jewishatl, Author at Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, People in Need

Jewish HomeLife Offers In-Person Caregiver Support Groups

“Caregiver burnout is real, particularly for those caring for loved ones with dementia or other age-related conditions,” said Jeffrey A. Gopen, President and CEO of Jewish HomeLife. “Just being with others facing similar challenges can offer new ideas and help reduce feelings of isolation and depression.” To address this problem, two of Federation’s partners, Jewish HomeLife and Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS), have teamed-up to offer support groups for caregivers in Atlanta.

The support groups are free to the community and open to all. Sessions are led by excellent facilitators from Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS). “These facilitators can provide information, resources, and strategies that give participants a sense of control and perspective and help them know they are not alone,” Jeffrey says.

Sessions:

The Cohen Home’s support group
Third Thursday of each month from 6:00-7:00 PM
10485 Jones Bridge Road in Johns Creek, near Dolvin Elementary at Buice Road

Berman Commons’ support group
Third Tuesday of each month from 6:30-7:30 PM
2026 Womack Road in Dunwoody, adjacent to the MJCCA

Walk-ins are welcome, but RSVPs are appreciated. Participants can attend as often or as little as needed. Refreshments are provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta proudly supports the work of Jewish Home Life and JF&CS. The money raised during Federation’s Community Campaign is granted to our partners, and we are proud to support vital programs like these that benefit the hardworking caregivers of Atlanta.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact:

The Cohen Home/Johns Creek: Jyl Batterman, jbatterman@jewishhomelife.org or call/text 404.434.2618

Berman Commons/Dunwoody: Amanda Hamilton, ahamilton@jewishhomelife.org or call/text 678.602.5693

jewishatl In PJ Library Atlanta

PJ Library Goes Beyond Books

If you grew-up in a Jewish home, you may already be familiar with PJ Library, which connects Jewish kids and their families to the diversity and richness of the Jewish experience through storytelling. These stories help children form personal, meaningful relationships to Judaism, and spark a lifetime love of reading. On the surface it may appear that PJ Library is solely a literacy program. But it is so much more.

PJ Families can go online to access free resources like recipes, downloadable activities, videos, and even podcasts. These materials give kids hands-on experiences that connect them to the stories they read. Parents and kids can take part in activities that teach them about Judaism—its rituals, legends, and celebrations. When we provide children with a lasting connection to their history, they feel more connected through our shared tradition.

PJ Library also hosts local, neighborhood events for families with young children, allowing families to meet and, hopefully, form friendships that will last a lifetime. You can follow PJ Library on Facebook to stay up to date on local gatherings.

Welcoming a new child can be as overwhelming as it is exciting, and PJ Library is here to help. JBaby connects new families to each other, to specialists for advice, and to Jewish community resources about family-friendly programs in your area. JBaby events are open to couples, single parents, parents by adoption or surrogacy, and families who are interfaith, LGBTQ+, multiracial, and which contain people with disabilities. J Baby can help expecting parents create a nurturing Jewish community in which to welcome their bundle of joy. Families can click here to sign up for JBaby and find more information about programming.

PJ Library is an incredible resource for families with children of any age. The stories that children read and the people they meet will impact them for a lifetime and make them feel supported and understood as they age. Storytelling is an entry point to the long history and proud tradition of our Jewish community, and whether we read these stories from books or repeat them to each other in a park over a picnic blanket, we are continuing a long and rich tradition.

jewishatl In JumpSpark

Calling All Jewish Teens—We want to hear from you!

JumpSpark, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s teen initiative, is conducting a survey to better understand the needs and experiences of Jewish teens in our area. Findings from this survey will be used to further develop meaningful Jewish experiences for teenagers, addressing their interests, passions, and needs, to better serve them and their families.

Teens who complete the survey will have the opportunity to win a $100 Amazon gift card every week the survey is open! The survey closes soon, so click here to complete it now!

To protect respondent privacy, survey responses will be collected, aggregated, and anonymized by a third-party research firm, Informing Change, which has many years of experience evaluating Jewish youth programming.

