September 2014 – What’s New in Women’s Philanthropy
This issue of the e-newsletter highlights some of the new programming Women’s Philanthropy is planning this year. In bringing back a Women’s Shabbaton and the Leadership Power Series and offering new opportunities like a Young Women’s Mission to Israel and the Center for Volunteerism, Women’s Philanthropy hopes to inspire you to learn, grow, and connect.
Also new this year is my position of Vice President, Community Engagement. In this role I look forward to helping all of our wonderful women learn about Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ and Women’s Philanthropy. I would like nothing more than to identify ways for all of us to contribute to the good work of Federation in ways that will be personally satisfying, meaningful, and rewarding.
If you know someone who might like to know more about our Jewish community or if you yourself are interested in taking a fresh look at Women’s Philanthropy, I hope you’ll contact me at caplan973@comcast.net.
Jody Caplan, Vice President Women’s Philanthropy - Community Engagement
Young Women’s Summer Mission 2015
By Taryn Berelowitz, VP Women’s Philanthropy – Young Women’s Campaign
You may have heard the term “mission junkie” and I have to say it’s very easy to become one! Over the past two years I have traveled with Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ to Israel and Ukraine and can’t wait to attend another mission to Hungary next April and go back to Israel next July.
For the first time since 2005, Women’s Philanthropy is organizing a Young Women’s Mission to Israel. If you have never been to Israel before or even if this would be your 10th visit, we want you to be part of this experience. It will be a trip you will never forget.
Experiencing any country while on a mission is a totally different experience from a family vacation, particularly while on a mission to Israel. The sights and sounds of Israel are felt no matter how you travel but really getting to know the people is something that requires more focus. Traveling with Federation took me beyond the sights into people’s homes and has given me a glimpse into what life is like on the many different levels of society.
Whether it’s visiting the home of Ethiopian immigrants and hearing about their challenges, having Shabbat dinner with a family in Jerusalem, or singing and dancing with Holocaust survivors, each experience has deepened my feelings for Israel.
I have heard the struggles of youth and about the programs that are there to support them. I have met the families living on the border of Gaza in Kibbutz Erez, and have visited schools in the Negev — and when I see what was going on recently in their area — I can feel their pain too. These sites are not on the tourist list — these are the places that made an impact on all of us on the mission and these are the people that connected me to Israel.
Connecting with our partnerships has enriched my life — I love to communicate with the friends I make on my trips — getting to know them over time and offering them support in times of need. The relationships I formed both in Israel and Ukraine are special. From senior members of the community to young kids still in school my life is fuller with them in it. When times have been tough they enjoy hearing from me and I love to hear from them too.
So with this in mind I would like to share my experiences with so many of our young women in our community. I want to encourage you to just pack up and come with me to Israel for a short trip next year in July, while the kids are away at camp and the school year routine is not an issue.
The goal of this mission is to connect or re-connect you with Israel by having a fun and active time while learning and meeting with people in our partnership communities and experiencing so much of what Israel has to offer.
Say “Yes” and join me. You will not be sorry you came along.