2018 Annual Community Campaign Kicks Off with Oct. 15 Dinner
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Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks Non-Profit Organization Jewish Cultural Center, PO Box 14925 U.S. Postage PAID Reading, PA 19612-4925 Permit No. 2 readingjewishcommunity.org Reading, PA Change Service Requested Enriching Lives Volume 47, No. 10 October 2017 Tishri-Heshvan 5778 ShaloThe Journal of the Reading Jewish Communitym published by1 the Jewish0 Federation1 of Reading/Berks7 Your Federation Supports: 2018 Annual Community Campaign Jewish Education Food Pantry kicks off with Oct. 15 dinner Friendship Circle Chevra Federation’s Leadership Gifts anyone interested in attending the Dinner on Oct. 15 marks the start reception and dinner with Dr. Wittes. Community Shabbat of the 2018 Annual Community For those who are unable to Campaign. attend the dinner, there will be a free Reading Jewish Film Series The event will be held this year at and open community lecture by Dr. Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom, Wittes at 7 p.m. followed by a dessert PJ Library and our speaker is Tamara Wittes, reception. Jewish Family Service Senior Fellow at the Brookings You can register for the Leadership Institute - Center for Middle East Gifts Dinner or the community lecture Jewish Cultural Center Peace. online at ReadingJewishCommunity. The dinner begins with a org or by email to brendas@jfreading. Lakin Holocaust Library reception for Dr. Wittes at 4:30 p.m. org or by calling Federation at & Resource Center A contribution of $1,200 per person 610.921.0624. toward the 2018 Annual Community Registrations are requested no Israel & Overseas Campaign is recommended for later than Oct. 9. Camp Scholarships Leo Camp Lecture to feature constitutional scholar Israel Trips By Amanda J. Hornberger laws and technologies necessary to Jewish Community Privacy and security are two hot- accomplish these goals. He describes button topics currently in the news. In the challenges for businesses and High School a speech titled “The U.S. Constitution: citizens of living in the world of Facebook Emergency Support Honoring the Past, Imagining the Future” and Google where everything we do is Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO of recorded and it’s hard to escape your Lakin Preschool the National Constitution Center, will past. address these and other pressing issues Our speaker is also a leading Richard J. Yashek Lecture regarding our constitution and privacy expert on the Supreme Court and the Transportation concerns. Rosen will give the 38th judicial system. His latest book, Louis Annual Leo Camp Memorial Lecture at D. Brandeis: American Prophet, was Maimonides Society Albright College on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at published on June 1, 2016, the 100th 7:30 p.m. anniversary of Brandeis’s Supreme Court Your Jewish Legacy Rosen is one of the leading speakers Confirmation. and writers on the issue of privacy and Special thanks to the Camp family 92ND ST Y Programs security in America. He is a strong for sponsoring this annual lecture, in Joint Distribution Committee advocate of using well-designed laws memory of Leo Camp, a beloved member and technologies to strike an effective of our community. Meir Panim and reasonable balance between liberty, The lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m. privacy, and security, and he offers on Tuesday, Oct. 24th in the Chapel at for more information, please contact Annual Campaign a penetrating account of why some Albright College and is free and open Amanda at [email protected] or Jewish Agency for Israel are reluctant to adopt the appropriate to the public. If you have questions or call 610-921-0624. Yemin Orde School Education Programs Reading community steps up after hurricanes Interfaith Unity Council Our Reading Jewish community should continue to raise serious health concerns, first-aid responders also flew from Israel to be proud to have raised more than $18,000 to especially for many seniors. Florida. In addition, the Israeli government Israel Advocacy support the relief efforts in hurricane ravaged One hundred percent of funds raised sent $1 million to Houston for relief efforts. areas. will be used to help those victimized. Your IsraAID is a non-governmental Youth Events Among those affected, Hurricane Harvey funds supported the efforts of three relief organization committed to providing life- Great Decisions Series brought catastrophic damage to hundreds organizations. JFNA immediately set up saving disaster relief and long-term support. of Jewish families and multiple Jewish the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund to help For over a decade, its teams of professional Jewish Community community institutions. In Houston, nearly meet urgent needs such as food, medicine, medics, search & rescue squads, post- three-quarters