Please contact Rebekah Blume at Informing Change (rblume@informingchange.com) if you have any questions about the survey, or Director of JumpSpark, Nathan Brodsky (nbrodsky@jewishatlanta.org) for any questions about the larger evaluation effort.

Remember, the survey will close soon, so please share the link with the Atlanta teens in your life today!

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Federation Innovation

Celebrating Women-Led Innovation

Jewish Atlanta is constantly evolving. Our city changes a little bit each day, and with those changes come people who are determined to solve problems and make our community richer and more welcoming than before. Federation’s Jewish Innovation Initiative supports groups and individuals in our city who do this important work. In honor of Women’s History Month, we want to highlight just two of the women-led organizations backed by the Innovation Initiative that are blazing new trails in Jewish Atlanta.

JScreen at Emory University

JScreen’s mission is to eliminate devastating genetic diseases through affordable, convenient, and comprehensive, genetic testing and genetic counseling, with a focus on the Jewish population. This now-national program was founded in Atlanta, and is led by Executive Director Karen Arnovitz Grinzaid, MS, CGC, CCRC, and Director of Operations Felicia Mayer, MSEd, LPC.

“Although JScreen is a national program, community-based funding enables us to focus on our community. Having Atlanta as our home base makes Innovation funding even more meaningful. With Innovation funding, we have been able to screen hundreds of Jewish Atlantans for hereditary cancer risk, providing them with life-saving information for their personal health and the health of their families.”

– Felicia Mayer, MSEd, Director of Operations at JScreen

Ma’alot

Ma’alot is a spiritual community transforming lives through music, nature & Jewish wisdom. This organization aims to build “synagogues without walls” and break the stigmas that many people carry about what Judaism “should” look like, and instead discover traditions that speak to our hearts and souls.

“As a female rabbi ordained by a traditional institution, I personally relate to feelings of alienation and disenfranchisement from Jewish establishments. Ma’alot is part of a national shift of female entrepreneurs in the rabbinate to transform Jewish culture and community. We are grateful for the support of the Federation’s Innovation Fund for supporting a female-founded organization that is working to center marginalized voices and lead the community forwards.”

– Rabbi Ariel Wolpe, Director and Founder of Ma’alot

There are other Innovation-backed organizations that are led by exceptional Jewish women, including the Jewish Fertility Foundation and Jewish Climate Action Network of Georgia (JCAN-GA) The Jewish Innovation Initiative is proud to invest in local talent, especially when these genius minds are from populations that have traditionally been overlooked. By putting our resources into the brilliant women of tomorrow, we ensure that Jewish Atlanta’s brightest talents remain in Atlanta.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Federation Innovation

Celebrate Women-Led Innovation

JScreen at Emory University

– Felicia Mayer, MSEd, Director of Operations at JScreen

Ma’alot

– Rabbi Ariel Wolpe, Director and Founder of Ma’alot

Donate today to the Jewish Innovation Initiative and be part of Federation’s efforts to make Jewish Atlanta a welcoming place for big-thinkers.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community

Lois Frank to be Honored with Federation’s Lifetime of Achievement Award

Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta is thrilled to announce that Lois Frank will receive the 2023 Lifetime of Achievement award at our Annual Meeting on May 31, 2023. “Lois Frank’s name is synonymous with leadership, racial and social justice initiatives, and devotion to the State of Israel,” said Eric M. Robbins, Federation’s President & CEO. “She has expressed that commitment through activism, philanthropy, and a shining legacy of leadership.” 

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Lois came to Atlanta to attend Emory University for her undergraduate degree. She became active in the local civil rights movement her senior year, she invited Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Emory where he spoke to an audience of over 1,000 when a space for only 50 was provided by the University, which then was reluctant to host so potent an activist. She earned her master’s degree at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University), a Historically Black University, graduating in 1963. “It was the height of the Civil Rights Movement,” she says, “John Lewis was the head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC); there were sit-ins and my class went to the march in Selma.”

