News From the Greater Miami Jewish Federation

Join Jewish Miami on Sunday, June 1 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Climbing Mount Sinai: A Morning of Spiritual Preparation for Shavuot Eve. The event, taking place at Federation, includes a kosher brunch and is sponsored by Federation’s Mishkan Miami and its Refuat HaNefesh Alumni Fellows.

It’s natural to assume that creating an endowment for the Jewish community is an act of generosity only accessible to older, more established individuals. But at 33 years old, Pearleen Lederman is demonstrating the alternative with her commitment to The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.

During a recent Israel Study Trip, Federation leaders learned how the needs of Israeli women have increased dramatically since October 7 and how Federation-funded programs are continually working to support and empower them.

Through your generosity, Federation is caring for 20,000 Israeli youth suffering from the invisible wounds of trauma from the October 7 attacks. Enosh, one of Israel’s leading mental health organizations, is establishing a network of six Trauma and Crisis Intervention Centers for young adults to make quality emotional therapy accessible to anyone who needs it.

May is both Jewish American Heritage Month and Haitian American Heritage Month, and members of both communities came together for an interactive program organized by Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), Sant La and Ayiti Community Trust.

Attention, college and graduate students! There’s still time to apply for a Sylvia Tuman Scholarship to help fund your higher education. A limited number of scholarships are available from The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation to Jewish undergraduate and graduate students in need of financial assistance.

With the recent increase of IDF troops called to active duty, Federation funding continues to provide critical support to reservists and their families. Jewish Federations of North America, together with individual federations including Miami, have allocated more than $47 million to support 54 organizations addressing reservists’ escalating needs.

Mazal tov to Kloda Whitebook Kesher Academy on 30 years of excellence in special education! Led by Head of School Rabbi Ezra Levy, Kesher’s history and reputation for teaching children in 1st to 12th grade with learning disabilities is so impressive that families relocate all the way from Israel to enroll their children.

Loneliness and social isolation can have a profound effect on our health and wellbeing, particularly as we age. This topic will be explored at the 29th Annual Ministering to the Elderly Conference on Thursday, June 4 at Miami Jewish Health.

For years, Federation has provided rescued fresh produce and meals for Israelis in need through Leket Israel, and the demand for the nonprofit’s services has nearly doubled since October 7 due to food scarcity and high prices.

Federation’s vital support of Yad Sarah since October 7 has ensured that Israel’s foremost volunteer organization can continue to aid vulnerable evacuees of the ongoing war. In the case of elderly client Ayisa, when her safety and wellbeing were threatened by continued hostilities, her family moved her and her devoted caregiver, Reena, to Yad Sarah’s Wellness and Rehabilitation Hotel.

The 2024-2025 season will come to a close on Thursday, May 22 at the 87th Annual Meeting, when the Greater Miami Jewish Federation installs the 2025-2026 Officers, Board of Directors, Trustees, Leadership Council and Council of Jewish Organizations.

A group of Lions of Judah from Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy recently visited Panama to explore the country’s rich Jewish history. They saw Federation dollars at work in a pluralistic Jewish day school, a newly built senior center and met with MASA alumni.

Do you know a graduating senior headed to college this fall? Make sure they are connecting with their campus Hillel! As college campuses across the country remain a hotbed for antisemitism, coming together as a Jewish community is more important than ever.

Federation’s BeWell Miami is bringing attention to special events throughout May during Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM). In addition to the resources and programming it makes available year-round, BeWell is sharing in-person get togethers such as the Fit Shop X WAO (We Are One) transformative experience on May 18 for high-school students with boxing, yoga, meditation and more.

This summer, 700 Israeli teens from Gaza and Lebanese border communities will attend Jewish overnight camps in North America, thanks to you! When the program launched last summer after the October 7 attacks, 1,500 Israeli young adults from traumatized war-zone communities attended Jewish summer camps around the world.

Since October 7, more than $23 million has been distributed to Israelis through the Federation-supported Fund for the Victims of Terror (FVOT), providing comprehensive, prolonged assistance for those dealing with sorrow, fear and uncertainty.

Providing a dignified Jewish burial for someone who lacks financial means is one of the greatest acts of tzedakah. That is the goal of Federation’s Indigent Burial Program. Each year, Federation receives dozens of requests for assistance with burials from families, cemeteries, funeral homes, police and medical facilities.