Atlanta Jewish Community Archives

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 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.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Caring, PJ Library Atlanta

The Treasure of Jewish Identity

by Lynn Sapertstein

As “Grammy” to Jake, Harrison, and their baby cousin, Juniper “June” Graham, I am in my element. And when my husband Jan, or I are reading Jewish-themed PJ Library books with them, it’s pure gold!

In Atlanta, free PJ Library books are mailed monthly to more than 5,000 children. Our grandkids get excited when new books, tailored to their ages, arrive in the mail. When we read together, Jake will ask about Jewish things I did when I was a young girl, or when his mom was little. I love how Harrison will snuggle in as I read to him about Shabbat and how his eyes shine when we bless the challah.

We tell stories. We ask questions. When Hanukkah comes and we light the menorah that Jake made, it all comes full circle. The books are a springboard for deeper conversations.

Throughout the pandemic many of my friends were not been able to see their grandchildren. They used FaceTime and Zoom not just to chat, but to read PJ Library books with them! The books are fun and colorful, and you learn along with your grandkids. In families where one parent or grandparent is new to our faith, PJ Library books are a safe and comfortable way to learn and grow in observance.

I’m firmly of the belief that if you want to have a grandchild who loves Jewish traditions, and who understands Jewish values, you must put in the effort. Grandparents have a unique opportunity to show that Jewish identity matters. When we model Jewish values and traditions, they endure beyond our generation, beyond our kids’ generation, down to the grandkids. That is incredibly powerful!

Through PJ Library books we also have an opportunity to model Jewish generosity. It costs $40 a year for each child to have a PJ Library subscription. While the books are mailed for free, the program is not self-sustaining. I’d love to see grandparents with grandkids in Atlanta (or even out of town), become champions for PJ Library by supporting it with their donations so that more families can share the treasure of our heritage.

Learn more about PJ Library

Donate Now

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

Rebecca Birch: An emerging leader for inclusion

Rebecca Birch, Assistant Tikvah Support Director at Camp Ramah Darom, has been selected as this year’s Robyn Berger Emerging Leader. The presentation of this award brings to a close Jewish Abilities Alliance’s month-long celebration of the Power of Inclusion, honoring 21 individuals who made an impact on inclusion in 2020. Ramah Darom’s Tikvah program supports campers with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, communication disorders, ADHD, anxiety disorders, and other disabilities. Audra Kaplan, who directs the program says, “Our approach is that every counselor is an inclusion counselor, and Becky has made sure that each counselor felt equipped to support each of their campers. At camp, she designed and ran age-appropriate activities for each age group around topics of inclusion and acceptance.”

Becky’s decision to work professionally in this field is the direct result of her years at camp. At Ramah Darom she guided the expansion of support for campers in typical bunks and those who require a higher level of support. In summer 2019, Becky led the staff inclusion training and then in summer 2020, led the full staff training in preparation for Kayits Babayit (Summer at Home), a virtual program. “Becky has been an integral part of not only developing our model of inclusion support, but also in helping to transform our community,” Audra Kaplan adds. “Camp Ramah Darom is proud to recognize her as a true example of the power of inclusion!”

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

Jared Jay has something to say

Jared Jay is a nonverbal young man with autism, but his message is loud and clear when he uses his letter board. We asked Jared to share his thoughts for our Atlanta community during Jewish Disability, Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion month (JDAIM).

I am autistic. I am non-speaking but not non-thinking. I communicate by spelling on a letterboard. I am silent, but I am also not.

Belief is my family cornerstone. We are Jewish and I like Judaism because it gives me hope I can survive my challenges. A Jew is a survivor and we fight in the face of fear. Facing fear is what we do. Can I tell you why? In our past others have tried to silence us but they never prevail. History has tried to erase us but we are chosen to show the world how truth in the face of darkness always shines as a light. For me, my darkness is my silence and the way society acts about my disability. But my truth, my light, are my words. Sit in my silence and hear me speak.

In today’s world, people are afraid to silence their minds and because of that, fear overpowers them when they have an encounter with a silent person. As a silent Jew, I am here to illuminate a new way of being, seeing and living.

Respect. That’s my innermost wish for the world. I am feeling that with respect the world would care more about minorities. I hope that life will become more inclusive for others like me and not like me. I grieve for those who will stay silent without ever having the opportunity to express themselves. I am hopeful for the families who saw for the first time that the doctors who said we are not connected were dangerously wrong.

