A day in the life
of changing the world
Dollars raised through the Minneapolis Jewish Federation are changing lives around the clock. While you drive to work, an impoverished child across the world is arriving at a school he can only afford thanks to a Federation-funded scholarship. As you eat lunch, a senior citizen in Minneapolis arrives at a doctor’s appointment that she might have missed if it wasn’t for transportation services provided through the community. When your head hits the pillow and you drift off to sleep, a family in Eastern Europe is starting the next morning with enough food to survive the day. And that’s just one day. Every hour of every day, Federation and its network of partners are committed to building a vibrant, inclusive and supportive Jewish community and helping the world’s poorest Jews when they need it most. And, every hour of every day, stories like these remind us that together, we can do extraordinary things. *Some names have been changed to protect privacy
R Together, every hour of every day, we change lives and make the world a better place
R We are helping to ensure all Jewish children can live a Jewish life, regardless of income
Dylan, age 4, gets off the school bus at a Jewish preschool in Buenos Aires where he receives a scholarship, food and transportation thanks to your support. His mother suffers from unmanaged depression and his father acts as her caretaker. They have little money and are unable to afford a supportive Jewish education for Dylan without help. As a toddler, Dylan suffered from cognitive problems that made his learning challenging. After two years at his preschool, which gives special attention to children of all learning abilities, he is flourishing both socially and academically. His mother, Cecilia, says, “One day, when he grows up, he will remember all this and help others in need.�
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Buenos Aires, Argentina
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minneapolis, mn
R We make sure children of all abilities
have a place in the Jewish community
Natalie, age 7, rubs her eyes and asks her mother if she gets to go to camp this morning. When she hears the answer is yes, she jumps out of bed, excited for a day of swimming, singing and arts and crafts. Natalie and her brother Edan, who are both on the autism spectrum, haven’t always had a place in the Jewish community. Before they moved to Minneapolis a few years ago, they never had the chance to be part of Jewish life. Their family lived in a place where the resources Natalie and Edan needed didn’t exist. In Minneapolis, for the first time ever, Natalie and Edan experienced the magic of Jewish summer camp. “Sometimes we forget that children with autism are children first and need to just have fun,” says Natalie and Edan’s mother Danielle. “I want to thank the Federation for supporting this inclusion program.”
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minneapolis, mn
R We help struggling families get back on their feet
Anna*, a single mother, pulls up to her office. It wasn’t long ago that she gained the courage to leave her abusive husband. Unfortunately, not long after, she lost her job and found herself turning to the Jewish community for help. She received emergency financial assistance to help pay her bills and career counseling to get her back in the workforce. Today, she is happily employed and has reclaimed her economic stability. “You saved my life,� Anna says.
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minneapolis, mn
R Together, we help seniors age with dignity 87 year-old Leah* chats with the volunteer who picked her up to go to her doctor’s appointment. Living with Parkinson’s disease and dementia, Leah has regular doctor’s appointments – too many for her children to manage with their busy work schedules and growing families. Without the friendly and reliable transportation made available through your generosity, she would be homebound and unable to stay on top of her health issues. According to Leah, these rides are a lifesaver. Not only is she able to regain independence and alleviate the burden on her children, her family can also rest assured that she is in safe hands.
R We are helping the next generation connect to their Jewish heritage Leora, a college student from Minneapolis, is getting home from another fulfilling day of class in Jerusalem. She received a scholarship for a one-year study abroad program in Israel. Now more than a month into her stay, Leora is beginning to finally feel like she is actually living in Jerusalem. Her days are filled with meeting new people, Hebrew classes, navigating the Jerusalem bus system (frustrating!), and discovering what it really means to be part of a global Jewish community. “One of the most incredible things I have realized is the immense diversity of the city and Israel in general‌ I have met and become close with students who come from so many geographic locations, various religious backgrounds, and very different political ideologies. And I believe this is the source from which I am learning the most.â€?
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Jerusalem, Israel
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minneapolis, mn
Jordan, a fourth grader, and his friends sing Hebrew songs on the way to their after-school Jewish education program. Every Monday and Wednesday, Jordan carpools with a group of Jewish students from his elementary school to this program where he learns Hebrew, studies Jewish holidays, and discovers what it means to be Jewish. Many of his classmates are his friends from Jewish summer camp and from Jewish pre-school. From the front seat, Jordan’s mom smiles. Having grown up in a community that didn’t have a large Jewish population (her Hebrew lessons were done via beta tapes) she considers Jordan being in a classroom with Jewish peers a wonderful thing. “I love that he not only gets the chance to learn about his religion, but he also gets to make friends for life,” she says.
R We understand the importance
of Jewish learning and creating lasting friendships
R We help bring Jewish life into the homes of young families
Lauren and Mike tuck their daughter, Madeline, into bed for the night. Mike opens up Madeline’s favorite book, It’s Challah Time. She received it, along with many other wonderful Jewishthemed books, through the PJ Library program. Not only does it keep the two year old engaged, it teaches her – and her father who is not Jewish – about Friday evening Jewish rituals. “We bring the light into ourselves,” Mike reads. “How do we do that, Madeline?” Madeline enthusiastically waves her hands over her eyes as if she were lighting the Shabbat candles. “The books we get every month are a beautiful introduction for my child and for my husband to Judaism,” Lauren says.
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minneapolis, mn
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Baku, Azerbaijan
Natalia, 55, prepares breakfast for her granddaughter, Narmia, in their cramped two-room home on the 7th floor of a walk-up hostel. The smell from the stove barely masks the odor of urine, tobacco and alcohol that overtakes the long, dark corridors in their building. Natalia is thankful that she is able to prepare a warm meal for her granddaughter who frequently gets sick, largely due to her poor diet of bread and potatoes. She is just recently able to afford fresh groceries thanks to Federation’s commitment to helping the world’s most impoverished Jews. Natalia is grateful for the support of the international Jewish community. “Thanks to your help, Narmia has a warm meal today,” she says.
R Together, we are saving the world’s poorest Jews
Minneapolis Jewish Federation partner agencies & programs: AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE AMOS & CELIA HEILICHER MINNEAPOLIS JEWISH DAY SCHOOL BAIS YAAKOV HIGH SCHOOL BET SHALOM CONGREGATIONAL SCHOOL B’NAI B’RITH YOUTH ORGANIZATION/NORTH STAR REGION EDGE (ENRICHMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH FOR EDUCATORS) HILLEL: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ISRAEL CENTER JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA & THE DAKOTAS JEWISH FAMILY AND CHILDREN’S SERVICE OF MINNEAPOLIS JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE UPPER MIDWEST
MINNEAPOLIS JEWISH COMMUNITY INCLUSION PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Nechama NATIONAL AGENCIES (10) RIMON: THE MINNESOTA JEWISH ARTS COUNCIL SABES JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER SHA’ARIM SHIR TIKVAH CONGREGATIONAL SCHOOL SHOLOM TALMUD TORAH OF MINNEAPOLIS TEMPLE ISRAEL CONGREGATIONAL SCHOOL TORAH ACADEMY Twin Cities Jewish Community Government Affairs Program
Introducing the MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE PROJECT Explore our new, interactive social media map to see what’s happening in real time thanks to the Minneapolis Jewish Federation and its global, life-changing network. www.mapyourimpact.org
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