Nearly a decade ago, Jennie Starr noticed a problem in her San Diego community. The majority of Jews didn’t affiliate with a particular synagogue or Hebrew school, despite the fact the city had a large Jewish population. So Starr set out to do something about it. Tarbuton is an Israeli cultural center in California focused on giving Jewish families a space to come together and share their collective culture. “About eight years ago I created informal social gatherings to create Israeli social …More

B’nai B’rith International is a Jewish organization that needs little introduction. Founded in 1843 by German-Jewish immigrants in New York’s Lower East Side, the stalwart organization is celebrating its 170th anniversary this year with a host of activity. “This year, we’re focusing on honoring our past and focusing on our future,” said Renee Howard Rodriguez, young leadership director and associate director of programming. “A lot oft the same tenants we were founded on …More

Judaism isn’t all prayer and formal wear, a fact ATID LA is out to prove. The organization, a part of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, has been organizing hip and happening events for the Jewish community for years. “ATID is a 20’s and 30’s program open to the entire Jewish community,” said Jocelyn Orloff, a director at the organization. “We have between five and ten programs a month, from large, musical Shabbat services to smaller parlor parties.” Orloff said ATID gets …More

Training service dogs is serious business, and at the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind, that seriousness is treated with respect. It turns out, however, that training service dogs can also be fun. “The mission is to train guide dogs for people who are blind and disabled, and to provide them independence, mobility and confidence,” said Dennis Allon, director of resource development at the center. “We organize a lot of activities for the sighted and blind alike, and we do a lot of outreach …More

Initiatives bringing young adults to Israel are not entirely unusual. But adding an advocacy attitude to the program is something that makes the Hasbara Fellowships unique in its own right. Hasbara, a project of Aish International, first began its program in 2001 as a way to educate Jewish students on college campuses across the US and Canada. Since that time, the organization has grown to include the majority of campuses in America, using social media and word of mouth outreach to connect with thousands of …More

The Council of Jewish Émigré Community Organizations (COJECO) was founded in 2001, as a source for Russian Jews in New York looking for a way to acclimate to new surroundings. Today, the group has expanded into a cultural outlet, providing programming, events and educational opportunities for Russian transplants of all ages. “We were created with the intent of integrating the Russian speaking Jewish community into the New York community,” said Lisa Klig, program director at COJECO. …More

The Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University offers more than just an education—it offers a way of life, too. Students at the graduate program are provided the education and skills necessary to compete in a growing market of Jewish professionals, who are shaping the way Jewish advocacy looks in a modern era. “Hornstein is a professional development program for leaders in the Jewish community,” said Ellen Smith, associate professor and director at Hornstein. …More

In 1970, Rabbi Eugene Borowitz had an idea for a literary space where Jewish minds could share thoughts and encourage enlightened debate. Think a 1920’s Parisian salon in print. The result was Sh’ma Journal, a monthly publication that is steeped in history but still pushing the envelope. Today, the journal is a space where Talmudic pieces run side by side with election stories on the merits of liberal versus conservative politics. “We’re offering a virtual space to talk and create a …More

The Jewish Federations of North America is closing its OTZMA program, after 26 years helping young Jews visit the land of Israel. "Today, there are more than 200 Israel programs for young Jewish adults, built upon OTZMA’s shoulders, and many offer similarly extraordinary experiences. As a result, at the end of this academic year, JFNA has decided to stop implementing OTZMA as a stand-alone Jewish Federations’ Israel experience program," wrote JFNA CEO Jerry Silverman in a letter Thursday. The program …More

At 30 Years After, members have a bond that is both religious and national. The group was formed six years ago in California as a way to bring together Iranian Jews living in the US. Two years later the group grew to include an East Coast branch, and its members haven’t looked back. “It originally started in LA, they wanted to get the Iranian Jewish community more involved politically,” said Raymond Hakimi, board member at 30 Years After. “During an AIPAC conference, they asked me and some …More

Founded in 1989, the Abraham Fund has spent the better part of a quarter-century working to build bridges between Israel’s Jewish and Arabic communities. That goal, which is lofty in and of itself, has seen the group reach for change on a grassroots level, as well as within government. Using a technique described as “advocacy through action,” the Abraham Fund disseminates information in an aim to generate a necessary dialogue. “We’re focused on creating within Israel’s borders …More

The UJA-Federation of New York has added a Russian Jewish group to its organization, the first time in 17 years that it has included a new member. COJECO, the Council of Jewish Émigré Community Organizations, is the central coordinating body in the Russian Jewish community of New York. The UJA said in a statmement Monday that COJECO gives “this population a united voice,” and helps “Russian-speaking Jews maintain and express their cultural heritage while encouraging them to engage …More