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Jewish Community News www.jfedps.org The Publication of the Jewish Federation of the Desert Tammuz/Av 5779 - August 2019 Federation Institutes PJ Library Grandparents Initiative Attention Bubbes, Zaydes, Savtas and Sabas! PJ Library, the program that sends free, award-winning books that celebrate Jewish values and culture to families with children six months through 8 years old (plus PJ Our Way for children 9-11, who choose their own free books), is now offering a free program for grandparents of children enrolled in the program. Mary Levine and grandson Teddy Phyllis Pepper and great-grandson Asher To enroll you must have a grandchild with an active PJ Library subscription. Carol Luber and granddaughter Remy Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and PJ Library is made possible by the Upon verification, grandparents PJ Library programming locally and Simchat Torah. PJ Library Alliance, Jewish Federations will receive two PJ Library books wherever their grandchildren live. To enroll, go online to pjlibrary. throughout North America including in the mail, monthly emails with Here in the Coachella Valley, PJ org/enrollGP. (For families with our Jewish Federation of the Desert, recipes and activities, updates on Library programs are coordinated young children who are not yet part thousands of generous supporters books and activities being sent to by Federation staff member Leslie of PJ Library: become part of this and the Harold Grinspoon their grandchildren, and PJ Library’s Pepper ([email protected]). wonderful program by going to their Foundation. PROOF magazine. There will also Activities in September/October will website: pjlibrary.org and enroll your be opportunities to contact with focus on the upcoming holidays: Rosh child[ren] now). US Senate Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Prioritize Health Care for Holocaust Survivors Jewish News Syndicate On July 18, 2019, U.S. Senators “TIME for Holocaust Survivors obligation to provide Holocaust forgetting those who survived Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Kevin Cramer Act,” would incorporate several survivors the community support the horrors of the Holocaust. This (R-N.D.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) provisions into the Older Americans and special services they need to bipartisan bill will make important introduced legislation that would Act (OAA) to ensure that Holocaust live out their final days.” updates to the Older Americans Act prioritize health care and nutrition survivors have coordinated, “Those who sought shelter in to ensure that Holocaust survivors services for Holocaust survivors, trauma-informed care and services our country after the unspeakable are not left behind,” said Rosen. increasing the likelihood they could particularly tailored their needs. tragedy of the Holocaust deserve “Integrating trauma-informed continue to live in their own homes “Holocaust survivors came to the better assistance, not worse,”practices into these programs will rather than be forced into nursing United States seeking refuge from said Cramer. “This legislation is a improve care for seniors who have homes or assisted-living facilities. unimaginable horrors. They have productive step toward helping had traumatic experiences, the The Trauma-Informed lived their lives here and enriched survivors receive the quality care effects of which can resurface when Modernization of Eldercare for our nation,” said Cardin. “With they need.” they age.” Holocaust Survivors Act, or the an average age of 85, we have an “ ‘Never Again’ means never continued on next page continued from previous page co-sponsor the TIME for Holocaust the challenges of aging alone, often to those of other older Americans, “We are proud to support this Survivors Act, and work with Senate without family to care for them. but the sights, sounds and smells bipartisan bill introduced by leadership to pass this bill soon.” Holocaust survivors continue to of institutionalized settings, such as Senators Cardin, Cramer and Rosen The JFNA and more than 300 live with the unique mental and confined spaces or restrictions on that will ensure that the 80,000 aging national, state and local organizations physical scars of the unconscionable food, can induce panic, anxiety and Holocaust survivors living in the have expressed their support for the trauma caused during World War II. re-traumatization as a result of their United States today, all with unique TIME for Holocaust Survivors Act. Aging survivors have needs similar experiences. traumas and health concerns, have About 80,000 survivors of the access to the care and services they Holocaust reside in the United Outgoing Federation need,” said William Daroff, the Jewish States, with approximately 25 Board Co-Chair Allan Federations of North America’s percent living at or below poverty Lehmann, CEO Bruce senior vice president for public level. Heart conditions, bone and Landgarten, Incoming policy. “As a key