jewishatl, Author at Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta

KEEPING THE FAITH

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Before this past year, one of my favorite Jewish traditions was going to Synagogue on Saturdays. I would dress up, grab my beloved Siddur I received from my bar mitzvah, and spend 3-4 hours praying in Hebrew, listening to the Rabbi’s Dvar Torah, and gossiping with fellow members of the congregation, all for the reward of some truly incredible bagels and lox. However, with the start of this pandemic, this ritual hasn’t really been possible, so I’ve had to find other ways to connect to Judaism. I go to The Weber Jewish Community High School in Sandy Springs, Georgia. It’s an egalitarian school, so prayer isn’t mandatory. I don’t usually go; they’re very early and as a 17-year old kid, my self-inflicted sleep deprivation makes anything in the early morning pretty difficult.

I go to classes like Hebrew and Modern Jewish History. I’m lucky to have those classes and it’s been great to express my Judaism through learning and studying. I believe connecting with my Jewish community and learning about Judaism are just as important as praying or reading Torah. Since one of those things can’t be traditionally done as I’m stuck at home, I’ve been connecting and studying like never before. I’m involved in organizations like BBYO and Young Judaea, as well as the AJC and the Jumpspark fellowship program. These really are the highlights of my week; They offer a break from the monotony of school, homework, video games, exercise, and sleep.

One that stands out, however, is the Jumpspark program. With Jumpspark, I work with Israeli teens just like me to tell our stories of Jewish identity in America and Israel. I’ve learned a lot about Israel from my Israeli friends in Jumpspark or otherwise. My work in Israel advocacy is one of my most beloved connections to other Jews in Israel, but talking to Israeli friends helps me get new perspectives, and they’re all wonderful, interesting people. My greatest friends live at home, in the USA. I connect with other Jews in the US, as many others do, through groups like BBYO. I’m the Mazkir, AKA communications czar, for my local BBYO chapter. It’s a good bit of work but incredibly rewarding, when we can all get together in zoom or in an open park and just hang out. In lieu of in-person religious involvement, I’ve found meaning and depth in just connecting with other Jews.

jewishatl In JumpSpark

My Life as an Israeli Jew

Judaism is the main part of my identity. I think the reasons for that are: that in my close community everyone celebrates the holidays whatever their beliefs, my family does kiddush every week before Friday dinner. Also, my grandfather was a holocaust survivor and his story impacted the way I see Judaism and my need to be part of Jewish people.

For me, being an Israeli means contributing to the community, speaking Hebrew, and celebrating our civilian holidays like Independence Day.

Judaism and Israeli history are really woven together in my school work. In school every morning we stand to Hatikvah. Through school we travel across Israel and learn stories from history or the Torah. Also in history class, I am learning about the Holocaust and that has made such an impact on my Jewish identity. A couple of years ago my school took my class to Mount Herzl Cemetery. Mount Herzl Cemetery is the site of Israel’s national cemetery and other memorial and educational facilities. There we learned about the people that lost their lives for Israel. It was very emotional and gave me a new perspective on what it means to be an Israeli.

Outside of school I volunteer for Krembo Wings (https://www.krembo.org.il/en/), a youth movement for children with and without disabilities. Youth movements are the way that a lot of teenagers contribute to the community here in Israel.

Although being Jewish is the main part of my Jewish identity, I also spend time reading, meeting friends, drawing, or doing homework.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Jewish Abilities Atlanta

“Makers” Compete to Solve Human Problems

“Makers” Compete to Solve Human Problems
Georgia Tech’s Tikkun Olam Makers, known as TOM:GT, was the winning changemaker in Federation Innovation’s recent Propel Pitch competition. TOM is a worldwide movement that marshals the talents of student problem solvers, to address the needs of people with disabilities, known as “Need Knowers.” TOM:GT achieves its mission through an annual makeathon. Structured similarly to a hackathon, the makeathon pairs student teams with “need-knowers” to create workable prototypes. Last weekend, in real time, six TOM maker teams at Georgia Tech showcased their solutions before a panel of judges, many of whom work in the disabilities space, which rated their projects and ranked the teams’ outputs.

Judges hailed two teams as “winners” — Team 2, which created a way to manage and “reel in” oxygen hoses for people with COPD and other respiratory conditions; and Team 4, which created adaptive and supportive seating for people who want to use zip lines at Camp Twin Lakes, a camp for children facing serious illnesses, disabilities, and other life challenges.