Lois met her husband, Larry, in Atlanta. They went on to have four sons: Joshua, Adam, Aaron, and Isaac. It was in 1967, exiting a plane heading to the World’s Fair in Montreal, when the Six Day War broke out. Mike Gettinger, then Director of Federation, saw the distressed Franks rush to the TV monitor to get news on Israel. Gettinger recognized their passion for Israel and recruited them into The Federation Family. And it was due to a Federation retreat at Camp Barney with Rabbi Yitz Greenberg in the late 1960’s that the study of Judaism became central to Lois and changed the course of the family’s life.

Lois is a current Board member of the Blaustein Institute for Human Rights, Project Interchange, Past President of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) of Atlanta, former National Chair for Jewish Council for Public Affairs, former Board member of Mazon, former National Chair of the Jewish Coalition for Literacy, and Past President of Women’s Philanthropy at Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

Lois believes that Jews have responsibility outside of our own community. “It’s important for Jews to participate in social justice in the name of Jews.” The Hillel Midrash, “If I am only for myself, what am I?” informs that value. In addition to the Jewish organizations she has championed, Lois has been a member of the Juvenile Justice Commission for the State of Georgia, AJC’s Atlanta Black/Jewish Coalition, the Southern Regional Council, and currently serves on the board of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. 

When asked what issues she hopes to address in the near future, she speaks of the importance of civility. “People are too easy to dismiss each other; there’s a lot we can learn from one another with respectful listening.”

Together with her husband Larry and son Isaac, the Franks created the Frank Leadership Mission. which engages the next generation of leaders in Atlanta. The mission sends emerging leaders to Israel, building a lifelong relationship with our homeland.  

Federation is proud to present Lois Frank with the Lifetime of Achievement Award in honor of her long—and ongoing—commitment to making the world a better place.  

jewishatl In Global News

Celebrating and Educating about Israel

Many of us have been watching the news from Israel over the past few weeks as the debate on the judicial reforms proposed by the current government spills over into public life. While Federation does not take positions regarding internal Israeli policies unless they are issues that have a direct impact on Diaspora Jewry, we do want to offer opportunities for our community to better understand what is taking place and provide relevant context. Here are 3 such opportunities:

Watch A Presentation
On February 22, Rich Walter, Federation’s Chief of Programs and Grantmaking, and Dr. Eli Sperling, Israel Institute Teaching Fellow at the University of Georgia, delivered a presentation for those who will be participating in the upcoming Community Journey to Israel. In the presentation, Rich offers some historical context into Israel’s founding and highlights how Federation’s investments in Israel strengthen peoplehood. Following Rich’s remarks, Dr. Sperling provides broader context about Israeli demography and how it influences Israeli politics and public opinion. You can click here to view that 35-minute presentation.
Join a Virtual Program
Our friends at the Cleveland Jewish Federation have invited our community to join them for an important virtual program on Understanding Judicial Reform in Israel, presented in partnership with the Israel Democracy Institute at the Center for Democratic Values and Institutions, which is supported by our Federation.As Israel undergoes many changes in its government, we hope you’ll join us online for a timely webinar moderated by Judge Dan A. Polster, with Dr. Amir Fuchs, senior researcher the Israel Democracy Institute at the Center for Democratic Values and Institutions. Register here.
Celebrate What Israel Means to You
If you’re looking for a way to celebrate Israel here at home, applications are open for the next round of Gather Grants. Gather Grants are an initiative of Federation’s Making Jewish Places, Next Gen, and PJ Library Atlanta that gives community members $180 microgrants in order to hold community events around a holiday or initiative. This cycle of Gather Grants is themed around celebrating Israel’s 75th birthday, which falls on May 14. You can choose any way you’d like to honor the Land of Milk and Honey—host a potluck featuring Israeli foods like falafel, shakshuka, or Bamba; invite people over for a backyard jam session and sing Israeli songs you or your friends learned at summer camp; or take a Saturday Shabbat hike and reflect on the similarities and differences between Georgia and Israel’s environment.

Applications will be accepted until March 31, and selected programs should take place between April 15 and May 15. Click here to learn more and submit your proposal!

