Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul Connections, Spring 2017 by Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul

Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul

Connections s pr i n g 201 7/AVIV 57 7 7

Inside:

A wall of support at Minnesota Hillel

COMMUNITY SECURITY Page 4

ELI SKORA RETIREs PAGE 8

RUSSIAN-AMERICAN JEWISH LIFE PAGE 13

table of contents

A MESSAGE FROM THE president:

SPRING 2017 / AVIV 5777

Steve A. Brand President

Through the efforts of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, and the preparedness at the JCCs and Minnesota Hillel, our community has weathered these incidents well. That’s because our community institutions prepare all along for such situations. Please see page 4 for the full story. This is how our collective Federation dollars make a direct impact in the community. Your gift to Federation assists paying for the expense of security measures that allow our Jewish institutions to remain secure and open to the public. You provide support for students dealing with incidents of hate, often for the first time in their lives. You provide resources for people who need help coping during troubled times. Working together, we really do make a difference. Speaking of hard to believe, we are about to say farewell to Eli Skora, who is retiring after 18 years as our Federation’s executive director. It is difficult for me to imagine being at community events and not seeing Eli representing Federation. He has been a stalwart leader, providing steady guidance. Through his leadership, Federation remains strong and vibrant. He also has been a great friend. Eli and his wife Miriam will remain in St. Paul, so we will continue to see them about town – except when they are visiting their grandchildren or vacationing in warmer climes. Please see our tribute to Eli on page 6. Join us on Tuesday, June 6, when we will honor Eli at our annual meeting. I wish you and your family a happy and healthy Pesach.

We help each other. That’s why there’s Federation.

Page 4

Protecting our community

Page 6

5 Priorities update

Page 8

Eli Skora retirement

Page 11 Taste of Memories Page 12 Harry Kay Institute

Dear Friends, It’s hard to believe that we live in an age when we have to talk about anti-Semitic acts in our community. But anti-Semitic incidents are on the rise both locally and nationally. In the Twin Cities, we are keenly aware of this reality, with anti-Semitic graffiti and posters at the University of Minnesota and bomb threats at the St. Paul and Sabes JCCs. While the alleged perpetrator of the bomb threats has been apprehended, the need to be vigilant remains.

Page 3

Page 13 Russian-American Jewish community Page 14 Seen in St. Paul

BENEFICIARY AGENCIES Local Agencies Jewish Community Center of the Greater St. Paul Area Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota

and the Dakotas

Jewish Family Service of St. Paul Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest Lubavitch Cheder Day School Minnesota Hillel Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company Nechama, Jewish Response to Disaster Rochester Chaplaincy Talmud Torah of St. Paul Twin Cities Jewish Community Government Affairs Program

OVERSEAS AGENCIES American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Jewish Agency for Israel World ORT

Connections is a publication of the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul Julie Swiler, editor Marilyn Ruby, copy editor Contributors: Steve A. Brand, Nancy Crotti, Marilyn Ruby Graphic design: Jennifer Leonardson Cover photo: Mackenzie Litt

Inspiring true, brave athletes

HELPING IN A CRISIS

Each year, the St. Paul JCC hosts the Spring Thaw Triathlon, which is open to members of all abilities. To make this event more accessible, the Inclusion and Aquatics departments teamed up to brainstorm. With the help of staff, volunteers and adaptive pool equipment, the JCC held its first adaptive triathlon heat completed by eight teens and young adults. Many registrants were nervous about participating. However, once they were on board and the triathlon began, the atmosphere was full of confidence, celebration and words of encouragement from everyone. One participant swam his first few minutes with a pool noodle and as soon as he heard there was only one minute left, he confidently threw his noodle aside and powered through his last few laps.

