jewishatl, Author at Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta

Cultivating a Learner’s Mindset

As part of Federation’s commitment to prioritize Excellence, Fearlessness, and Empathy as the core values that drive our work, all of our professionals know they are part of a learning organization. Federation’s learning culture means we not only encourage but require everyone to demonstrate personal and professional growth every year. Our people do this by taking classes and webinars, attending conferences, and sometimes choosing their own self-directed studies.

Every professional sets annual performance goals in their main area of expertise. And everyone has a development plan. Seventy percent of the development plan includes on-the-job “stretch opportunities.” Our professionals frequently mentor each other to master these new skills. These commitments help us cultivate a learner’s mindset, which in turn, empowers us to become more fearless.

I see the benefits daily. People who are risk takers get comfortable with challenging a fixed mindset and learn to embrace change. They are flexible, curious, collaborative. They are open to the idea that there’s no one way to do things. These skills were absolutely essential as we adapted to the massive upheaval of the challenges of the pandemic.

Our professionals are taking classes about how to manage their teams, how to make Instagram and Facebook videos, and how to chart a donor’s journey from the very first gift to renewals. They’re learning about best practices in direct mail and how to tailor fundraising appeals to specific demographic groups. They’re studying how to move donors to monthly giving, and how to sharpen their listening skills so they take a project and turn it into reality. On their own time, several are pursuing MBA degrees, social work certification, and more!

You may also have heard that Federation is integrating the capabilities of Salesforce into our daily operations. We are one of the first Federations in North America to adopt Salesforce, and I am continually getting phone calls from others who ask how it’s going. I’m proud to say, it’s going really, really, well. Salesforce allows us to better integrate our data, connect with community partners, volunteers, and donors.

In this way too, having a workforce that values a learner’s mind has served us well. All of our teams are touched by Salesforce and after many, many, hours of training, our professionals are fearlessly adopting new procedures. I am convinced that our commitment to ongoing learning is much deeper than what’s usually called “professional development.” It is an attitude that opens us up, fearlessly, to ideas that can move this community forward.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Federation Innovation

2021 Community Award Winners

Jada Garrett
As a Black Jew, Jada Garrett seeks to amplify voices and experiences of Jews of Color. She provides leadership and organizational diversity training workshops with a Jewish lens, consulting and public speaking. Jada is active at Congregation Shearith Israel, with Be’chol Lashon, and participates in multiple Jews of Color focus groups. She is also a member of the Jews of Color Fed Network, a community network made up of Jewish People of Color that serve as a resource for the broader Jewish communal landscape.

Adam Hirsch
Adam Hirsch epitomizes the definition of leadership within the Jewish Community. He is on the executive board of American Jewish Committee, Ahavath Achim Synagogue, and is a former board member of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta and Jewish Family & Career Services. He has also served on the steering board of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. He was awarded the Young Leadership Award by ORT and was recently honored by Hillels of Georgia for his contributions both personally and professionally. Adam has also told the Jewish Atlanta story through various documentaries, including most recently, “Atlanta, The City Too Busy to Wait.”

The Gerald G. Cohen Community Development Award — Jennifer Korach
Jennifer Korach may be new to Atlanta, but she has a long history with Jewish Federations. She was an active leader in Cleveland, holding many positions in the general campaign, women’s philanthropy, and was a member of Young Leadership Cabinet. Jennifer is a premier worker (and excellent fund raiser), serves as liaison to JFNA, and has served on allocations committees. Jennifer has co-chaired events and Pop Ups.

The Marilyn Shubin Professional Staff Development Award — David Welsher
David Welsher is currently serving in his fourth academic year at The Epstein School and was recently named the Associate Head of School effective fall 2021. He is an inspired innovator, a gifted educator, and a compelling leader, who is enthusiastic about sharing his passion, vision, and knowledge. David’s educational philosophy sees each student as a whole child capable of learning and growth. Traditional academic learning is seen alongside the social, emotional, and spiritual growth of each student.

Mary & Max London People Power Award — Lauren Harris
Lauren Harris has served on JF&CS’s Board for over 10 years. She created The Artists’ Collective; an innovative, volunteer led and run inclusion program bringing community artists twice a month into IndependenceWorks, JF&CS’s day services program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This program gives clients who love art the ability to experiment with a variety of mediums and to interact with artists who are experts in their medium. Some of the items produced have been sold at JF&CS’s signature event, the Tasting, a fundraiser that supports these programs.

Tikkun Olam/Community Impact Award — Mimi Hall
Mimi Hall was a founder and early organizer of Concrete Jungle, an organization launched in 2009 with the innovative idea of harvesting fruit and nuts from abandoned/underutilized urban trees. Concrete Jungle makes that produce a year-round food source for food banks, shelters, and people in need. The organization has now grown to a multi-pronged food justice advocate. Concrete Jungle organizes fruit picking events. It partners with other food justice organizations mobilizing volunteers for food delivery to needy families.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Caring, Jewish Abilities Atlanta, People in Need

A New Blueprint for Inclusion in Jewish Atlanta

In early 2020, the Jewish Abilities Alliance (JAA) engaged in a study of disability inclusion in Jewish Atlanta with an organization called Matan. Matan works with Jewish professionals, communities, and families to create and sustain inclusive Jewish settings for people with disabilities. The study was an opportunity to reflect on our community’s past efforts and to re-evaluate needs and areas for deeper focus and support.

Then came COVID-19. As the pandemic began to unfold, the study took on even more importance. It was clear that individuals with disabilities were disproportionately affected by the pandemic, facing increased social isolation, cuts in crucial services, and increased vulnerability to their health and wellbeing.

Thanks to the consulting team from Matan, we now have identified a framework that promotes and enhances a vision of a Jewish Atlanta that is fully inclusive of individuals with disabilities and their families across the lifespan. Here are some of the ways how we hope to close the gap between what currently exists and what the community aims to accomplish:

Establishing and supporting coordinated communal inclusion efforts and unified community goals
Prioritizing funding for inclusion across the lifespan and ensuring sustainability
Creating a shared communal vision of acceptance and support for individuals of all abilities
Training for all community professionals and lay leaders to create an even landscape of inclusion knowledge and capability

We look forward to sharing the outcomes of this study and our road map for the next several years as we deepen our work alongside our community partners, in making Jewish Atlanta a place where people of all abilities are welcomed, included, and embraced in all aspects of Jewish life.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, People in Need, Young Leadership Division

Hillels of Georgia Partners with JF&CS on Student Mental Health

Elliott B. Karp, CEO of Hillels of Georgia, could see that Jewish college students across Hillel’s eight Georgia campuses were feeling isolated, anxious, and depressed. Requests for on-campus counseling services were pushed to their limits.

“Hillels of Georgia is committed to the wellbeing of our Jewish college students including their mental health,” Karp said. “Even before the pandemic, today’s generation of college students already exhibited the highest rate of mental health issues including anxiety, depression, and unfortunately, suicide. COVID-19 only exacerbated this reality for our students. Given our commitment to being a Jewish ‘home away from home’ for our Jewish students, we felt an urgency to create Be Well With Hillel as a collaborative partnership with JF&CS.

Thanks to a generous $25,000 grant from Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, Be Well With Hillel is now providing free, virtual, confidential counseling services by a licensed clinician from the Frances Bunzl Clinical Services of JF&CS to any Jewish college student in Georgia.

Susan Fishman, the JF&CS clinician providing services, has an extensive background in college student counseling. She has found that virtual therapy works better than she imagined. “This is a modality that works especially well for college students. I’ve discovered that the stigma attached to mental health issues has dialed down a bit during the pandemic. Suddenly it’s OK to ask for help. Students are doing it earlier, not letting things build up to a crisis.”

Be Well With Hillel will continue to offer services throughout the summer, with a focus on transitioning to college in July and August and will provide group webinars on mental health and other issues as a way of providing support to Jewish students. Learn more here.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Caring, Jewish Journeys

First Came Oliver, Then Rosemary

The Blessings of Our Fertility Journey
by Scott Anklowitz & Sarah Ashton

Scott: When Sarah and I met as colleagues at AT&T, we clicked right away. We dated for a year and a half, and when we married, Sarah was 36 and already concerned about her ability to conceive. We knew we had to get started trying right away. Little did we know there would be fertility issues on both sides. We began to see fertility doctors in Atlanta and for the next year it was bad news after bad news.

