Built for This Moment
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BUILT FOR THIS MOMENT 2020 ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT OUR MISSION Board of Directors Executive Committee TO BUILD, SECURE, Ava Kleinman, President AND SUSTAIN JEWISH Eileen Chepenik, Immediate Past President Ilene Turbow, President Elect LIFE IN CHARLESTON, Michael Mills, Vice President Hilary Rieck, Vice President IN ISRAEL, AND Sharon Hox, Vice President Elliott Lessen, Secretary AROUND THE WORLD. Brian Shulman, Treasurer Terry Fisher, Jewish Endowment Foundation President Board Members at Large David Beckmann, Ellen Hoffman, Kapri Kreps CJF fulfills our mission by providing Rhodes, Ellen Hoffman, Rachel Landis, Abigail resources that strategically align with Leibowitz, Joshua Reeves, Joann Sherman, our core priorities: Shara Star, Ijo Toporek Professional Team Cultivating Jewish Life, Culture, & Education Judi Corsaro, Chief Executive Officer [email protected] Enhancing and Deepening our Community’s Commitment to Jewish Jason Roebuck, SCN Regional Security Philanthropy Advisor, [email protected] Strengthening our Connection to Israel Rebecca Engel, Chief Development Officer and Jewish Peoplehood [email protected] Creating a Community of Shared Erin Boynton, Chief Impact Officer Responsibility: Vulnerable Populations [email protected] Engaging the Next Generation in Jewish Brandon Fish, Director of JCRC, Life: Engagement and Leadership [email protected] Development Natanya Miller, Director of Educational Securing our Jewish Institutions and Initiatives [email protected] Community, and Combating Samantha Krantz, REMEMBER Program Antisemitism Associate [email protected] Vicki Schmidt, Accountant [email protected] Kelly Stellrecht, Website Management [email protected] LETTER FROM PRESIDENT & CEO Dear Friend: In 2020, COVID-19 permeated every aspect of our lives. If that was not enough, antisemitism spiked along with all forms of hate. In spite of all these challenges, we witnessed in our Jewish community an outpouring of generosity and support, not just for the Jewish community but for the community at large. We saw resiliency, strength, and care from our communal leadership and our community members. Thanks to you, the Charleston Jewish Federation (CJF) responded to and supported our community’s most pressing issues, including meeting the needs of the most marginalized communities, combating antisemitism, advocating through Stamp Out Hate and the REMEMBER Program, and continued to work on the financial sustainability for our local organizations through LIFE & LEGACY and our Annual Community Campaign. CJF will never stop working hard to provide community resources and initiatives that help ensure the safety and well-being of our community members and Jewish institutions. The Charleston Jewish Federation has been working on behalf of the community since 1949. We worked hard throughout 2020, and will continue to be here in the future because of you—our donors. That is why we say: Charleston Jewish Federation was built for this moment. With gratitude, Ava Kleinman, President Judi Corsaro, CEO COMBATING ANTISEMITISM & ALL FORMS OF HATE No Hate No Fear Rally Stamp Out Hate SC In January, our Jewish Community Following the rally, the Stamp Out Relations Council (JCRC-GC) held the Hate SC coalition to pass hate crime No Hate, No Fear Rally at Synagogue legislation in South Carolina was Emanu-El, featuring speakers from formed, led by our JCRC-GC, the every community targeted by hate, Alliance for Full Acceptance, the government leaders at the local and Mother Emanuel AME Church, and state levels, and 500 community more than 100 South Carolina members. nonprofits, faith communities, and businesses. Building Bridges & Feeding the Hungry through Food Distribution The JCRC-GC’s Jewish communal response to hunger has moved to the Lowcountry’s “food deserts.” Last year, we distributed over 100,000 pounds of food, impacting an estimated 6,600 families. Our impact is deepened through meaningful partnerships with local grassroots neighborhood organizations working in our area’s most vulnerable communities. In just one year, our JCRC has become a force for justice, a challenge to food insecurity in the Lowcountry, and an amplified voice for the Jewish community on issues of critical importance. 