Federation Innovation Archives

Lydia McBratney In Atlanta Jewish Community, Federation Innovation, Federation News

Jewish Georgians Find a Lifeline in Interest-Free Loans

Jewish Georgians facing a crisis have a place to turn to for financial support in their own community: the Jewish Interest-Free Loan Association (JIFLA).

Federation and the Atlanta Jewish Foundation are proud to partner with JIFLA, where Donor-Advised Fund fund-holders can become anonymous guarantors for loans and help the organization stretch their dollars 4:1, meaning that for every $10,000 guaranteed, JIFLA can give out loans for $40,000.

The funds stay in the Donor-Advised Funds, and thanks to JIFLA’s repayment rate of over 99%, there is minimal risk of default. Whether it is medical bills, job loss, emergency home repairs, or other major life expenses, JIFLA offers comprehensive financial support, financial education, and budget counseling, bringing peace of mind, opportunity, and hope to those in need.

“We were in a very vulnerable moment in our lives and did not know who to turn to. When you feel alone in the world financially when you are struggling, things go through your head that probably shouldn’t,” said a recent loan recipient. “To be given a chance and being heard and not being charged astronomical fees is huge. We can never thank JIFLA enough for the mitzvah you are granting by putting your money somewhere that helps everyday people feel like they have a chance at living again and some breathing room.”

Another recent JIFLA borrower was a single woman in our community who faced significant health challenges. She shared her story with Federation: “I got cancer, had a year of surgeries and treatment, and just as I was ready to go back full-time, the company I worked for lost their biggest client, and I was out of work and lost my health insurance. I was completely at a loss, with no money and little hope. I was close to being on the street. I cannot tell you how grateful I am and how much all you do makes a difference.”

“With the support of our amazing partners at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, these [counseling and advisory] sessions are free for those interested and are designed to help anyone reach their financial goals,” said Nancy Weissmann, JIFLA’s Executive Director. “We continue to be committed to the health and prosperity of Jewish Atlantans and will always look for new ways to best help our community and support financial stability for all.”

JIFLA is looking for donors and hopes to start an endowment fund soon. These donations are making a huge impact on our community. If interested, head to their website here.

Lani Preis In Atlanta Jewish Community, Federation Innovation, Jewish Abilities Atlanta

Innovation Initiative and Jewish Abilities Atlanta Team Up

Jewish Atlanta’s growth and development depend on our ability to address the ever-changing needs of our community with creativity, foresight, and courage. Federation’s Jewish Innovation Initiative offers local changemakers the opportunity to expand the dynamic ecosystem of our city and brings exciting global ventures into Atlanta. One such program is Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM), a global movement of communities that create and disseminate affordable solutions that address the challenges faced by people with disabilities, older adults, and more. Teams of volunteer “makers” join those who have identified a need in the disability community to create concepts, working models, prototypes, or products that are specifically designed to solve identified challenges.

Last week, Jewish Atlanta was thrilled to host the TOM Fellowship Kickoff Event. 75 students from around the globe, representing schools in the U.S., Israel, and other countries worked across a variety of disciplines, from engineering to occupational therapy to meet, share ideas, and become inspired by the ways they can work together to benefit the disabled community. It was an incredible example of the many ways Federation supports the Jewish landscape in Atlanta.

TOM, started in 2014 and has grown from one community in Israel to dozens of locations around the world. TOM’S partnership with Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta started through Hillels of Georgia. In 2019, Hillel was awarded a grant by the Innovation Initiative to introduce TOM to Georgia Tech. Since then, in collaboration with Hillel, the Innovation Fund has supported TOM’s growth. In January of 2019, TOM presented at Federation’s Propel Pitch Competition and was awarded as one of the events finalists.

Over the past 4 years, Federation’s Innovation and Jewish Abilities Atlanta (JAA) initiatives have been instrumental in providing resources to TOM such as grant funding, training, and help to build relationships with our local community. On Tuesday, JAA’s Training Coordinator Lindsey Flax led an accessibility training session for the TOM fellows. JAA promotes an inclusive community that celebrates the uniqueness and abilities of every person across the lifespan and lifts the voices and perspectives of people with disabilities. The training taught fellows about interacting with people with disabilities online and in person. Topics included inclusive language and social media accessibility.

Society disables people by designing everything to meet the needs of only people who are not disabled. For social media accessibility, Lindsey spoke about how to make social media content accessible for users with disabilities.

