Mr. Eric D. Fingerhut, President and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), addressed our major donors yesterday in a private Zoom conversation by invitation only. 

Prior to his appointment at JFNA, Mr. Fingerhut served as the President and CEO of Hillel International from 2013-19. At Hillel, he led the organization’s Drive to Excellence, which doubled the number of students engaged by Hillel each year to over 130,000.
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​Mr. Fingerhut has also had a varied and distinguished career in public service and higher education. He served as Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents from early 2007 to 2011, leading Ohio’s system of public universities and colleges; as Ohio state senator from 1997 to 2006; and represented Ohio’s 19th congressional district in the U.S. Congress from 1993 to 1994.

“I didn’t realize it at the time, but my early life was shaped by Federation. I went to preschool at the JCC. I vividly remember carrying signs in the walkathons standing up for Israel during the 1967 and 1973 wars,” Fingerhut recounts. “Never did I imagine that nearly a half century later, I would have the opportunity to lead a Movement that has impacted my life and so many others. It has a rich history, and I believe it can have an even more impactful future.”
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JFNA represents 147 Jewish Federations and over 300 Network communities, raising and distributing more than $2 billion annually and through planned giving and endowment programs. In support of social welfare, social services and educational needs, JFNA protects and enhances the well-being of Jews worldwide, and leads in the fields of caregiving, aging, philanthropy, disability, foreign policy, homeland security and health care. 

Federation is kicking off a 12-week email-based walking program called Get WalkIN’, offered through Purdue Extension Lake County. Get WalkIN’ aims to promote increased physical activity through walking while also providing reliable information about the health benefits of walking.

This program is unique in that it is entirely email-based. Our program will begin Monday, August 3, 2020, and enrolled participants will receive 16 email messages over a 12-week time period (twice weekly for the first 4 weeks, then weekly for the next 8 weeks). These messages focus on self-efficacy, social support, and goal setting, as well as resource guides and strategies to help you start or maintain a walking routine of your choice.

For more information on the program, please contact Linda Curley, HHS Extension Educator, at lcurley@purdue.edu or call the Federation office at (219) 301-0960.

For Berlin-based American writer-producer Anna Winger, creating the Netflix miniseries Unorthodox offered a unique opportunity to tell a Jewish story in Germany. The show, which premiered March 26 on Netflix, follows a young woman who leaves her husband and her ultra-Orthodox Satmar community in Williamsburg, NY, for a new life in Berlin. 

This past Sunday morning, Ms. Winger joined the Jewish Federation of Northwest Indiana (live from Berlin via Zoom) for an exclusive conversation moderated by Carol Culberg. Over 70 participants tuned in for this exciting program!

The recording is now available to watch on Federation's YouTube channel:

Ms. Winger was raised by anthropologists in Massachusetts and in Mexico, and educated at Columbia University. She co-created and co-wrote the four-episode Netflix series along with documentarian Alexa Karolinski, and also served as executive producer. She is also the founder of Studio Airlift, a production company based in Berlin. She lives in Berlin with her family.

Carol Culberg is a board member and past president of the Jewish Federation of Northwest Indiana. She chairs Federation's Education committee. In 2019, Carol launched Federation's popular evening book club, which meets every 6 weeks; the most recent discussion selection (also via Zoom) was Deborah Feldman's 2012 memoir Unorthodox, which inspired the Netflix series.

Join us on the Federation lawn for a socially distanced summer movie night outdoors. ​

Community Outdoor Movie Night
Thursday, July 9, 2020 (rain date July 16)
8:00–9:45pm
Free admission! Generously sponsored by Richard & Barbara Waxman

Public health guidelines will be observed. We'll supply the individually wrapped snacks! Bring your own masks (or we'll provide extras) and blanket or lawn chairs. 

Rain date: Thursday, July 16.
​RSVP Now: federationonline.org/upcoming-events#HeadingHome

Now is the time for action!

