AJFCA Newsletter
In This Issue
D'Var Torah
2013 AJFCA Awards
Member Agency Benefit
Jewish Disability Awareness Month & Advocacy Day
Claims Conference
Gun Violence
Next Gen Donors
Tactical Technology Planning
Storytelling & Public Radio
Pinterest Redesign
Video
Responses to Crisis
Global Webinar
AJFCA Links

AJFCA Blog

Mutual Cultural Engagement
 
Dalia Margalit-Faircloth 
Canadian Director

When is the last time you went to a mainstream Jewish event that left you breathless and inspired, even though the hour was late? For me, the answer is just last night. My local UJA Federation had its 2013 campaign closing event and what a night it was - not because of the speeches, although they were fine, but because of the amazing entertainer who they "imported" from Israel, David Broza. Continue reading here.

Fundraiser Expected to Attract Hundreds to Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center

Jewish Family Service of Colorado welcomes Mandy Patinkin, Tony� and Emmy� Award-winning performer and current star of Showtime's hit drama series Homeland as the speaker for its ninth annual JFS Executive Luncheon fundraiser on Wednesday, April 24th.

All proceeds from the event will help support all programs of JFS, including mental health counseling, senior and adult in-home care, disability and employment services, and family safety net services.

For more information click here or for tickets, contact Lisa Mehl at 720.248.4633. 
JFCS Announces The Fertility Fund: A Gift From The Heart
jfcs philly   
Couples are sometimes confronted with the shocking and upsetting news that they suffer from unexplained infertility. It may be suggested that they undergo fertility treatments in order to start the family they had always dreamt about. These treatments can be quite expensive.
 
Thanks to an anonymous donor family, Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Philadelphia recently launched The Fertility Fund: A Gift From The Heart, available to help Jewish couples in the Philadelphia region experience the greatest gift in the world-the gift of life.
 
The fund is a need-based program that helps subsidize the sometimes prohibitive financial costs of fertility treatments that are not covered by insurance. Supportive counseling from JFCS clinicians who have personal and/or professional experience is also available to help couples navigate their unique path through the fertility treatment process.
 
For more information about The Fertility Fund: A Gift From The Heart, contact JFCS at 1.866.JFCSNOW.
Samost JFCS Announces New CEO
samost jfcs   
The new CEO at Samost Jewish Family & Children's Service in Southern New Jersey is Marla Meyers. Marla is looking forward to joining professionals and lay leaders at the 41st Annual Conference in May.
Marla Meyers
Marla Meyers

Calls & Webinars
Visit  AJFCA's Calendar to learn more about free calls and webinars. For more information login to For Our Members on the AJFCA website, followed by Webinars. Contact Megan at 410-843-7327 with questions.

Get Your Research on Track: Better Metrics for Measuring ROI and Resources

Feb., 5th, 1pm ET
REGISTER HERE

Making Performance Management Happen
Feb., 7th, 3pm ET
REGISTER HERE

The Health Care Law 101
Feb., 12th, 2:00pm ET
REGISTER HERE
 
Tour of HealthCare.gov
Feb., 21st, 12:30pm ET
REGISTER HERE
 
The Health Care Law 101 (in Spanish)
Feb., 26th, 3:00pm ET
REGISTER HERE
 
The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Outreach and Enrollment Campaign
Feb., 27th, 2:00pm ET
REGISTER HERE

The Health Care Law 101  March 7th, 1:00pm ET
REGISTER HERE
 
The Health Care Law 101 (in Spanish)
March 19th, 3:00pm ET
REGISTER HERE
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February 1, 2013 
About AJFCA | News
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D'Var Torah
Lee I. Sherman
President/CEO

 

For those of us in Baltimore, the upcoming Super Bowl has made this an exciting week. The media is working overtime to cover every conceivable angle of the upcoming football game and the city is entirely outfitted in purple, from each person's wardrobe to the lights at City Hall. The Ravens are on a roll and the city is feeling pretty good about itself.

As we begin the reading of parashah Yitro this week, Moses has been on a pretty good roll. He convinced Pharaoh to free the Hebrew slaves and he took them unscathed through the Sea of Reeds, while Pharaoh's legions met their deaths attempting to follow. Of course, Moses had a lot of help with God on his side, but although the people expressed their faith and gratitude to God, they were clearly following Moses. So, Moses in his new position of leadership attempts to take on added responsibilities, including as the judge in all matters of dispute. Seeing this, his father-in-law Jethro tells Moses to "make it easier for yourself by letting them [the leaders] share the burden with you." 18:22. This suggestion is better for the health and well-being of Moses and for the people as the mantle of leadership and their responsibility for one another are spread among them.

After a few successes, whether on the gridiron or the battlefield, it is easy to want to continue that feeling by taking on too much of the burden. The better route for Moses and for a winning football team is to recognize that what brought about that success was the effort of many. To continue those successes, it is better to maximize the contributions of those around you.

Have a peaceful Shabbat and a "purple" Sunday.  
2013 AJFCA Award Guidelines  2013 AJFCA AC logo
AJFCA is pleased to sponsor the 2013 Goodman Award (submission form), Distinguished Service Awards, Leadership Awards, Kovod Awards, TrailBlazer Awards and Joseph S. Kaplan Memorial Scholarship Award. Winners will be recognized at the 2013 Annual Conference with a reception in their honor, mention in the conference mobile app, and during the annual awards ceremony. Submission deadlines vary. On behalf of the Award Committees we look forward to receiving your submissions.

