s history vis-a-vis the Palestinian conflict, emphasizing the key facts that we need to remember in order to confidently advocate for Israel in a variety of settings.

At the Israel Advocacy event, I was energized by being in the room with community members who shared my passion, commitment and concern for Israel’s well-being.  However, the most encouraging aspect of the day was the presence of young adults, in high school, college and grad school, who were, like me, fine tuning the important messages and arguments that they will use in their own Israel conversations.  Their job will be harder than mine, for Israel is increasingly being delegitimized amongst the younger generation.  And so with a renewed sense of purpose, I will return to my job supporting the BHI-affiliated Judaic studies courses at Towson, which reaffirms our important mission of Jewish education.   Next week’s presentation in Dr. Freundel’s class will deal with the Jewish ritual objects the etrog (representing the heart) and the shofar (a call to action).  I cannot imagine two more fitting symbols to capture the emotion and necessity of the times.

RELATED ARTICLES:
Relationships Matter When it Comes to Israel>>
Honor Gilad’s Return with a Tree>>
How Well Do You Know Your Sister City?>>
How to Advocate for Israel When You Don’t Agree With All of Its Policies>>

Read more by Erika Schon>>

Shoshana S. Cardin Announces 2011 Shoubin Lecture: William Daroff

By: Baltimore Hebrew Institute

On Sunday morning, November 13, our community will come together at the Owings Mills JCC to share ideas, broaden our knowledge and show our support for Israel. The Israel Advocacy Conference evolved out of a meeting of a group of Jewish communal professionals who hail from the broad spectrum of the Jewish community. What began initially as an effort to share programming ideas quickly became a forum with a long agenda and a desire for community collaboration.   Ultimately, 18 community organizations and agencies joined the conversation, lay leaders were enlisted, and the Israel Advocacy Conference was conceived, planned and will soon take place.

The Baltimore Hebrew Institute at Towson University, through the support of Shoshana S. Cardin and her family, is honored to bring the keynote speaker to this event. As a way to honor the memory of her parents, Mrs. Cardin created a generous endowment fund for a lecture series that originally took place every other year at Baltimore Hebrew University. Shoshana’s parents were avid Zionists who made Aliyah to Israel when they were young. Unfortunately, although they planned to eventually move back to Israel, they never did, for a variety of reasons. Shoshana’s father, Sraiah, was a staunch supporter of Israel and a leader of the Zionist movement. He was committed to keeping conversational Hebrew alive in the Diaspora. Sraiah also believed in making an honest assessment of Israel, including its “warts.” He did not feel that this attitude in any way detracted from his abiding love for Israel.

Sraiah taught Hebrew in the U.S. for many years. He wanted American Jews to interact with Israelis in a meaningful way, and felt that the best way to make this happen was for Americans to learn Hebrew.

The first two Shoubin lectures were actually delivered in Hebrew. However, in order to reach a broader audience, subsequent lectures were all delivered in English. The message of each lecture related in a substantive way to the idea that we in the Diaspora are inextricably intertwined with our fellow Jews in Israel.  Israel’s future depends on our love, support and in some cases, even constructive criticism.

William Daroff, Vice President for Public Policy and Director of the Washington Office of United Jewish Communities will deliver the Shoubin Lecture at the close of the Advocacy Conference. Daroff is a leading advocate for the American Jewish community’s agenda in Washington, D.C. He is a respected voice for the national Jewish community and is a key player in both domestic and foreign policy issues.

We hope that you can attend.

EVENT DETAILS:
Israel!  A Morning of Advocacy, Education & Community
Sunday, November 13, 2011
8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
See the full agenda and register online at www.baltglobalimpact.org/advocate

RELATED ARTICLES:
Relationships Matter When it Comes to Israel>>
Honor Gilad’s Return with a Tree>>
How Well Do You Know Your Sister City?>>

Relationships Matter When it Comes to Israel

Did you know that last year the United States Congress appropriated THREE BILLION DOLLARS in security assistance to Israel as part of the overall Foreign Aid Bill?  Or that more than three quarters of both the House and Senate recently co-sponsored a piece of legislation backing tougher sanctions on Iran in an effort to prevent them from obtaining a nuclear weapon?  Why is it that the United States and our top legislative body are so committed to Israel’s safety and security?

The answer is simple: YOU.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) encourages and empowers everyday American citizens like you to enter and participate in the political process.  Every day AIPAC activists are reaching out to members of Congress by phone, email or by visiting them personally on the hill or in their home district to educate them on the importance of a strong relationship between the U.S. and Israel.  As relationships between AIPAC activists and members of Congress grow, so does that member’s level of knowledge about Israel – and why she is such a strategic asset to the United States.

