July-August 2016 | Tamuz-Av 5776, Vol. LXXI, No. 6 Funds Allocated from Successful 2016 Campaign For the third consecutive year, the Savannah Jewish Federation’s An- Savannah Jewish Federation nual Community Campaign raised 2016-17 Allocations more than one million dollars to pro- As approved at the June 8 Board of Governors meeting. vide aid and services to the local and global Jewish community. Thanks to Total Campaign 1,048,023 Candle Lighting Times the successful efforts of Campaign -2% reserve for pledges uncollectable 20,960 Chair Stacey Schlafstein, everyone -SJF programs and services 526,625 Friday, July 15 8:14pm who worked on the most recently +General donations (non-campaign) 2,244 Friday, July 22 8:10pm concluded campaign, and the gener- +Budget surplus from FY 2013-2014 67,358 Friday, July 29 8:05pm osity of the community, the Board of -Donor-designated gifts (unallocable) 39,333 Total Funds Available for Allocation 530,706 Friday, August 5 8:00pm Governors was able to approve the distribution of funds for 2016-2017. Friday, August 12 7:53pm Allocations The details of the 2016-2017 Allo- Friday, August 19 7:46pm Shalom School 23,000 cations are presented in the accom- Friday, August 26 7:37pm Teen Jewish Identity/Experience Fund 5,000 panying chart, but here are some BBYO 3,500 highlights about the beneficiaries SCAD Hillel 5,000 In this Issue this year: Taglit/Birthright Israel 7,000 The Savannah Jewish Federation Overseas (JFNA--JAFI, JDC) 168,206 Vital Statistics, p2 (SJF), in addition to distributing the Overseas Investment Grants 6,500 On the Personal Side, p4 money it collects to other organiza- Jewish Educational Alliance 278,000 Federation President’s message, p5 tions, is concerned and responsible special allocation for additional bus 25,000 Executive Director’s message, p5 in many other ways for the welfare Jewish Educational Loan Fund 2,000 I on Israel, p8 of our Savannah Jewish community. Jewish Council for Public Affairs 1,000 JEA Centerpiece Israel Action Network 1,000 Through Jewish Family Services, SJF It’s a Funny Thing, p13 Jewish Telegraphic Agency 500 provides food for the hungry, medi- Condolences, p14 cation and access to medical services Also Featured for those in need, case management ty, from birth to the ‘well-seasoned.’ seen by SJF professionals. Participa- for individuals and families, housing Community programs designed to tion in all of these programs, mea- From Tel Aviv to Savannah — assistance for those in jeopardy and focus on building Jewish communi- sured both by quantity and quality, Savannah native Grace Parker, now countless other services. ty and identity, beginning with PJ is increasing as a result of the new living in Israel, joins our Savannah Using professionally-driven pro- Library and including BBYO, BBYO professional oversight. Jewish News family as an occasional grams and services, the Federation Connect, SCAD Hillel, Food for SJF provides grants for area Jewish columnist. She reflects on the effects also provides outreach to all ages and Thought, Young Jewish Savannah of terror in her first post; p6 generations of the Jewish communi- and more, are all now staffed or over- continued on page 2 Coming down with Olympic Fever? There are all kinds of things Jewish to know about this year’s PJ Library Receives Grant for New Programming Summer Games (and we probably Savannah’s PJ Library program stay the same throughout the year of only scratched the surface); p7 received an $8,000 grant to support the program. its new initiative, Shabbat Across Sa- PJ Library Savannah recognizes vannah, announced Jamie Cahn, Sa- that participating families come from vannah Jewish Federation Campaign varied backgrounds and levels of ob- and Community Outreach Director. servance. Information will be avail- PAID Shabbat Across Savannah is planned able to the host families, if needed, PRSRT STD PRSRT U.S. POSTAGE as a year-long immersion program to help facilitate their Shabbat ob- PERMIT NO. 2840 JACKSONVILLE, FL in which PJ Library Savannah will servances. A program-wide Shabbat reach out to, engage and empower Ritual Workshop also is planned. young families in the Savannah area In addition to the program-wide to develop deeper relationships with events, funds from the grant may their Jewish community and iden- be used to provide each home-host- During the year, all of the fami- tities through Shabbat and holiday ed Shabbat dinner with a ‘Shabbat lies participating in Shabbat Across observances. box’ that may include items such Savannah will be invited to come Shabbat Across Savannah will be- as candlesticks and candles, a Kid- together with the larger communi- gin with a community Shabbat din- dush cup and grape juice, challah, an ty to celebrate Jewish holidays at ner for the participating families to age-appropriate activity for the chil- community events such as the Cha- A Publication of Savannah Jewish Federation Federation Jewish Savannah of A Publication Street 5111 