If ever there was a week that spoke to the reach of UJA-Federation across the local Jewish community — this was it.
We launched our first public grantmaking contest focused on promoting Jewish inclusivity, with online voting open to all New Yorkers. We celebrated Orthodox and Haredi women leaders. And we honored LGBTQ Pride.
In these highly polarized times, as many increasingly turn inward, we’re looking for ways to support ever wider segments of our incredibly diverse Jewish community. Simply put, we aspire to be a place where the totality of the New York Jewish community feels welcomed and embraced.
One “Big Idea”
A few months ago, we asked nonprofits across New York to submit one “big idea” to help transform how we live together as a Jewish community. Dozens of ideas were submitted and narrowed down to four finalists now competing for a $250,000 grant.
Yesterday, we hosted a Facebook Live event from our Brooklyn office. More than 3,000 people tuned in online to watch the finalists describe how their projects would bring about real change, dramatically opening doors to people who might otherwise feel marginalized and forgotten. The “polls” opened Wednesday, and, at the time of this writing, already 3,569 votes have been cast (and climbing by the minute)! I encourage you to cast your own ballot by June 30th.
In an offline version of this, Tuesday evening we hosted our first ever “Pop-Up Philanthropy” event at the JCC Harlem. Participants gave $36 (matched three-to-one by UJA) and then spent the evening reviewing proposals for projects to enrich the neighborhood. Every person had a say in deciding how to allocate $15,000. As Rachel Makleff, an Upper West Side resident for 32 years, said: “No one’s ever treated me like a philanthropist before and it felt so good.”
Empowering Orthodox and Haredi Women Leaders
On Wednesday, UJA hosted a commencement ceremony for our Chesed Leadership Program, a six-month program for Orthodox and Haredi women who have founded, volunteer or work at nonprofits.
Through this unique collaboration between UJA, the Touro College Graduate School of Social Work, and Lander College for Women, the women — many with no formal higher education — were taught nonprofit management skills, mentored, and given a strong support system. They’ll now put all they’ve learned to work in ways that will immeasurably enrich their communities. At the ceremony, many spoke emotionally of how UJA had touched their own lives — from a camp for a special needs child to a first trip to Israel that led to new Jewish connections.
In a totally unexpected and moving expression of appreciation for the program they’d just completed, each woman came to the graduation with a check for UJA, and a commitment to being ambassadors for our work in their communities.
“The Power of Showing Up”
Also this week, UJA staff had a standing-room only celebration of Pride month, featuring Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST). Rabbi Kleinbaum spoke passionately about her congregation’s beginnings in 1973, when there was no place for Jews to be both openly gay and Jewish. And she spoke of the deep isolation from the broader Jewish community as her congregation coped with the unfathomable loss of 40% of its members during the height of the AIDS epidemic.
Rabbi Kleinbaum was asked what key learning she might share with the group, based on her decades-long experience leading CBST. Her response focused on the power of just “showing up” — even with small acts of kindness — reminding people they’re not alone, especially at their most vulnerable moments.
All told, it was a week of firsts — filled with gratitude for a community that welcomes all. And imagine, if we committed as a community regularly to showing up, every week could be like this one.
Shabbat shalom