Here are the challenges the six TOM teams were given, and what they created to meet a range of real–world problems.

Team 1: Notification Alert System:
“Mom” is an older adult woman who is losing her hearing. She owns an iPhone. Occasionally, she receives texts, messages, alerts, and other notifications on her phone. Mom enjoys watching TV. She also enjoys working in her garden.
The Challenge: The challenge is that when Mom listens to the TV, she does not hear the alerts on her iPhone because the volume of the TV obstructs the audio alert from the iPhone. This frustrates her because it could be a family member or friend with some timely information. She needs another method to let her know that the alert has occurred.
Team 2: Oxygen Concentrator Reel System | See what this winning team made on YouTube!
“Mom” is an older adult woman who has emphysema due to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The condition requires that she have oxygen delivered to her nose for every breath. In her small home, she has an oxygen concentrator which generates the oxygen, and she wears a nasal cannula to deliver that oxygen into her lungs. Between the cannula and the concentrator is a flexible hose which enables her to move about the house freely. The tubing is 50’ in length and made of a clear, flexible PVC material. Mom walks through the house with the tube dragging behind her. The Challenge: Because of its length, the hose can become a hazard. It bunches up. It can become entangled on itself. It can catch or get wrapped around furniture. As Mom walks around the house, she has to cross over the hose or push it out of the way. Everyone who is in the house is always aware of the hose’s location and tries to avoid stepping on it.
Team 3: Zip Line Support System | See what this winning team made on YouTube!
The Challenge: While at Camp Twin Lakes, one of the campers’ activities is a zip line. When the campers are using the zip line, it is important that the harness system keeps them upright and provides the necessary back, neck, and head support. Current seatback inserts do not provide all of the needed supports, meaning some campers are unable to participate in and enjoy the zip line.
Team 4: Canoe Supports
The Challenge: Oftentimes, it is difficult to maintain balance when getting in and out of a canoe. The tendency of a canoe to tip over makes it dangerous for some campers to use. However, because the added support would create a heavier system and therefore a harder to move system, it is important that the support structure be removable for campers that do not require it.
Team 5: Letter Tracing Transcribing System
Kyle hails from Atlanta, Georgia. He is 24 years old and grew up attending Temple Sinai and playing sports. Kyle has been an active member of the Jewish community his whole life. Kyle currently volunteers as a beekeeper and a honey salesman for a program called Hives for Honey. Prior to beekeeping, Kyle worked at the Marcus Jewish Community Center in the fitness center. Kyle is also a disability advocate and speaker. The Challenge: Due to Kyle’s dysgraphia, he has difficulty writing, making it hard to fill out forms that ask for information in multiple places (such as doctors’ offices, building sign-ins). Additionally, Kyle learns better by singing or visualizing something versus just hearing it. A device that provided a way to transcribe and/or trace words would help individuals like Kyle when filling out forms or other documents.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community

Rays of Light After a Year of COVID

Here we are, amazingly, at the one-year anniversary of COVID-19. The virus has had a profound impact on people around the world, yet at this moment of demarcation, when more than half a million people in the U.S. have lost their lives due to the Coronavirus, there is finally hope in the air. As hospitalizations and new infections drop, and vaccines become available to millions of people every day, we are heading, with trepidation, towards some measure of freedom.

Still, uncertainty lingers. After a year of universal trauma, we have lost our footing. The prospect of going back to our old lives is tantalizing, yet we know we can never fully return to the old ways. COVID-19 infected our lives with unprecedented levels of misery and fear that no vaccine can erase. Inequality and structural racism were laid bare during the racial unrest of the spring. Some of us were able to leverage the privilege of jobs and steady income to work from home. Others were not so lucky and suffered cruel setbacks. Students of all ages lost ground and lost their connections to peers with a year of mostly online learning.

At the same time, this year has generated unprecedented levels of resilience, generosity, and kindness. Several young filmmakers in Jewish Atlanta even made a film about our “can do” spirit! Did you see “Atlanta: The City Too Busy to Wait” in the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival? There’s much to reflect on as we approach the anniversary of COVID-19’s grip on Atlanta and the world. We wanted to mark the moment with a look back through FederationFive, month-by-month. See how fully our Jewish community responded to this challenging year with creativity, compassion, and love.