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, PJ Library Atlanta

Learning Women’s History with PJ Library

pj-library-donate-button Each month, more than 4,700 children in Atlanta receive the gift of a free Jewish-themed book from PJ Library that shares holiday traditions, Jewish values, and more. In honor of Women’s History Month, here are a few PJ Library classics you and your children can enjoy:

Goldie Takes a Stand: Golda Meir’s First Crusade written by Barbara Krasner, illustrated by Kelsey Garrity-Riley
A young Golda Meir embraces tzedakah and organizes her friends and neighbors to raise money for textbooks for her classmates.

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 written by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Clara Lemlich is a teenager when her family arrives in the United States, but her young age doesn’t stop her from organizing a labor strike that will inspire workers across the country.

Judy Led the Way written by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, illustrations by Margeaux Lucas
Did you know that the first American bat mitzvah happened barely 100 years ago? Judy’s courage and intelligence paved the way for millions of other girls.

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark written by Debbie Levy, illustrations by Elizabeth Baddeley
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was never satisfied with the status quo, and her life’s story is recounted through a series of moments where she dared to disagree.

These stories show Jewish children that they have the power to make a difference, as these 20th Century women did, beginning when they were girls. The struggle for equal rights is not ancient, but rather quite timely. This Women’s History Month, PJ Library can help your family discuss the importance of telling historical stories.

This month, we’re highlighting the incredible work that PJ Library does in our community. To be part of inspiring the next generation of Jewish kids, donate today to PJ Library.

jewishatl In Federation Innovation

Why Innovation Matters in Jewish Atlanta 

Innovation is essential in any field—workplaces, industries, and communities should constantly be evolving and trying new things, otherwise, they stagnate. Federation’s Innovation Fund is one vital tool that keeps Atlanta’s Jewish community striving toward the future.   

The Innovation Fund aims to identify gaps in Atlanta’s Jewish landscape and fill them in. Our community is constantly changing, and Innovation seeks to both give legacy organizations the freedom to explore creative solutions and help new groups begin their work.  

Samantha Kurgan, Federation’s Vice President of Innovation, says “When there is a need in our community, we work with individuals and institutions to fill that void. Several new organizations have been seeded with grant money from Innovation. We also make grants to existing institutions that want to try something new, like address a changing need in the community, or expand their scope of support. A grant from the Jewish Innovation Fund allows them to be creative and think outside the box.” 

Innovation applicants can choose to ask for a one-year grant for a special program, or ongoing support over a span of up to three years. The hope is that Innovation funding can help these organizations get started, as it did for Ma’alot, Atlanta Jews of Color Council, Jewish Kids Group, and Blue Dove Foundation. Innovation is proud to be part of their journey as they continue to grow and impact our community.  

Jewish Fertility Foundation is a past recipient of an Innovation allocation that used their grants to launch their organization and has now grown large enough to open chapters in other cities across the nation. And Innovation grants allowed national organizations like Tikkun Olam Makers, 18 Doors, Repair the World, and Trybal to open chapters in Atlanta. 

Samantha is extremely proud of the work Federation does to support exciting Jewish ideas. “We look for the risk takers, the people who look at the world and say, ‘What if?’ The Jewish Innovation Fund keeps Atlanta’s Jewish community on the cutting edge and invests in local talent—literally and figuratively. By putting our resources into the brilliant thinkers of tomorrow, we ensure that Jewish Atlanta’s brightest talents remain in Atlanta.”

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community

Contact Your Georgia State Senators About House Bill 30

Federation, the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the ADL and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta want residents of greater Atlanta to be aware that House Bill 30 passed the Georgia House and is now in the Senate. The Georgia General Assembly will soon be voting on passing H.B. 30 into law—and we still need your help!

Please join these organizations and other concerned Georgians in contacting your Georgia State Senator to urge their support of this important bill. H.B. 30 would reference the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism and ensure that state agencies and departments consider this gold-standard definition of antisemitism when determining whether an alleged act was motivated by discriminatory, antisemitic intent.

Click here to contact your legislator and help Georgia join 28 other states and the District of Columbia in adopting the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism.