African American Jewish Dialogue

 
On December 17th at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, the Baltimore Jewish Council's African American Jewish Dialogue will take on the topic of "Post Racial America: President Obama's Challenge." Panelists will include Delegate Shawn Tarrant of Baltimore City and Delegate Jon Cardin of Baltimore County. For more information on this event, or on the African American Jewish Dialogue, please contact Mandee Simmons Heinl.

Trialogue

November 27th's Trialogue was a great success! Dr. Heather Miller Rubens, Rabbi Andrew Busch and Imam Earl El-Amin discussed "Democracy and Religion: Three Perspectives." The fascinating discussion touched on many issues within the three Abrahamic faiths, including women's roles within Democracy and religion, the Mystic sects of each religion, and how skewed interpretations of faith impact our world. Our next Trialogue will be in February 2013, so please be on the lookout for a Save-The-Date! 

Community Service  

The Baltimore County Human Relations Commission recently awarded the Baltimore Jewish Council (BJC) and the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies (ICJS) a Human Relations Commission Award for Excellence in Service to the community for the Maryland Clergy Initiative (MCI). 

MCI is a yearlong study and travel program that brings together a remarkable and diverse group of Jewish and Christian clergy and scholars. The program, a partnership between BJC and ICJS, explores the challenges of religious and ethnic diversity in Israel and the Palestinian territories, and compares and contrasts these dynamics with some of the core difficulties confronting the United States. A key part of the program is a group trip to the Middle East, where participants share experiences first-hand.

BJC President Rabbi Ron Shulman and ICJS Executive Director Rev. Dr. Christopher Leighton accepted the award from Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and Human Relations Commission Chair Jason Blavatt. We thank them both for this honor.

The Baltimore County Human Relations Commission Award is given to an individual, a non-profit group, a religious organization, or business entity, which heightens public awareness of the need for continued attention and vigilance in the area of human relations, civil rights and human rights.

Other 2012 Human Relations Commission Award recipients include the Domestic Violence or DOVE Program at Northwest Hospital and Chizuk Amuno Congregation. 

Here is what Aaliyah Cuthrell (ECYP Class of 2013) had to say about her experience last year:

"Mentoring at KIPP Academy has really influenced me and changed my life in so many ways. Before I started mentoring at KIPP, the idea of mentoring was not something that I could relate to, nor felt that I was capable of doing . . .  It showed me that I am capable of helping and that I have what it takes to mentor and guide others to a better choice. Also, for me and KIPP students alike, not only our knowledge of what we're capable of, but our knowledge of the world around us and certain issues has grown as well."

ECYP also welcomed a new director this month! Deana Carr-Davis joined the team after previously managing a local scholarship program, with over ten years of youth development experience and enthusiasm for the work of ECYP.

To volunteer, explore Board membership opportunities, or request information about ECYP, please visit us online at www.ecyp.org or contact us by telephone at 410-542-4850. We encourage you to "Like" us and follow our activities at www.facebook.com/ECYPIsrael !

Mission, Interrupted...

The Baltimore Jewish Council had been looking forward to joining Governor Martin O'Malley's Trade Mission to Israel and Jordan. We were supposed to leave for the region on February 24th, with visits to include Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Eilat, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Amman, and Petra.  But as hostilities mounted, the Governor consulted with the host countries and members of the delegation and decided to postpone the trip. "Not wanting to be a distraction from the urgent cause of peace, I look forward to visiting Israel in the months ahead with Maryland business, research and academic leaders," O'Malley said.

We, too, look forward to visiting Israel in the months ahead - in peace and security.

The BJC Staff

Save the Date

The Baltimore Jewish community's annual Advocacy Day will be held in Annapolis on February 26, 2013.  This year our goal is to focus on meetings with our legislators, so please mark your calendars and watch for more information!

DREAM Act  

With the conclusion of the state-wide referendum questions, the Baltimore Jewish Council applauds the citizens of Maryland for passing State Referendum Question 4: The DREAM Act.  With the support of Governor Martin O'Malley, numerous political leaders, faith-based and non-profit groups all over Maryland including the BJC, voters ensured that students will have unlimited higher educational opportunities in our state.  

Legislation

 As a part of an annual process, the Baltimore Jewish Council met with Governor Martin O'Malley in early November to discuss community priorities.  The meeting went very well and we are anxiously awaiting his decisions on our budgetary requests.  As soon as final decisions are made in December, we will let you all know. 