View the 2020 and 2021 FederationFive archives

MARCH | JF&CS Food Pantry responds to hunger needs | COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund launches | Federation COVID-19 Resource page created | Unexpected blessings of social distancing | Zoom Passover becomes the norm

APRIL | Support for COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund swells | AgeWell Atlanta rises up to meet challenges facing older adults | Special outreach to Holocaust survivors during the pandemic |We respond to COVID-19 needs in Israel

MAY | Bridging social distance to do good safely | Jewish Atlanta Flagpole entertains and unites us on Zoom | Coping without Camp for Summer 2020 | Teen Philanthropy addresses COVID-19 | Federation collaborates to offer safe reopening guidelines | Atlanta’s Israeli American community leans in to do good | JumpSpark offers Virtual College Road Trip for high school students contemplating college.

JULY | Overnight camps pivot to family camp model | Kosher Food Pantry delivers! | Community Security Services step up in a COVID-19 World | Propel Grants renew our investment in innovation and resilience | ALEF Fund assists families in need of day school and preschool tuition assistance | COVID funds raise spirits in Israel | COVID creates more pathways to Jewish learning online | Elite coaching videos offered for free to young athletes | Despite pandemic, Federation’s strategic plan is on track | Summer kosher food plan helps families | Partnerships support pandemic parenting

SEPTEMBER | Serve the Moment offers COVID-safe service opportunities for college–age students | Supportive Housing in Israel gets additional funding | Small group sports open at MJCCA | Innovation in high holiday worship for 5781 | Even alone we can pray | Donors give at inspiring levels | Yokneam fundraising supports Lone Soldiers during COVID | Jewish Atlanta’s response to COVID documented in a new film | New survey of community COVID needs | Despite pandemic, Shinshinim return to Atlanta

NOVEMBER | More virtual programming for older adults | Southeast mounts virtual Jewish camp fair | Jewish Professionals’ giving circle supports AgeWell Atlanta

DECEMBER | When virtual learning wasn’t cutting it, ALEF Fund helped send kids to Jewish day school | Jewish day camps prepare for summer 2021 | COVID safe MLK Weekend includes learning sessions on racism

JANUARY | Emergency response funding supports Jewish preschools | How trauma amplifies change | | How human connections raised $4.3 million for COVID relief

FEBRUARY | Physically apart, but not alone | Supporting camper mental health at camp this summer | COVID-19 Self Care Survey launched

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Federation Innovation

Path by Plywood Testimonials

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jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Secure Community Network

Community-Wide Security Program Update

Community-Wide Security Program Update
By Neil Rabinovitz, Community Security Director

As we approach the 2021 Department of Homeland Security Non-Profit Security Grant (NSGP) cycle, Federation’s Community-Wide Security Program has been busy assisting and supporting our community organizations with their grant applications. The NSGP program supports physical security enhancements and other security-related activities for nonprofit organizations that are at a high risk of a terrorist attack. This year, the total amount of funding available for the NSGP program has doubled from $90 million in 2020 to $180 million, with each applicant permitted to apply for up to $150,000 per site which is great news for our community. The 2021 NSGP application period is open now and grant awards will be announced in September.

In previous years, NSGP awards to our synagogues, Jewish day schools, and other organizations have made it possible for them to install security enhancements such as security cameras, vehicle access gates, duress alarms and other target hardening security measures.

In an effort to assist the community to better understand the application process, Community-Wide Security Program convened an NSGP workshop for all our organizations in early January. We also included representatives from Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency at the workshop. This gave the participating organizations the chance to have their questions answered by the same people who will be reviewing their applications.

Prior to applying for a grant, organizations are required to complete a Threat Vulnerability & Risk Assessment. As a Federation-provided resource to the community, the Community-Wide Security Program has been conducting these comprehensive physical security assessments at no cost to our organizations. The assessments can be completed at any time during the year and provide each organization with an individualized, prioritized long-term security improvement plan.

Through Federation’s partnership with the Secure Community Network (SCN), the Community-Wide Security Program has also made available to all our organizations a series of webinars detailing best practice guidance and recommendations for completing the NSGP application.

