The Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor is delighted to announce the allocation of five Community Engagement Fund grants awarded to local initiatives with the goal of promoting cross-organizational collaboration and innovation in the local Jewish community. A grant selection committee, comprised of community volunteers, evaluated proposals against the fund’s principles of cross-communal collaboration, creativity & innovation, and joy & connectivity.
Recovery Seder
The Recovery Seder, which took place April 8, was a partnership between Temple Beth Emeth (TBE), Beth Israel Congregation (BIC), Jewish Family Services (JFS), and the Lior Project – a community effort led by JFS to address issues of mental health and addiction in the Jewish community. This community seder was geared toward meeting the spiritual and religious needs of members of the recovery and 12-step community. It enabled participants to navigate aspects of the ceremony that can be more challenging and to explore what freedom at this season means to someone who is struggling with freeing themselves from addiction.
“For those in the Jewish community less familiar with recovery, this was an opportunity to educate, to reduce stigma, and to highlight the vibrant recovery community in Washtenaw County and Southeast Michigan,” said Sam Stenson, who has been running private versions of the Recovery Seder with co-organizer Hugh Goodman for 14 years. The program attracted almost 60 participants, well over anticipated numbers.
“The feedback we’ve gotten is that the atmosphere was relaxed and the experience joyful,” said Stenson. For those in recovery, it was “a chance to contemplate our own personal stories of freedom from the bondage that comes with an active substance abuse or other addictive disorder.”
Ruth Messinger Presentation
Former Executive Director of the American Jewish World Service Ruth Messinger was invited to speak at a program to benefit the Irene Butter Fund for Holocaust and Human Rights Education. Spearheaded by the Temple Beth Emeth Generations After group, this project evolved into a true community collaboration including TBE, University of Michigan Hillel, Beth Israel Congregation and the Jewish Communal Leadership Program at the UM School of Social Work.
Messinger’s keynote address took place at TBE on April 15. During her visit, she spoke with students on the UM campus and gave a D’var Torah at Beth Israel. “This event and the partnerships it spawned is an example of what the Community Engagement Fund is about,” said Federation executive director Eileen Freed. “The organizers engaged with other communal entities to ensure that a speaker of Ruth’s caliber would be available to a wide range of audiences. Additionally, support of this program enhances the Irene Butter Fund, which will provide community Holocaust and human rights education well into the future.”
Israel@75 Community Celebration
In partnership with the JCC, Hebrew Day School, BIC, TBE, Chabad, and Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan, the Jewish Federation is coordinating a community-wide celebration marking Israel’s 75th year as an independent state. On June 4, the community will gather for “The Land of Milk & Funny: A Night of Cocktails and Comedy” with comedians Joel Chasnoff and Benji Lovitt. Joel and Benji recently teamed up to write Israel 201: Your Next-Level Guide to the Magic, Mystery, and Chaos of Life in the Holy Land and will share their wit, wisdom, and social commentary in honor of this historic occasion.
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)
Mental health challenges in children, adolescents, and young adults are real and widespread, and the Jewish community is not immune. Jewish Family Services, in partnership with Hebrew Day School and community congregations, and with support from the national Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, will train two JFS therapists in an innovative therapy model called SPACE. The trainers will customize the SPACE intervention to local needs and conduct the program for parents of children at Hebrew Day School, congregational religious schools, and others in the local Jewish community.
Unexpected Gifts: A Convening on Jewish Education in Honor of Harlene Appelman z”l
The University of Michigan School of Social Work’s Jewish Communal Leadership Program, in collaboration with EMU Center for Jewish Studies, UM Hillel, and Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor, is planning a gathering of outstanding educators, artists, and musicians to explore possibilities in Jewish education as practiced in the U.S. today. This program will take place October 15 and is in honor of Ann Arbor-based national Jewish education pioneer and leader, Harlene Appelman z”l. Educators and community leaders from Southeast Michigan will reflect upon Harlene’s understanding that education is a vital and joyful part of Jewish life – creating openings and avenues for children and adults to see themselves as part of the large frames of Jewish tradition and community.
The Community Engagement Fund is supported by the Jewish Federation’s Annual Community Campaign to encourage organizations and individuals to work collaboratively on new, innovative initiatives to cultivate a strong, engaged, connected, caring, vibrant and enduring Jewish community in Washtenaw County.
The next round of Community Engagement Grants takes place this summer. Grant requests of up to $5000 will be considered and must be submitted by a formal or informal partnership of three or more collaborators. The deadline for this grant application is June 30. Applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent by June 12 to McKenzie Katz (mckenzie@jewishannarbor.org). Decisions will be made within one month of the grant deadline.
More information and an application for submission is available at here. For more information or to inquire, contact McKenzie Katz at mckenzie@jewishannarbor.org or 734-585-5405