Both of us turned out to be cystic fibrosis carriers. I had a rare chromosomal translocation, so we were both infertile for multiple reasons. After two unsuccessful rounds of IVF we did not produce healthy embryos. Our doctor was frank: “You can keep doing this, but the costs and emotional and physical stress are going to be intense.” It was. We took a break for a few months.

The unexpected turning point came when our financial advisor, Elie Engler, shared his personal experience working with the Jewish Fertility Foundation (JFF) to build his family. Elie was absolutely pivotal in directing us to JFF’s Fertility Buddies program. Connecting with JFF, especially as an interfaith couple, introduced us to other wonderful resources and opportunities in the Atlanta Jewish community. JFF partners with PJ Library, 18Doors, and with organizations that help build families. It has reconnected me to Jewish life and given our family a deep appreciation of Judaism we never imagined.

Sarah: Ultimately, we went the egg donor route and had success right away. Oliver was born in 2019 and then came Rosemary in September 2020. We are so thankful that JFF and Elie pulled us into something warm and embracing. Elie guided us that being Jewish is different for everyone and it was up to us to define what that means for our family – this made us feel embraced.” JFF found us, and it has become a real source of passion and strength.

During COVID we hosted a JFF virtual wine and cheese tasting with 18Doors, which works with interfaith families. Our gathering included other interfaith couples, couples dealing with infertility, gay couples, and other nontraditional families. Rabbi Malka, who leads 18Doors is now part of our life. We’ve talked about trying to make this gathering an in-person event, a couple of times a year.

I’m not super religious but everyone has made me feel welcome. Scott became a Fertility Buddy and joined the JFF board. We’ve been to JFF CEO and Founder Elana Frank’s house for Shabbat dinner. I’m enjoying exposing Oliver and Rosemary, and my own parents, to this tradition. We read PJ Library Books every night to Oliver. None of this would have happened if not for our infertility journey. We have finally found a community of people that feel like “our” community through JFF.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Caring, Jewish Abilities Atlanta, People in Need, Philanthropy

Doing the Work to Close the Inclusion Gap or A Framework for an Inclusive Jewish Atlanta

Community Study on Disability Inclusion

Annie Garrett, Jewish Abilities Alliance Manager

In early 2020, the Jewish Abilities Alliance (JAA) engaged in a community study of disability inclusion in Jewish Atlanta. The study was an opportunity to reflect on our community’s past efforts with disability inclusion and to re–evaluate needs and areas for deeper focus and support. Shortly after we embarked on this work, the COVID-19 pandemic began to unfold. As we started to understand the impact of the pandemic, this study took on even more importance. Individuals with disabilities are disproportionately affected by the pandemic, facing increased social isolation, cuts in crucial services, and increased vulnerability to their health and wellbeing. This study has shed light on our community’s most current and pressing needs and will provide crucial data and direction to continue lifting disability inclusion as a priority across all aspects of Jewish life.

JAA worked closely with a consulting team from Matan, spending many months interviewing Jewish communal professionals, lay-leaders, self-advocates, caregivers, and family members. As a result, we have identified a framework that promotes and enhances a vision of a Jewish Atlanta that is fully inclusive of individuals with disabilities and their families across the lifespan. This framework identifies several areas of inclusion work over the next several years to close the gap between what currently exists and what the community aims to accomplish:

Establishing and supporting coordinated communal inclusion efforts and unified community goals
Prioritizing funding for inclusion across the lifespan and ensuring sustainability
Creating a shared communal vision of acceptance and support for individuals of all abilities
Training for all community professionals and lay leaders to create an even landscape of inclusion knowledge and capability

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Atlanta Jewish Foundation, Philanthropy, Young Leadership Division

Because It’s Our Turn: Thoughts on NextGen Philanthropy

Jonathan Arogeti always heard his parents and grandparents say that giving back to the community was a central family value. “They told us, you have three options with money — spend it, save it, or give it away. And they believed by far that giving it away, if you are able, was the very highest value. During this time in my life, I’m doing all I can to encourage my peers to get involved in philanthropic giving. It’s our generation’s time to build on and sustain this incredible Atlanta community.”