priority for Jewish feet issues, and dental problems are Chair Roberta Nyman Federations and the hundreds of common for this demographic, as and Outgoing Board organizations from every state are depression, anxiety and sleep Co-Chair Celia Norian at in the country that support this disorders. Many are isolated from Jewish Federation Annual Meeting May 6, 2019. initiative, we urge every senator to their communities and enduring 2019-2020 JEWISH FEDERATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Roberta Nyman, Board Chair Lori Fritz, Campaign Chair Arnie Gillman, Vice Campaign Chair Phil Glass, Treasurer Stephanie Ross, Secretary Allan Lehmann, Past Co-Chair Celia Norian, Past Co-Chair Roberta Nyman Lori Fritz Arnie Gillman Phil Glass Stephanie S. Ross Celia Norian Allan Lehmann Bruce Landgarten, Board Chair Campaign Chair Campaign Treasurer Secretary Immediate Past Board Co-Chairs Chief Executive Officer Vice Chair Elliot Cohen Margie Kulp Jackie Cohen Ron Langus Judith Cohen Bernard Reiter Bobbi Holland Gary Schahet Table of Contents Vol. 46 • No. 1 Elliot Cohen Jackie Cohen Judith Cohen Bobbi Holland Marjorie Kulp Ron Langus Bernard Reiter Gary Schahet Community Calendar 14 Federation 2-4, 23 Lecture Series 15 Bruce PJ Library 1 Landgarten, Chief Schools/School Listing 21 Executive Officer Simchas & Classifieds 22 Temples Listing 14 Order Your Holiday Greetings Today! Tributes 10-11 See Back Page. Deadline September 1. 2 • JCN • August 2019 • Tammuz/Av 5779 • www.jfedps.com After almost ten years on the job, I once again sat down with Bruce Landgarten, our Jewish Federation’s CEO, to discuss the Desert’s Jewish community and his role in the changes that have taken place at the Jewish Federation. --- Miriam H. Bent, Editor, JCN An Interview with the CEO: Envisioning the Future JCN: How would you describe our are to us is paying dues or not. Let’s an end. Transformation can be messy. agencies. Our new model is based on Federation? be honest, we need them more than We have embraced that messiness priorities, partnership and leverage. Bruce Landgarten: Being a they need us. We have to show that and charged ahead – without letting We are focused on the people in relatively smaller we are valuing their engagement, anything slow us down. the community that need us and – and, for many, their affiliation, at whatever level they the challenges we must meet. This is seasonal -- Jewish choose. It’s our job as professionals JCN: If transformation is a process the foundation of the transformed community, our and as community leaders to cultivate without an end, what will the next Federation. It is our unique and Federation is THE them to do more in the community, five years look like? powerful value proposition. Jewish address both philanthropically and in human BL: We’ll build on its successes in the Desert. As capital. and learn from its failures as both JCN: Are we different from other significant as are the many temples, a laboratory and model for Jewish Federations? we are the one organization that JCN: Have you made changes since communal engagement. We will BL: Many Federation’s identify is there for everyone. We are the you are here? invest significantly more resources themselves as fundraising agency that reaches out to everyone, BL: It’s not so much changes that in our Israel Advocacy and Education organizations and judge their assessing issues and meeting needs. I’ve made, it’s more of changes that I so that our community can speak to successes by the size of their It rests on us to create the closeness was brought here to implement. The the complex challenges facing Israel campaigns. We are not a fundraising that doesn’t exist elsewhere because structure has changed over the years, with clarity and passion. People will organization. We are a forward there are no communal facilities. but a lot of the change is around know that we are the central address thinking, problem-solving There’s no JCC ( Jewish Community language. Federation is the umbrella for the Jewish community. Above all, organization that raises funds to Center) here, so it becomes our role of the community. ... If you notice, we will continue to transform. support our mission and our work. to create the environment that brings people don’t talk about local agencies everyone together. There is no other including Fed – they sometimes talk JCN: Roadblocks in this process? JCN: What is your buzz word in central place. about Jewish community. It’s more BL: We had critics and faced our this approach? about changing that mindset among criticism head BL: “Strategic Philanthropy.” It’s a JCN: In past articles you’ve written the professionals that we can’t talk on. We learned dynamic outgrowth of this intensive you focused on affiliation or about ourselves as separate entities. that we had a work of ours, it’s not directed engagement. Why are these words When I arrived my leadership and major perception giving. It’s both a pragmatic and on your mind? Do they mean the I embarked on a journey to make a problem.