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Atonement through Action
We are taught that Yom Kippur is a time for repentance and forgiveness. Even as children, we understand what it means to tell someone you are sorry, and we hope to hear words of forgiveness in return. We also learn that Yom Kippur is called the "Day of Atonement." As a child, the word "atonement" had an ominous ring to me. It is a word that I did not hear often, perhaps never outside of the context of Yom Kippur, and so it is a much more difficult concept to grasp. Exactly how does a person atone for past transgressions to ensure the promise of the New Year becomes reality?
In Torah, there are detailed descriptions of methods for atoning for sins. These are the passages about animal sacrifice which we now see as anachronistic, and distasteful, or unseemly, at the least. From the time of the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D. there has not been a place for animal sacrifice and thus we need another means of attaining atonement. Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai, student of Hillel and founder of the great rabbinic academy at Yavne, offered a solution to this dilemma in the following story:
Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai once was walking with his disciple Rabbi Joshua near Jerusalem after the destruction of the Temple. Rabbi Joshua looked at the Temple ruins and said: "Alas for us! The place which atoned for the sins of the people Israel through the ritual of animal sacrifice lies in ruins!" Then Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai spoke to him these words of comfort: "Be not grieved, my son. There is another way of gaining atonement even though the Temple is destroyed. We must now gain atonement through deeds of lovingkindness." For it is written, "Lovingkindness I desire, not sacrifice" (Hosea 6:6). Siddur Sim Shalom, (Avot DeRabbi Natan) Jules Harlow, ed. (New York: United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism).
This is a means of achieving atonement that we understand well - gemilut hasadim. Our modern Jewish community is built upon the value of performing acts of lovingkindness. In our professional and personal lives, with family, friends, clients, and strangers, we know how to improve ourselves by treating others with dignity and respect as we care for and honor them. On this Yom Kippur, may we commit ourselves to another year of performing acts of lovingkindness each day, so we can gain atonement through our actions.
G'mar Hatima Tova
Lee I. Sherman
President/CEO
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Sharsheret Awarded Grant to Develop Program for Jewish Breast Cancer Survivors
Sharsheret, a national not-for-profit organization supporting young women and their families, of all Jewish backgrounds, facing breast cancer, has been awarded a federal grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to launch "Thriving Again: Life After Breast Cancer for Young Jewish Women," a new program providing culturally relevant clinical support and educational resources for young Jewish breast cancer survivors and their families.  As part of a broader effort to support breast cancer awareness in young women, Sharsheret will develop tailored programming that addresses life after breast cancer for young survivors, including the impact on career, relationships, reproduction, health and wellness, finances, and the increased risk of breast cancer and other related cancers in Jewish families.
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The Case for Multi-Generational Philanthropy
What are the most effective ways to transmit your philanthropic values to your children and grandchildren while also ensuring that your charitable legacy within the Jewish community continues to endure? That's one of the key questions on minds at the Jewish Communal Fund, the donor-advised fund of the Jewish community of greater New York, which distributes an average of $250 million in grants to thousands of charities annually. A growing percentage of fund holders are third generation members of charitable Jewish families, and and Jewish Communal Fund has been hard at work exploring the best ways to engage the NextGen in open and honest conversations around their values and how those values connect to their charitable giving.
Read more about establishing the Center for Next Generation Philanthropy and tips for parents seeking to engage young people in philanthropy here.
By Tamar Snyder, Strategic Consultant at Jewish Communal Fund, eJewish Philanthropy - September 27, 2011
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Biting Off More Than You Can Chew
Nonprofits are always trying to keep up with for profit organizations, especially in the arena of technology. Idealware's, Marc Baizman wrote an intriguing article entitled, "Biting Off More Than You Can Chew," which looks at the tendency for nonprofits to take on more than they can handle when it comes to IT projects, and offers some tips for avoiding the all-too-common practice.
Baizman wrote, "I saw this Harvard Business Review stat that claims one in six IT projects are money pits, going on average 200 percent over budget and taking 70 percent longer than planned. I wonder what would happen if we could see only nonprofit IT project performance--what would that look like? I suspect not much better, and possibly even worse on the scheduling side, as that's certainly been my experience. It makes me think that nonprofit organizations have a tendency to want to bite off more than they can chew when starting a new technology project and this adversely affects the project. This may be because the organization doesn't really know what's involved in--for example, setting up a new fundraising database or redesigning their website--or it may be that organizations simply don't allocate staff time for people who aren't "directly involved" on the project."