Arogeti vividly remembers how his family’s support for Hillels of Georgia brought the commitment home. “We all attended the dedication ceremony of the new Hillel building at Emory,” Jonathan says. “It was just a few years after my grandfather’s death, and there was so much meaning to see my grandmother’s pleasure at the depth and impact of this gift. I was in college, and it felt so relevant to my stage of life.”

Now, when he can direct his philanthropic giving, Jonathan works closely with Staci Eichelbaum, Atlanta Jewish Foundation’s Director of Philanthropic Advising. He serves as a mentor to Atlanta young adults who have grown up blessed with family resources. With Eichelbaum, Arogeti has led two cohorts of a four-month NextGen Legacy group that helps NextGen donors clarify their own philanthropic interests — and equally important, teaches them to initiate discussions about where they would like to see family resources allocated and how they can participate.

Arogeti explains, “When you are coming of age in a family with the capacity to be generous, we want you to think about what your philanthropic interests look like from a structural and decision-making standpoint. In the group, we ask, ‘Does your family let you speak up and participate in philanthropic decisions? If not, how can you get more involved?’ “

He adds, “When the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund was gearing up last year, we encouraged our Legacy participants to ask their parents if they were participating. Some had never asked about these decisions before.”

Arogeti also empowers the NextGen Legacy groups to be very specific about their personal priorities. “For example, tell your family, ‘I’m interested in environmental projects that lower carbon footprint. How can you support me in that?’” Jonathan is a founding member of the Repair the World Advisory Council and makes his own gift, but he also asks his family to make a gift to amplify the commitment. “They do it because I asked them,” he says. “It’s tremendously empowering!”

“We’re a fortunate group, but we agree that talking about money is always hard — even with your parents. The idea is to get these conversations started. The first thing I ask each new group is, ‘How many of you told your families that we asked you to participate in NextGen Legacy?’ I’m frequently surprised by how many have not! Having peers on the same journey as you takes away some of the hesitancy and helps you learn what is possible.”

To learn more about NextGen Legacy, and upcoming cohorts, contact Staci Eichelbaum, Director of Philanthropic Advising, Atlanta Jewish Foundation.

jewishatl In AgeWell Atlanta, Atlanta Jewish Community, Caring, Global News, People in Need, Philanthropy

Supporting Holocaust Survivors: “Barry’s” Story

by Cherie Aviv, Chair, Holocaust Survivor Support Fund

“Barry” (his name has been changed for privacy) grew up in a loving Jewish home attending synagogue, observing Shabbat, playing dreidel, and eating Jewish foods. But when the National Socialists came to power and enforced Nazi rule, Barry was forced to wear a yellow star, quit school, leave home, and was transported by train to Auschwitz. By jumping off the train, and not getting caught or killed, he hid in the forest and used his skills, determination, and drive to survive. His family was not as fortunate, and the horrors of that period left a mark on him, as they did on all Holocaust survivors.

Survivors of the Holocaust like Barry deserve to live out their lives comfortably, with dignity and support. Barry made a life for himself in Atlanta. As his health deteriorated, without family to care for him, financial resources to meet Barry’s needs became paramount. Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS) provided case management, and The Holocaust Survivor Support Fund (HSSF) provided funds so he could live his remaining days respectably and not alone, with a caregiver at his side. HSSF also provided Barry with grocery gift cards, medical assistance, prescription assistance, and transportation help.

HSSF, convened by Federation, provides funds to meet the needs of Holocaust survivors, like Barry, as they get older and to supplement Claims Conference funds from Germany that are sent to social service agencies, in this case JF&CS. Claims Conference funds are insufficient to meet the needs of Barry and others like him, making HSSF support vital.

To support this important outreach: https://jewishatlanta.org/give/donate/

Our Responsibility
Holocaust survivors have a short window to receive this precious care. It is an act of community responsibility and an expression of the Jewish value of chesed (loving kindness) to care for the final generation of survivors who are still with us. As dollars diminish, our support for HSSF provides this very special population the opportunity to live their remaining years as fully as possible and with dignity.

