News from AJFCA for November 24, 2010

Mazel tov to Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) on having its program, Going Places!, a social club for young adults with Asperger's Syndrome & related disorders named a Merit Finalist for the 2010 Mutual of America Community Partnership Award. Going Places! was developed by JSSA in partnership with the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia (JCCNV). Going Places! received the award for offering young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 with Asperger's and related disorders a blend of expert guidance, companionship and recreation.

Going Places! introduces members to new people, brings them out into the community to have fun and strengthens their social skills--all within a safe, structured and therapeutically guided program that fosters socialization and friendship. The program, now in its second year, reaches out to an underserved population of young adults who have "aged-out" of the educational system and who often face adulthood ill-prepared for independence and self-sufficiency.

Now in its fifteenth year, the Mutual of America Community Partnership Award has recognized 150 partnerships from cities and towns across America, expanding public awareness of their work and helping them attract additional partners and new sponsors. A description of each of the merit finalists' programs is featured in the 2010 Community Partnerships Award brochure.

JSSA is to be congratulated not only for its innovative programming, but also, for demonstrating how collaborating with another organization can benefit all parties, most importantly, the clients they serve.

JCSA Webinar

The Jewish Communal Service Association is debuting its study Profiling the Professionals: Who's Serving our Communities with a webinar on Tuesday, November 30 at 2:00 p.m. EST. The presentation will be led by Professor Steven M. Cohen of the Berman Jewish Policy Archive @ NYU Wagner with responses given by Lisa Colton, Founder & President of Darim Online and Barry Rosenberg, Executive Vice President of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. For registration information, click here.

Holocaust Surviviors Legislation

A resolution inspired by The Jewish Federations of North America's efforts to ensure Holocaust survivors in the United States live their remaining years with dignity, comfort, and security is on the verge of coming to a vote on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. AJFCA agency efforts have been extremely successful in enlisting Congressional support. Follow this link to find out how you can ensure your representative is a cosponsor of this important resolution. http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?id=233910

Grandpa Levinsky

A hearty mazel tov to AJFCA Director of Resources David Levinsky on the birth of his grandson Jaffee Samuel Berman. Jaffee was born to mother Rachel and father Zach on November 3, weighing in at 7 lb., 5oz. Our best wishes to David and his wife, and to the expanding Berman family on this wonderful addition.

D'Var Torah

D'var Torah

Lee I. Sherman

D'var Torah

How often do we imagine how different our lives would have been if we had not made a particular decision at a point in time, or listened (or not) to someone's advice, or merely turned right rather than left while driving? If I had chosen a different place to park when going to Orioles games at the old Memorial Stadium, would I have found the house I have lived in for the past 25 years? If I had not chosen to postpone starting graduate school by one year, would I have met my wife? Suppose I had taken that job offer in Louisville rather than the one in Baltimore? Sometimes these turning points are considered and deliberate, but other times they appear totally random.

Such an apparent random turning point is contained in this week's parashah, Va-yeishev. We begin the story of Joseph, the longest narrative thread in Torah and one with many twisting turns of plots. Early in the story, Jacob sends Joseph to find his brothers who have gone to Shechem to graze their flocks. When Joseph gets there, he cannot find his brothers and is wandering the fields searching. A man comes up to him and asks: "What are you looking for?" He then tells Joseph that he overheard his brothers saying they were going to Dothan and Joseph is able to take that information and find his brothers. The rest of the Joseph story, and the history of the Jewish people proceeds from there.

Suppose Joseph had not encountered this man who had "inside" information about the brothers' whereabouts. Joseph would have returned to Jacob without a report from his brothers. He would not have been tossed into the pit, taken to Egypt in slavery, saved the Pharaoh from the devastation of the upcoming, but unanticipated, famine, and the Jews never would have gone down to Egypt. Thus, no 400 years of slavery, but no ensuing exodus and the birth of the Jewish people. This seemingly random encounter with a stranger, one who does not merit a name in the narrative, literally changes the course of human events.

The narrative of the Joseph story could work without this chance meeting. Joseph could have gone to Shechem and found his brothers and everything else could have proceeded unchanged (although perhaps the brothers' side trip to Dothan has further significance - but that is for another discussion). Yet, we know that every word of Torah has purpose, so Joseph's needing directions has significance. It teaches us to appreciate the apparent random event or decision for its greater significance. There are no "throw away" moments. I trust that Joseph properly thanked the man who gave him directions.

Have a meaningful Thanksgiving and a peaceful Shabbat.

2010 AJFCA Friends' Fund Campaign

by James R. Kahn, AJFCA Vice Chair

2010 Friends' Fund Campaign

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