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Innovative Grants Touch Jewish Lives in New Ways

The Greater Miami Jewish Federation works every day with our partner agencies to care for the vulnerable and provide for other needs in our Jewish community in Miami, in Israel and worldwide. At the same time, our volunteers and professionals are continually seeking opportunities to support ground-breaking programs and services that engage new populations of Jews and enhance Jewish life for all.

This year, the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign provided first-time grants to help nine fledgling Jewish nonprofits build capacity, spur innovation and serve unmet needs in the areas of arts and culture, education, food insecurity, leadership development, inclusion and more. These organizations are:

The Friendship Circle (Two Organizations)

The Friendship Circle brings together teen volunteers and children with special needs for socializing and greater understanding. The children learn social skills and gain the confidence they need to make the most of their abilities and talents, while the teen volunteers learn the value of giving, the power of friendship, and the importance of integrating children with special needs into our community. Parents and siblings also receive much-needed respite and support from the Friendship Circle community.
The Annual Federation/UJA Campaign provided funding for two Friendship Circle programs in Miami-Dade County:

  • The Friendship Circle of Kendall offers the Kulanu Circle, an inclusive Sunday Hebrew school program in collaboration with the Chabad of Kendall and Pinecrest, that invites children with special needs to join others their age in the classroom to learn about Jewish holidays, prayers, mitzvot, blessings and the Hebrew language. Federation funding has enabled the Kulanu Circle to open its doors to more participants.  
  • The Friendship Circle of Miami Beach and North Dade’s Sunday Circle is held monthly throughout the school year at the Galbut Family Miami Beach JCC, where children with special needs and teen volunteers work and play together in specialized programs conducted in a supervised atmosphere. Federation’s grant has allowed the program to expand its capacity to more participants and provide for a therapist at every Sunday Circle meeting.

Helping Hands Kosher Food Ko-Op

Through partnerships with caring local vendors, the Helping Hands Kosher Food Ko-op offers high-quality kosher food to hard-working families at significantly reduced prices – and free of charge to those with the greatest need. Recipients are able to place orders weekly for nutritious fruits, vegetables, chicken, fish, meat and dairy products from an ever-expanding list of products. Items are then picked up at the Ko-op’s Miami Beach location by appointment only, thus preserving the customers’ privacy.

K Space

Located in North Dade, K Space offers a safe and positive Jewish environment where people between the ages of 18 and 30 can participate in entertaining and meaningful events, while also awakening and strengthening their Jewish identity. The organization has nearly 2,000 young adults on its mailing list.

Keshet

Keshet is a national grassroots organization that works for the full equality and inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Jews in Jewish life – synagogues, religious schools, day schools, youth groups, summer camps, social-service organizations and other communal agencies. This year, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation partnered with Keshet to provide training on LGBT awareness and inclusion to more than 20 local synagogues, agencies and Jewish day schools.

Limmud Miami

On Sunday, March 23, 2014, the first Limmud Miami experience took place at Florida International University in North Miami, bringing together people of all ages for a vibrant day of Jewish learning and experiences. More than 400 men, women and children participated in experiential workshops, text-study sessions, film presentations, meditation sessions, discussions, exhibits and performances by dynamic Jewish educators, performers and teachers from South Florida and around the world. Plans are under way for Limmud Miami 2015.

NCSY’s Next-Jen Project

NCSY’s Southern Region has launched a teen leadership program called Next-Jen at two private secular academies in Miami Dade County. Its purpose is to give Jewish teens a strong foundation in matters affecting the global Jewish community; provide opportunities for hands-on organization and participation in outreach, social action and fundraising projects; and educate and empower their peers in these areas. It is hoped that participants will leave the Next-Jen Project with the skills needed to provide Jewish leadership on their college campuses and in their communities well into the future.

Next @ 19th

With its “contemporary Jewish-culture-forward mission,” Next@19th seeks to engage South Florida's diverse community through arts and cultural programming in a variety of disciplines. Programs presented by Next@19th include a music series and festival, a literary series, film and visual arts programs, discussions exploring or rooted in Jewish culture, and more.

The Tribe

The Tribe is a Jewish community-building organization geared to engaging those in their 20s and 30s in meaningful Jewish experiences. Its mission is to “cultivate a supportive, stimulating and inclusive environment for South Florida's diverse young Jewish people, empowering them with the skills to become leaders and take positive action in support of our community and beyond.” The Tribe works frequently with Federation’s divisions, including the Young Leadership Division, to present a variety of interesting and entertaining opportunities for involvement.

For more information about how Annual Federation/UJA Campaign dollars are allocated, please contact Michelle Labgold, Chief Planning Officer, at [email protected] or 786.866.8492.

Miami Jewish Community Study

Miami Jewish Community Study

In order to better understand the demographics and needs of Miami’s Jewish population, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation has launched its “Miami Jewish Community Study.”

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Mental Health After 10/7

Mental Health After 10/7

Through donations to the Annual Greater Miami Jewish Federation/UJA Campaign and the Israel Emergency Fund, individuals coping with the gravity of October 7 are receiving support to begin the long healing journey ahead.

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Make Your Federation Donation Tax-Deductible

Make Your Federation Donation Tax-Deductible

Nancy and Norman Lipoff pay their Annual Federation/UJA Campaign contributions through an IRA Charitable Rollover.

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Join Your Community for Matzah Mitzvah


Join Your Community for Matzah Mitzvah


Help share the joy of Passover with Holocaust Survivors and other older adults in our community by participating in Matzah Mitzvah on Sunday, April 7 at 9 a.m.

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