Masha Pearl Executive Director of The Blue Card accepting Proclamation from Menashe Shapiro Deputy Chief of Staff Senior Advisor to the Mayor declaring January 27th to be Blue Card Holocaust Survival Day.

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The Blue Card Is Providing Life-Saving Support For Holocaust Survivors

Impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton

As extreme weather continues to impact regions across the country, the non-for-profit The Blue Card has been actively reaching out to Holocaust survivors to ensure their safety.

The devastation from Hurricanes Helene and Milton has created urgent needs for survivors, particularly in Asheville, Tampa Bay, and southern Georgia, where there is a critical demand for food, medical supplies, transportation and caregiver support. The majority of the nation’s Holocaust survivors live alone and fall well below the federal poverty line, and these hurricanes have worsened their already difficult conditions, leaving them desperate for essential resources.

The Blue Card’s Natural Disasters and Severe Weather Fund is providing life-saving support, including emergency transportation and vital medical care, to those affected by these disasters. In addition to these efforts, The Blue Card is working with local volunteers and synagogues to mobilize additional support for survivors in need.

As a national organization, The Blue Card is uniquely positioned to provide immediate assistance. Survivors like Eda, who lives alone in Black Mountain, NC, with no family nearby, faced the hardship of losing power for two weeks. With the support of The Blue Card, she received emergency aid to replenish her groceries and household supplies, providing her with the essentials she needed to get through this challenging time.

However, many more survivors remain in urgent need of similar assistance. Contributions to this fund are critical to ensuring Holocaust survivors receive the help they need during these challenging times.

Executive Director Masha Pearl notes, “The Blue Card is asking the public to let the organization know of any Holocaust survivors in the path of these hurricanes who may need assistance, so the organization can provide the support they require during these difficult times. As we respond to the growing impacts of these disasters, your support is needed more than ever.”

Click here to donate to the Fund.

Established in the U.S. in 1939, The Blue Card’s sole mission is to help Holocaust survivors in need nationwide by providing direct financial assistance and medical assistance, as well as the tools for mental and emotional well-being. Ranging in age from 79 to 105, the majority of the nation’s Holocaust survivors live alone and fall well below the federal poverty line. The Blue Card ensures survivors can live out their remaining years with dignity and respect and live at home.

Press Contact:

Diane Blackman

Founding Partner, BRPR

W: 212.249.5125

dblackman@brpublicrelations

Horseshoe Beach, Florida - photo: Getty Images/BBC News/Getty Images

Announcing the 22nd Annual Kavod v'Nichum Chevra Kadisha Conference

A CONFERENCE ABOUT JEWISH END OF LIFE RITUALS OFFERS CONNECTION AND COMMUNITY IN A CHALLENGING TIME

[Maplewood, NJ] — Kavod v’Nichum, a nonprofit organization that empowers, educates, and trains Chevra Kadisha, announces their upcoming 22nd Annual Kavod v’Nichum Chevra Kadisha Conference. Over the last few years, and especially in light of the tragic events of October 7th, Jews around the world have sought meaningful ways to engage with their Jewish communities. This has led to increased volunteer participation in Chevrei Kadisha across North America and a growing interest in learning more about these 'sacred societies.' As we approach the one-year anniversary of October 7th, the 22nd Annual Kavod v’Nichum Chevra Kadisha Conference offers a unique space for Jewish connection and meaning. We invite the community to come together from a place of love and care during what has been, for many, a time of division and pain.

On September 15th and 16th, the Kavod v’Nichum Conference will unite approximately 300 participants from across the U.S. and Canada for an immersive online experience dedicated to Jewish end-of-life care and sacred communal practices. This two-day event will feature renowned keynote speakers Rabbi Elliot Dorff and Rabbi Shai Held. Tickets are still available for anyone who wants to attend.

Since its founding 24 years ago, Kavod v’Nichum has been dedicated to expanding the presence of Chevra Kadisha within pluralistic Jewish communities across North America. The organization fills a critical gap by redefining and modernizing the role of Chevra Kadisha—the sacred communities that come together at the end of life to care for the deceased and comfort the living. By focusing on volunteer engagement and peer-led rituals, Kavod v’Nichum ensures that the sacred rituals and duties are not only upheld but also made more meaningful and relevant for today’s diverse Jewish populations. This approach enriches the cultural and spiritual fabric of the Jewish community, providing intentional care and opportunities for participation, which enhance connection and belonging.