Meals and a life-saving connection

“Many Legal Aid clients’ lives are in crisis. They often find themselves not being treated fairly, perhaps by a landlord or a creditor. One day a gentleman came in to the legal aid clinic whose car had been repossessed for no good reason. The incident turned his life upside down. He could not get to work so he lost his job. He could not pay child support. He could not pick up his children at daycare, so his ex-wife filed a motion to modify visitation. I reviewed his paperwork, called the company and convinced them to let my client pick up his car. My client was so happy that he began to cry. He told me I had just given him his life back. It took just 30 minutes to accomplish this life-changing outcome.” - Sally Silk, Twin Cities Cardozo Society Legal Aid Clinic volunteer

Photo: Jonathan Levine/Jewish Federations of North America Howard and Ruth (not their real names) are an elderly couple who are able to live in their own home with the help of services including kosher meals on wheels. When Ruth was hospitalized due to a stroke, Howard, who had many health issues and limited mobility, was left to fend for himself. After a few days, the meals on wheels driver found Howard very weak and somewhat confused. The driver called Jewish Family Service of St. Paul, and a case manager went out to check on him. She was so concerned about his health that she called 911. Howard had a serious urinary tract infection and required a hospital stay with IV antibiotic treatment.

Our community Annual Campaign helps make this important work possible.

WORKING TOGETHER FOR COMMUNITY SECURITY Recent bomb threats against the St. Paul and Sabes Jewish Community Centers and anti-Semitic acts at the University of Minnesota demonstrate why our community institutions work together to ensure the safety and security of all. Reported Jan. 18 at the Sabes JCC in St. Louis Park and Feb. 20 at the St. Paul JCC, the threats caused staff to evacuate both JCCs. Police found no bomb at either site. News of the arrest of an Israeli-American teen in the JCC bomb threats has brought relief in some quarters, although caution is still advised. “JCRC applauds the arrest of a suspect in connection with the recent waves of bomb threats targeting JCCs and other Jewish organizations in the U.S. and internationally,” said Steve Hunegs, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC). “Regardless of the outcome of this investigation, the JCCs and the entire Jewish community continue to remain steadfast and vigilant. While it appears that the perpetrator of the majority of these bomb threats has been apprehended, anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. remain a grave concern. Arrests have not yet been made in many cemetery desecrations or in other anti-Semitic incidents involving swastika graffiti and hate fliers.”

Photo: Courtesy of American Jewish World. Steve Hunegs, executive director, JCRC; Chief Todd Axtell, St. Paul Police Department; Richard Thornton, special agent in charge of the Minneapolis FBI Office; Greg Brooker, acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota; Tracy Perzel, criminal division chief; and Ana Voss, civil division chief from the U.S. Attorney’s office at a news conference on March 15 at the St. Paul JCC.

The Jewish community has worked to make security efforts more methodical and systematic over the years, while balancing the desire to make Jewish schools, synagogues and JCCs warm and welcoming places, according to Hunegs. Israeli police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have not specified which centers they suspect the 18-year-old of threatening, and the St. Paul Police Department remains on guard, according to Chief of Police Todd Axtell. “I am relieved to learn that a suspect has been identified and taken into custody regarding the threats to Jewish centers across the United States,” Axtell said in an email. “We will continue to work closely with the staff at the JCC, as well as our local and federal partners, to make sure everyone stays safe.”

Federation’s partner, JCRC, is responsible for organizing security efforts in the local Jewish community. JCRC works with federal, state, and local law enforcement to ensure community institutions take necessary precautions, and also to facilitate a response and follow-up in the event of an incident.

Students from Lutheran Campus Ministry created a wall of support for Jewish students at Minnesota Hillel in the wake of anti-Semitic incidents on campus.

A neighbor left a sign of support at the St. Paul JCC the day after the bomb threat.

Anti-Semitic incidents on the rise Twenty anti-Semitic incidents were reported to the JCRC in 2016, up from 12 in 2015. There have been eight incidents from Jan. 1 through March 15, 2017, noted Anthony Sussman, the JCRC’s communications and community security director. The St. Paul JCC has added security features and re-established a lay leader task force to review security processes following meetings with law enforcement, according to CEO Michael Waldman. The center’s current capital campaign may fund future security measures.