of the city’s Jewish population cleaning supplies, and trauma counseling trauma experts and community mobilizers, Relations Council live in areas that were flooded, and nearly and to enable rebuilding. Our network of have been first on the front lines of nearly every Jewish-owned business and institution local and international partners means we every major humanitarian crisis in the 21st Community Holiday Programs felt the impact. One thousand Jewish families can respond quickly and effectively to these century. Victims in Charleston, S.C.; Haiti; Women’s Philanthropy have been displaced from their homes for emergencies. Sierra Leone; South Sudan; Japan; Jordan 8-12 months. Several of the largest Jewish Your funds also supported IsraAid, one of and Kenya have all been helped by IsraAid Jewish Federations institutions were heavily damaged and cannot the teams Israel sent to aid Florida, Texas, emergency response actions. reopen until remediation and rehabilitation Mexico, Haiti, and the Caribbean to help And your funds also helped NECHAMA, of North America is completed. Although Hurricane Irma’s recovery efforts. Their volunteers rushed to a U.S. voluntary Jewish organization that Counseling Services unexpected shift to Florida’s west coast help in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey provides natural disaster preparedness, spared most of Florida’s largest Jewish in Texas and then proceeded to Florida to response, and recovery services nationwide. Leo Camp Lecture population centers from what could have help local people pick up the pieces after that NECHAMA volunteers are planning to be been a terrible disaster, long-term power devastating storm. Eight experts in search in Texas and Florida for at least six months Shabbat B’Yachad outages in Florida’s hot and humid climate and rescue, and medical and psychological providing relief and repair assistance. Page 2 SHALOM October 2017 Legacy gifts ensure strong future for community By Richard Nassau received that many of us might consider remains the cornerstone of what you do for Development Director routine. You have provided them with our Jewish community. Your legacy gift is The next time answers to questions, “how will I feed my later. It is a critical way that ensures we can someone asks, “What child or get to the doctor or find services remain a strong Jewish community. do you do,” tell them that will help my parents? There are also concerns that a legacy you make a difference Having stability is so very important. It gift is an all or nothing gift. It is not. For in people’s lives. It is makes a difference in people’s lives and many, the Jewish community is their first t not a humble statement should not be taken lightly. choice, but it is not their only choice. So it and yes, it does sound The beginning of a new Jewish year is with a charitable bequest. Studies have awkward when repeated reminds me of how fortunate I am. It also found that American Jews are more likely to n out loud. However, it is reminds me of how uncertain life can be. leave a bequest to many different charities, also true. You may not It is a time when I think about the past and not just the Jewish ones. I am proud to say think about it much or have a chance to talk with others about the future. I speak that nearly one-quarter of American Jews see it in action every day, but you do make with family and friends about changes that provide for charities in their wills. This is e a real difference in lives. occurred and we discuss the transitions nearly twice the number of people outside We’ve started a New Year. My wish for we’ve all experienced. When I do this, I of the Jewish community who leave a the year is that all the thanks I hear from admit it makes my life feel very unstable. charitable gift in their will. people for all you do is bundled and given Stability, especially for our community, Please take a moment to consider directly to you. Each individual thank-you is why you keep hearing from me about adding a charitable bequest in your will for has a story, a reason. Yet, there are certain creating your Jewish legacy. How your a Jewish cause you care about. It is easy m themes that repeat and run through many of legacy gift brings stability to our future. It to do. Your Jewish legacy means a stable them. One that I find meaningful at this time serves as the foundation we need for an future. Youare the source that can ensure in the Jewish calendar is stability. People uncertain future. we remain a vibrant Jewish community. p are thankful because you have given them When I bring up the subject of legacy Contact me, [email protected], for stability in their life. gifts, there is a concern that it will cause more information about how you can bring You have given people a stable us to lose our focus and overlook today’s stability into lives and continue making a foundation because of services they’ve needs.