TOM’s Director of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, Mikhal Kotlyar, says “The Jewish values behind TOM are so special, and it’s valuable to spread the idea of tikkun olam (repairing the world). The chance to have all our leaders and fellows in one place is unparalleled and allows us to capture the imaginations of these students in a different way.”

Lani Preis In Federation Innovation

The Innovation Initiative Invests in Local Jewish Changemakers

The Jewish Innovation Initiative funds cutting-edge ideas that come from and benefit Jewish Atlanta. Programs can be new, or hosted by existing organizations like synagogues, day schools, and more. Innovation Initiative investments, like JScreen’s grants for genetic cancer screening, change lives:

“I was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Although I’m suffering a great deal…I want you to know that I feel blessed. Years ago, when my sister tested positive for breast cancer at 32, I wasn’t ready to do genetic testing. Now at 36, after having my two children, I took the big step to do the testing through JScreen. This information allowed me to be accepted into a specialized program at a top cancer hospital. The head of the program suggested we do an MRI, and it showed a mass. I got results shortly after…malignant. It is Stage 0 at this point. I’m extremely lucky. My sister was not as lucky. I have a double mastectomy scheduled. I’m terrified but I’m going to be ok. I’m a fighter! From now on, I will tell my story of how your program saved my life. If I had no knowledge of this mutation, I would be going for my mammogram again next year and we all know what that would look like. So, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for saving my life. Thank you for all you do every single day.” – A grateful patient

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Federation Innovation

Celebrate 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.

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, Federation Innovation

Celebrating 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

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, Federation Innovation

Wisdom in a Pairing 

By Erica Greenblatt and Matthew Borenstein 

It wasn’t a typical first date, and certainly not a typical first-date conversation. But technically, it wasn’t even a first date. Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Wisdom Pairings—a professional networking event put on by Federation’s Innovation team—served as our first meeting. A year and a half later, we got married, and Federation continued to play a big role in our wedding weekend. 

What a first meeting it was at Wisdom Pairings. After hearing from the evening’s speaker, we were paired together in a breakout room, as our initial pairings both no-showed (thanks, y’all, and thanks to Erica’s manager for suggesting she attend). We talked QAnon conspiracies, living in space, kayaking, and a whole selection of random topics. 

There was a connection. 

When the time was up, Matthew meant to send Erica a Zoom direct message about an upcoming kayak trip. It went to the entire group. But it’s a good thing Erica realized it was for her and knew how to respond with a proper DM. That message led to a Linkedin conversation (Wisdom Pairing is intended for professional networking, right?) which led to a first date at Eventide Brewing. 

A year-and-a-half later, we began the weekend of celebration with a Shabbat dinner at the Selig Center; we met through Federation, after all, and are both involved in the Jewish community in our own ways: Erica, the Director of Philanthropic Outreach for the ADL’s Southern Division, and Matthew, who serves on the Federation Innovation Committee. We continued with a Saturday morning service and Kiddush luncheon at the Selig Center before our Sunday wedding at Zoo Atlanta. 

It turns out, Wisdom Pairings wasn’t our first conversation (although neither of us said anything on the initial Zoom). We were first set up, or at least the first attempt at a setup, just after Erica moved to Atlanta from New York for a promotion with the ADL. Matthew’s aunt and uncle are best friends with Erica’s sister’s in-laws. But there was no meeting, then, just a couple of texts. Life got in the way for the next couple of years—until Federation brought us together for good.  

Wisdom Pairings might have been our first Federation event together, but it won’t be our last—we are excited to continue our involvement. 

Erica Greenblatt and Matthew Borenstein were married on June 19 at Savanna Hall, Zoo Atlanta. The couple resides in Brookhaven, Ga. 

Wisdom Pairings is a series of events that aims to create person-to-person connections. The next event is for professionals who work at Jewish organizations, and is August 22 at 5 PM. Click here to register

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Federation Innovation

SOJOURN Celebrates Pride in Atlanta

Atlanta is a bit of an outlier when it comes to celebrating national Pride month in June. In Atlanta the Pride parade and related events happen in October. Nevertheless, SOJOURN, Atlanta’s Jewish advocacy organization for LGBTQ+ issues, has two exciting events happening during June for national Pride month.

The first is a special edition of our Words Matter Book Club, which will be reading The Soul of the Stranger by Joy Ladin. Joy will lead a virtual discussion on June 22 at 7:30 PM via Zoom. There will also be a Pride Outside musical celebration. Registration details for both events can be found at www.sojourngsd.org/upcoming-events.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Federation Innovation

Bloom Grantee Brings Bagels to Intown Atlanta and Beyond!