AJFCA Member Agency Benefit:  Purchasipurchasing pointngPoint 

Did you know that for the first 3 quarters of 2012, the AJFCA member agency with the highest purchases through our PurchasingPoint program saved just over $20,000? This opportunity is a no-cost benefit to all of our members. For more information as to how your agency can take advantage of this free benefit, learn more here and enroll today.   

Jewish Disability Awareness Month & Advocacy Day
Jewish communities across North America are once again developing programs and events in recognition of Jewish Disability Awareness Month. AJFCA and JFNA are proud to join the Consortium of Jewish Special Educators in recognizing and increasing the awareness of the needs, strengths, opportunities and challenges of individuals with disabilities in our communities, as well as ensuring our communities are as inclusive of individuals with disabilities and their families as possible. Continue reading here
jewish disability
Claims Conference Pension Changes
In July the Claims Conference announced significant changes in the eligibility criteria for Holocaust survivor pensions from the Claims Conference Article 2 Fund, which took effect January 1, 2013. After long and hard-fought negotiations with the Gerclaims conferenceman government, Article 2 pensions may now be paid to thousands of additional survivors whose persecution history was previously not recognized by German criteria for this program. Full criteria are available here. Continue reading here
Bringing the Human Development Voice to the Gun Violence Discussion: An Open Letter to the
Members of the National Human Services Anational human servcies assembly logossembly
NHSA President & CEO Irv Katz said, "The voice of our sector is, or should be, prevention and upstream solutions. Many will rally to the issues of gun regulation, school safety, and violence in the media. Some of us will join them. But our voice-or voices-can and must bring attention and focus to the critical importance of early identification and treatment; and community connectedness. Continue reading here
A report on wealthy Next Gen donors from 21/64 and the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy finds that surveying 310 major donors including in-depth interviews with 30 high-net-worth Generation X and Millennial individuals care about impact and want to feel personally tied to the causes they support.  Family heavily influences their choices of causes.  They are similar to other donors in these ways - but distinct in how serious they are about making real change and how heavily they use technology to engage with causes.
Tactical Technology Planning
A good technology plan is critical to an organization's success, but Idealware's work with thousands of nonprofits has shown that many lack the staff, knowledge, or resources to develop or implement effective technology plans. To aid organizations, Idealware has been working on finding a new way to deliver the knowledge, experience, and expertise nonprofits have come to expect from their resources, and they're proud to share the results of their labor: Idealware's On Demand Tactical Technology Planning. Continue reading here.
What Nonprofits Can Learn from Public Radio about Storytelling
If nonprofits want to learn how to create content that both engages audiences and creates devoted supporters, we need look no further than the gold standard offered each day by public radio. Radio producers can create stories that keep listeners in the car for "driveway moments" even when we've reached home, just so we can hear the ending.
NTEN
We're in the middle of a renaissance of digital audio online and via mobile technology. To take advantage of this exciting and pivotal moment, you should consider adding audio storytelling to your digital communications toolkit. Continue reading here.
Pinterest Announces Redesign, Are Sponsored Pins Coming? social fresh
Pinterest Announces Redesign, Are Sponsored Pins Coming? January 28, 2013, SocialFresh, by Nick Cicero on Jan 28, 2013
Could you be seeing a sponsored pin in the future? That may just be the case, as Pinterest announced a new evolution of their design and interface for users, rolling out soon. The site, and its tiled design has become the aesthetic go-to for the social industry today. Tens of thousands of brands use the site every day to visually connect with their audience, and this redesign seeks to improve the quality and context of information contained within each pin. Find out what's new here.
Charity How To and Chris Davenport of 501 videos have been filming nonprofit executives and other nonprofit professionals talking about their challenges and what they have done to overcome these challenges. Here is a short instantly accessible streaming video where Lynn Harden tells a terrific story about how a small organization was able to completely turn their fundraising around and change the community around them in a big way.
Living in Uncertain Times
Living in Uncertain Times:  Responses to Crisis in the Bible and in our Own Lives
The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), is holding a public program for professionals and lay leaders focusing on dealing with crisis and trauma, and what can be learned about these issues from Biblical models and insights. Admission is free, but reservations are required. RSVP online at www.jtsa.edu/crisis or call 212-280-6093.
 
Living in Uncertain Times: Responses to Crisis in the Bible and in our Own Lives
Thursday, February 28th, 6:30pm ET
Broadway and 122nd St., NYC
Global Webinar:  Jewish Tradition, Innovation and Community in a Vitural EraJCSANA logo for contest
Join the Jewish Communal Service Association of North America (JCSANA), and Lead: Inspiring Jewish Leaders, a division of the Jewish Leadership Council (England) for their upcoming global webinar on the topic: Jewish Tradition, Innovation and Community in a Virtual Era.
wcjcs  
Presenters from three countries will share practical ways in which Jewish communal professionals can make the most of virtual culture while remaining attuned to the values of their Jewish past, and will provide participants with access to new web-based resources that can enhance their own practice.
 
Jewish Traditions, Innovation and Community in a Virtual Era
Wednesday, February 20th,10:00am ET
To participate please register at here, then click on events.  
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