December 2019
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the December 2019 ShA Publication of the Jewishfar Federation of Greater Chattanooga Building a Better Save a Child’s Heart Jewish Life Austin Center Michael Dzik This past month, I’ve been [email protected] keeping a record of anti-Semitic 893-5443 incidents across the world. They I just returned from a first-time, have been rising at an alarming rate. interactive Federation Laboratory Recently Michael Dzik, Rob Lowe conference in Washington, DC, where and I attended Federation Laboratory nearly 700 volunteers and staff from throughout North (FedLab), a strategic thinking and planning conference for America met to discuss challenges facing the Jewish the over 700 Jewish Federations of North America leaders. community. Austin Center, Rob Lowe and I were there The purpose of FedLab is to gain a new perspective on the representing Chattanooga. key issues and opportunities challenging all of our Jewish There were three tracks: Security (Austin took communities, in order to make them more resilient. this one), Action for Good (Rob) and Engagement (me). When we speak about the accomplishments of our This was an immersive experience that allowed us the Federation and the people we help, we are speaking of the freedom of honest discussion. Small groups (6-7 people) work we do as Jews here in Chattanooga and around the were created within each track and the group composition world. I would like to share a story from Israel about an changed every few hours, so you were always with new organization called Save a Child’s Heart based out of Edith people from different Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, communities. from the from the Israel. I brought A group of Israeli doctors home several new executive director board chair formed this organization back ideas about how to in the early 1990s. One of the engage our newest--and oldest--community members. I first patients was a young Ethiopian boy, age 15, who was learned that the Federation must have an obsessive focus living on the street with a life-threating heart problem. on the individual: their needs, wants and connectivity to the These doctors, lead by co-founder Sion Houri, administered Jewish community. We must meet each person where they the treatment that saved his life. That child later started a are in their Jewish journey. school for homeless street kids in Ethiopia. Through these conversations, I recognized how Since then, Save a Child’s Heart has saved over truly enormous the Jewish world is. I also discovered the 5,000 children’s lives, including more than 2,000 from joy in how small it can become as we connect and engage the West Bank and Gaza, 300 from Iraq and Syria and with one another. Building on these connections, via thousands of others from over 57 countries. Save a Child’s Federation staff and volunteers, will enable all Jews to “do Heart has been honored by the UN for their work. In a time Jewish” in whatever ways they want. where antisemitism is at a record high and incidents and The Federation is no longer saying, “We want you attacks seem like a daily horror, we can never lose sight to do something for us.” Instead, we want to help you find that, as a Jewish people, we continue to make a difference what it is in Jewish experience, learning, practice, and in the world. community that will help you live your life and be Jewish I feel a responsibility, and I hope you do too, to for your own betterment and that of the world. spread hope by telling these stories and more--the stories I want every Jewish person to feel a part of of the great works we do in our community and around the something special. A place they can explore and ask world, saving not only hearts, but minds and lives. questions and find their own meaningful experiences. Meaningful Jewish engagement is intentional, thoughtful, authentic, and not forced. Our goal is to give people the tools to build the community they want to be a part of and that they want to share with others. Let’s build a stronger, more connected network of our Jewish community together. Together we can create countless opportunities to develop the skills, capacities, and inclinations necessary to live lives of meaning and purpose. I look forward to continue building a stronger, more united Jewish community together with each of you. 2 On Light and Being the Vessel Chanukah Community Candle Lighting* Ann Treadwell Sunday, December 22, 5:30 p.m. [email protected] 493-0270 ext 13 Bring your menorah to the JCC and light the first candle of Chanukah with us as a community. Enjoy delicious sufganiyot and latkes! I have been thinking about candles and light. I don’t Please bring donations of know if any of you have seen my key chain, but it says (in toiletries for Room in the Hebrew and in English) “Even a small light can brighten Inn and nonperishable great darkness - Baal Shem Tov.” I recently looked up food for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. Baal Shem Tov and discovered he was an 18th century leader who revolutionized Jewish thought. He also said, “When a Jewish person joins with their fellow Jews in a *A joint program with Hadassah Holy act, they fuse together into a vessel that can receive No cost but you must RSVP Heavenly blessings.” I am not a scholar of Judaism. But these quotes Foreign Policy Supper Club made me think about how light can traverse centuries. Local Hot Topics: Funding Public Education Daily, I interact with my key chain. Daily, I am reminded that a little bit of light can make a difference to someone. Monday, December 9 at 6 p.m. Sometimes it’s $12, RSVP hard to muster that from the light. For example, The last FPSC meetings program director the other day, after of the year are devoted to being cut-off on the local hot topics. When the highway four times, group was surveyed at the and then waiting in traffic, I had to think more than twice last meeting, they said they about letting the woman in the Krystal driveway turn into wanted to talk about Chatta- my lane. Just when I thought, “No random acts of kindness nooga’s funding of the public today!” I saw that her baby was screaming in her back seat. school system. To this end Clearly, she needed a little light. we have invited Josh Singh, Often when I dream, I dream of sculpture I want Director of Faith-Based & to create. Most recently I have been dreaming of vessels. Neighborhood Partnerships Many of the vessels in my post-dream sketches are made of light, or have light coming from them. These vessels are for UnifiEd, to the December meeting. very large, V-shaped pots with pinholes in the sides, made Josh is passionate about public education and of rope lights with an interior glow. Imagine my delight every child having a chance at succeeding in school when saw that the two Baal Shem Tov quotes were both and beyond. He’s also a voracious reader. When Uni- about light and vessels! It turns out that not just light can fiEd was founded in 2014, they spent months talking transcend time but ideas as well. to thousands of Hamilton county residents to get During this holiday season, think of how a small their input on how to ensure a great public education light can brighten darkness and how you can be the vessel for every child. The feedback shaped a four-point that fuses people together. vision for what great public schools look like for the community. One of these points is building commu- nity support for public schools by prioritizing fund- ing. $12 includes dinner and discussion. RSVP@ jewishchattanooga.com, 493-0270, or on the website at Jewishchattanooga.com. 3 CAMPAIGN 2020: from the wills. Second, we are making a concerted effort to reach out to Jewish community members who have not given campaign chair to our annual campaign in the past. So far this year we have received 44 new donations, and we antici- Let’s have a serious Jewish conver- pate more. Ready to make your gift? Every amount is sation. Our community is aging. No important. Third, we are asking for more volunteers. surprise there – it’s just reality. This in- We have over 40 ambassadors making calls to reach our formation has consequences for our 2020 current and soon-to-be donors. campaign. I have always been proud And finally we are trying very hard to reach out to Mike Spector of our community. Especially by the the younger generations to get them more involved. We respect we have received on the JFNA have a vibrant young adult group and have, for the last missions I have attended for the last three years. Our cam- many years, put on paign has always been exceptional based on the size of our a leadership training Jewish community. Although our community continues to series. be incredibly philanthropic, we are starting to see a decrease The leadership in overall dollars. Younger generations today are committed of your Jewish to other things --AIDS, cancer, and diabetes research, for Federation is plan- example--all very important causes. I believe these younger ning ahead. I look Jews are also committed to Jewish causes, and making sure forward to becoming that our Jewish community (and Jews around the world) the Board Chair in remains a priority is important to me.