AJFCA Newsletter
In This Issue
ADVOCACY
NEWS & TRENDS in AGENCY PROGRAMMING
AJFCA MEMBER NEWS & BENEFITS
DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING
AJFCA Links
What is Your Agency Doing for MLK Day?   

Click here to learn more about how you can contribute to Repair the World's National Campaign to act for racial justice. Please note that if you are interested in applying for the 2016 AJFCA/Repair the World Young Ambassador Program, you'll want to be sure you are engaging with the campaign.



Please don't hesitate reaching out to Jennie if you have any questions.
 
Hadassh and NCJW Partner on Jewish Day of Action to #EndHuman Trafficking



The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) and Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America, Inc., are joining forces for the second year in a row to raise visibility during January - Human Trafficking Awareness Month. This effort is designed to unify a collective Jewish voice, online and on-the-ground in communities nationwide, to energize grassroots involvement and spur community action to #EndJHumanTrafficking.
Learn more about AJFCA's participation here.
SENIORS DECIDE

ncoa logo

On February 17th the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations is sponsoring a forum for all presidential candidates to address aging issues. Learn how to get involved and submit questions here.


 
Click here to access Senior Resource Connect and stay current on the latest trends in older adult services.

AJFCA launched our new older adult services website, Senior Resource Connect this summer. The website aims to leverage the expertise of Jewish family services agencies assisting older adults in the community, increase referrals to member agency programs, streamline referrals between agencies, and act as an information hub on all matters of senior services.

Share this great news with your community.
 
AGENCY HIGHLIGHTS
 
JF&CS Atlanta's PALS Program Celebrates 30 Years

 
PAL is Atlanta's ONLY Jewish Big Brother / Big Sister program and this year PAL is celebrating their 30th Anniversary. On February 28th Jewish Family & Career Services of  Atlanta will hold a free, family-friendly community event to honor the program.

PAL introduces another responsible and caring Jewish adult to spend one-on-one time with a child who would benefit from having a special person in their lives that's all their own. A Big PAL provides friendship, adventure, fun and unconditional support. Being a parent of children with a wide range of needs can be challenging and it's not always possible to provide the same time and resources to one's typical children. 



Just as Friendship Circle serves children with disabilities and organizes activities that are fun, appropriate and safe, PAL will allow sibling(s) to experience similar opportunities in the community and the ability to try new things without limitations or guilt. PAL will provide an opportunity for these siblings to meet together, with their Big PALs, at group events to form their own community of mutual understanding and friendship. Click here to watch a video.
AJFCA Welcomes Yehoshua!

AJFCA is delighted to announce that our very own Zahava Klein had a beautiful, healthy baby boy on December 16th.



Yehoshua Asaf (21 inches, 7 lbs 11 oz) is enjoying his family. Big brother Shai and Daddy, Ezri are helping Mommy as much as they can.

 
January 15, 2016  
About AJFCA | News
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The Voice and Vision for Stronger Communities
 


D'Var Torah 
 
Lee I. Sherman 
President/CEO
 
In this week's parashah, Bo, Moses continues his negotiation with Pharaoh for the liberation of the Jewish people. The seven plagues last week were unable to move Pharaoh's "hardened heart," so heightened pressure is required. Just prior to the eighth plague there is a fascinating dialogue between Moses and Pharaoh. Moses demands the release of all of his people to go and worship God, but Pharaoh misunderstands, or is continuing the negotiation, and indicates he will let only the men go. Moses corrects Pharaoh and says he wants old and young, men, their sons and daughters and even their livestock to be set free. He wants everyone. Pharaoh refuses.

This theme of inclusiveness is repeated later in the reading when instructions are given for preparations on the final evening before the final plague. In what is the precedent for our annual Passover sederim, the Jews are told to prepare a meal. Recognizing that not all of these slave families can afford the necessary ingredients for the meal, God says: "But if the household is too small for a lamb, let him share one with a neighbor who dwells nearby, in proportion to the number of persons." (12:4). In a tradition that we carry on today at our Passover tables, friends, neighbors, and relatives are invited, so that all may be included.

In our Jewish social service agencies, we understand inclusiveness. Regardless of personal characteristics or how they identify, all clients are served. Each one deserves and receives a "place at the table." Just as when Moses insisted he take all of the Israelites out of Egypt, we today work to include all people in our enterprise of repairing the world.

