May is Jewish American Heritage Month a time to especially celebrate the contributions and history of US Jews. Marking this occasion last weekend, President Obama delivered a special statement in which he said, “As they have immeasurably enriched our national culture, Jewish Americans have also maintained their own unique identity. During Jewish American Heritage Month we celebrate this proud history and honor the invaluable contributions Jewish Americans have made to our nation.”
Last week, sixty-five young Jewish leaders from across the U.S. visited Jewish communities in Casablanca, Marrakesh, and Rabat. As part of their study mission to Morocco, The Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) National Young Leadership Cabinet engaged first-hand with JDC programs, including a Jewish old age home, the Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants (OSE) medical clinic, and thriving Jewish day schools, all run in partnership with this vibrant and historic community.
As Haitians seek out solid ground to serve as a foundation for their homes, their families, and their futures, JDC and its partners are working to meet their most basic needs and rebuild. Check out a slideshow depicting how we are supplying water, medical care, and even schooling for thousands of people living in both Port-au-Prince and more remote areas.
A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about a unique Yom Hashoah commemoration event in which a few JDC Jewish Service Corps fellows shared their experiences working in communities that have had difficult histories due to war or genocide. Molly, one of the presenters, is currently volunteering in various community programs with both local and immigrant Jewish populations in Berlin, Germany. Read her recent reflections on the JSC seminar, the connection between Jewish renewal and Yom Hashoah, and how her own family’s history is woven into her experience as a fellow in a country that epitomizes the quest for a Jewish “renaissance.”
The notion of “we shall never forget” now has its roots firmly planted in Albania’s capital city, Tirana. Recently, with JDC’s assistance, Albania’s small Jewish community, funded the planting of 10 trees in Tirana. The project materialized from a few different sources. Currently, Tirana is embracing its “one citizen, one tree” initiative in an effort to green and beautify the city, and the Jewish community wanted to make a contribution.
As many of you already know, JDC’s Medical Director in Ethiopia, Dr. Rick Hodes, has been the focus of exciting media attention recently because of a new book, This is A Soul, and HBO documentary Making the Crooked Straight, about his JDC-supported work with children in Addis Ababa.
David Sherman, Chairman, and Steven B. Nasatir, President of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago are fresh off the plane from a 36-hour fact-finding mission in Haiti, where they saw first-hand the impact of the assistance provided by the North American Jewish community to date and explored areas for continued support to this island nation.
JDC’s medical director in Ethiopia Dr. Rick Hodes is making the rounds on national media and being lauded for his work that’s featured in the HBO documentary Making the Crooked Straight (premiering tonight on HBO 2) and the new book This is A Soul (just out this week)!
As communities the world over commemorate the Holocaust, JDC’s 21 Jewish Service Corps (JSC) fellows—currently serving in year-long volunteer positions in Belarus, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Israel, Rwanda, Slovakia, Turkey, and Ukraine—connected in Jerusalem for a week-long seminar to share their overseas experiences. This morning, following a poignant period of silence outside JDC’s Jerusalem office, the fellows memorialized the 6 million murdered Jews by gathering on the Givat Ram campus of Hebrew University to recite kaddish and participate in a peer-led discussion on JDC’s renewal work in communities with dark histories.
One of jewels in JDC’s crown, Dr. Rick Hodes, JDC’s Medical Director, has delivered comprehensive medical services in Ethiopia for more than 20 years.