“Year over year, we are experiencing growth all across Kavod v’Nichum programs, including our annual conference. This reflects the increased awareness and participation across Chevrei Kadisha in North America. As these powerful end-of-life frameworks become more well-known and accessible, we’re seeing more individuals offering care and support to their neighbors and Jewish communities when it’s most needed,” said Sarit Wishnevski, Executive Director of Kavod v’Nichum.

The conference will bring together a diverse group of participants—including Chevra Kadisha volunteers, clergy, end-of-life doulas/midwives, Jewish communal professionals, students, funeral home professionals, chaplains, and those curious about Jewish end-of-life rituals— to explore the profound intersections of tradition, community, and modern Jewish practice. With over 20 workshops and sessions, this year’s conference offers an in-depth exploration of Jewish end-of-life practices, community engagement, and volunteer training, providing a unique opportunity to connect with others, engage in meaningful discussions, and be inspired to carry forward the essential work of Chevra Kadisha. The conference’s two-day agenda with a list of speakers and sessions can be found here.

Sponsorships are available for companies and organizations who wish to support this essential gathering. Sponsors will gain visibility among a dedicated audience engaged in Jewish end-of-life care and rituals. Various sponsorship levels are available, starting at $360, offering opportunities to connect with participants and contribute to the ongoing success of the conference.

Current sponsors include Dignity Memorial Jewish Funerals, My Jewish Learning, Shomer Collective, AriYael, The Institute for Jewish Spirituality, Jewish Sacred Aging, The Jews of Color Mishpacha Project, The Last Ecstatic Days Movie, Mission Driven Consulting, National Bikur Cholim Conference, The Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, Plaza Jewish Community Chapel, and Sinai Memorial Chapel. To register for the conference, please visit: https://kavodvnichum.org/conference/

About Kavod v’Nichum: Kavod v'Nichum is a nonprofit organization that empowers, educates, and trains Chevra Kadisha – sacred communities that come together at the end of life to care for the deceased and comfort the living through Jewish rituals and traditions.

Kavod v’Nichum envisions a world in which Chevra Kadisha is a vibrant part of every Jewish community, deepening the connections to the rituals and practices of Jewish end-of-life. When Chevra Kadisha is woven into the fabric of the Jewish community, there is a richer understanding of death and dying, and meaningful opportunities to comfort, support, and honor one another. For more information, visit https://kavodvnichum.org/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Sarit Wishnevski, Executive Director Email: sarit@kavodvnichum.org

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"Rabbi Irving Greenberg's Magnum Opus - The Triumph of Life: A Narrative Theology of Judaism"

[PHILADEPHIA, PA August 1, 2024] – The Jewish Publication Society (JPS) is honored to announce the publication of Rabbi Irving Greenberg’s magnum opus, The Triumph of Life: A Narrative Theology of Judaism, winner of the Natan Fund's Natan Prize, 2024.

The Triumph of Life is a narrative of the relationship between God and humanity as expressed in the Jewish journey through modernity, the Holocaust, the creation of Israel, and the birth of Judaism’s next era.

Greenberg describes Judaism’s utopian vision of a world, created by a God who loves life, who invites humans to live on the side of life and enables the forces of life to triumph over death. The Bible proclaims our mission of tikkun olam, repairing the world, such that every human image of God is sustained in the fullness of our dignity. To achieve this ideal, Judaism offers the method of covenant, a partnership between God and humanity across generations in which human beings grow ever more responsible for world repair.

Rabbi Avi Weiss, founder of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and Yeshivat Maharat, describes The Triumph of Life as “a theological masterpiece: a deeply inspiring religious treatise and a revolutionary work of religious and ethical thought that will undoubtedly be studied in seminaries of all faiths, universities, and adult study groups for generations to come.”

In this book, Greenberg calls on us to redirect humanity’s unprecedented power in modernity to overcome poverty, oppression, inequality, sickness, and war. The work of covenant requires an ethic of power—one that advances life collaboratively and at a human pace—so that the Jewish people and all humanity can bring the world toward the triumph of life.

“The Triumph of Life is exhilarating. A culmination of a lifetime of theological reflection from the visionary thinker Rabbi Irving Greenberg, it offers us a stunning portrait of the Jewish tradition as a grand drama in which God and the Jewish people dream together of a perfect world and work painstakingly to bring it about. Read this book and you will never see the Jewish tradition the same way again,” said Rabbi Shai Held, president and dean at The Hadar Institute and author of The Heart of Torah.

