| It has been 136 days
since 30-year-old Avinatan Or and his girlfriend, 25-year-old Noa Argamani, were kidnapped by Hamas from the Supernova music festival. Federation will not rest until Avinatan and Noa — along with the other 128 remaining hostages — are safely returned home.
Learn more about the hostages' stories and their families' efforts to bring them home now.
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In this issue of Together & Connected
, Federation’s weekly newsletter:
- Advocate for people with disabilities on Jewish Disability Advocacy Day.
- Updates from Federation: Get to know Federation's new security division and learn about the modern history of Israel.
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Community events and resources.
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CELEBRATING
JEWISH DISABILITY AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE & INCLUSION MONTH (JDAIM)
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Photo courtesy of Bender JCC
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Our celebration of JDAIM continues throughout February! Together, in partnership with organizations and communities around the world, we can foster a more inclusive Jewish community that recognizes everyone's value, dignity, and capabilities.
- Sign up
for events and volunteer opportunities.
- Take action on February 28th for Jewish Disability Advocacy Day.
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Explore resources to make our community more inclusive.
- Embrace the diversity of our shared human experience during the ReelAbilities Film Festival: Northern Virginia.
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Save the Date for Sunday, April 7th from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM at Montgomery College Rockville for a resource fair for teens and adults with disabilities who are transitioning from high school to independent living. No registration required.
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Photo courtesy of GatherDC
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| GatherDC: Deepening Disability Inclusion, Belonging, and Acceptance for Young Adults
This JDAIM, Federation is highlighting the impact of grant recipients supporting the inclusion of young adults with disabilities in Jewish spaces. Federation’s Inclusion and Belonging Specialist, Rinat Kisin, sat down with Alexandra Tureau, Managing Director of Federation partner GatherDC, to discuss the ways in which we can all work together to advocate and create a community of belonging and acceptance in Greater Washington.
Read to learn more
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| Make Your Voice Heard this Jewish Disability Advocacy Day
Join the Jewish Federations of North America to harness our collective power and break down barriers to opportunity and inclusion. Help advance policies that will empower millions of individuals with disabilities to lead more independent and fulfilling lives. Together we’ll learn and take action!
Register here
» Wednesday, February 28 | 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
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JShield: Security by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington
In the face of increasing antisemitism and security threats, Federation continues to invest in ensuring our community’s safety with JShield, its new security program. JShield will continue Federation's long-standing range of services, including security training, safety enhancements, and security grant support at no cost to Jewish institutions across the region. Get to know JShield’s security team and learn more about our partnerships and many offerings.
Learn more
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| NOVA Documentary Screening
Join Federation and the Israeli American Council for a special screening of NOVA, a poignant 52-minute documentary about the October 7th attack at the Supernova music festival by director Dan Pe'ers. Following the screening, there will be a live testimony from Lee Sasi, a survivor of the festival massacre.
Purchase tickets here
» Tuesday, March 5 | 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
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| | Adult Learning Series: The History of Modern Israel
Join Federation and our partner, Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (CESJDS), for a new adult learning series – The History of Modern Israel. This four-session virtual course, taught by CESJDS Jewish History Department Chair, Dr. Daniel Rosenthal, will help deepen your understanding of the Jewish homeland and trace the development of the Jewish state from its origins in modern Zionist ideology through the present.
Learn more and register
» Monday, March 11, 18, 25, April 1 | 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
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Empty Shabbat Table
Each Friday, volunteers come together to create a Shabbat dinner table on the National Mall with an empty seat for each hostage being held in Gaza to let them and their families know that we are holding them in our hearts and keeping attention on their plight. The table is for every hostage regardless of nationality or religion and will continue to be set until every hostage is home safely.
Sign up to volunteer and learn more
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Gather at the Qatari Embassy to Bring the Hostages Home
Qatar has helped to successfully mediate the release of more than 100 Israeli hostages, but this is not enough. Join Federation partner, the Jewish Community Relations Council, at the Qatari Embassy to press Qatar to demand Hamas immediately release over 130 hostages still being held in Gaza. We want them home now.
Learn more
» Friday, February 23 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
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Space Torah: Film & Conversation with Astronaut Dr. Jeff Hoffman
On NASA Astronaut Dr. Jeff Hoffman's last of five space missions, he carried a small Torah scroll on board the Space Shuttle Columbia, where he read from the book of Genesis. Join Dr. Hoffman and Rachel Raz, founder of the Space Torah Project and executive producer of the documentary, Space Torah, for a screening of the film and an interactive conversation.
Get tickets here
» Monday, February 26 | 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
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The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington
6101 Executive Boulevard Suite 100 | North Bethesda, MD 20852 US
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