Shabbat Shalom.

ADVOCACY
Intersection of Domestic Violence & Guns 
The Interfaith Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, of which AJFCA is a member, will host a briefing call on Thursday, January 21st, at 12pm EST for coalition members, clergy, and lay leaders to learn more about the intersection of domestic violence and guns, as well as current legislation that has been introduced to deal with this issue. The call will feature a policy expert and a clergyperson. To sign up, click here.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day in Your Community    
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is recognized by AJFCA member agencies each year. On January 27th we will remember the brave victims of the Holocaust and the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp, by Soviet troops, in 1945. What will you be sharing with your community about this international day of remembrance. Did a member of your agency write a blog or organize a program? Please share your work with the network by emailing Megan.
Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month - February 2016
Participating in Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month in February gives your organization the opportunity to engage your entire community in the important work of ensuring that ALL Jews, without regard to ability, have access to Jewish life-to work, live, love, play, learn and worship as they choose, where they choose, and to contribute to this wonderful place we call our Jewish community. The Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month Guide provides many resources and ideas to assist you in programming, whether in your own organization or as community-wide initiatives.
 
Please share your plans for JDAIM with the AJFCA network via the AJFCA Disabilities Services Professionals Facebook page
Jewish Disability Awareness Day
Jewish Disability Advocacy Day (JDAD), held on February 10th, on Capitol Hill, is hosted by the Jewish Disability Network, a coalition of national Jewish organizations passionate about disability policy that includes AJFCA, and is co-chaired byJFNA and The Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism. JDAD includes educational briefings from leading analysts on disability issues, a lunch with members of Congress who are leaders on disability policy, and Congressional advocacy meetings. Register here. Contact Liz Leibowitz with questions.
NEWS & TRENDS in AGENCY PROGRAMMING
Network as the Form: Reconfiguring Architecture for Humanity NPQ
This is one of three case studies submitted as part of the graduate course "Nonprofit Governance and Management," taught by Dr. Chao Guo, associate professor and Penn Fellow in the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. The cases represent three different organizations that have come back from the brink of dissolution. Each did it in a different way, and none of them necessarily has an easy road ahead. Learn more here.
The Public's Trust in Nonprofit Organizations: The Role of Relationship Marketing and Management
Nonprofit scholars and managers generally recognize that nonprofits need the public's trust for legitimacy, for effectiveness, and for non-financial as well as financial support. Yet, a complete literature search uncovers no operational or managerial definition of the public's trust in these organizations. Continue reading here.
AJFCA MEMBER NEWS & BENEFITS
Join JFS San Diego & AJFCA Aboard the USS Midway   

Explore the USS Midway Museum on Sunday, May 15th! View pictures and learn more here. Click here to learn more about the 2016 Annual Conference. Contact Megan with questions.

 
AJFCA Planning & Delivery of Older Adult Services: Alzheimer's & Dementia Programming 
Join your colleagues at AJFCA member agencies for this one hour discussion on programming for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia and their caregivers. Learn more about the webinar here.

Alzheimer's & Dementia Programming
Tuesday, January 26th - 1pm EST - REGISTER HERE
StoryTelling:  Blog Your Way into Their Hearts
As development, marketing and communications professionals, our job is to connect our community of supporters and potential supporters to the life-changing work that happens in our agencies every day. But if you find, as they did at JFS Seattle, that you need a way to breathe new life into your storytelling, develop a stronger online presence, and offer more robust resources to your fundraising team, a blog may be just what you need. Learn more here.

StoryTelling:  Blog Your Way into Their Hearts
Tuesday, January 26th - 2pm ET - REGISTER HERE
DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING
Communications Staffs Are Happy Yet Restless, Survey Finds chronicile of philanthropy
First the good news: Seventy-two percent of nonprofit communications staff members say they are satisfied with their jobs, according to a new report. And now the bad: Nearly half of the people who direct communications for charities plan to leave their jobs within two years. Continue reading here.
First Philanthropy Almanac Provides a Wealth of Facts and Data 
If you've ever struggled to find a profound quote about charity or wondered what George Eastman did with his Eastman Kodak fortune or pondered America's first fundraising campaign, you're in luck: The new Almanac of American Philanthropy contains all that information and more. Read the entire article here.
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