To learn more about AIPAC and how YOU can make a difference in the U.S.-Israel relationship, go to www.aipac.org.  You can also come to the “Israel! A morning of advocacy, education and community” conference on Sunday, November 13. The Shoubin Lecture/keynote address will be by William Daroff, Vice President for Public Policy & Director of the Washington Office of the Jewish Federations of North America. Eight breakout sessions will offer informative and action-oriented topics such as Israeli history, politics, current events, how to advocate, ways to get involved through AIPAC and more!

RELATED ARTICLES:
Honor Gilad’s Return with a Tree

How Well Do You Know Your Sister City?

How well do you know Baltimore’s Sister City, Ashkelon?

The Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership, launched in 2003, has set people-to-people connections as its top priority. Through a variety of venues, the Partnership provides a wonderful opportunity for Baltimoreans and Ashkelonim to bond with their brothers and sisters overseas on issues of shared concern.

How well do you know your sister city? Test yourself to see if you can answer these five questions (don’t peak, answers are at the bottom).

1. Ashkelon is how many miles away from Tel Aviv?
2. How many people live in Ashkelon?
3. How many of those people were born in Israel?
4. What are Ashkelon’s dominant business arenas?
5. How many boats can dock at Ashkelon’s marina at any given time?

You can find these answers, and more, on the Baltimore-Ashkelon Virtual Community.

Or, you can come to “Israel! A morning of advocacy, education and community” on Sunday, November 13. The Shoubin Lecture/keynote address will be by William Daroff, Vice President for Public Policy & Director of the Washington Office of the Jewish Federations of North America. Eight breakout sessions will offer informative and action-oriented topics such as Israeli history, politics, current events, how to advocate when you don’t agree, ways to get involved through the Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership and more!

Learn more and register now>>

1. 44 miles; 2. 128,000; 3. 69 percent; 4. tourism, light industry and services; 5. 600

Meet Andrea: Birthright Israel

Andrea Greenwald had never travelled out of the country, let alone to Israel. She had heard about Taglit-Birthright Israel, the organization providing the gift of first time, peer group, educational trips to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18-26, through her “more Jewish” friends in college. However, at the age of 26, she still hadn’t made the choice to apply.

“I knew the cut-off was 27, so I decided, this was my last opportunity. I just knew I had to do it,” says Andrea. She applied and was accepted to THE ASSOCIATED’s IMPACT Birthright Israel Experience in January 2011.

Andrea wanted to meet new friends, experience Israeli culture and food. What Andrea did not know was that this trip was what she needed to awaken a deep spiritual connection to her Judaism – and to the Jewish community.

“It was unbelievable. None of us knew each other and we just all sat down on the bus with these Israeli soldiers from our sister city, Ashkelon, that first day,” she recounts. “There was an immediate connection.”

She was enthralled by her climb up Masada and awe-struck by the view –and the history – and the top of the mountain. She relished her couple of hours floating in the Dead Sea and smothering her body with its mud. It was going to the Kotel, the Western Wall, however, “that was very emotional for me.”

“It just inspired me. It made me appreciate my Judaism so much more, being there, touching the wall, being able to put a note in the wall,” says Andrea. “Being at the Wall on Shabbat, it was incredible to be amongst all those people just like me.”

Taglit-Birthright Israel’s founders created the Birthright program to send thousands of young Jewish adults from all over the world to Israel as a gift to diminish the growing division between Israel and Jewish communities around the world; to strengthen the sense of solidarity among world Jewry; and to strengthen participants’ personal Jewish identity and connection to the Jewish people. THE ASSOCIATED’s allocation to Birthright provides hundreds of youth studying at our area colleges and universities, and young adults living in our community, the chance to have this experience.

“To me, Birthright was life-changing,” Andrea says. “I made friendships I know will last forever. Now that I am back at home, I want to get involved; I want to be a part of Jewish Baltimore, because I feel like I am part of something bigger.”

DONATE NOW to THE ASSOCIATED’s Annual Campaign>>

Meet The Seegulls: Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership

Eleven-year-old Ezra Seegull had never been out of the country, and certainly not to Israel. But this past summer, he and his younger brother, Ronen, travelled with their parents, Diane and Larry, all the way across the ocean.

