S D I P A g R 0 r h 1 t o D 2 0 . 1 8 2 y s N r r a , d s A i y r e e R a v p i b n a G M n r m A F le d u f • Raf n O N ing ! a 0 t t , i h r xc ig 7 N E N 5 g y 7 er O 1 v h 5 I E s es T i , iz e r r P A a w m R y I e M u j / E a l y . 2 n - D 6 o , a w E V s F s w 2 i 010 N H w S I North W E J Sunday, May 2 nd ELI & BEN rd R Monday, May 3 CAMERA OBSCURA A Tuesday, May 4 th F SPRING OF 1941 Wednesday, May 5 th O WHITE BALANCE H MIDDLE EASTERN DINNER S ADAM RESURRECTED Thursday, May 6 th E NORA’S WILL Admission: $ 6.00 per film H Flex pass tickets (eight admissions): $ 36.00 available at the Jewish Federation until April 30th T This program is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Grand Rapids, Celebration! Cinema, the Rosenzweig-Coopersmith Foundation and private donors. See information on pages 6-7 INTERNATIONAL NEWS . JDC P ROGRAMS The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee By partnering with local municipalities and organizations around the world, JDC provides critical and innovative services such as relief and welfare, Jewish education, community and leadership development, and non-sectarian aid for the world’s most vulnerable populations in over 70 countries. In the Former Soviet Union (FSU), In Europe, JDC: JDC: • Provides food and other basic needs for • Provides vital relief such as food, medi - elderly Jews and reconnects them and their cal care, home care, and winter relief— to families to Jewish life. over 180,000* impoverished elderly Jews • Trains and develops local leadership to and critical nutritional, medical and other help them face the community challenges assistance to 28,000 children at risk and of a changing Europe. their families. • Engages thousands of youth in Jewish • Helps Jews reclaim their heritage and education and regional networking through camp experiences, build self-sufficient Jewish life through especially the flagship Lauder/JDC International Summer Camp at JCCs, libraries, Hillel Centers, family Szarvas, Hungary. retreats, Jewish education, and more. In Latin America, JDC: • Offers training in practical skills of • Provided welfare—food, medicines, rent, and utilities subsidies – welfare and community work, leadership to a peak caseload of 36,000 impoverished Jews impacted by the and management, academic expertise, and 2001 economic crisis in Argentina and currently serves some economic self-sufficiency to enhance com - 11,000. munities’ independence. • Helps restore individual self-sufficiency and reduce the welfare In Israel, JDC: caseload by providing job re-training, placement assistance, and • Develops strategic initiatives, in partner - micro-enterprise loans while re-establishing community indepen - ship with Israelis, to contend with the dence in Argentina. pressing social challenges facing the • Provides special assistance – food, milk, vitamins, vaccinations, country’s most vulnerable populations: equipment such as strollers, and day care services – to dozens of children and youth at risk, the elderly, peo - vulnerable young Jewish, Argentinian families and children living ple with disabilities, and vulnerable immi - below the poverty line. grants. • Covers the cost of the Bar and Bat Mitzvah program in Cuba, the • Provides relief to those living under fire first organized Jewish study effort on the island in nearly five in Sderot, the Gaza border region, and the decades. Over the last six years, 38 ceremonies have taken place. southern conflict zone in partnership with In Africa and Asia, JDC: the United Jewish Communities (UJC) • Helps fortify and sustain small, isolated yet vibrant Jewish com - Israel Emergency Campaign. munities such as Tunisia and India. • Offers research and expertise, through • Supports Jewish schools and cultural institutions that are pillars the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute, to of the communities in Morocco and Turkey. develop efficient and effective services for Through its International Development Program (IDP), JDC: the country’s most disadvantaged Israelis. • Responds to natural and manmade disasters that threaten people • Aims to decrease Israel’s level of pover - regardless of their race, religion, or nationality. ty by equipping the chronically unem - • Provides immediate relief and post-trauma assistance, such as ployed with skills and resources to suc - providing livelihood retraining, home refurbishment, rebuilding cessfully integrate populations with schools, constructing community centers, and creating playgrounds. extremely low workforce participation: • Establishes development programs such as the Women’s Health immigrants, people with disabilities, the Empowerment Program, a partnership with Susan G. Komen for the ultra-Orthodox, young adults, and Israeli Cure throughout Europe and the former Soviet Union and the Arabs. Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) for Rwandan orphans. • Coordinates the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief (JCDR) through which some 45 organizations provide a unified, Jewish In This Issue . response to natural and other disasters. International News . 2 Federation News . 3 Senior Programming . 4 OUR MISSION YAD News . 5 Jewish Federation of Grand Rapids supports cultural, social Community News . 5 and financial needs of Jews locally, in the State of Israel, and Film Festival . 6-8 around the world. School News . 9 Congregational News . 10 This mission is accomplished by providing services to the Endowment News . 11 community and through fundraising and allocation efforts. 2 FEDERATION NEWS . $600,000 The Jewish Federation will be holding our $500,000 Annual Allocations Meeting $400,000 $300,000 Wednesday, May 12, at 6:30 pm $200,000 at the Federation offices. $100,000 $50,000 The community is welcome to attend. $0 Please RSVP to 942-5553 Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell Community Mitzvah Day proclaims Day of Remembrance Temple Emanuel invites the entire Jeff Slotnick recently community to join us for our accepted a Days of Spring Mitzvah Day Remembrance proclamation from Sunday May 16, 2010 George Heartwell, Help Us Perform Mitzvot the Mayor of Grand Rapids, Throughout Our Community as we remembered the Come for a kosher hot dog lunch (or veggie dog) Holocaust, and urged at 12 Noon that all citizens promote human dignity and and then join a team. confront hate We need lots of volunteers to do work outside at whenever it occurs. • The Blandford Nature Center • The West Grand Neighborhood Organization Responding Rain Garden to Crises • Gilda's Club • The Temple Emanuel Cemetery In times of war, as in times of peace, our mission never falters; our efforts nev - We need lots of volunteers inside too – er cease. And throughout our • Creating snacks and sack suppers work, we are prepared and for Kid's Food Basket committed to meeting all the needs of Jews both in Israel and • Visiting with residents at Clark Retirement around the world. During crisis and calm, emergency and sta - Home bility, the Jewish Agency mobilizes its global network of part - ners to afford relief and rescue. • Visting with residents at Sentinel Point Helping individuals recover from loss and trauma. Retirement Home Restoring communities shattered by terror or war. Offering • Visiting Members of our Grand Rapids refuge for Jews escaping persecution. Responding to these Jewish Community crises before – and as – they take place are an integral part of the Jewish Agency's activities. We invite you to learn more about our groundbreaking efforts and operations over the past Call the Temple to RSVP at 459-5976 80 years of our organization's history. Help us make this day a huge success! VISIT: http://www.jafi.org/JewishAgency/English/Crises for more information. 3 SENIOR PROGRAMMING . Dinner and a Movie! LUNCH BUNCH Join us at the . Rock Fire Grille Jewish Film Festival of Grand Rapids! 1144 East Paris Ave., S.E. Monday, May 3 rd Monday, May 17 th ~ 5:00 p.m. Dinner ~ 11:30 am Carino’s Italian Restaurant Cost: $8.00 2183 East Beltline N.E. RSVP by May 12 to Federation at 942-5553 Transportation is available! ~ 7:30 p.m. Film ~ Camera Obscura Federation Lunch Bunch had a Celebration! Cinema North (Knapp and the East Beltline) great time at Heritage Restaurant Dinner: $8 • Film Ticket: $6 RSVP to Ann at 616-942-5553, ext. 206 Free transportation is available! Wanted: Seniors interested in starting an afternoon social group. Gatherings to be held Thursday, May 6, 1 pm to 2:30 pm & Tuesday May 11, 1 pm to 2:30 pm at Federation offices. Coffee, Tea and Desserts will be served. These will be planning meetings so please bring suggestions of what you would like to see happen. Transportation is available by calling Ann at 616-942-5553 ext. 206 4 YOUNG ADULT DIVISION . YAD Mah Jongg Join us at our next game! Now Meeting at Forest Hills Foods Sunday Nights at 7:30 pm Beginners welcome! May 2 • May 16 No experience necessary. For more information, call Michele Young at 828-4806 Everyone had a terrific experience with presenter Rabbi Leiby Burnham at our Torah on Tap program COMMUNITY NEWS . Jewish Theatre – Audition Notice for Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah! Auditions will be held on May 9 and 10, 2010, 7 pm, at women. Please prepare 16 bars from a standard musical comedy and Spectrum Theatre, 160 Fountain St. NE, Grand Rapids, MI. bring sheet music (no a capella singing please). An accompanist will be Rehearsals will begin on May 11. provided. Actors should come dressed to move. Grand Rapids Jewish Theatre is holding auditions for "Hello Call for more information: 616-248-0234 or 616-234-3595. Also Muddah, Hello Fadduh!," the Off-Broadway musical review based on see website: www.jtgr.org the music of Alan Sherman.