Love & Religion: The Joys and Fears of Interfaith Families

It is a rare American Jewish family that is not touched by interfaith relationships. And it is a rare Jewish community that does not contain non-Jews, even if many remain on the periphery - particularly here in New Orleans. But historically, the Jewish establishment has been reluctant to be authentically welcoming to non-Jews and to the Jews who marry them, and even sometimes to the offspring of these marriages. What is the path forward?

Four interfaith couples joined Rabbi Shira Stutman on May 11, 2021, and attendees heard a little about the hopes, fears, and joy in being welcomed into the Jewish community of interfaith households, exactly as they are. This program was made possible by the Sherry & Alan Leventhal Center for Interfaith Families, an initiative of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans.

To learn more about the Leventhal Center, click here.

Thank you, New Orleans

GiveNOLA Day 2021

We wanted to to say thank you. Our community's support for the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans on Give NOLA Day was overwhelming - and our staff wanted to share our gratitude (please click on the video above).

Our goal was to raise $150,000 from at least 250 household gifts during Give NOLA Day’s 24-hour timeframe. Because of you, we eclipsed our primary goal, with $221,912 from 221 donations.

We placed third overall in amount raised. Because of this, we anticipate receiving an extra $2,500 from the Greater New Orleans Foundation, which we can use to further our efforts here in our community.

The Jewish Federation is also grateful to our power hour sponsors: Dr. Marc Behar, Arnie and Susan Fielkow, Joshua and Mara Force, Brian and Lisa Katz, Morton and Carole Katz, Joshua Rubenstein, and Dr. Matthew and Sherri Tarr.

For more than 100 years, we've stood at the forefront of social justice advocacy and philanthropy here in New Orleans - because of you. You make our work possible.

Thank you.

Explore the world through Federation's 2021 Virtual Missions

Join the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans for a series of virtual missions this spring and summer, designed to help you explore Jewish stories around the world from the safety and comfort of your home over one-hour sessions on two upcoming Sunday mornings. There is no cost, and these missions are open to everyone. Zoom links will be sent to participants in advance.

Jewish Federation Virtual Mission to Prague | June 13 | 9:30 a.m.

Jewish Federation Virtual Mission to Budapest | August 8 | 9:30 a.m.

Please click the button below to register. The Mission Committee Co-Chairs are Stacey Lutz and Ben Swig. Questions? Please contact Sherri Tarr at sherritarr@jewishnola.com.

HBCU Speaker Series 2021

Federation's CJMA partnered with SUNO for Black Jews and Racial Justice

On April 29, the Jewish Federation's Goldring Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs partnered with SUNO for the launch of the 2021 HBCU Speaker Series. The kickoff featured Rabbi Capers Funnye, Roz Peychaud, and a discussion on Black Jews and Racial Justice.

Capers C. Funnye, Jr. is Chief Rabbi of the International Israelite Board of Rabbis. In addition, he is rabbi and spiritual leader of Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation in Chicago and a long-time member of the Chicago Board of Rabbis. Rabbi Funnye is on the board of Kulanu, which supports isolated, emerging, and returning Jewish communities around the globe. He is perhaps best known for being the rabbi-cousin of Michelle Obama.

To learn more about the CJMA, click here or contact Aaron Bloch at aaron@jewishnola.com.

2021 Annual Campaign

Since 1913, you and those who came before you have raised the dollars through the Jewish Federation Annual Campaign which have nourished our New Orleans Jewish community. Our donors have helped resettled immigrants who fled the threat of WWII, and then embraced the survivors with open arms. Your generosity helped build the State of Israel, opened our hearts to Russian refugees, and airlifted Ethiopians to safety. More recently you have protected the security of our Jewish community and tackled the impact of lack of engagement in Jewish life—but everything is different now.

We find ourselves facing a global pandemic—a historic moment that will define us for years to come.

Will we rise to meet the challenge? We have, and we will. Because now, it’s even more important.

The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans was built for this moment: taking collective action to tackle our community’s most devastating and seemingly intractable challenges, because, as the Talmud mandates, Kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh—all Jews are responsible for one another. Now more than ever, our goal is to safeguard Jewish New Orleans—specifically, here’s how your Jewish Federation responded in 2020:

We established a direct individual grant program for Jewish New Orleanians administered through Jewish Family Service (JFS) and funded by the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana.
We launched a Health Care Take Home Meal Program, which supported kosher businesses while providing 6,600 meals this past spring and summer to health care workers at five local hospitals.
We served as the central local organization facilitating the federal Paycheck Protection Program, with 16 agencies/synagogues joining our efforts. All were approved.
We joined with JFS to create a helpline program to assist our community with delivery of groceries/pharmacy items, medical transport, and emotional support. More than 60 volunteers signed up to help.
We led the statewide Jewish response to Hurricane Laura, raising more than $220,000 to assist those in need, and organized volunteer efforts.
And most importantly, we continue to assess and address the financial stabilization needs of our community partners.

As the connector for Jewish New Orleans, our mission is to sustain our Jewish agencies and organizations for the future of our community, and that’s never clearer than during times of crisis. Despite everything, our 2020 Annual Campaign raised $2.606 million—and an additional $700,000 in supplemental giving, an important form of Jewish fundraising.

While every dollar is critically important, the needs are even greater. That’s why we need your support for the 2021 Annual Campaign.

Did you know you can schedule your donation up to three months in the future? Or set up a monthly payment schedule?

Other ways to support the Federation

Transfer stock to the Federation’s Morgan Stanley Account (#575-060565-239). Contact Carla Marciniak at carla.marciniak@morganstanley.com or 504-587-9645 (please be sure that your name is on the stock transfer). Kindly contact the Federation office at 504-780-5600 to notify Federation what kind of stock and how many shares have been transferred.
Make a gift from your Jewish Endowment Foundation donor advised fund,and let Sherri Tarr you’ve done so by emailing sherritarr@jewishnola.com.
Donate from your IRA through a regular distribution.
Mail a check (payable to the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans) to 3747 W. Esplanade Avenue, Metairie, LA 70002.
Please consider leaving a legacy for the Jewish Federation – for more information on how to endow your gift, please contact Bobby Garon or Debbie Berins at the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana at 504-524-4559.

All new and increased gifts to the 2021 Annual Campaign will be boosted by the 25% Goldring/Woldenberg match.

The 2021 Annual Campaign is chaired by Mara Force & Joshua Rubenstein.

An Ally in Federation

After coming out, Idit and Asher didn't have spaces where they could be both gay and Jewish. So they built them. And with help from Federations, they've revolutionized what it means to be Jewish and gay in America.

Learn how.

Edie & Paul Rosenblum Gift of Israel

A trip to Israel is one of the most important formative experiences in your child's Jewish development - and the Edie and Paul Rosenblum Gift of Israel Program can unlock this experience. Together with the the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and area synagogues, your child's Israel experience is closer than you realize.

Learn more here.

Moving Mountains in Nepal

The future looked bright for Mira’s family. They were saving up and had even added a new room to their modest home. Then the twin earthquakes of 2015 destroyed all their progress. By helping her tap into her passion for sewing, Federation partner JDC helped Mira lift her family out of a tent city and back into their home. Now, their future looks bright once again.

Learn how.