Jewish Community Relations Committee (JCRC)
Chairs: Rosalie and Don Levinson
federationonline.org/jcrc

We have always made our decisions based on what is best for our children and families, and this is no different. In this instance, we are unable to guarantee camper safety. The well-being of everyone is just too important to move forward with camp. 
We are very excited to share that we have made the decision to offer a virtual JCY experience free to our community this summer. We are putting together many engaging and fun activities which will be offered via the "JCY Day Camp" Facebook page beginning June 15, 2020. While virtual camp activities will never replace the real JCY experience, we are thankful for the opportunity to connect with you and your children during this uncertain time.

It is our hope that social distancing requirements will be such that we will be able to plan one or more special get-togethers during the summer. We are also planning on hosting a few Zoom meetings to play games and see each other.

We hope you and your family members are safe and well, and that your camper(s) will be joining us this summer for JCY's “The Virtual” Summer of Peace, Love, and good old-fashioned JCY fun. We know it is not the same as being together, but here at JCY, we're determined to make the best of it. We love you. We miss you. We can’t wait to see you soon.
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Peace, Love, and JCY! 

THEN... To tie together our Shabbat-in-a-Box experience, the rabbis of each of our six Northwest Indiana congregations will share a short, inspirational message in a Friday afternoon pre-Shabbat Zoom gathering, May 22 at 5:15pm.

• Rabbi Robin Damsky, Temple Israel of Miller Beach
• Rabbi Shoshana Feferman, Temple Israel of Valparaiso
• Rabbi Suzanne Griffel, Sinai Temple of Michigan City
• Rabbi Mordechai Levin, Congregation Beth Israel, Munster
• Rabbi Eliezer Zalmanov, Chabad of Northwest Indiana, Munster
• Rabbi Len Zukrow, Temple Beth-El, Munster

All members of the Northwest Indiana Jewish community are invited to join the call. Register on Zoom to receive the meeting information by email. ​

In this time of uncertainty, there's a fundamental truth that gives us hope: that together we can do extraordinary things. Over the past few weeks and months, the entire world has been coming together to stand up, help out, give back and heal. Whether through donations to community organizations, celebrating doctors and nurses at shift changes, or reaching out to a neighbor to help with groceries, generosity has been helping the entire world get through this global pandemic. Together.  

#GivingTuesdayNow is a new global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020 – in addition to the regularly scheduled #GivingTuesday on December 1, 2020  – as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19. The day is designed to drive an influx of generosity, citizen engagement, business and philanthropy activation, and support for communities and nonprofits around the world.

On May 5, the Jewish Federation of Northwest Indiana will be participating in #GivingTuesdayNow. Our Federation is answering the call to assist our most vulnerable community members and help bring our Jewish community together. We have expanded our roster of support services during this time:

• Our longstanding Adult Friendship Club has been reinvented as a home delivery meal program. We delivered over 400 kosher meals in March and April, including over 150 Seder-to-Go meals to enhance this very challenging Passover for our seniors and families.
• Our food pantry has expanded its hours by 50% and moved to contact-free curbside distribution to facilitate the health and safety of our volunteers, staff, and clients. We are continuing to field requests for financial assistance.
• We are curating recommended resources on our website for virtual Jewish community and ongoing learning. Visit federationonline.org/virtual to enjoy some of our favorite selections.
• K'Ton Ton Early Childhood educators are supporting families and children with a focus on a curriculum of love, care, kindness, and relationships. Teachers and staff are actively engaged with children through daily virtual class times and a weekly Shabbat celebration, videos of activity ideas and stories, mailing letters and cards, and an active Facebook group for families to share and interact. They have had drive-by birthday and teacher parades, and assembled over 40 "play-at-home" kits to deliver to families. 

But we can’t do this without the support of our community members. Join the movement on May 5, 2020!

• Bookmark federationonline.org/donate today, and if you are able to give, please give.
• Visit now.givingtuesday.org to learn about other ways you can participate in the #GivingTuesdayNow movement. 
• Whatever your circumstances, we are here for you. Please call the Federation office at (219) 301-0960 for any additional assistance we can offer you during this time.