The Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor is delighted to announce three grants that have been awarded to local initiatives with the goal of promoting cross-organizational collaboration and innovation in the local Jewish community. One grant was awarded from the Zelma Weisfeld Fund for Culture and Education, and the other two are from Federation’s Community Engagement Fund.
Joys of Klezmer
A Zelma Weisfeld Fund grant was awarded to JCOR (Jewish Congregations Organizing for Resettlement) for their Joys of Klezmer benefit concert, which took place Sunday, April 7. The concert featured three of Ann Arbor’s most popular klezmer bands: Klezmer R&D, Neil Alexander and the Klezmer Fusion Band, and Shmaltz, a popular klezmer-funk band. In addition to raising funds to support resettling refugee families, the concert was developed to attract a broad audience of klezmer fans of all ages. Almost 150 attendees enjoyed both classical and new variations of Klezmer music.
A participant in the JFS Resettlement Co-Sponsorship Program, JCOR is a collaboration of six Jewish congregations working together and in partnership with Jewish Family Services to support resettlement of newly arrived refugee families through their first year in the U.S. Member congregations include the Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan, Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation, Beth Israel Congregation, Jewish Cultural Society, Pardes Hannah, and Temple Beth Emeth, along with the Jewish Federation which serves as JCOR’s fiduciary.
Recovery Seder
The second annual Recovery Seder, taking place Sunday, April 28, is 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. Building on the success of last year’s program, the recovery seder is geared toward meeting the spiritual and religious needs of members of the recovery and 12-step community. It enables 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 is 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. Last year’s seder attracted almost 60 participants, well over anticipated numbers. 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,” said Stenson.
This year’s partnership with JFS includes engaging their Nourish program to provide food for the seder. This development will improve the experience for participants by removing logistical issues of a potluck meal, as last year’s seder was. It also provides increased visibility for JFS Nourish.
Both awards were granted to programs that received funding in the previous year due to new innovations and their broad benefit to the community. Both groups are developing plans to sustain their efforts in the future without funding from the Community Engagement/Zelma Weisfeld Funds.
Freedom Song Shabbat
This collaboration between Temple Beth Emeth, Hebrew Day School, the JCC’s Early Childhood Center, Ypsilanti Youth Choir, and Top Notch Productions will build on a series coordinated by parents at Hebrew Day School about how to talk to children about racial justice. The workshops were led by ECC Educator Matasha Allen and included relationship-building activities and grounding in Jewish Values. Freedom Shabbat will bring members of the Jewish community together with participants and parents from the Ypsilanti Youth Choir for an interactive performance, Kabbalat Shabbat, conversation and relationship building and Shabbat meal. The planning group hopes to hold this event some time this summer.
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 that cultivate a strong, engaged, connected, caring, vibrant and enduring Jewish community in Washtenaw County. The Zelma Weisfeld Fund for Culture & Education is made possible through a bequest from Zelma Weisfeld z”l.
“I’m delighted with the success of our Community Engagement Fund and Zelma Weisfeld Fund allocations.” said Federation CEO Eileen Freed. “The support provided by these funds has fostered collaboration and enabled the development of engaging community programs to strengthen our community.”
Future grants
The next round of Community Engagement Fund grants will be awarded this summer. The Deadline for submission is August 15. Grant requests of $1,000-$5,000 will be considered and must be submitted by a partnership of three or more collaborators. Applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent to James Griffin (james@jewishannarbor.org) by July 29. Decisions will be made within one month of the grant deadline.
The full application for both grants is available here. For more information or to inquire, contact Eileen Freed at eileenfreed@jewishannarbor.org or (734) 773-3537.