ANNUAL REPORT 2018
REFLECTING ON THE YEAR
A MESSAGE FROM MICHAEL AND NAOMI
W
e are proud to present the Atlantic Jewish Council’s Annual Report for 2017-2018; our opportunity to reflect on the AJC’s considerable accomplishments over the past year. To note just a few: • 14 Women Experienced Israel > For the first time in 10 years, an organized group of Atlantic Canadians experience Israel together: 14 young Jewish mothers from Atlantic Canada experienced Israel and Judaism on a life-changing Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (JWRP) trip. This trip was made possible by the hard work and generosity of a community member and is a testament to the impact that each and every one of us can have on this community if we try. • Kadimah Turned 75 > And we celebrated in style! With 400+ people from near and far, and a weekend full of flawless events, this initiative was emblematic of the power of Kadimah and its impact on our region. Mazel tov to Steven & Gloria Pink and Howard & Karen Conter on chairing this remarkable event. • PJ Library® Expanded > In partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, the heart of this award-winning program is our sending of one free age-appropriate Jewish-themed book per month right to the doors of Jewish families with young children across Atlantic Canada. This year, we expanded the age-range of this program to children 8 and under, instead of children 6 and under. As well, thanks to a generous grant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, we successfully launched a series of PJ Library® programs that brought young Jewish families in Atlantic Canada together for the first time. This has been a year of progress for the AJC and for our Jewish community-at-large across Atlantic Canada. We look forward to building on our successes, and confronting our challenges, in the year to come. We thank the Board of Directors of the AJC, the Camp Kadimah Committee, and the Trustees of the Atlantic Jewish Foundation for their ongoing support and prioritization of this organization. We thank the endlessly hard-working staff team at the AJC: Edna LeVine, our Director of Community Engagement; Svetlana Ratchinski, our Controller; Lindsay Kerr, our Director of Hillel & Next Generation Engagement, Rabbi David Ellis, our Regional Chaplain; Sarah Atkins, our Camp Kadimah Director; Neli Shpoker, our 2017 UJA Campaign Administrator; and our amazing 2017-2018 co-op and summer students: Joseph Behl, Samiha Tamanna, Hiyam Gedalia, Michelle Levin, and Victoria Michels. And most importantly, we thank you—our donors, volunteers, and supporters—for making all of this possible. B’Shalom,
Michael Argand, President Atlantic Jewish Council
Naomi Rosenfeld, Executive Director Atlantic Jewish Council
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THE UNITED JEWISH APPEAL OF ATLANTIC CANADA
SUSTAINING OUR COMMUNITY
$540,000 raised in 2017
49
VOLUNTEERS
26 25 360 39 75 42 CANVASSERS
PHONATHONERS
DONATIONS
REIGNITED GIFTS
FIRST TIME GIFTS
INCREASED GIFTS
Your support makes a meaningful impact. Thank you! 3
CONNECTING US TO ONE ANOTHER
BUILDING JEWISH COMMUNITY
9
SPONSORED home-hosted PJ LIBRARY SHABBAT DINNERS for groups of young families
+ 300 PEOPLE attended COMMUNITY BBQS across the region
+ 120 PEOPLE attended our 2
nd
PRIDE SHABBAT DINNER
45
MISHLOACH MANOT GIFTS delivered to Jewish Seniors
MEMBERS 38 COMMUNITY supported the ATLANTIC JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
% 100 of SURVEY RESPONDENTS REPORTED
CONNECTING SOCIALLY with other Jewish Families during PJ LIBRARY PROGRAMING
4
THANK YOU TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Tikkun Olam Committee
PHOTOPOLIS THE HALIFAX FESTIVAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY
5
TOGETHER WE’RE STRONGER
NEXT GENERATION ENGAGEMENT