Read Baizman's entire article "Biting Off More Than You Can Chew," published by Idealware on September 6th to learn more about tips for avoiding taking on large IT projects.
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| American Sewing Guild Offers Donated Sewn Items to Benefit Member Agency Clients
The American Sewing Guild is a membership organization that welcomes sewing enthusiasts of all skill levels and from many different walks of life. Chapters are located in cities all across the country and members meet monthly to learn new sewing skills, network with others who share an interest in sewing and participate in community service sewing projects.
On behalf of ASG, AJFCA would like to know if you are interested in receiving sewn items at no cost to you. ASG is capable of producing almost any sewn item. A list of all charitable items for ideas, are listed at www.asg.org. If you are interested in sewn items please contact Sheri Williams at swilliams8251@yahoo.com.
Giving back is a vital part of a full and rewarding life. What could be more fulfilling than doing what you love to do (sewing) while contributing to the quality of life of others in need within your own community? Throughout the country, ASG has become synonymous with charitable acts of sewing. |
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Jewish Polish Refugees Move to San Francisco in 1947-"A Splintered Soul"
"A Splintered Soul," Off-Broadway (playing in New York)- is a new play about Jewish Polish refugees who move to San Francisco in 1947, aided by the American Jewish community, and how they adjust to life in America after the war. Tickets are only $18. If member agencies wish to arrange for a group to see the show, or do a fundraiser, please contact Abigail Rose Solomon, sollyrose@aol.com. Group options also include a talk back and party in the lobby after the play. The Jewish Board of Children and Family Services (JBFCS) has taken advantage of this unique option.
San Francisco, 1947. A group of Jewish refugees arrive from Poland, aided by the American Jewish community. Haunted by the death of their loved ones, they are haunted more by what they did to survive. Rabbi Kroeller, a resistance fighter who lost his family, makes it his mission to protect the survivors at all costs. But he discovers determining right from wrong is more complicated in the new world, when he takes matters into his own hands, and a mysterious disappearance occurs with unforeseen consequences.
"A SPLINTERED SOUL"
Friday, October 21ST- Sunday, November 13TH
Thursdays-Saturdays @ 8pm, Sundays @ 3pm
Opening Night: Monday, October 24 @ 7pm
Theater Three - 311 West 43rd Street, 3rd Floor, (btw. 8th & 9th Aves)
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  Alpert Jewish Family & Children's Service of Palm Beach County, Florida announced an exciting new offering that will pave the way for several new business owners and skilled practitioners in the local ma rketplace.
Based on a successful operation model spanning 40 years, The Entrepreneurship Institute (EI) is designed to take full advantage of the talent pool of business executives and professionals in Palm Beach County to provide enrolled participants with an unparalleled workshop experience. EI is part of a nationally-accredited organization, winning numerous annual awards for its work in providing groundbreaking programming to residents of Palm Beach County. This 16 week workshop is for entrepreneurs who are interested in opening a small business or for business owners who would like to expand their existing business. How to Build a Growing, Profitable Business is conducted in sixteen, three hour sessions taking place once weekly in the evenings. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Jewish Family & Children's Service of Sarasota-Manatee, Inc. was recently awarded a $516,670 Supportive Services for Veteran Families grant from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, enabling JFCS to expand its targeted  Operation Military Assistance Program (O-MAP) to veterans and military families in Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto Counties. The O-MAP services will focus on case management, securing affordable permanent housing, supportive services and emergency financial assistance. The goal is to prevent homelessness or re-house recently homeless Veterans and their families of low-income veterans and their families and provide access to community resources including coordination of VA and public benefits in order to improve their independent living skills. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis' Nurturing Our Retired Citizens Program (NORC) is currently the featured community on Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities' website. The mission of the project is to help older adults remain in their own homes for as long as possible with the resourc es they need to be safe, healthy engaged citizens. The vision is to inspire residents of all ages to work toward this goal. In developing the program, JFCS learned that the community was rich in resources but was challenged by impediments to services access. People did not know what resources existed, how to access the resources, or who qualified for the resources. In response, the NORC program was designed to educate the community about aging issues, help people learn about resources, and help the community create programs that strengthen the safety net for seniors. Through this initiative, JFCS created community wide resource directories, both hard and electronic forms. Read more about NORC here. |
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