Outpouring of community support The bomb threats as well as a series of anti-Semitic acts at the University of Minnesota have drawn the local Jewish community together with people of other faiths as well as with local and federal law enforcement. A group of 22 Twin Cities Muslim organizations took out a half-page ad in the Star Tribune in solidarity with the Jewish community. The Lutheran Campus Ministry at the University of Minnesota created a wall of support for Jewish students at Minnesota Hillel. “We’ve had an outpouring of notes and letters from every faith group, from every level of government and hundreds and hundreds of cards and letters and notes from people all across the country,” said Waldman. “We’re open, and we’re here every day improving people’s lives just like we always do.”

Concerns on campus Minnesota Hillel staff are working with students and behind the scenes with university and law enforcement officials in response to increased reports of anti-Semitic activity on the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis. “A lot of it is as simple as letting students know that there’s a space and staff here for them to come and speak with somebody, and talk about their concerns

and be heard,” said Hillel Executive Director Benjie Kaplan. The university’s Bias Response and Referral Network had documented at least eight incidents of neo-Nazi propaganda, swastikas and other anti-Semitic graffiti at its Twin Cities campus from December through Feb. 20, according to a report in the Minnesota Daily student newspaper. The most noted incident occurred Feb. 8, when a Jewish student found a drawing of a concentration camp, a swastika and the words “Nazis Rule” scrawled on a whiteboard inside his room. No arrest had been made at press time. The day before, a desk in a public area of a residence hall was found vandalized with a swastika, the newspaper reported. The Daily also reported on Feb. 17 that a number of swastika-covered fliers advertising a neo-Nazi website had been posted near campus. Hillel staff have been meeting with university officials, the university police and the JCRC about how to classify the incidents. Students have made clear the importance of labeling them as anti-Semitic acts and not mere bias incidents, Kaplan said.

We’re open , and we’re here every day improv ing people’s liv es just like we always do.

Although upset and confused, students are not overly fearful. “One of the greatest things about the students that we work with is that they aren’t spending too much time on the negative,” Kaplan said. “They’re spending more time on how do we change the climate on campus, how do

we make things better, how do we build bridges so that when these things happen, people will stand up for us.” – Nancy Crotti

PENDING COMMUNITY SECURITY LEGISLATION The Twin Cities Jewish Community Government Affairs Program, a program of the JCRC, Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul and the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, is spearheading legislation in the Minnesota State House and Senate (House File 1802/ Senate File 1684) to supplement the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program with state funds. If funded, this legislation will help improve security for Minnesota nonprofits that demonstrate they are at a high risk for terrorism. Currently, both the House and Senate public safety appropriations bills include $150,000 in biennial funding (or $75,000 each year). The House bill provides for an ongoing appropriation whereas the Senate version is one-time funding. It is our hope that the House version will prevail as the bills are reconciled in conference committee. House File 1802: Lead author is Rep. Drew Christensen; co-authors are Reps. Peggy Flanagan, Marion O’Neill, Dave Pinto, and JoAnn Ward. If your representative is an author or co-author, please call or email to say thank you. If not, please ask your representative to consider signing on as a co-author for HF 1802. Senate File 1684: Lead author is Sen. Karin Housley; co-authors are Sens. Dick Cohen, Ron Latz, Warren Limmer, and Paul Anderson. If your senator is an author or co-author, please call or email to say thank you. If not, please contact and ask your senator to express appreciation to Sen. Housley for carrying the bill and to Sens. Warren Limmer, Ron Latz, and Dick Cohen for signing on as co-authors. Find contact information for your legislators online at gis.leg.mn/iMaps/districts.

