VISTA SPOTLIGHT
Anna Darr is the AmeriCorps VISTA member serving at Bet Tzedek Legal Services, a nonprofit agency based in Los Angeles that provides free representation to Holocaust survivors in Holocaust reparations and elder law cases. She is an attorney with a background in civil litigation and is currently focusing on expanding the capacity of Bet Tzedek's Holocaust Survivors Justice Network (HSJN) to serve survivors across North America. The HSJN is a coalition of Jewish social service agencies, law firms, and corporate legal departments gathered together by Bet Tzedek Legal Services to provide dignity and resources to Holocaust survivors. 
Anna advises pro bono attorneys and social services professionals regarding their Holocaust compensation cases, both one-on-one and during a weekly "call-in hour" that all HSJN members are invited to join. Through her interaction with survivors' advocates, Anna is able to notice trends and common questions or confusion among the community working directly with survivors. This, in turn, informs decisions about the resources and materials needed to facilitate their pro bono work.
In her first few months at Bet Tzedek, Anna has developed new training materials and resources to be used by HSJN members in their work of securing Holocaust compensation for survivors, including the ZRBG "ghetto pension" and the one-time "ghetto payment", both of which are benefits paid to survivors by the German government. She also is engaged in updating the HSJN's existing training materials to reflect changes in German law.
Anna feels honored to be a part of such an important project, and to have the opportunity to make an positive impact on the lives of survivors.
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AGENCY HIGHLIGHTS
100 Mensches Scholarship Opportunity
100 Mensches, an initiative of JCADA (Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse), a program of Jewish Family Service of Detroit, invites graduating Jewish high school seniors to submit an 800-1,000 word original essay describing how Jewish values can help create a future free of domestic abuse. The top three submissions will be awarded college scholarships totaling $5,000. The deadline for submission is April 15, 2016 at 5:00 pm. Click here to learn more.
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Look At Us Now, Mother!
Kirschenbaum Productions is proud to present the US Theatrical release of LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER!, a film by Gayle Kirschenbaum. LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER! is comprised primarily of decades-worth of intimate family home movies and videos-from 8 mm film coverage of Gayle's outwardly "Leave it to Beaver-esque" childhood in an upwardly-mobile Long Island suburb, to personal family celebrations, fights, and even tragedies right up to the present-it's the story of one determined woman's quest to reconcile with and understand her past, which means forgiving her proud, narcissistic and formidable elderly mother, Mildred. To view a trailer and learn more, click here.
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The Voice and Vision for Stronger Communities
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D'Var Torah
Lee I. Sherman
President/CEO
In the nonprofit world and the Jewish communal world, we often speak of "leadership." We seek to train future leaders, we worry about the lack of leadership, and we admire and honor great leaders. Most often, we debate what it takes to be a great leader. What are the traits? How do we identify them in a person? How do we know it when we see it?
This week's parashah, Ki Tissa, is well know for the story of the Golden Calf. We all know about this rebellious act of a lack of faith, Moses' angry and immediate response, and Moses' ability to advocate for a second chance to inscribe the tablets with the Commandments that form the foundation of the Jewish people's Covenant with God. We also see a contrast in leadership styles. With Moses on Mount Sinai to receive the commandments, Aaron is left in charge and quickly loses control. He must know how wrong it is to form the molten image as a replacement for God, yet he not only allows it, he orchestrates this blasphemous act. Is he merely trying to appease the people? Stop a revolt? Does he believe in this activity? It may be difficult to determine his precise reasoning, but as an example of leadership by appeasement, we see how dangerous that tactic can be.
By contrast, Moses upon first hearing and then seeing the celebration around the Golden Calf is angry, giving visual evidence of his displeasure by destroying the sacred tablets he carries. But, more importantly, he takes immediate action. He tells the people he will advocate on their behalf for another chance, and he does exactly that. He executes on his promise and his vision. Certainly a trait we can all agree we would like to see in the people we put in positions of leadership.
Shabbat Shalom.
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Ongoing Efforts to Reauthorize Older Americans Act in the House of Representatives
Last week, 65 members of the House of Representatives signed onto a bipartisan letter, circulated by Congressman Rick Nolan (D-MN) and Congressman Chris Gibson (R-NY), which was sent to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Education and Workforce Committee urging action on reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA). AJFCA was involved in encouraging members to sign onto the letter, which sent an important message to the Committee's leadership on the strong bipartisan support for OAA's programs. To view a copy of the letter and its signatories, please click here. If you have any questions about ongoing advocacy for OAA reauthorization, please contact Liz Leibowitz, AJFCA Director of Government Affairs. |
Two Funding Opportunities Open for Application:  Chronic Disease Self-Management and Falls Prevention
The Administration on Aging's Office of Nutrition and Health Promotion recently published two new Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA) - one for Chronic Disease Self-Management Education programs and the other for Falls Prevention programs. Click here to learn more.
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NEWS and TRENDS in AGENCY PROGRAMMING
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The Power of One and the Power of Community: Part 1 
Simone Joyaux generally writes about fundraising, but a social justice perspective always informs her work. This column has a tighter focus on gender inequality. Read the entire article here.
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How Black History Month is Transforming my Jewish Identity 
Black History Month coincides with the beginning of the month of Adar. Entering this month is supposed to be a call to revel in joy, but for leaders in the community it is also a reminder that the most significant Jewish holiday is approaching. Learn more here.
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AJFCA MEMBER NEWS & BENEFITS
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2016 AJFCA Annual Conference
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
Join AJFCA for a dynamic and informative conference full of networking opportunities and engaging speakers in sunny San Diego.
View the tentative schedule, workshop content and networking lunches here. Discuss trending topics with colleagues at this year's Annual Conference.
Click here to learn more about the 2016 Annual Conference.
Contact Megan with questions.
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Support Your Network by Joining the Senior Resource Connect Incentive Program!
Already a Friend? Add three more posts to Facebook to become an Ally. Send us a story about utilizing the site to help a client to join the Partner Circle!
SRC supporters will be recognized on the AJFCA conference mobile app, have a special thank you package waiting for them at conference registration, are invited to a special reception at the annual conference (Allies and Partner Circle only), and will be featured in social media and online. Get the details here. |
JFCS Southern NJ and JFS MetroWest Gather for a Day of Learning
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Not All Nonprofits are Prepared for Strategic Planning 
Nonprofits aren't ready for strategic planning if they are unsure of their goals, lack a growing donor base or don't have enough engaged board members, writes Nell Edgington. "You may need an organizational assessment (what I call a Financial Model Assessment) to determine what is holding your nonprofit back," she writes. "An assessment helps a nonprofit figure out why money isn't flowing the way they need it to be, why the board is disengaged, how to articulate what you do and why, how to structure staff effectively, and ultimately how to build the capacity and knowledge necessary to chart a future direction." Continue reading here. |
A Simple Facebook Checklist for Better Page Posts
In a perfect world, all of your fans would see all of your posts in the news feed. But this is not a perfect world, and your Facebook posts are rarely seen by the people who've liked your Page. Read the entire article here and learn more from 2016 AJFCA Annual Conference guest speaker John Haydon. |
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