JCC Association of North America’s Post

In the last few weeks, I’ve spoken to community members who have shared that their philanthropy has shifted since October 7 towards combating antisemitism and supporting Israel. This certainly makes sense given the war in Israel and Gaza and the uptick in antisemitism in our own country. In each conversation, I thanked them for supporting these critical issues facing the Jewish community. And then in my next sentence, I urged them to consider how the Jewish community will fight antisemitism and hate in the long run. I believe that I have one answer-- organizations that serve individuals of all backgrounds together in an inclusive and respectful community, like the Bender JCC. If you stand in the lobby of the JCC long enough, you can hear 10 different languages. Individuals of different backgrounds and faith communities come to the Bender JCC to focus on their health, educate their children, swim, build friendships, and be part of a community center that helps individuals and families create meaningful lives. In just a handful of weeks, we will launch our 2024 Lessans Camp JCC season. Even though our camp program is designed through the lens of Jewish heritage and values, 40 percent of the almost 600 staff members and campers are not Jewish. This is one of many examples why I believe the JCC is an antidote to hate and antisemitism. We as a Jewish community are serving children and young adults of all abilities in a way that does not exist anywhere else. Our inclusive community goes way beyond how we serve individuals with disabilities, but how we welcome everyone no matter their identity. Each person and their individuality matters at the Bender JCC, and as a Jewish community we are forging bonds across communities that will have a lasting impact for many years to come. Let us continue to address the immediate needs of our community while not taking our eyes off the sustained work required to achieve long-term healing and unity.

For 2,000 years, Christians have been known for their care of children and mothers who need it most. Read this week's blog to learn three ways we can carry on this legacy as champions of the sanctity of human life: https://lnkd.in/gWutmGd6 #orphancare #advocate #nonprofit

Polarity is getting us nowhere, in Israel/Gaza or in our own country. I've been a volunteer leader for decades in the nonprofit organization Family and Home Network. We believe, as renowned children's doctors T.Berry Brazelton and Stanley I. Greenspan wrote, "In order to protect the future for one child, we must protect it for all children." This is the most hopeful article I've read on Israel/Gaza, and the organization founded in 2015 to work together for a shared future - Standing Together: https://lnkd.in/gxz5DSYC

Talking to NHS staff, the implementation of DEI initiatives such as displaying religious celebration posters, rainbow lanyards, and flags can be or seen as tokenistic by staff and beneficiaries, if they are not backed by genuine efforts to address deeper issues related to diversity and inclusion. Tokenism or doing something rather than nothing occurs when superficial gestures are used to create the appearance of inclusivity without addressing systemic or genuine concerns. To avoid tokenism, organisations as a whole should focus on actively creating inclusive policies, promoting diversity at all levels, and fostering a culture of genuine respect and equality, rather than relying solely on symbolic gestures. The key is to ensure that these initiatives are part of a broader and more meaningful DEI strategy. #DEIKent #DEISCA #DEIInfrastructuresupportKent #DEIVCSEKENT If you want help to do this contact us. https://lnkd.in/enp8TvZD

The Bible consistently emphasizes the importance of caring for orphans and vulnerable children, highlighting it as a fundamental expression of love, justice, and righteousness. Several passages in both the Old and New Testaments speak to this. 1. Deuteronomy 10:18: "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing." This verse illustrates God's special concern for those who are vulnerable, including orphans, and sets an example for believers to follow. 2. Psalm 68:5: "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." Here, God is depicted as a protector and provider for orphans, underscoring the importance of emulating this divine attribute. 3. Isaiah 1:17: "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." This passage calls for proactive engagement in defending and supporting orphans, viewing it as a key component of righteous living. 1. James 1:27: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." The New Testament reinforces the idea that true faith manifests in caring for those in need, particularly orphans. 2. Matthew 25:40: "The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’" Although not specifically about orphans, this verse emphasizes that caring for the vulnerable is akin to serving Christ Himself. 1. Compassion and Advocacy: Believers are encouraged to show compassion towards orphans, advocating for their rights and needs within society. This can include support for foster care, adoption, and other forms of assistance. 2. Community Support: The church community is called to be a support system for vulnerable children, providing physical, emotional, and spiritual care. 3. Social Justice: The Bible’s call to care for orphans is also a call to engage in broader social justice efforts, addressing the systemic issues that contribute to the vulnerability of children, such as poverty, conflict, and inequality. 1. Organizations and Ministries: Many Christian organizations and ministries are dedicated to supporting orphans and vulnerable children globally. Engaging with or supporting these organizations can be a practical way to live out biblical teachings. 2. Personal Involvement: Individuals can volunteer, mentor, or provide financial support to programs that assist orphans and vulnerable children, reflecting the biblical mandate in their personal lives.