L’HITRAOT ELI Eli Skora soon will close a circle that started 55 years ago. Born in Cuba to Polish Jews escaping the Holocaust, Skora was brought to the United States at age 10 by Jewish Family Services, and he was raised by foster families for five years until the rest of his family could emigrate. When Eli retires in June, he will have spent more than 35 years “paying it back” by working for the Jewish community. Eli began his Jewish communal work at federations in Indiana, Connecticut and New Orleans. He has been executive director of St. Paul’s federation for 18 years. He said he and his wife, Miriam, were drawn to St. Paul by “the vitality of the Twin Cities and the quality of Jewish life here. Really good people here made us feel comfortable.” The Skoras do not plan to relocate. For the immediate future, they will travel to Texas, Montreal and Vermont to visit children and grandchildren. They are hoping to spend next winter in Israel.

“I just want to enjoy my retirement with Miriam by doing the things we couldn’t do before,” Eli said. “After we travel to see family, I will decide where I want to volunteer. Of course, I’ll be available to help Federation whenever they call on me.” Looking back on his career, Eli is most proud of having kept Federation strong in St. Paul, weathering the economic depression of 2008, and helping create a strategic plan for the future. At the Federation’s Annual Meeting on June 6, St. Paul’s Jewish community will celebrate Skora’s chai (18th) anniversary and thank him for his leadership. “Despite the challenges, it’s been very satisfying,” he said. “Most people can’t say that at the end of their career.” – Marilyn Ruby

THANK YOU We thank our St. Paul Jewish community for your generosity. To date, 1,170 community members have pledged $1.8 million.

Photo: Sue Lund

Marni Tselos Women’s Philanthropy Chair

Mark Adelman Men’s Campaign Chair

To date, 1,170 generous community members have pledged $1.8 million to our Jewish community.

A special thank you to our hard-working 2017 campaign team: Deb Frishberg, 2018 Women’s Philanthropy Chair-Elect; Alan Bernick, 2018 Men’s Campaign Chair-Elect; and Nancy Lane, Women’s Board Chair. And thank you to 85 dedicated campaign volunteers who work tirelessly contacting friends and neighbors. Our Annual Campaign is our community’s way of standing together to help Jews most in need here in St. Paul, in Israel and around the globe. If you have made your pledge, thank you! If you have not, there is still time. Just use the envelope here!

“We Want People to Know They’re Still Women”: JDC Takes the Fight Against Breast Cancer to Eastern Europe It started, like so many revolutions these days, with a blog.

From Zero to Recovery

Breast cancer is a taboo subject in much of Eastern Europe, and women there often feel alone in their struggles against the disease.

About 350 miles away, Stoja-Mira Simic is standing adrift in a sea of pink. Growing up in a remote village in the former Yugoslavia, electricity was a late addition to her life, let alone mammograms. Besides, she had always had perfect health. So when a friend told her a WHEP mobile mammogram unit was coming to her village, she went because it was free.

Bori Halom started blogging in 2012, largely out of a need to break this silence. Soon the platform grew into a support group for fellow Hungarian breast cancer patients and survivors that now connects over 900 women on Facebook under Bori’s motto “Together, it’s easier.” These words also describe her relationship with Federation partner the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). Her support group is a partner in JDC’s Women’s Health Empowerment Program (WHEP), which works in Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina to educate about the importance of early detection, offer mammograms and provide support for women currently wrestling with the disease. “We want people to know they’re still women,” she says. “My main goal is to break down the taboos, to shake the stigma, to end women being gawked at for wearing headscarves or having shaved heads. We never asked for cancer, it just happened.” In partnership with Susan G. Komen®, WHEP also provides survivors like Bori with leadership training, empowering them to start NGOs, run peer-support groups and become advocates for better women’s health services. Once a year, Bori’s group gathers at Budapest’s JDC-supported Jewish Community Center for a daylong summit of mutual comfort and support. Women swap stories of chemotherapy and tragedy, remission and resilience.