I am proud that I am one of the revolutionaries.

Learn more about JAA

Donate now

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Caring, Global News, Jewish Journeys

Gap Year in Israel: An Incredible Option for Pre College Students

What if your high school student didn’t go to college right after high school? Taking a year-long break, or “gap year” in Israel between high school and college is growing in popularity for pre-college Jewish teens. And what if your student even got a scholarship to go?!

Now JumpSpark, in partnership with The Zalik Foundation, has received funding to award 30 lucky students with a $10,000 – $15,000 scholarship that supports an in-person gap year in Israel. At a time when for many, the college experience is a virtual one, The Atlanta Israel Gap Year Scholarship guarantees actual experiences!

When students take a gap year in Israel they live and interact with their peers. It’s an international communal living and growth experience that instills independence, maturity, and opportunities to travel and serve, while building life-long connections to lsrael. There are many exciting gap year options to choose from, so read on to learn about the Israel program that’s right for your student!

JumpSpark’s new Atlanta Israel Gap Year Scholarship provides generous support for ten pre-approved and diverse gap year programs. Explore the desert, volunteer on a kibbutz, visit high-tech startups, engage in meaningful social action, and connect with thousands of years of Jewish life in Israel.

Join us for a series of information sessions on each of the gap year programs eligible for the Atlanta Israel Gap Year Scholarship. The diverse participating gap year programs span a range of focus areas, cities, and religious affiliations. There’s an Israel gap year experience for everyone and we can help you identify the one that’s right for you.

To help in this process, JumpSpark will have a day dedicated to learning about each program, meeting the staff, and hearing from current and past teen and parent participants. See the dates below and learn more about which program might be a good fit. Find scholarship applications here.

Upcoming Atlanta Israel Gap Year Information Sessions:

FEB. 17, 2021 | Bina Gap Year ›

FEB. 21, 2021 | Aardvark ›

FEB. 23, 2021 | Masa Israel Journey: Why Choose a Gap Year ›

FEB. 24, 2021 | Nativ ›

FEB. 28, 2021 | Young Judaea Year Course ›

MAR. 3, 2021 |Shinshinim IL ›

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Global News, Jewish Journeys

Men’s Journey to Israel

November 7-13, 2021 | Israel
This November, take an unforgettable Jewish Journey to Israel!
On this trip you will take a deep dive into local Israeli life, politics, food, and culture, and go beyond the typical tourist path.
Perfect for both first-time and veteran travelers. Learn more and sign up.

Some trip highlights* include:

Meet some of Israel’s leading entrepreneurs.

Rappel down the old city walls of Jerusalem for a unique view
Visit the Kerem Shalom Crossing, the goods crossing at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, where the borders of Gaza and Israel meet
Dinner at Blue Sky restaurant with Chef Meir Adoni, one of Israel’s leading chefs
More highlights to come…

*itinerary subject to change

We continue to monitor COVID-19 and will only proceed with the trip if it is safe for all participants.
For now, we have high hopes we will all be able to be together in Israel this upcoming November.

Men’s Journey Chairs: David Fisher, Joel Marks, Brian Seitz, Stuart Shapiro, Mark Silberman

Make your deposit today to reserve your spot on the bus. Deposits are refundable until August 21, 2021.

Suggested donation: $1,800+ | Price: $4,140 double occupancy or +$1,290 single occupancy

Questions? Contact Dakota Penza.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Caring, Jewish Camp Initiative

Jewish Camps Ready to Support Camper Mental Health

Jewish Camps Ready to Support Camper Mental Health
by Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez, Jewish Camp Initiative Manager

The coming summer is a critical moment for addressing child and adolescent mental health. After nearly a year of living with uncertainty, fear, and separation, many kids are exhibiting signs of anxiety and depression. The safe return to summer camp for 2021 requires planning not only for physical health and safety, but also for campers’ mental health. While kids can’t wait to reconnect in person, without screens, we also know that the pandemic has had a deep impact on their mental health.

Camps across the country are prioritizing having trained mental health providers on their campuses this summer to support the as yet unknown needs of campers. “We are experiencing a world-wide shared trauma experience,” Jill Goldstein Smith, Senior Program Manager at Foundation for Jewish Camp reminds us. “Camp provides a bubble of sorts, but it is also a safe space to be vulnerable – which is where the growth happens.”