STRENGTHENING JEWISH IDENTITY IN OUR YOUTH
teen 9 JOLT LEADERSHIP programs
6 HILLEL SHABBAT DINNERS
social 11 HILLEL and outreach programs Atlantic programs 4 HILLEL in St. John’s, NL
69 MARITIME CAMPERS
attended CAMP KADIMAH
JEWISH-THEMED BOOKS sent to 704 FREE families enrolled in PJ LIBRARY LIBRARY YOUTH 5 PJCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS
+ 130 STUDENTS attended
Hillel’s 2nd annual PURIM MASQUERADE BALL
% of SURVEY RESPONDENTS reported 95 that PJ LIBRARY PROGRAMING supported their young families in having conversations about Jewish traditions, values and/or customs 6
REINFORCING OUR IDENTITY AS A REGION
UNITING ATLANTIC CANADA
9+
HELPED COMMUNITIES in Atlantic Canada display the CANADIAN-JEWISH-EXPERIENCE EXHIBIT
+ 100 PEOPLE attended our FAMILY
SHABBATON at CAMP KADIMAH
+ 400 PEOPLE attended CAMP KADIMAH’S
75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
25
VISITS by AJC STAFF TO COMMUNITIES in our region for programs and events
PUBLISHED
90+
3 Shalom magazines 5
HEBREW SPEAKERS from DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES attended a STAND-UP COMEDY show by Israeli comedian SHAHAR HASON
7
REMEBERING OUR PAST
EDUCATING ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST & HUMAN RIGHTS
8
SUPPORTED YOM HASHOAH CEREMONIES around the region: Halifax, Sydney, PEI, St. John’s, Bass River (NS), Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John
18
WORKED WITH DIFFERENT PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS to facilitate HOLOCAUST EDUCATION throughout the region
+ 1000 JUNIOR HIGH and HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS attended HOLOCAUST EDUCATION PROGRAMS
515+ 11
Adults attended HOLOCAUST EDUCATION PROGRAMS around Halifax
Partnered with the Nova Scotia HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION and organizations on initiatives & activities
ASPER TRIP PARTICIPANTS 7 TEEN received a MEMORANDUM OF RESPONSIBILITY at the HALIFAX YOM HASHOAH Ceremony
8
ENHANCING COMMUNITY RELATIONS & OUTREACH
+ 30 + LUNCHES served and 18
VOLUNTEERED to help at the SPENCER’S HOUSE on Christmas Day
+ 600 PEOPLE attended the 4 annual th
ATLANTIC JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL teen 9 JOLT VOLUNTEER programs
6 COMMUNITY GUEST SPEAKERS at the ATLANTIC JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
+ + 75 hot dinners, 80 bag lunches, and 100+ snacks provided to OUT OF THE COLD
15 ARTICLES WRITTEN in local Atlantic Canadian newspapers about AJC-RELATED EVENTS
+ 60 POLITICIANS AND DIGNITARIES attended, participated, and spoke at AJC EVENTS 9
BEYOND OUR COMMUNITY
HELPING THOSE IN NEED
SCHOLARSHIPS, GRANTS, SUBSIDIES, AND EMERGENCY FUNDING
2,000
$
to subsidize Atlantic Canadian YOUTH EXPERIENCES IN ISRAEL
99,660
$
to support CAMP KADIMAH
8,000
$
OF SCHOLARSHIPS to post-secondary institutions in Halifax
3,000
$
TO SUPPORT JDC’S WORK helping VULNERABLE JEWISH COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD
4
HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS HELPED receive funding from the JEWISH MATERIAL CLAIMS CONFERENCE AGAINST GERMANY
$3,500
GAVE OVER to help local community MEMBERS IN NEED
10
SUPPORTING & CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY TO ISRAEL
23
SENT YOUNG ADULTS from our region as participants on BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL
4
ISRAELI FULLY SUBSIDIZED TEENAGE LEADERS to attend CAMP KADIMAH
14
BROUGHT WOMEN to Israel on a JWRP TRIP
+ 300 CELEBRATED YOM HA’ATZMAUT by attending our community events
DIRECT INVESTMENT OF MORE THAN
119K
from our region in Israel
15
SOCIAL SERVICE EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS funded in Etzba Hagalil through Partnership2Gether
11
ISRAEL ENGAGEMENT
YOUR GENEROSITY MAKES A MEANINGFUL IMPACT
This fall, please support the United Jewish Appeal of Atlantic Canada 309