Ten days later, she got the results. “I had cancer. I had to keep saying it to myself over and over—I have cancer,” she recalls. A WHEP representative also led Stoja-Mira down the road to recovery, delivering first-aid packages and making sure she never felt alone. “It was as if we’d known each other our entire lives,” she says. Once healed, she learned that women from a nearby town were traveling to Sarajevo for the annual WHEP co-sponsored Race for the Cure ®. She immediately bought a ticket.

Photo: JDC.

“When we arrived in Sarajevo, I suddenly saw a sea of 500 other women in pink around me,” she says. “I felt sadness that there were so many of us, but also joy that I’d survived and that my life was saved. I’ll attend the Race every year.”

For herself, Stoja-Mira and countless others affected by breast cancer, perhaps Bori says it best: “I’m very grateful to JDC. We started from zero. It’s amazing that they believed in my vision and were willing to follow me.” The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul.

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T2 0W1 7I N C I T I E S A N N U A L T W I N C I T I E S A N N U A L

YOM YOMHASHOAH HASHOAH

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COMMEMORATION

THEATRE OF WITNESSES THE THEATER OF WITNESSES YOM HASHOAH COMMEMORATION FEATURING HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS AND YACHAD STUDENTS FEATURING HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS AND YACHAD STUDENTS

Sunday, April 23 • 27 Nisan Sunday, 7:00April p.m.23 • 27 Nisan 7:00 p.m. Beth El Synagogue BethBarry El Synagogue 5225 St. W.

THE THEATER OF WITNESSES 5225MN Barry St. W. St. Louis Park, 55416

FEATURING HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS AND YACHAD STUDENTS St. Louis Park, MN 55416

________________________________________________________________________________________ Introducing the The 2017 Yom HaShoah The Commemoration is free of charge and open the public. 2017 Yom HaShoah Commemoration is free of charge and to open to the public. Introducing the 25th 25th Anniversary Anniversary For more information, please email susie@minndakjcrc.org. Edition of For more information, please email susie@minndakjcrc.org. Edition “Witnesses to of The Yom HaShoah Commemoration is co-sponsored by the Jewish Community the Holocaust.” “Witnesses to Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, Children of Holocaust Survivors The Yom HaShoah Commemoration is co-sponsored by Elthe Jewish Community Association in Minnesota (CHAIM), Beth Synagogue, the Minneapolis Jewish Free the copy Holocaust.” to all Federation, thethe Jewish Federation of Greater Paul, Generations After MN, attendees. Relations Council of Minnesota and Dakotas, Children ofSt. Holocaust Survivors and the Micki and Mort Naiman Holocaust Education Fund. Association in Minnesota (CHAIM), Beth El Synagogue, the Minneapolis Jewish Free copy to all Federation, the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul, Generations After MN, attendees. and the Micki and Mort Naiman Holocaust Education Fund.

Sunday, April 23 • 27 Nisan 7:00 p.m. Beth El Synagogue 5225 Barry St. W. St. Louis Park, MN 55416

________________________________________________________________________________________ The 2017 Yom HaShoah Commemoration is free of charge and open to the public.

Introducing the

Yom HaZikaron Sunday, April 30, 5 p.m. Mount Zion Temple Please join us for a special ceremony. Ofri and Rom, musicians from our Partnership Region in Israel, will participate. For more information, contact Eden Kohali at 651-353-2670 or 11eden22@gmail.com.

Meet. Cook. Enjoy a meal with a story behind it. Taste of Memories was created by our shlicha, Eden Kohali, last year to connect our community to Yom Hazikaron in Israel in a special way. The participants cook and taste dishes that were chosen by families whose children were lost during their army service or in terror attacks. Participants prepare the food and hear the story behind the recipes of families who carry on without their loved ones. Last year, more than 125 people of all ages took part in seven cooking sessions. The program was significant and meaningful, and this year we will do it again with different recipes from families in Israel. Join us on a journey of memories, tastes and stories. • • • • • • •

Talmud Torah – Wednesday, April 19, 7 p.m. St. Paul Federation – Friday, April 21, 10 a.m. Mount Zion Temple – Sunday, April 23, 1 p.m. Sholom – Tuesday, April 25, 10 a.m. This program is also in honor of Yom HaShoah Temple of Aaron – Tuesday, April 25, 6:30 p.m. ($5 at the door) Beth Jacob Congregation – Thursday, April 27, 6:30 p.m. ($5 at the door) Minnesota Hillel – Tuesday, May 2, 7 p.m.