Professionals at our Jewish camps, both day and overnight, know how much kids need and want to be back at camp with their peers, and are ready to meet them where they are. Yet in order to do so, they need partnership and input from parents. Danielle Steinhart, LCSW, Director of Camper Care at URJ Camp Coleman says, “When parents provide complete information about their child, it helps us do our job better. Parents know their child’s strengths and challenges better than we do when they initially arrive at camp. Camp staff can set them up for their greatest success when we have this insight. This partnership is critical for each child’s positive camp experience.”

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community

Jewish Community’s 2021 Legislative Priorities

Did you know that Federation champions Jewish community needs in the Georgia State Legislature? Working with our partners, we coordinate the community’s government relations and lobbying activities. Rusty Paul, our legislative advocate, helps advance our agenda in the legislature. Federation also monitors Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) public policy efforts and participates in multiple forums at the Federal level including representation on the Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) Disability and Health and Long-term Care Committees, as well as participation in Jewish Ability Advocacy Day in Washington DC.

Read on to learn about Jewish Community priority issues for the 2021 Legislative Session.

Bold indicates new priority for 2021

PRIORITY ISSUES

Medicaid reimbursement rates for the William Bremen Home based on current year cost reports (ongoing, but reimbursement rates were updated in 2014).
Medicaid preservation and expansion. Increase the number of Georgians with access to health insurance and healthcare.
Protect Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and create a Georgia work credit.
Create uniform start and stop dates for public schools across counties since truncated summer schedules are negatively affecting camp enrollment and ability to hire staff. This will help camps have certainty about the summer vacation window available to them.
Focus on adding resources for Federation affiliate agencies to fulfill their mission.
Legislation pertaining to protection against hate crimes and religious liberty – strengthen existing GA code to include International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism, reference anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
Protect “Money Follows the Person” with disabilities allowing for options for community-based services and alternatives to institutional settings
Support Gracie’s Law which advocates to end organ transplant discrimination against people with disabilities.

COALITION ISSUES

Rewrite language of Paycheck Protection Program reimbursement form to be relevant and appropriate for nonprofit organizations.

Aging and Disabilities

Support Unlock the Waiting List agenda including increases in “slots” (people) to be served under Medicaid waivers (intellectual/developmental disabilities, independent care for people with physical disabilities), expansion of Grant in Aid Family Support Services and update the multiple-year funding plan for waiver slots as well as non-Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services, and Community Care Services Program.
Increase funding for “Exceptional Rate” waivers and improve utilization approval process for those with needs beyond what waivers typically pay, and/or monitor changes to waiver rates (such as tiered rates, per capita rates, and block grants) and advocate for maximum benefits to clients and providers.
Increase in developmental disability service provider reimbursement for day services and supported employment.
Urge the state to use discretionary capacity to continue the availability of Medicaid retainer payments and to extend Medicaid’s time-limited, emergency response waivers for home- and community-based services (HCBS), known as 1915(c) Appendix K waivers, given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. See whatever latitude the State has to allow providers of disability community and home-based services to receive the same level of funding as the pre-COVID amounts. Virtual programming equivalence can be used as the basis for this flexibility.
Increase in nursing home provider reimbursement.
Support legislation allowing children who have IEP in Pre-K to move to private school for kindergarten.
Work to strengthen workforce development solutions for the critical shortage of qualified direct support professionals.
Address the burden of multiplicative regulatory oversight of intellectual/developmental disability (I/DD) supports, and Georgia’s years-long waiting list for I/DD support funding.

III. ISSUES TO BE MONITORED

Aging and Disabilities

Support assisted living level of long-term care and better enforcement of regulations, reporting of abuse, access to information regarding violations, and other quality indicators at assisted living facilities.
Protect legislation pertaining to establishing interstate partnerships for special needs trusts (Able Accounts).
Affordable housing and home repair for older adults.

Children and Families

Find ways to increase access to mental health services for children and youth.
Monitor ALEF educational tax credit funding for challenges to current funding structure.
Changes in early childhood service delivery such as teacher qualifications, staff to child ratio, and health regulations and changes in camping regulations.
Year around schooling/later start of school year.