Has your faith-based nonprofit ever considered buying, building, or developing real estate? If so, you know real estate can present a major issue for religious organizations. A minefield of permits, applications, and meetings may stand between you and the property that will allow your organization to best accomplish its mission. The federal government passed the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”), which addresses some of these difficulties for religious organizations. A little information about land use and RLUIPA can go a long way in helping your organization to flourish. Napa Legal’s whitepaper, co-authored by 2023 GCP Fellows Christian Matozzo and Pat Piccolo, aims to educate religious organizations seeking to buy or develop property for their organizations and help them avoid costly obstacles when seeking building permits, special use permits, variances, or other re-zoning permissions. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/eHiGfTJW

I need your help. This afternoon, Danielle Smith, the Premier of Alberta, announced a comprehensive plan to erase queer and trans people from public life. She intends to eliminate gender affirming care for minors, ban trans women from sports, require parental opt-IN and provincial-level approval for classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity, and more. Since last May, I have been the first Director of Legal at Egale Canada — the country’s leading 2SLGBTQI rights organization. I am writing this to share personal reflections and to ask for your support. Today’s announcement is devastating. As I sat here eating a way-too-late dinner and catching up on the press coverage, I finally let myself feel it and started weeping. I know most people don’t understand what it means to be trans. And, I know the policy actions listed above aren’t immediately obviously bad to everyone reading this. As a result, I know much of the work is in education and humanizing trans people. This is something we’re actively working to accomplish (mainly my incredible colleagues at Egale). But for now, even if you don’t yet get it, I need you to just trust me. This will cost lives if it isn’t stopped. This is unprecedented in Canada. This is playing politics with our lives and trying to prevent us from existing. So what can you do? Other than learn more about how Smith’s actions are so dangerous, I want you to consider supporting my work. As far as I know, I am the only trans lawyer in the country who has the privilege of being employed to defend our rights. (There are incredible trans lawyers doing critical work in this area but they also have to manage their own practices and clients, teaching responsibilities, etc.). The only way I will be able to do this through my role at Egale Canada is with public (financial) support. In Canada, we often expect the government to be a source of protection and support. Today, the Government of Alberta became the oppressor and the threat. Please help me and our team at Egale fight back: https://egale.ca/donate/ (click “legal advocacy”) And stay tuned to see more of how we will be fighting back.

I have spent 23 years in human services and being on the front lines allows me to see the people in their humanity, face to face with mine. I feel like those making policy should actually ask not just a professional but the people who are stereotyped and ask " who are you as a human, what actually happened in your life- the loves, the passions, talents and many assets vs the "blame and pull yourself up by your bootstraps". Yes, there is this dynamic tension between "personal responsibility" and really what I consider to be the failings of the current economic system, a type of Calvinistic moralism that sees poverty as lack of favor from God, the lack of a fulfillment of the promises of the Declaration of Independence's preamble, and the lack of "liberty and justice for all" in our pledge where we truly were united in our purpose as a shining light on a hill. But so much now is about quantitative data and the measurability of the effects of particular programs and policies. The people with their stories, those of their families, and their communities are largely forgotten or outright ignored. It is why I love my work. I see the Creators image in the individuals, I get to listen and learn, and see I am not the expert. When this happens, it makes me laugh, cry, build up others, and realize we survive when we see a communitarian vision of creating the common good where political ideologies can not lead us to hardened hearts and minds; which I see as the current state of affairs

Mic Drop 🎤 | TGNC communities are calling upon #philanthropy to resource more trans justice groups, provide more multi-year unrestricted and no strings attached #funding, shift from complex application processes, and #trust trans leadership and creativity. Center the voices, insights, experiences and needs of trans communities in your grantmaking and resource redistribution decision-making, especially this election year in which we are battling for our democracy and every current freedom and liberty is at stake. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gfxqmi4h