The Community-Wide Security Program also remains hard at work on other priorities as well. In spite of the pandemic, we have continued to provide valuable training to the community. Since the fall, we have conducted nine Countering Active Threat training classes and have trained nearly 200 members of the community. It is our goal to train as many members of the community as possible in this potentially life-saving training.

Additionally, thanks to a generous donor to the Security Program, we are able to provide to every organization five life-saving Stop-the-Bleed kits at no cost to the organization. To date, we have distributed over 100 kits. The kits will continue to be distributed to all organizations over the coming months.

Looking forward, as vaccines become increasingly available, and organizations work to assess security needs in their physical spaces as they reopen, SCN will release a new, updated version of the previously released Overview of Considerations for Resumption of Operations and Organizational Reopening. This will be an easy-to-use guide that provides the main questions and considerations that organizations and facilities should take into account when considering reopening.

To schedule a free security assessment, Countering Active Threat training, or to discuss the other training courses available to your organization, please contact Community Security Director Neil Rabinovitz.

jewishatl In JumpSpark

Make Your Own Path On A Gap Year

You’re on a path. If you’re like most, that path includes going to school, building your resume, working to get good grades, getting into a good college, picking a major, and hopefully landing a rewarding and lucrative job. It’s a proven and certainly expected path, but… it’s not always the right one for everyone.

Nowadays, many students choose to take time “off” before heading to college. A gap year after high school enables you to focus on your education outside the classroom, experience a different culture, learn a new language, and become a global citizen. You will meet a network of like-minded people who will become lifelong friends. And you will develop skills in areas of interest to you and maybe discover interests you didn’t even know you had.

Studies show that students who take a gap year are more successful in college. In fact, admissions directors report that they prefer students who have taken or plan to take a gap year, as these students tend to be more mature and focused, better leaders, and adept at managing their time and money, travel and roommates before they ever step foot on campus. And after college, your gap experience will continue to be an advantage as employers will appreciate the courage, service-mindedness, global awareness, and teamwork that you acquired through your extended overseas experience.

For Jewish students, one of the most exciting options is a year in Israel. In Israel, you can explore your heritage and connect with locals while you volunteer, intern, study, travel, and deepen your Jewish identity. You will live in the “Start Up Nation,” learning about the early pioneers and about advancements that continue to improve the world. And you will inevitably forge your own path that will be more meaningful and uniquely enriching.

Jewish National Fund’s Gap Year, Frontier Israel, is one such program. With the benefit of JNF’s vast resources, Frontier Israel participants spend extended time living, volunteering, and learning in the north, the center, and the south of Israel. Each Frontier has a different feel, different culture, and different experiences, and each is amazing in its own way! Live like an Israeli, explore the country, help others, and make your own path on Frontier Israel. For more information, please contact me at mnadolne@jnf.org. Limited spots are still available for the 2021-2022 Full year and Fall semester programs.

jewishatl In JumpSpark

My Israel Gap Year Experience

I’m forever grateful for the experience of having participated in an Israel gap year and the perspective that year gave me. While on Year Course I learned so much about myself, my Jewish identity and my place in the world. I learned that I am capable – I had to navigate an unfamiliar society, including new currency, language and expectations. Did I misstep? Yes! So many times, but I learned, grew and gained confidence in myself. I came to understand that Israel, while unfamiliar, was also a home for me. The friendships formed through those experiences endure through today. I came to understand what it meant to be a part of something you believe in and I felt like my contributions were important. I didn’t know it then, but these lessons would shape the person I was to become.

I remember people would ask why I wanted to “take a year off” before college. I never felt like it was a year off. I felt like it was a year to grow and experience life! I learned so much by immersing myself in Israel for those months. I lived with a moshav family in the Golan Heights and reflected on what it means to be a community. I worked in the community gan (preschool) in the Arad absorption center and learned to welcome someone with a genuine smile because words were not available. I became a braver more confident version of myself. I rode buses back and forth across Israel- by the time I arrived in Athens the UGA buses were a cinch. I managed my expenses in sheckels, so keeping track of dollars was manageable. I made choices how to celebrate and observe Jewish traditions with my community and found my own joy in these experiences. The lessons from my gap year experience inspired me, taught me and prepared me for a life of adventure and service founded in Jewish values. I am truly grateful for those experiences.