By: Nichole “Niki” Hetchkop, Founder of Beeline Bagels

“By making bagels more accessible and on-demand, Beeline Bagels is an innovative idea that celebrates Jewish culture and creates community. We are proud to support a more dynamic Jewish Atlanta by funding Beeline Bagel’s mobile cart. Here’s Nichole’s Bloom grant story.” —Russell Gottschalk, Federation Director of Innovation.

As a Federation Innovation Bloom grantee, and a graduate of the Path course, I have made a lot of progress in my journey to deliver the best bagels to Atlanta through the creation of my company, Beeline Bagels.Over the last six months I’ve refined my mission and overcome a lot of the logistical hurdles presented in creating a food business in Atlanta. My Bloom grant allowed me to think way beyond my initial concept.

My first inclination was to sell bagels through a brick-and-mortar space, but it was proving to be a struggle with Covid and getting the space I needed to create my bagel magic. That’s when I decided to go mobile. The Bloom grant allowed me to invest in developing a custom mobile cart, one that would allow space for the pre-packaged bagels and a place to refrigerate the cream cheeses. I worked with a company in Bayside, NY to create this cart that includes custom ice plates at the bottom of the cart to keep cream cheeses cold and has room for 200 bagels. The wheels on the cart allow me to set up shop mostly anywhere!”

The grant has allowed me to practice and perfect my bagel-making skills. I said yes to every opportunity to make my bagels for a new person, including creating samples for the Kosher Atlanta BBQ Festival. I made bagels for all my friends and asked them for feedback and to help spread the word. One friend who tried my bagel and is a contributor to Good Day Atlanta named Beeline Bagels as one of the best bagels in Atlanta – something I now proudly proclaim in my marketing.

I am also focused on becoming an event vendor. My goal is to book wedding brunches, bar/bat mitzvahs, fundraisers, tailgates, events in the Jewish community, and beyond. Because I am mobile, the geographic potential is endless! I have an amazing network of talented friends who have helped me photograph my bagels, build my website, create my logo and help design my merchandise so I can sell apparel and create another revenue stream. I can’t forget to mention the dozens of family and friends who have provided me with honest feedback to help get my bagels and schmear to where they are today.

My overarching goal, one day, is to have multiple carts where I can employ adults with special needs to help sell goods from the carts. For now, I am continuing to focus on my go-to-market strategy, revising as I go, while creating heavy buzz for Beeline Bagels. As a one-woman business, I am determined to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible to establish Beeline Bagels as the go-to bagel vendor in Atlanta for all Jewish events and beyond.

I thank the Bloom Grant team for believing in me, and I look forward to wheeling my cart into an event for them soon. For all bagel orders and inquiries for events, please e-mail BeelineBagels@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @BeelineBagels and visit us on our website at www.beelinebagels.com

jewishatl In Federation Innovation

Innovation JEDI Night

“Justice, Justice, you shall pursue!” is a well-known, biblical instruction. However, it was only last year when “Justice” was first included alongside Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in corporate, educational, and other settings dedicated to enlightened values (see Dr. Kimberly A Truong’s “From DEI to JEDI” here). So, if “Justice” is so important that it needed to be repeated in a biblical commandment, why has it only recently returned to popular consciousness? I think there are two important considerations:

Justice for all is an aspirational value because of America’s individualism and our complex modern society. It is important to note the active voice in “Justice, Justice, you shall pursue!” rings true millennia later. Then and now, we are pursuing Justice with the knowledge that we may never capture it.
Last year was a tumultuous period of survival as we weathered (and continue to weather) a global pandemic while grappling with societal inequities that exposed “essential workers” and other marginalized communities. The shift from DEI to JEDI was urgent and necessary; I encourage you to click through Dr. Truong’s article referenced above for more context and nuance.

For similar reasons, Equity for all is also an aspirational value. We lead with “JE” at the front of the JEDI acronym to signify their greater demand of our attention. In 2021, Diversity and Inclusion should be a celebrated and strong baseline that enables our community to do the more challenging work.

If you embody a JEDI value(s), either as an organization or an individual, please consider responding to our Call for Presenters. The form will be open until end of day, Friday October 8.

Any questions? Contact our Director of Innovation, Russell Gottschalk.

Apply Now