Friends,
I am reaching out with two sets of special giving opportunities — which you can support individually or collectively with other donors.
First, our community has a chance to kickstart two cutting-edge national Jewish programs in Greater Washington. National donors have already funded the lion's share of the costs of these programs, and they are seeking local donors to match all or a portion of their funding. See below for a brief description of the programs and their intended outcomes. If you are interested in exploring these opportunities or making a match, please reach out to me so we can help facilitate next steps with the organizations.
Second, in response to recent and ongoing Federal furloughs and layoffs and future potential budget cuts impacting agencies, Federation has established an assistance program to support impacted families and agencies, which you can help grow. To support this opportunity, you can give through your DAF as noted below.
Thank you for your generosity and reach out to me if you have any questions!
Warmly,
Sara Brenner
Sara Brenner
Executive Director
Jewish Community Foundation
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Help bring innovative national Jewish programs to Greater Washington
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Supporting Jewish educators
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M2: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education is looking to launch a D.C. chapter of its professional development program for Jewish educators. The 18-month cohort will allow participants to learn new methodologies and form a network of peers and collaborators. As a result, educators will be able to offer more meaningful Jewish learning experiences to our community and help strengthen the field of Jewish education.
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Seeking $50,000 out of a budget of $446,000.
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Helping those with reading disabilities learn Hebrew
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Despite best efforts, many Jewish day schools struggle to support students with learning disabilities who are both learning to read in English and beginning their Hebrew journey. The Pritzat Derech/Hebrew for All initiative is working to build a pilot program for teaching Hebrew as a second language to students with dyslexia and other language-learning challenges to ensure all children and their families can find joy in Jewish learning. Debuting the program will allow Pritzat Derech to test and scale their model.
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Seeking $90,000 out of a budget of $525,000 for an 18-month pilot program.
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If you are interested in exploring these opportunities or making a match, please reach out to me so we can help facilitate next steps with the organizations.
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Respond to urgent needs in our community
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Support families and agencies impacted by the recent government layoffs and pending budget cuts
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In the wake of new significant job losses in the Federal workforce directly impacting the Greater Washington community, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington has established a $100,000 cash and grant assistance program to support families and agencies in need. Initial funding will go to families that are directly impacted by the reduction in headcount at Federal agencies and the cancellation of Federal contracts. Federation has joined forces with area congregational rabbis to help those facing financial insecurity. Rabbis will distribute the funds to meet individual and family needs, including housing, utilities, food, medical, and mental health expenses.
Additionally, Federation is monitoring the potential need to buttress agencies who are directly and indirectly impacted by federal budget cuts. Federation is working closely with human service agencies, day schools, JCCs, and camps across Greater Washington to understand and quantify the needs, plan for impact, and potentially distribute grants to agencies in need.
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Donors have the opportunity to contribute at any giving level.
Funds deployed by rabbis are to be used at the discretion of the rabbis for families in need and may not be used to support synagogue membership dues or synagogue program fees.
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To contribute from your DAF, make a gift to Federation through the Donor Web Portal. Note in the memo: cash and grant assistance program.
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The Jewish Community Foundation
by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington
6101 Executive Boulevard | North Bethesda, MD 20852 US
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