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What’s Jewcy? Quick News Updates A glimpse around the Minneapolis Jewish Federation and its local network
➜ THE ISRAEL CENTER OF THE MINNEAPOLIS JEWISH FEDERATION DISTRIBUTES $126,000 IN ISRAEL EXPERIENCE SCHOLARSHIPS This year, 81 teens and young adults are traveling to Israel for life-changing experiences thanks to scholarships offered through the Federation's Israel Center. These scholarships are making it possible for young people ages 16-30 to experience Israel on programs ranging from high school summer experiences and study abroads to post-high school study, volunteering and internships in a wide array of fields. These trips are vital to building lasting relationships with Israel and strengthening Jewish identity. "Thank you for the scholarship money which helped make my Israel program possible. I had a wonderful experience with great teachers and new lifelong friends," says Mia, a high school student. The following funds and scholarships are available through the Israel Center: the Louis Herman Israel Experience Fund, the Isadore & Molly Boroff Israel Scholarship, the Israel Center Scholarship Fund, and the Annette Paletz Memorial Scholarship for Alexander Muss High School in Israel. This year, $126,000 went to 81 students through these funds.
➜ A HOME FOR JEWISH ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES With the help of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, Jewish Housing and Programming (J-HAP) has acquired a site in Golden Valley to provide safe, service-enriched housing to Jewish adults with disabilities. J-HAP’s innovative housing development, slated to open in 2015, will offer independent yet supportive housing with seamless connections to the larger Jewish and secular communities. Cornerstone Creek
MINNEAPOLIS, MN | 05.15.2013 | 13-0015
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Minneapolis Jewish Federation | Fall 2013
The Golden Valley site was secured with the assistance of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, which provided a $20,000 loan to J-HAP for initial escrow funds.
➜ SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE? You may have seen Alan Bersten on So You Think You Can Dance, and you may have realized that he’s from the Twin Cities. But did you know his family emigrated from the former Soviet Union (FSU) with help from our Jewish community? He is also the cousin of Federation’s in-house graphic designer, Veronica Gagnelius, whose journey from life in the FSU to Minneapolis is a must-read {jewishminneapolis.org/veronica.aspx}. Alan, 19, graduated from Hopkins High School and currently attends the University of Minnesota. A former teacher at the Sabes JCC, he and his wife run the Dance With Us America studio at Southdale Center in Edina. Alan made it into the top 12 dancers on the famed reality show before being eliminated, but says, “Being on the show was a life-changing experience. I loved every second of it and am so grateful that I got to share the experience with all of the world.”
➜ A NEW GENERATION OF ISRAEL ADVOCATES
DESIGN SUMMARY
The proposed living center will include a Spirituality & Wellness Center in addition to the 45 independent living units. Future residents will also have access to kosher dining, a library and media lab, and outdoor gardens and walking paths. 04
“J-HAP residents will have the freedom to make real choices for the first time in many of their lives… from where to work to how to spend their free time,” said Jennifer Lewin, J-HAP Executive Director. “This project will allow residents to participate in experiences, interactions and relationships that build a meaningful life—something we all deserve, regardless of our abilities.”
Last November, during the rocket attacks on Israel, the IDF told Federations across North America that the best thing to do in situations like that one was to speak out and stand up for Israel. This fall, the Twin Cities Jewish community is taking a step to help a new generation of young Jews do just that. The Israel Leadership Fellows Program will train teens in grades 10-12 to be “strong and capable advocates