Publishers Weekly praised the book, noting that “Judaism may be based in the notion of a divinehuman partnership, but people must now take the lead in forging a more perfect world, according to this ambitious treatise from Rabbi [Yitz] Greenberg… Greenberg’s reminder to ‘start where you are’ in creating a freer, more just society is wise, even if his vision for an ideal world sometimes seems out of reach. Readers will be inspired.” 

For more information, please visit jps.org.

About The Jewish Publication Society:

Since 1888, The Jewish Publication Society has been the preeminent not-for-profit publisher of books at the heart of Jewish life in the English-speaking world. The mission of JPS is to promote accessible scholarship, presenting the very best of Jewish learning in an intellectually rigorous and engaging way to a broad public. As a non-partisan, non-denominational organization, JPS brings voices from across the Jewish tradition, past and present, into conversations at the heart of contemporary life, ensuring that Jewish sources continue to speak in an ever-changing world. JPS is proud to partner with the University of Nebraska Press, which produces and distributes JPS books.

Contact:

Deena Schoenfeld

JPS Director of Communications and Marketing

dschoenfeld@jps.org

(215) 832-0601

Disclaimer: JRelease is a press release service of AJPA. AJPA does not endorse and cannot vouch for material distributed by this service.

Saying No to Hate: Overcoming Antisemitism in America

[PHILADEPHIA, PA May 1, 2024] – The Jewish Publication Society (JPS) is honored to announce the publication of Saying No to Hate: Overcoming Antisemitism in America by Norman H. Finkelstein, an award-winning author of 21 non-fiction histories and biographies who taught Jewish history at Hebrew College for more than three decades before passing away in January 2024.

Saying No to Hate grounds readers in the history of antisemitism in America by emphasizing the legal, political, educational, communal, and other strategies American Jews have used through the centuries to address high-profile threats.

In this timely volume, Finkelstein—whose previous books include two National Jewish Book Award winners, also published by JPS –shows how antisemitism has long functioned in America in systemic, structural, and interpersonal ways, from missionaries, the KKK, and American Nazis to employment discrimination, social media attacks, and QAnon. He explains how historic antisemitic events such as General Ulysses S. Grant’s General Order No. 11 (1862); the Massena, New York, blood libel (1928); and the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue (2018) galvanized the Jewish community. Finkelstein shines light on Jews, such as Louis Brandeis and Admiral Hyman Rickover, who succeeded despite discrimination, and on individuals and organizations that have tackled legal and security affairs, from the passage of Maryland’s Jew Bill (1826) to groups helping Jewish institutions better protect themselves from active shooter threats.

“While the alarming increase in antisemitism in the U.S. is cause for concern, storyteller Norman Finkelstein shows us this is just the latest iteration of prejudice Jews have fought on these shores for hundreds of years,” said Rabbi Charles E. Savenor, Executive Director of Civic Spirit. “Saying No to Hate should be required in every high school and college. More than a book, this is a tool for strengthening our society.”

Far from a victim narrative, Saying No to Hate is as much about Jewish resilience and ingenuity as it is about hatred. Engaging high school students and adults with personal narratives, it prepares each of us to recognize, understand, and confront injustice and hatred today, in the Jewish community and beyond.

“Especially during a time when so many of us find ourselves confronting truly frightening levels of antisemitism, hatred, and polarization,” wrote Dr. Elias Sacks, Director of JPS, “we are proud to publish a book that exemplifies the moral passion, deep knowledge, and profound integrity that Norman H. Finkelstein brought to everything that he wrote. May his memory be for a blessing.”

Rabbi Laura Bellows, a curriculum designer and facilitator of teen and adult learning programs, added that “learning to recognize how antisemitism functions in America in systemic, structural, and interpersonal ways—which Norman Finkelstein teaches masterfully, in tandem with robust stories of Jewish resilience and courage—will help both adolescents and adults address instances of injustice and hatred today, in the Jewish community and beyond.”

In a recent review, Publishers Weekly praised the book, noting that “two-time National Jewish Book Award winner Finkelstein…draws on exhaustive research for an account that’s comprehensive, accessible, and nuanced.”

For more information, please visit jps.org.

About The Jewish Publication Society:

Since 1888, The Jewish Publication Society has been the preeminent not-for-profit publisher of books at the heart of Jewish life in the English-speaking world. The mission of JPS is to promote accessible scholarship, presenting the very best of Jewish learning in an intellectually rigorous and engaging way to a broad public. As a non-partisan, non-denominational organization, JPS brings voices from across the Jewish tradition, past and present, into conversations at the heart of contemporary life, ensuring that Jewish sources continue to speak in an ever-changing world. JPS is proud to partner with the University of Nebraska Press, which produces and distributes JPS books.