To sign up for a cooking session, go to www.tinyurl.com/tasteofmemories. Please join us on this journey of memories, tastes and love for Israel.

PARTNERSHIP 2GETHER MUSICIANS During the week between Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut, we will have two special guests in St. Paul - Rom and Ofri, who are young musicians from our partnership region, the Sovev Kinneret. They will take part in our Yom Hazikaron ceremony as well as our Yom Ha’atzmaut event, and will have an opportunity to meet community members at different events throughout the week. Want more information? Contact Eden Kohali, shlicha, 651-353-2670 or 11eden22@gmail.com.

ROM

OFRI

HARRY KAY INSTITUTE PREPARES TOMORROW’S LEADERS Harry Kay Leadership Institute (HKLI) participants are busy learning how Federations and our beneficiary agencies work together and discussing how Jewish values inform our mission to help those most in need, protect Jews around the world and build Jewish life. HKLI gives young adults (ages 30-45) tools to become leaders of the Jewish community. They develop leadership skills, gain a deeper understanding of our local and overseas Jewish communities, and learn to effectively address issues and challenges facing us as a Jewish community and as individual Jews. To date, they’ve attended a Shabbaton, participated in roundtable discussions with local Jewish agencies and attended Shabbat dinners with HKLI alumni. They also participated in “Speed Date a Rabbi,” in which six rabbis were on hand to teach about their favorite Jewish leaders in round-robin sessions.

Participating in a Shabbaton at Herzl Camp on Dec. 9 & 10: Bottom row (LtoR): Lindsay Kalin Holden; Lauren Kaplan, HKLI director; Ryan Lohr; Adam Fink: Alan Garelick. Middle row (LtoR): Grant Kamin; Ben Schein; Arielle Kaufman; Robyn Schein; Melissa Wolchansky; Abby Schneider; Efrem Berman; Cassie Benowitz; Uri Rosenwald; David Milavetz; Gil Mann, guest speaker. Top row: Hope Kalin; Aaron Gelperin; Jason Sondell; Sandy Sondell; Erin Baldinger; Tamar Ribnick; Jeremy Kalin; Debbie Wolfe; Shira Shapiro; Adrienne Berman; Kim Gelperin; Zoe Stern; Joey Greenberg; Joel Ribnick; Joel Paper. Not pictured: Jason Divine; Shep Harris; Jennifer Kaplan; David Krco; Bruce Manning; Nicki Murphy; Alina Portnoy; Rhona Shwaid; John Vegas; and Lauren and Leo Zabezhinsky.

HOW WILL YOU ASSURE JEWISH TOMORROWS?

If you would like to learn more about establishing a legacy gift, please contact Eli Skora, 651-695-3187 or eskora@stpaulfed.org.

what will your legacy be? 12

a partnership of

CONNECTING RUSSIAN-AMERICAN JEWS TO JEWISH LIFE

Ilana Volodarsky, RAJMN Director

Minnesota has a vibrant Russian-Jewish community that has grown through waves of immigration from the former Soviet Union (FSU) first in the 1970s and 80s, and again in the early 2000s. In 2003, the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul established Russian-American Jews of Minnesota (RAJMN) to connect Russian-American Jews with the larger Jewish community and provide a deeper understanding of Judaism and RussianJewish roots and culture. RAJMN is a volunteer-led initiative, and all programs and events celebrate Jewish and Russian culture. It is led by Ilana Volodarsky who has been the program’s director since its founding. Volodarsky, who came to St. Paul with her family from the FSU in 1989, said that RAJMN provides a unique way for the RussianAmerican Jewish community to connect to Jewish life.