100,000 6,600 For more information and to hear from those impacted by this work click here. REMEMBER Program for Holocaust Education and Genocide Awareness The REMEMBER Program shares the lessons from the Holocaust to build community among all races, faiths, and ethnicities, and inspires local citizens to take a stand against all forms of hate. As we shifted to the virtual world in 2020, the program's visibility expanded to 24 states, 4 countries, and reached over 6,500 people through our Speaker’s Bureau, which consists of survivors and their descendants. The children of survivors shared Joe Engel, Holocaust experiences of generational remembrance and how survivor, shares his the Holocaust continues to affect them through the story of survival with Stories Survived series. The 2020 virtual Yom over 1,000 viewers HaShoah Holocaust Remembrance program hit a record number of over 1,000 attendees. REMEMBER Project As part of the Remember Project, 20 teens from 8 schools met monthly to learn how to educate their communities about the Holocaust and stand up against hate. Because of their leadership, the REMEMBER Program was able to reach more students than ever Joe Zealberg shares his family's story of survival with through the Daffodil Project, The Speaker’s Bureau, and The Remember Project students at the first annual the work of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Generations of Shoah event 20 Teens Mike Engel shares his family's story of survival with the met to learn how to Remember Project students educate their communities about standing up against hate. 2020-2021 Remember Project meets on Zoom CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR OUR JEWISH TOMORROWS CHARLESTON JEWISH COMMUNITY FOR GRADUATING Charleston LIFE & LEGACY encourages donors to FROM HAROLD GRINSPOON’S fulfill their philanthropic goals and strengthen the entire local Jewish community through legacy giving. LIFE & LEGACY PROGRAM! While 2020 was the closing year of our initial four- year partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, our work continues in order to promote sustainability for generations to come. Over the last four years, nine local organizations participated and were awarded $211,000 in incentive grants to secure legacy pledges and formalized commitments. This has resulted in 270 donors and 515 legacy commitments worth an estimated $14.7 million in future dollars committed to the local Jewish community. 270 $14.7 515 MILLION in future dollars Mazal tov to our 2020 Community Award Winners! Every year we recognize volunteers for the extraordinary contributions they make to the Federation and our Jewish community. CJFS Family Services CJF William Ackerman CFJ Leadership Award: Volunteer of the Year: Volunteer of the Year: BRIAN SHULMAN JENNIFER MARON ILENE TURBOW Annual Campaign Annual Campaign Woman Who Makes Chair Award: Chair Award: a Difference: SHARON HOX ELLIOTT LESSEN JAN LIPOV Max Kirshstein Youth Max Kirshstein Youth Max Kirshstein Youth Endowment Award: Endowment Award: Endowment Award: SOPHIE LEVENSON LILY BLUESTEIN BECCA WHITE Meet the 2020 Max Kirshstein Award Winners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJEIQFKwYJE Holocaust Education & Advocacy Against Hate Local Holocaust survivors and children of survivors spoke to approximately 5,000 students, teachers, and community members. Proclamations to honor and remember the victims of the Holocaust were read at 7 local city and county council meetings. CJF provided support to 30 local families to help them talk to children about the difficult topics of antisemitism, racism, and Ann Fields shares her story of survival with current events through our partnership with students at Synagogue Emanu el the Anti-Defamation League. 2,500 daffodils were planted in Charleston as part of the Daffodil Project to remember the 1.5 million children murdered in the Students of all ages Holocaust. at Ashley Hall remember the Holocaust in their 500 community members of all Daffodil Project garden backgrounds came together to unite against all forms of hate and bigotry, and stand in solidarity against antisemitism at the No Hate No Fear Rally in February 2020. 100+ organizations, businesses, and faith communities joined the Stamp Out Hate SC coalition. ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES: Impact by the Numbers While we could not meet in person, the Charleston Jewish Federation provided opportunities to remain connected throughout the year. Thanks to your support, CJF continued to engage the community and showcased our resilience in a challenging year, including connecting 4,102 community members through virtual programs in 2020. To hear from those impacted by this work click here. The Stiefel kids love their Family and Teen Engagement PJ Library books! We received over 150 submissions to the annual Creative Arts and Literature Competition which provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their learning of the Holocaust through different artistic media. 5,400 PJ Library books distributed to over 450 local children in 252 Jewish families. 49 kids from 26 families enjoyed PJ Library take home kits With a 25% increase from the previous year, we accepted 9 new fellows into the Israel Education Fellowship program, a matching program that helps families save in order to send