Who does HSSF Support?
In Georgia, at least 218 of the 277 Holocaust survivors receive financial, social, reparations assistance, or support services. Of these 218, two-thirds receive some type of financial assistance. Beginning in Fall 2020, HSSF funds also supported survivors in remote locations in the southeast that are served through JF&CS-Atlanta.

Needs are growing
The needs of survivors are growing as they age. The average survivor age is 86. More than 25 percent of survivors receiving financial support have annual incomes that fall below the Federal Poverty Level.
HSSF allocated over $1.5 million for survivors through March 2021.

Supporting HSSF helps provide:

Home-delivered meals — this has a significant impact by providing peace of mind and the comfort of a reliable food source.
Grocery gift cards to improve survivors’ physical health by giving them access to more nutritious food options and easing concerns about having enough food, which can be a source of anxiety.
Prescription assistance, which takes a huge toll on survivors who may face large co-pays and often are on multiple expensive medications.
Homecare, which provides the greatest need to help survivors with activities of daily living, from bathing, assistance with food intake, and basic human needs.
And much more…

HSSF, convened by Federation, is a partnership of Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Jewish Family & Career Services, Jewish HomeLife Communities, The Breman Museum, the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, and Eternal Life-Hemshech to meet the increased needs of homecare, health care, social services, assisted living support, and financial assistance for Holocaust survivors in our community.

To support this important outreach, visit: https://jewishatlanta.org/give/donate/
To learn more about HSSF, visit: https://jewishatlanta.org/give/philanthropic-opportunities/hssf/

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Global News

The Amazing Mayors of Yokneam & Megiddo

The mayors of the cities in our Israel Partnership region are remarkable men! Mayor Simon Alfasi, of Yokneam, and Itzik Holavsky, head of the Regional Council of Megiddo, are committed to making life better for their citizens. Both men have a passion to accelerate the quality of life for the Ethiopian olim (immigrants) in their communities and to create more opportunities for educational and economic advancement in their region. We’re excited to share video interviews with Mayor Simon Alfasi, and Mayor Itzik Holavsky responding to questions from members of Atlanta’s Jewish Peoplehood Committee. Take a minute to meet these men and learn about the issues in our Partnership region, and the positive outcomes our Atlanta dollars are achieving.

Meet Yokneam’s Mayor Alfasi here.

Meet Megiddo’s Mayor Holavsky here.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Caring

Ecosystem Update: We’re Still in This Together

Thinking about our Jewish community as an interdependent ecosystem of organizations, synagogues, schools, and purpose-driven nonprofits — not just a landscape dotted with independent Jewish organizations — was one of the important realignments that came out of The Front Porch initiative that reimagined Jewish Atlanta. Since that time, Federation has been convening quarterly meetings of our Atlanta Jewish Ecosystem to share resources and approach issues in a collaborative manner. It has yielded some strong partnerships and insights, especially during the pandemic.

Rich Walter, who leads Federation’s Community Planning and Impact team, believes the meetings have been very productive. “The last year has amplified the importance of coming together as a community of organizations, both professionals and lay leaders. Through our ecosystem, we have engaged a broad number of people to explore issues that we all face as a community, regardless of our individual affiliations. These have included disability inclusion, health and safety, and mental health. The ecosystem is more than a gathering place for sharing ideas, building trust, and developing relationships across the system. It leads to more collaboration and stronger communal approaches to the challenges and opportunities we all face,” Walter said.

For example, Jewish Family and Career Services worked in collaboration with Federation to create a self–care survey, assessing Jewish community needs as a result of COVID-19. The survey closed last week with more than 500 respondents! The April 20 Ecosystem meeting will focus on responding to the mental health needs of our constituents, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Preliminary findings of the community survey will be presented and attendees will engage in facilitated breakout conversation to discuss how to best address the needs identified in the survey. This will be an opportunity to learn more about how organizations can build mental health resilience into future programming and discuss opportunities for community wide mental health initiatives.

We’ll be sharing the results of the self-care survey more widely and the Ecosystem’s ideas about how to respond to the challenges that surface.