Mar 16, 2012

JCRC to Host Intergenerational Advocacy Seder April 3

The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation will hold its third annual anti-hunger Intergenerational Advocacy Seder, “Through a Different Lens,” on Tuesday, April 3, around the theme “Let All Who Are Hungry Come and Eat.” Featuring two national Jewish agencies’ perspectives on hunger and related policy issues, the program will begin at 5:00 p.m. at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, 4200 Biscayne Boulevard.

High school and college students, young adults, seniors and community leaders are invited to participate in this program, which is presented in the format of a Passover Seder with informative content about the problems of hunger and food insecurity in the United States. A Haggadah – prepared by Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger and the JCRC – will provoke a thoughtful, intergenerational dialogue about the Jewish community’s role in hunger activism.

The forum is a component of “Through a Different Lens: Generation to Generation Advocacy Series,” an innovative initiative created by the JCRC to educate and engage local students and adults in meaningful discussions and workshops about the vast portfolio of Jewish advocacy efforts. Participants learn and share ideas about topics of importance, such as Israel and public policies affecting South Florida and the nation.

The Seder is part of a national effort to help support legislation that counters food insecurity, and it is funded by the Jewish Council of Public Affairs and supported by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. The JCRC works in partnership locally with several organizations, including Federation’s Jewish Volunteer Center, Holocaust Memorial and Chaplaincy Program, as well as BBYO. BBYO has engaged its teens actively in this initiative as a part of its “Stand Up” and “Speak Up” advocacy campaigns addressing the subjects of hunger and Israel.

Some of the program’s funding provides the opportunity to work with two accomplished individuals who are new to the JCRC. Mica Cohen, a student at Florida International University and a member of the student board of Hillel Second Generation (H2G) is serving as the JCRC’s advocacy fellow; and Phyllis Littman, a community leader is serving as a mentor for the program and the student advocacy fellow. Cohen and Littman will work with JCRC professionals to engage people of all ages in advocacy.

To reserve a place at the Intergenerational Advocacy Seder or for more information, please contact Lori Dearman at 786.866.8486 or [email protected].