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.

​As we all know, the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is already becoming a public health crisis in many parts of the United States. One important component of slowing the rate of transmission is “social distancing”: avoiding close contact with other people, even before COVID-19 is known to be spreading in our community. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick, which includes ALL people over the age of 60. The CDC recommends that older adults stay home as much as possible in the coming weeks to reduce their risk of being exposed to COVID-19.

Out of concern for the health and safety of our senior population, we are cancelling all AFC on-site lunches and programs at least through March 31, 2020. The Brunch & Play outing for March 18 will be postponed to July.
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At the same time, we know that times of isolation and sickness are exactly when our seniors need social and nutritional support the most. Thus, the Adult Friendship Club will offer home meal delivery only to all AFC members, Mondays and Wednesdays from March 16 through March 30.

In addition, please be aware that the CDC is encouraging people over the age of 60 — as well as anyone with a severe chronic medical condition such as heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes — to "stay at home as much as possible" to reduce their higher risk of contracting COVID-19. We want to ensure that people do not put themselves or others in harm’s way and ask that you follow the CDC Guidelines.

We will continue to keep you informed as information becomes available. ​