Abercorn Georgia 31405 Savannah, www.savj.org ServiceAddress Requested meet each other. Then, four times dren attending the dinner, PJ Library nukah Party. There will be special PJ throughout the year, four different books about Shabbat, questions and Library storytelling and craft compo- families will host Shabbat in their conversation starters about Shab- nents to these events. homes and invite another four fam- bat, and gift cards to help offset food ilies to join them. The groups will costs. continued on page 4 Savannah Page 2 | July-August 2016 jewish news www.savj.org dollars, the fourth consecutive year Funds..............................................from pg 1 of increased funding for them, in Vital Statistics recognition of the peril Jews face youth to attend programs that cre- down from last year. The SJF Board throughout the world. This is a proud ate and enhance Jewish identity, in- did approve a special allocation for achievement for our community. As cluding Jewish overnight camp, teen the JEA to use towards the purchase anti-Semitism spreads and Israel of- travel to Israel and leadership devel- of another bus that will provide fers safe refuge for the world’s Jews, opment programs. transportation to support a variety their work is as important as ever. SJF is the source of Holocaust re- of programs. The grant to the Jewish Educa- membrance and education through For the fourth straight year, Savan- tional Loan Fund was maintained its Yom HaShoah and Kristallnacht nah was able to increase its finan- this year at its recently increased lev- observances and programming, both cial support for the concerns of our el. JELF, based in Atlanta, provides for the Jewish and secular communi- fellow Jews in Israel and elsewhere interest-free loans to Jewish college ties. SJF keeps you informed about around the world. SJF increased its and graduate students throughout Jewish life in Savannah and around contribution to Birthright Israel, the Southeast. Many Savannah stu- the world through the eNews, Savan- the initiative to send each and every dents have benefited in recent years BIRTH: Mazel tov to Ron and Tal nah Jewish News, Facebook and peri- young Jewish adult in the Diaspora from the availability of these loans. Bratman Feiner, of Tel Aviv, on the odic mailings. And it provides doz- to visit Israel, as a “birthright.” And Grants to Jewish Council for birth of their son, Yonatan Feiner, ens of other advocacy, social service, again, SJF will be funding programs Public Affairs and the Israel Ac- on June 5th. Tal, shlicha (emissary) to cultural and other programs and ser- that provide services to Jews over- tion Network were increased this our community from Israel in 2011- vices to the community throughout seas that were handpicked by mem- year, reflecting the importance of the 2012, reports that Yonatan weighed the year. bers of the community to receive work they do responding to various in at 3 kg (6.6 lbs.) and is “just cute Shalom School received its core Overseas Investment Grants (see types of hate directed at the Jewish and calm and makes us very happy.” allocation at the same level as the the accompanying list). community and Israel. previous two years to continue to The SJF’s historic overseas part- In other campaign news, Stacey Savannah Jewish News provide supplementary Jewish edu- ners, the Jewish Agency for Israel Schlafstein, who will chair the Annual cation to local children. (JAFI) and the American Jewish Campaign again for 2017, announced Published by the Reflecting the organization’s con- Joint Distribution Committee that the Main Event will be held on Savannah Jewish Federation nd 5111 Abercorn Street tinued improving financial perfor- (JDC), through the Jewish Federa- Wednesday, November 2 , at 6:30pm Savannah, GA 31405 mance, the core allocation for the tions of North America will receive at the JEA, featuring award-winning (912) 355-8111 www.savj.org Jewish Educational Alliance is 31.7% of the campaign’s allocable violinist Yevgeny Kutik. SJF President: Sherry Dolgoff SJF President-elect: Allan Ratner SJF Vice President: Harvey Lebos SJF Secretary/Treasurer: Matthew Allan 2016 SJF Overseas Investment Grant Recipients SJF Executive Director: Adam Solender Each year, the Savannah Jewish Communidad Hebrea Hatikva JDC’s Baby Help SJN Editor: Lynn Levine Federation invites supporters of the Helping to support a small and Provides essential support such The objectives of the Savannah Jewish Annual Campaign to recommend poor, but vibrant Jewish congre- as food, medicine and daycare ser- News are to foster a sense of community overseas agencies to receive overseas gation in Santiago de Cuba that re- vices to nearly 600 vulnerable Jewish among the Jewish people of Savannah by investment grants. These grants al- mains committed to Jewish life in babies and children up to age 5 in sharing ideas, information, experiences and opinions, and to promote the agencies, low community members to direct Cuba.