Tracey Grant/JumpSpark Think Tank member

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Federation Innovation

Path by Plywood

Path by Plywood with Jewish ATL is a micro-community of Jewish people that gather to learn together, inspire each other, and build their ideas together, and create a community of shared trust and support. This 8-week program is created in collaboration with Plywood People, a non-profit dedicated to leading a community of start-ups doing good. More info on their Path offering here, which they define as “For problem solvers who need direction and accountability as they decide what to do with their idea.”

Date of Events:

April 8: class gathers for first time, introduce yourself and ideas
April 15, 22, 29: sections 1, 2 and 3
May 6, 13, 20: sections 4, 5 and 6
May 27: community giving circle (TBD in person or virtual)

This program is in service to our community’s changemakers. Some of them need support growing their idea and better understanding how it can successfully launch.

By participating in Path, you can expect:

to follow a proven problem-solving method that has been implemented by hundreds of people before you.
to learn from dozens of other social entrepreneurs through video content, written articles, reflective challenges, and group meetups.
a weekly video call (8-9 PM on consecutive Thursdays April 8 – May 27) with others in the course, led by a Plywood People facilitator.
access to the course content for a year.

By completing Path (attend at least 4 of the 6 sections and actively participate), you are eligible to present your project or idea to the cohort and vie for part of the $2,500 investment pool.

Any questions? Contact Director of Innovation, Russell Gottschalk, for more info.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Caring, Global News

Atlanta Meets Israel in a JumpSpark Blog

JumpSpark’s Amplifying Israel program is all about connecting Atlanta teens with their counterparts in our Partnership Region, Yokneam, Israel. Lulu Rosenberg, an 11th grader at North Springs High School, is one of five Atlanta fellows in the program. Shaked Nitka is a high school student in Yokneam, Israel. Both girls are blogging to explore their feelings about what it means to be Jewish, and in the process are illuminating places where they align, and where they diverge a bit, too. Here’s what they have to say:

Lulu Rosenberg: Whether I am lighting the Shabbat candles, eating chicken soup with matzah balls, participating in a global Jewish youth group like BBYO, or attending a Strong Jewish Women’s Fellowship meeting, there is no doubt that I am connected to my Judaism. Being Jewish is a huge part of my identity and it plays a major role in my daily life. When I wake up in the morning, it’s not like the first thing I think of is being Jewish. But when I come downstairs and see a plate of hamentaschen from my neighbor on the counter, I don’t question it. When I get a bowl for my cereal before I go to school, I make sure to get a dairy one and not a meat one. Leaving my house for school, I pass the mezuzah on the door and walk to my car. I don’t even notice the sticker on my windshield for the Jewish Community Center anymore; it is the same one that practically every other Jew in Atlanta also has.

I used to go to a Jewish day school where all my friends and most of my teachers were Jewish. Now, I attend public school. My closest friends are still Jewish, but I am no longer in a bubble where Judaism defines my every day. Everyone at school knows I am Jewish, but it doesn’t seem to faze anyone like I expected it to. I’m not even sure how I expected people to act, but for some reason I believed that my Judaism would really matter to others. Lulu’s story continues here.

Shaked Nitka: Judaism is a big part of my life, and it is in my daily life almost everywhere, sometimes even without me noticing it. It could be reflected in the Magen David (shield necklace) that I got for my Bat Mitzvah and which I wear all the time, or in the special feeling of a holiday whenever Friday comes. I think the fact that I’m Israeli has a strong connection to my Judaism because in Israel there are many holy places for Judaism that are close to me and that allow me to connect with Judaism and the history of the Jewish people. Also, Israel is based on Judaism and its laws, and the people surrounding me are following those just like me. For example, on Yom Kippur, everything is closed and when I go out on the streets there are lots of people outside riding a bike or meeting each other to spend this time together, which allows me to experience the holiday in a more powerful and special way.

I’m not in a religious Jewish school, but Judaism is still present. I learn the Bible, and on school trips we go to places that are important to the history of the Jewish people. After school, I usually learn more and do my homework, go out with my friends, or ride on roller skates to a field close to my house where I will read a book or knit. On Friday, which is my favorite day of the week, I help my parents cook Shabbat dinner, and on that day, my brother also comes back from the Israeli army. We all sit down and have Shabbat dinner together. Being Jewish and Israeli is a big and important part of my identity that matters and interests me greatly. I love opportunities like this one (Amplifying Israel teen fellow) that connect me to Judaism.