Contact:

Deena Schoenfeld

JPS Director of Communications and Marketing

dschoenfeld@jps.org

(215) 832-0601

Disclaimer: JRelease is a press release service of AJPA. AJPA does not endorse and cannot vouch for material distributed by this service.

Delegation of Israeli Rabbis from Shalom Hartman Institute Extend Beacon of Hope to North American Jewish Communities Amidst Adversity

In the midst of shared challenges facing Israel and Jewish communities across North America, a distinguished delegation of rabbis from the Shalom Hartman Institute in Israel is set to embark on a journey of solidarity and hope.

These rabbis have been steadfast pillars of support, providing spiritual, pastoral, and psychosocial assistance to hundreds of individuals affected by the recent Israel-Hamas war, including evacuees, wounded soldiers, and families of hostages.

Their visit to North American Jewish communities exemplifies a commitment to strengthening ties between Israeli and North American Jewry and underscores their dedication to learning about North American Jewish life and communities.

The delegation will take part in a three-day educational seminar on North American Judaism and Jewish Peoplehood at the Shalom Hartman Institute from March 12^th – March 14^th in New York. In addition, they will be teaching at synagogues across denominations throughout North America. Participating synagogues include Rabbi Angela Warnick Buchdahl’s Central Synagogue in New York City and Rabbi David Wokenfeld’s Ohev Shalom in Washington DC among many more.  

Pluralistic Israeli rabbis in the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Israeli Rabbis Network (Rabbanut Yisraelit)are bringing about a spiritual rejuvenation in the Israeli public sphere by inspiring Israelis to engage meaningfully with Jewish life in the 21st century.  

Since October 7, rabbis in Israel and North America are playing a pivotal role in comforting, teaching, and supporting their congregants as they experience pain, grief, and fear. This visit is part of the ongoing efforts of the Institute to equip rabbis with the resources and ideas to guide their communities through this crisis. 

For media inquiries and to learn more about this event and the pluralistic Hartman-ordained rabbis contact: maital.friedman@shalomhartman.org  

Learn more about the work of the Israeli Rabbis Network and its vision for Empowering Rabbis - Shalom Hartman Institute 

The Shalom Hartman Institute is a leading center of Jewish thought and education, serving Israel and North America. The Institute is committed to developing ideas for Jewish communities to address the most pressing issues of the day, ensuring that Judaism is a compelling force for good in the 21st century. 

Disclaimer: JRelease is a press release service of AJPA. AJPA does not endorse and cannot vouch for material distributed by this service.

Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman's Pioneering Work, Who Are the Jews—And Who Can We Become? Receives Prestigious National Jewish Book Award

New York, NY – January 26, 2024 - Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute and host of the highly acclaimed top Judaism podcast, "For Heaven’s Sake," has been named a National Jewish Book Award Finalist for his exceptional work, Who Are the Jews—And Who Can We Become?.

As the Israel-Hamas war enters its 4th month, moral, ethical, and philosophical questions continue to dominate the discourse. Hartman, a distinguished scholar and thought leader, recently described as “the soundtrack of the American Jewish experience of this war,” engages in a profound exploration of challenges facing the Jewish community today.,

His examination of the critical question — How can we, as Jews, shape a cohesive collective identity in the face of increasing denominational divisions? — makes Who Are the Jews? an indispensable contribution to the ongoing discourse on the Jewish future.

The Shalom Hartman Institute, under Rabbi Hartman's visionary leadership, continues to be a trailblazer in Jewish thought and education in Israel and North America. The Institute's commitment to innovative ideas ensures that Rabbi Hartman's vision becomes a catalyst for positive change, offering a compelling narrative for the Jewish community in the 21st century.

About Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman: Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman is a visionary leader, distinguished scholar, and host of the top Judaism podcast, "For Heaven’s Sake." His latest work, "Who Are the Jews—And Who Can We Become?" has been recognized as a National Jewish Book Award Finalist, solidifying Rabbi Hartman's position as a trailblazer shaping the future of Jewish thought.

The Shalom Hartman Institute is a leading center of Jewish thought and education, serving Israel and North America. The Institute is committed to developing ideas for Jewish communities to address the most pressing issues of the day, ensuring that Judaism is a compelling force for good in the 21st century.

Who Are the Jews―And Who Can We Become? - Shalom Hartman Institute

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