“It was amazing!” says Ezra, from  his Reisterstown home, months after their trip to Israel. “We went all over the country, up north to the Golan and into the south. We went everywhere but Eilat!”

The experience took Ezra’s breath away, he says, and he cannot wait to return. The most meaningful part of his travels, however, was his trip to our sister city, Ashkelon.

The Seegulls decided they wanted their children to have a hands-on community service experience in Israel. Diane says she wanted the kids to have a chance to give back to the country and to understand that while their trip may take them to the most beautiful parts of our Jewish homeland, there are still many needs in Israel. She also wanted her children to experience Ashkelon.

Seegull called THE ASSOCIATED, and through our Partnership Director in Israel, Sigal Ariely, and Missions Director, Maia Hoffman, a hands-on project at Orr Shaolom was arranged. These types of projects are possible because of the close-ties between our sister cities, the new Stewart and Marlene Greenebaum Volunteer Center in Ashkelon and the volunteer coordinators on both sides of the ocean.

Orr Shaolom is a home for children-at-risk, whose parents could no longer keep them for any number of reasons. The youth are kept at the facility, where they are raised by a dorm mother, offered homework help and emotional counseling. The boys, of course, were told only the minimum. For them, meeting with the children of Orr Shaolom was more about exchanging cultures with their Israeli peers and doing a mitzvah.

“We made candy bags for children in the hospital,” says Ezra, who has pictures of himself with the Orr Shaolom children decorating bags and stuffing them with delicious treats. “I’m not fluent in Hebrew, but I know a little because of going to Beth Tfiloh [Dahan Community School], so I was able to interact.”

“I was so pleased to watch this – using their Hebrew and doing something that I know will stick,” says Mom. “We were so moved by the whole thing that Larry and I decided to make a gift to Orr Shaolom. Larry and I have always been involved in THE ASSOCIATED, but now we have a much deeper understanding of what it means to have a Sister City and we can better convey the importance to others.”

Ashkelon is a small city, says Diane, and it makes Baltimore’s impact strong and noticeable. She says she was thrilled to see the Lyn Stacie Getz Playground and the Nesher Ethiopian Teen Center that the Russel Family recently supported.

“It is so nice to go there and see something tangible,” says Diane. “When we put our resources into one area, the results are evident.”

She applauds the number of people who visit Ashkelon – over 1,000 from Baltimore in a given year, including hundreds of teens. She says having a sister city is good for Ashkelon, but it’s essential for us in Baltimore.

“Even though Israel is 6,000 miles away, we really felt connected with the people of Israel through Ashkelon and we need to make sure that connection holds,” says Diane. “It is such a special feeling to be a part of the global Jewish community and I just hope that everyone, one day, has a chance to experience it.”

Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership Virtual Community Launch Party

A new interactive website has just launched for the Baltimore Jewish community, but it takes interactions outside of Baltimore and across the ocean to our sister city in Israel, Ashkelon. The new website, www.baltimoreashkelon.org, will go live to the public on September 19, 2011, at what THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore is calling a “virtual community launch party.” At the event, they say,more than 100 people will celebrate the site’s launch with Israeli hors d’oeuvres, networking, music and prizes.

The site was built using Q-Markets, an Israeli company with offices in Maryland. The innovative technology enables forums, blogs, photo and video sharing, voting/ranking, commenting and more all in one website.

The site is the next step in the Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership, which was founded by THE ASSOCIATED with the Jewish Agency for Israel in 2003. Over the last year, more than 1,000 individuals travelled from Baltimore to Ashkelon to visit the city and volunteer. This summer, Baltimore sent hundreds of youth to Ashkelon as part of the JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest and the Diller Teen Fellows program. Baltimore and Ashkelon have been sister cities since 2003.

The launch party will take place at the Weinberg Park Heights Jewish Community Center, located at 5700 Park Heights Avenue. For more information or to join in the fun, REGISTER NOW>>

 

Learn more about THE ASSOCIATED’s Global Impact>>

A day in the life of JDC-Odessa

Alan Gill, Executive Director, International Relations at The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, recently spent a day in the field in Odessa.  This was his experience:

I write after a day in the life of JDC-Odessa, with an extraordinary feeling of inspiration that comes with being at the core of our most essential work, and with a great sense of privilege and humility to be a part of this precious Jewish enterprise.
 
I hope that, in the words and photos that follow, you might get an appreciation for the impact of your incredible gift of Beit Grand to this wonderful and caring Jewish community in which your grandparents and family before them were rooted for generations. 

Read the full article>>