UJA-Federation News
Read stories about UJA-Federation of New York events, programs, and other issues important to our community.
Seeing the Promise to Ethiopian Jews Fulfilled
February 3, 2012
By John S. Ruskay This week, I accompanied 82 Falas Mora as they made their journey from Ethiopia home to Israel — bearing witness to the fulfillment of a promise made long ago. I was joined by 19 of our leaders, including UJA-Federation board chair… Read more
Teens Bring Holocaust Play to International Stage
February 2, 2012
Despite torrential rain, the 1,800-seat hall at the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan was filled nearly to capacity on January 27th. The attendees included diplomats, Holocaust survivors, members of the New York Jewish community, and a group of 19 … Read more
Hundreds of Volunteers Power 2012 Super Sunday
January 31, 2012
Hundreds of volunteers made calls to raise money for UJA-Federation of New York on January 29th. The joyful sound of teens rapping a song of support set the beat on January 29th as hundreds of volunteers spent Super Sunday making calls and raising more … Read more
Purim Food Drive Gets Set for Second Year
January 24, 2012
The large cardboard box outside the classrooms of the preschool at the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center in Nassau County was a telltale sign of Purim last year. Because besides learning about hamantaschen and the story of Queen Esther, 170 children ag… Read more
Generosity Event Brings Young Philanthropists Together
January 20, 2012
It’s a common punch line that if you ask 10 Jews a question, you’ll get 10 different opinions. Similarly, if you asked the more than 700 philanthropists in their 20s and 30s what brought them to UJA-Federation’s Generosity event on Janua… Read more
Conference Inspires Spiritual Care
January 13, 2012
“Gratitude yields a desire to pay it forward, an upstream reciprocity,” guest speaker Rabbi Shai Held told more than 50 key leaders at the Jewish Seminary Pastoral Educators Conference on January 10th at UJA-Federation of New York. “If s… Read more
Virtual Senior Center Brings World to Senior at Age 105
January 10, 2012
Adele Lerner, 105, stays connected to the world through her computer and the Virtual Senior Center. In 1906, when Adele Lerner was born, the first radio broadcast of entertainment and music was the height of technology. Now at age 105, Lerner, a homebou… Read more
Why Screening for Jewish Genetic Diseases Matters
January 5, 2012
Caren and Jonah Weintraub knew firsthand the risks they faced when they decided to start a family. Both Caren and Jonah, who are of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, have family members who were born with Jewish genetic diseases. So they chose to have genetic sc… Read more
Unite Against Extremist Acts in Israel
December 29, 2011
By John S. Ruskay All of us who feel an abiding connection to the people and state of Israel are following with growing concern news reports of recent religious extremism and violence, including in Beit Shemesh. Though the verbal and physical abuse has be… Read more
Helping the Neediest Among Us
December 22, 2011
By John S. Ruskay The year was 1955. I’d been reading the newspaper daily to follow my beloved Brooklyn Dodgers, when The New York Times Neediest Cases caught my eye. I read about people who seemed so desperate. So forgotten. So in need of the basic… Read more