The 2013 Legislative session is fast approaching. The team is busy planning and setting meetings, preparing the session agenda and working with coalition partners to identify session priorities.  The team is beginning to hear from legislators and coalition partners looking to garner support for legislation, which will be shared and discussed at Government Relations Commission and Legislative Committee meetings.

JFNA's General Assembly was held this year at the Baltimore Convention Center and members of the BJC attended various events, seminars and connected with Jewish leaders from all over the world.  It was an excellent chance to showcase our Baltimore community and connect our elected leaders to the global Jewish community.

TAKE ACTION: Hunger-Free Holiday Season

According to Maryland Hunger Solutions, during the holiday season, food banks across the state have been gearing up to meet the needs of Marylanders struggling to access healthy, affordable food. While organizations like the Maryland Food Bank, End Hunger Calvert County, Capital Area Food Bank, Manna Food Center, and SHARE Food Network do their best to offer access to fresh, healthy food year-round, they sometimes struggle to keep their shelves full. Federal nutrition programs help fill this gap and make sure that more people have access to the nutrition they need throughout the whole year.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known in Maryland as the Food Supplement Program (FSP), is one way that Marylanders can stretch their food dollars in this challenging economic climate. Manna Food Center, located in Montgomery County, regularly invites anti-hunger organizations to conduct SNAP outreach at their facility during food package pick-up hours. Maryland Hunger Solutions stops by monthly to provide this important service. By providing information on eligibility and instructions for accessing SNAP and other programs, such as school meals, food banks are stretching beyond emergency food and further meeting the needs of Maryland households.

Unfortunately, some in Congress are proposing cuts to SNAP. The Senate-passed Farm Bill (S. 3240) would cut ten-year funding for SNAP by $4.49 billion; floor action has not yet occurred on a House Agriculture Committee-passed bill (H.R. 6083) that would cut SNAP by $16 billion. Follow this link to details on proposed SNAP cuts.

Learn about and participate in Baltimore Jewish Community Food Fund. Visit the Maryland Food Bank and Manna Food Center sites to find out about their events this holiday season and how you can get involved. Or visit Maryland Hunger Solutions website to learn about actions you can take to protect and strengthen federal nutrition programs.

Kristallnacht

The 2012 Kristallnacht Commemoration, We Will Remember: Commemoration through Education, co-sponsored by the Baltimore Jewish Council (BJC), Chevra Ahavas Chesed, and The Jewish Museum of Maryland (JMM), was held on Sunday, November 11th at Bnai JacobShaarei Zion Congregation.

The program featured an overview of Holocaust education programs organized by the Baltimore Jewish Council and The Jewish Museum of Maryland team.  Local educators gave a synopsis of their schools' Holocaust programs. Dr. Hana Bor, Baltimore Hebrew Institute at Towson University; Louise Geczy, The John Carroll School; Rita Plaut, The Krieger Schechter Day School; and Anne Kidwell, Director of Religious Education, St. Mark Church, were all included.

In addition to her work at Krieger Schechter, Rita Plaut joined Anne Kidwell to describe their continuation of the Becoming the Voices program--students learn to tell the story of a Holocaust survivor- after the funding for the JCC program ceased. Louise Geczy displayed student projects from her school. This was the first collaboration of the BJC/JMM and Chevra Ahavas Chesed for the Kristallnacht commemoration. It is hoped that a new tradition has begun.

Speakers Bureau

Members of our Holocaust Speakers Bureau are in demand. As of the end of November, 29 schools have made arrangements with us to have Holocaust Survivors share their memories with students during the 2012-2013 academic year. 

The Speaker Bureau's statistics for the 2011-2012 academic year are impressive. Our speakers shared their stories with 5,683 students and 1,927 adults, reaching a total of 7,610 Marylanders. We thank our speakers for their hard work and dedication in bringing their stories and lessons to audiences, especially students, throughout the area.

Lunch and Learn  - Monday, December 10th

"Visions and Divisions: Israeli Diversity and the 2013 Knesset Elections"

Baltimore Israel Coalition Emergency Mission to Washington, D.C.

The Baltimore Israel Coalition, a group of 23 local organizations, has organized an emergency mission to Capitol Hill to thank our legislators for their support and encourage them to continue to stand behind Israel.  The mission will take place on Wednesday, December 5, 2012, 9:00 am-5:00 pm.  There are a limited amount of seats still available.  Please contact Chana Siff if you are interested in joining the mission.