“Our mission is to strengthen the Jewish identity of RussianJewish teens and young families in Minnesota,” said Volodarsky. “We do this in part by fostering an understanding and a general curiosity about Judaism and Russian-Jewish roots and culture among young Russian-speaking Jews.”

Teen Fellowship students light the menorah at the RAJMN Chanukah celebration.

Teen Fellowship engages young Jews RAJMN provides out-of-town educational opportunities and scholarship funding for teen and adult program participants. One of those programs is RAJMN Teen Fellowship, created in 2016 as a one-year pilot program. Twelve teens participated in the program, learning about Israel, the Holocaust, Jewish history, art, music and more. The teens worked on a documentary film with Russian-Jewish Holocaust survivors and WWII veterans. They also participated in fundraisers and organized events for the Russian-American Jewish community.

Fun for children at the Purim celebration. 250 people attended the event on March 12.

Appreciating Russian traditions “Because our cultural traditions are different, it’s easier to be surrounded by people you’ve known for years,” she explained. “It’s like any group having a comfort level with their circle of friends.” Over the past 14 years, RAJMN has organized more than 300 events and engaged about 3,000 people. Events include holiday celebrations and educational and cultural programs. RAJMN also serves as a bridge to other Jewish organizations, connecting participants to synagogues, Jewish schools, programs in Israel and Jewish summer camps.

Volodarsky is on the organizing committee for Limmud FSU – East and West Coast, a program held twice yearly that gathers Jews from around the world to meet and engage on over 100 topics on Russian-Jewish life. She and some of the teens will present a seminar on the Teen Fellowship program at a conference in New York in May. RAJMN serves the community on both sides of the river. In addition to funding from the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul, the program receives funding from the Minneapolis Jewish Federation and Genesis Philanthropy Group, a foundation that develops and enhances Jewish identity among Russian-speaking Jews worldwide. “RAJMN prepares a generation of young Jews born to Russianspeaking families in the U.S. to be full members of the general Jewish community,” said Volodarsky. “These kids are active in Camp Butwin, Herzl Camp, Hillel and Chabad. They go Israel, and they give back to the community.” For more information about RAJMN, contact Ilana Volodarsky at 651.255.4742 or ilanav@stpauljcc.org.

ST. PAUL AIDS HILLEL’S STATEWIDE OUTREACH

on campus

When the University of Minnesota Hillel Foundation became Minnesota Hillel a couple of years ago, it signified not only a name change but an expanded mission: reaching out to the estimated 500 to 1,000 Jewish students on college campuses across Minnesota. The organization was set up to serve the 1,200 to 1,500 Jewish students on the university’s Twin Cities campus. Getting to the Jewish students on other campuses would take money. The Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul was there to help. Federation created, “It’s not just about U,” a supplemental fund to the 2017 Annual Campaign that provided the opportunity to donate to this cause.

McNamara Alumni Center 200 S.E. Oak St., Minneapolis Join Minnesota Hillel for Maroon and Gold Shabbat, a special evening that brings together over 500 students, parents, alumni and community members. It’s the one time of year when students get to show off their amazing campus community to family, friends and supporters.

Those needs might include a monthly Shabbat service, a Passover seder, or a speaker to talk about Israel, he explained.

TWIN CITIES JEWISH COMMUNITY ALZHEIMER’S TASK FORCE PRESENTS

“Keeping the Spirit Alive” A Conference for Caregivers and Those Supporting a Loved One with Dementia

Sunday, April 30, 2017 8:00 - 1:45 p.m.

Adath Jeshurun Congregation FREE and open to all!

ti e

Minnesota Hillel plans to launch at each college in the fall of 2017. – Nancy Crotti

Please register at maroonandgoldshabbat.eventbrite.com

n Twi

Federation’s goal was $10,000 for the outreach efforts. The response has been gratifying. To date, the community has donated $16,800.

