Wishing you a Meaningful Shavuot
Earlier this week we had the opportunity to learn as a community with 16 of our incredible local rabbis. If you were unable to join us live for One Community, Many Voices, welcome Shavuot by watching the recording here. Wishing you a very happy, healthy, and meaningful Shavuot holiday and a Shabbat Shalom from all of us at The Jewish Federation.
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Making Help Easy to Find: A Message from Gil Preuss
It seems there are still too many barriers to entry when it comes to finding help in our community. This was not sitting well with us or our partners—and so we have decided to do something about it. In partnership with JSSA, the Jewish Council for the Aging, the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse, Hebrew Free Loan Association of Greater Washington, Yad Yehuda, and other local human service organizations, we will soon be launching a community-wide support line. The goal of this support line will be to provide callers with a single point of entry to a full network of assistance.
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Meet Local Hero Allison Brody
When Federation partner agency Gesher Jewish Day School announced on Friday, March 13 that it would be closing its building and transitioning to an online learning environment the next week, Allison Brody had a lot of work to do in very little time. As Director of Student Services and Technology at Gesher, Allison was responsible for finding and licensing as many online educational tools as she could for the school and ensuring that teachers and students were registered and trained to use them. As Gesher adjusted to these new virtual circumstances, Allison worked tirelessly behind the scenes to provide students and teachers with everything they needed and ensure the school's educational standards were being maintained.
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Thank You for Making Federation's 4th Annual Giving Week a Success!
Last week, during #ShalomDCGivingWeek, 433 donors stepped up to support Federation's Annual Campaign, expressing their commitment to our community during this difficult time. Collectively, you helped us raise more than $242,356. Your incredible generosity ensures that, together, we can continue to care for one another and emerge from this crisis stronger and better prepared for the future.
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Shavuot During COVID-19: How Creativity is Part of this Jewish Holiday's DNA
When the Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E., suddenly ancient Jews found themselves unable to make the required grain and fruit offerings for Shavuot. During the coronavirus pandemic, we also find ourselves unable to fulfill our holiday traditions. So what are we supposed to do? Without the Temple, the sages recast Shavuot as a commemoration of the time the Jews received the Torah. During the pandemic, our community has innovated to create new virtual programming so we can celebrate in new ways. Canceling Shavuot was never an option—for the ancient Jews or for us. So in order to maintain tradition this year, we have to get creative.
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Tell Us By June 1: What Does Jewish Community Mean to You?
During this season of uncertainty and social distancing, keeping our community connected is more important than ever. On June 10, when we gather on Zoom for Federation’s 2020 Annual Meeting, we will celebrate Jewish community and all that unites us. Be part of the celebration! Share your thoughts on what Jewish community means to you, and you could be included in our brand new video. Help us highlight all that makes Jewish Greater Washington open, connected, and vibrant! Send your reflections, ideas, and/or videos by Monday, June 1.
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ENJOY A SPECIAL OFFER FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE
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