News from Middle Tennessee's Jewish Community |
Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024
We raise money, we give money away. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that phrase this past year, I’m not sure we’d need an annual campaign!
Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee 2022 Annual Meeting
We seem to be living in interesting times, which can be interpreted as either a curse or a blessing depending on your perspective. Only time will tell how the eyes of history will view the current events confronting us. We are struggling through the grief of consecutive mass murders committed by 18-year-old young men using military assault weapons – one at a grocery store in Buffalo NY and one at an elementary school in Uvalde TX. We are awaiting a ruling by the US Supreme Court that could potentially change the health, privacy, self-determination, and well-being of women across our country. We are experiencing an uncertain economy and levels of inflation not seen in over 40 years. We are witness to public hearings presenting evidence that our faith and trust in our system of free and fair elections may have been deliberately undermined and damaged by those at the highest level of government. And we are continuing to witness the elaborate and relentless propaganda campaign designed to wreak havoc and sow distrust of all future elections.
Hello friends. I hope you all are enjoying the start of summer and looking forward to the longer days and hopefully, a vacation. As of this writing, I am preparing to attend my first in-person American Jewish Press Association conference, to be held in Atlanta. Fingers crossed my flights remain on schedule!
The Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee plans to distribute over two million dollars in grants to both local and overseas organizations, individuals, congregations, and partners for the 2022/23 fiscal year. This year’s grants are reflective of the growth of the local community, and a successful Annual Campaign. Eric Stillman, CEO of the Jewish Federation, says, “With increased dollars available to distribute in this year’s Grants cycle, the Federation was able to put even greater emphasis on outreach and engagement beyond our geographic core, with interfaith couples and families, and those who are in their 20’s and 30’s.”
The 2022 Yom Hashoah Service Remembers the Children of the Shoah, Dedicates New Sculpture
In early May I had the honor of joining a small delegation from Nashville traveling to Poland to witness and assist in relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees. At that time, Poland was assisting over two million refugees fleeing violence and mayhem caused by the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine. The refugees, primarily women, and children fled to Poland to seek safe shelter in a place as close as possible to home since all eligible men ages 18-65 are required to stay in Ukraine to fight. Immediately as the war began in late February, Polish citizens took it upon themselves to drive to the Poland/Ukraine border to take as many refugees as possible to safety. By the time we arrived, international and local Jewish organizations were fully engaged in the work and actively providing safe housing and other essential needs for these refugees, and we had the opportunity to see these efforts in action.
The 2021/22 state legislative cycle ended with some big wins for the Jewish community. The success is the result of ramped up efforts by the Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, in collaboration with the three other Jewish Federations in the state. Eric Stillman, CEO of The Jewish Federation, says, “Through a concerted collective effort by the Jewish Federations in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville, together with our professional lobbyists, we were able to make the case to the Administration and State Legislature of the urgency of these issues, especially given the sharp rise in antisemitism and antisemitic acts which are occurring.” The various pieces of legislation saw broad support from both chambers of the State Legislature. And according to Senator Bo Watson (R-Hixson), involvement from the Jewish Federations was a key factor in gaining that support. “The engagement from the Jewish community was very important. The number one responsibility of our government is to provide a safe environment for our citizens,” he says. And on the House side, Rep. Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville), Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, credits the Jewish community’s leadership with making a direct impact. “The Jewish community has always had a voice, but this time they really led the effort. As soon as the bill was filed, my phone began to ring with other legislators offering support.”
On May 12 @ 7:00pm join the Disabilities Inclusion Committee for Let’s Talk About It, an online roundtable discussion about mental health wellness and awareness, featuring teen, young adult and adult speakers and a special guest. Look for more information about the program in The Observer and online.