“Our hope is to find an advisor and at least one or two student leaders for each of these campuses, to train them in the Hillel model of doing engagement and outreach work that leads to programming, and to work with them and their advisor to find out what are the Jewish needs on each campus,” Kaplan said.

Friday, May 5, 6 to 8:30 p.m.

gift

plant the seeds of Jewish Life

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Your additional will

Help Hillel reacH JewisH students on Minnesota caMpuses

It’s not just about

That money will enable Minnesota Hillel to establish a presence on six other college campuses. Executive Director Benjie Kaplan has visited with students and/or faculty at the University of Minnesota’s Duluth campus, St. Cloud State University, the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, and Augsburg College in Minneapolis. He also plans to visit Macalester College in St. Paul and Carleton College in Northfield.

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~ Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul Annual Meeting ~ Tuesday, June 6, 7 p.m. Mount Zion Temple 1300 Summit Ave., St. Paul

Join us for this special meeting and celebration as we honor Executive Director Eli Skora. Eli is retiring after 18 years at Federation! RSVP to Diane Orth: dorth@stpaulfed.org or 651-695-3180.

seen in st. paul [1] Senator Amy Klobuchar met with community leaders at the St. Paul JCC on March 19 to discuss threats against the Jewish community. (LtoR): Michael Waldman, St. Paul JCC CEO; David Levi, Sabes JCC president; Sen. Amy Klobuchar; Bruce Fink, St. Paul JCC president; Josh Wert, Sabes JCC CEO. [1] [2] On Jan. 26, 60 people attended a thank you dinner that Federation held for St. Paul Jewish community professionals. Pictured (LtoR) are synagogue executive directors: Ken Agranoff, Temple of Aaron; Sean Murphy, Beth Jacob; and Larry Solomon, Mount Zion Temple.

[2]

[3]

[3] Shlicha Eden Kohaliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s St. Paul JCC Hebrew class enjoyed a special Tu bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shevat seder in February. Seated (L-R): Michael Selon, Lanie Paymar, Yelva Lyfield, Merlin and George Cohen, Sheila Brod. Standing: Eden Kohali.

[4] [4] Dr. Tuvia Book led a discussion about Israeli technology and its impact on the world in January at the St. Paul JCC.

[5] Eleven St. Paul community members attended meetings in our Partnership Region, the Sovev Kinneret in February. They spent the week planning great Israel programs for next year. Bottom row (L-R): Eden Kohali, shlicha; Roslyn Segal, Marilyn Ruby, P2G cluster coordinator; Stan Calof, Yiscah Bracha. Top row (L-R): Allan Rossman; Eli Skora, Federation executive director; Jonathan Eisenthal; Bill Lerman; Dan Mogelson, Federation Israel Programs director; Yoav Segal, P2G Cluster chair.

[5]

[6]

[6] Former Knesset member Dr. Ronen Hoffman spoke about the unknown future relationship between Israel and American Jewry. Pictured are Dr. Hoffman (center) with campaign chairs Marni Tselos and Mark Adelman.

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage

790 Cleveland Avenue South, Suite 227 St. Paul MN 55116

our Mission To unite, sustain and enhance the St. Paul area Jewish community and strengthen bonds with Jewish communities in Israel and around the world. We fulfill this mission through financial resource development and planning, and by working in partnership with social service agencies, educational institutions and synagogues.

www.jewishstpaul.org 651-690-1707 Sign up for our monthly e-newsletters on our homepage!

Every Passover Elijah has a standing invitation. No matter what. We open our door, set a place at our table and fill his cup. This year, let’s do the same for those in need. No matter what.

Please give generously today. You’ll be helping your Jewish community at home and around the world. And you’ll be opening up our Jewish future too.

Please contact Eli Skora, executive director, at 651-695-3187 or Sharyn Effress Pesses, women’s philanthropy director, at 651-695-3186.

PAID

twin cities, MN Permit No. 2064