phone-a-thon tallies $82K for Jewish needs A PJ Library happy birthday to trees

Maimonides

By Aaron Gorodzinsky Director of Campaign and Security Planning

A phone-a-thon by the Jewish Federation’s Maimonides Society of health professionals brought in $82,000 on Sunday, January 29, as part of the Federation’s Mitzvah Day.

Dr. William Markson and Vicky Wax, cochairs of the Federation’s Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs, led the phone-a-thon, and volunteers closed 40 outstanding gifts, helping the

Maimonides Society achieve its goal for the year.

As donors know, the money raised for the annual campaign will be distributed to the three Jewish agencies in the Lehigh Valley — the Jewish Day School, Jewish Family Service and the Jewish Community Center — to the synagogues, and to Jewish communities around the world that have been suffering.

The society’s next phonea-thon will take place during Super FunDay on March 5 and will focus on closing the remaining campaign pledges for the year, giving the Federation a better estimate of the campaign’s final total so it can allocate funds beginning in early April. Making solicitation calls can be intimidating at first, but it’s a rewarding opportunity for those who participate. They are helping the community to move forward and to be Here for Good! Please join us at the phonea-thon on March 5 to help our community reach its full potential.

Families gathered at Muhlenberg College Hillel on Sunday, January, 29, for a PJ Library-Muhlenberg Tu B’Shevat program. Tu B’Shevat is considered the “birthday of the trees.”

Muhlenberg Hillel students planned activities around the theme “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.” Children decorated cups to plant seeds in and created paper leaves as a group project. The college students read several PJ Library Tu B’Shevat stories, and then everyone came together to add personalized leaves to a group tree poster. The students shared with the children ways to help reduce waste, reuse items in new ways, and recycle plastic and other items.

BY EVA LEVITT

By Karli Miller JCC Welcome Desk Associate

February is Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). JDAIM serves to amplify disabled Jewish voices and raise awareness about disability and inclusion.

With JDAIM bringing welcome attention to the disability community, it’s the perfect time to for individuals and businesses to evaluate their own dedication to access and inclusion, as they are yearround issues.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will turn 33 this year, yet disabled Americans are still fighting every day for access and inclusion. There are an estimated 61 million adults living with mobility, hearing, visual and cognitive disabilities in the United States. Disabled