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| Federation |
| Five Things To Know This Week | |
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| Friday, January 8, 2021 | 24 Tevet 5781 |
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| According to Feeding South Florida, the demand for food has doubled during the pandemic in South Florida counties, including Miami-Dade. |
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| Behind that statistic is the profound human toll of hunger, and the Jewish community is not immune to this issue. The staggering number means many do not have food on their tables each night and the Greater Miami Jewish Federation is here to help. To support individuals and families facing food shortages as a result of the pandemic, Federation is hosting another Kosher Food Distribution Drive-Thru on Thursday, January 14 from 9-11 a.m. at Federation headquarters, 4200 Biscayne Boulevard. Cars will enter the parking lot via the northbound lane of Federal Highway and volunteers will place packages of fresh produce, challah, kosher meat and non-perishables into each vehicle’s trunk. Participants must remain in their cars and wear masks. The distribution has been generously underwritten by Yleana and Yoram Izhak and Janice and Alan Lipton. Partners include Federation’s Jewish Volunteer Center, our primary human service agency Jewish Community Services of South Florida, Repair the World Miami, Farm Share and Miami-Dade County. | | |
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| The Jewish Federations of North America has awarded Federation an additional two years of funding to continue the critical support work of caring for Holocaust Survivors. |
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| The award totals an impressive $525,000, which includes a $350,000 grant and additional matching funds from local and national partner agencies along with in-kind support from sub-grantees. Community Support Coordinator Fran Katz shared, "Nearly 300 Survivors received critical support services in the first year of this grant to resolve or prevent crisis. Specifically, it was used to provide emergency food, housing and medical needs to help them remain in their homes instead of having to go to institutional settings, as well as to offer socialization programs such as intergenerational engagement and music enrichment." Despite the pandemic, sub-grantees found creative ways to remain connected with program participants through phone calls, Zoom and even distanced visits. This year’s focus will be expanded beyond Holocaust Survivors to address essential needs of all older adults (along with their caregivers) who have experienced trauma using person-centered, trauma-informed care. | | | |
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| The moment to make a difference is now. |
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| With this in mind, Federation Women’s Impact Initiative awarded $70,000 grants to 14 organizations in Miami that help transform the lives of women and girls. While many of the grantees changed the way they work in the wake of the pandemic, the diverse programs share the same goal — improving our community by helping women and girls achieve social, economic, religious and political equality. Initiatives supported range from providing genetic testing to women for hereditary cancer mutations and bringing together an intergenerational group of Jewish women together for meaningful storytelling to creating a sports league for women and funding a student-created film to combat bullying. For more information on this year’s grant recipients, click here. |
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| Federation believes Jewish overnight camp is a formative experience and one every child should have. |
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| Study after study proves the benefits of Jewish overnight camp — long-lasting Jewish friendships, a robust Jewish community, leadership opportunities and exposure to incredible role models. To help make camp more affordable for all families, Federation is continuing its commitment to providing need-based scholarships for 2021 summer sessions. For more information and to apply, click here. The final deadline is January 29. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. |
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| Nearly 100 clients of the Hesed Sarah social welfare center in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia participated in its 19th annual Jewish Cultural Festival last month. |
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| Hesed Sarah, supported in part by Federation’s overseas partner the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), moved the festival online due to the pandemic. Over the course of a month and a half, Hesed staff reached out to clients, encouraging them to submit videos of themselves reading poetry, singing, playing instruments, giving theatrical performances, lectures and more. The videos were then edited into larger montages and the work concluded on the final night of Chanukah. This year’s festival was perhaps more important than ever, offering some of the city’s most vulnerable individuals the opportunity to maintain their routine and express their creativity during an otherwise frightening and isolated time. Director Yulia Gornushenkova said, “Our artists were so worried to join in this new format, but their performances were moving and touching because they spoke from their hearts.” |
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© Greater Miami Jewish Federation
