By Sara Rosenbaum, Chief Impact Officer
After a successful Federation Annual Campaign, which raised more than $3 million from community members, the Allocations Committee convened and allocated $1,958,972 to support our local, regional, and international partners for another year.
Including allocated, supplemental, and donor-designated funds, the financial impact to the community and overseas was $3,239,440, this fiscal year ending June 30.
The Federation remains proud to be able to continue the unrestricted allocations to our core local agencies. This year the core partners also will be eligible to earn more unrestricted funds based on agreed-upon metrics that pertain to each individual organization.
- Weinstein JCC -$250,000
- Jewish Family Services – $130,000
- Rudlin Torah Academy – $145,000
- JCFR Central Services (CRC, PJ Library, Reflector, Security, Community Marketing, and Planning) – $350,000
- Beth Sholom – $160,000 – With the recent sale of the Beth Sholom building, the board will make decisions in the coming months regarding this funding for Senior Services.
JCFR continues to be committed to supporting a variety of other local and regional agencies. These include youth groups, education organizations, Hillel’s across the Commonwealth of Virginia, and more.
This year the JCFR Allocations Committee recommended, and the Board approved the following:
- Aleph Bet Preschool – $18,000
- BBYO – $17,000
- Birthright Israel – $3,000
- George Mason University Hillel – $4,300
- Jewish Educational Loan Fund – $3,000
- Jewish Life at VCU/Chabad – $15,000
- Jewish Student Union – $17,000
- JMU Hillel – $1,000
- Radford University – $1,000
- Richmond Coalition for Jewish Education – $12,000
- UVA Hillel – $5,000
- VT Hillel – $5,000
- VCU Hillel – $20,000
- Washington & Lee Hillel – $1,000
- William & Mary Hillel – $4,000
The Federation continues to strive to offer programmatic grants to our local agencies and synagogues to offer community-based programs to support and build our Jewish community in new and exciting ways.
This year we are pleased to fund 17 programmatic grants, six of which are new. The programs receiving grants this year are:
Friendship Circle – Birthday Boxes – $4,500
JCFR is pleased to once again support the Birthday Boxes program by Friendship Circle of Virginia, in this second-year special initiative. The goal of Birthday Boxes is to celebrate each child’s unique gift to this world and highlight that only they can accomplish what they need to do, exactly as they are.
This is the ultimate definition of Inclusion – that each person is valuable and created exactly as they are to accomplish their purpose in this world. Birthday Boxes are delivered to the homes of all FCVA friends with disabilities as well as Teen Friends without disabilities to let them know someone is thinking of them on their special day!
Or Atid – Gan Chesed – $6,000
JCFR is pleased to once again support the Or Atid Gan Chesed initiative. Gan Chesed is a universally accessible, sensory-based outdoor play area and Jewish-themed Garden focusing on natural elements to safely engage all of the senses. Inspired by Jewish practices and teachings, Gan Chesed offers new learning opportunities and programs for all ages and abilities in the spirit of inclusion. Gan Chesed regularly partners with Congregation Or Ami, the Weinstein JCC Food Pantry, Friendship Circle and many more Jewish and secular organizations.
We are excited to be part of the funding to see the programs happening at the garden with a variety of community and synagogue partners.
Weinstein JCC – EnRich $10,000
EnRich for Life (EnRich), presented by the Weinstein JCC and Jewish Family Services (JFS), focuses on improving the quality of life for Jewish older adults and non-Jewish olders (aged 65+) from the greater Richmond community by reducing their social isolation.
By offering opportunities for older adults to connect, engage and learn in a safe place, the program allows them to meet new people, experience new things and explore places.
The program is offered free of charge and provides monthly programming that meets the social, mental and physical needs of older adults. It offers a unique opportunity for older adults of all cultural/ethnic backgrounds and faiths to convene where Jewish life, values and culture are shared and friendships are made.
KBI – J-LEAP & J-Lead $12,000
Launching its third year, Keneseth Beth Israel offers this program, in partnership with JCFR Richmond’s PJ Library program — J-LEAP: Jewish Learning Enrichment & Play.
A program for preschool and elementary age children, it connects and teaches about the Jewish Holidays using STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Math) through J-LEAP events.
Children of all backgrounds in the Richmond community will gain an understanding of the Jewish holiday cycle and connect with their culture and heritage.
RTA – IDEAL – $19,000
RTA’s I.D.E.A.L. – Inclusive, Dual-Education for Accessible Lessons. This program strengthens and enriches the lives of our Jewish youth and maximizes inclusion in our institution and community. To offer the necessary assistance to students for whom modifications offered in their regular classroom are not quite enough, and to stimulate the gifted and talented students with enrichment experiences beyond the opportunities offered in their daily classes.
IDEAL helps achieve the goal of any quality education: To tailor the instruction to best fit each individual student.
At RTA, every teacher strives for this goal within the classroom – and at the same time, there are students who need something more. Examples include: a) Children with learning challenges and disabilities – who in the ‘old world’ would have simply been placed in a separate, non-inclusive class or school; b) Students who are years behind in specific skills due to having switched to RTA’s dual program in the later years of their education; c) ‘Gifted and talented’ students whose academic prowess enables them to grasp concepts far beyond their grade level.
RTA – Scholarships – $30,000
RTA is committed to ensuring that no Jewish child should be denied a Jewish education due to the inability to pay full tuition.
The underlying premise is that Jewish education should not be considered just a commodity. The scholarship funds will help RTA be more successful in attracting families to our community’s only Jewish Day School, and lead to our having greater financial resources to appropriately service those students who succeed in both Jewish and General Studies.
JCFR – Overnight Camp
Scholarships – $30,000
The JCFR is honored to be able to offer scholarships for Jewish Overnight camps and Israel travel programs. Over the past two years, the Federation as awarded more than $50,000 in One Happy Camper Grants and needs-based scholarships to help make overnight Jewish summer camp more affordable to local families.
Overnight Summer Camp is one of the leading ways kids become active members of their Jewish communities.
Weinstein JCC – Scholarships $36,000
The Weinstein JCC believes in the strength of community and seeks to cultivate a sense of belonging in all we do. All members of the community should have an opportunity to utilize all that the Center has to offer. The Weinstein JCC lives out the commitment to the traditional Jewish values of Tzedakah {charity) and Tikkun Olam (acts of kindness) through our Financial Assistance Program, providing scholarships to support individuals, families, and children in need to be a part of our strong and vibrant community.
The goal is to meet the ever-growing needs of people turning to us for financial assistance and it is our intention that no one be denied program access because of an inability to pay full fees. All funds from the Federation are used to support Jewish Families; currently, 45% of the 153 families receiving scholarships identify as Jewish.
JCFR – Security – $45,000
The Communal Security Initiative strengthens the Jewish community and builds resilience through education and training, grant support, security assessments, emergency communications, and law enforcement partnerships.
In 2020, The Federation partnered with Secure Community Network (SCN) to enhance our community’s safety, security, and preparedness posture. SCN, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is the official safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America.
SCN works on behalf of 146 Federations, the 50 largest Jewish nonprofit organizations in North America, and over 300 independent communities as well as with other partners in the public, private, nonprofit, and academic sectors to ensure the safety, security, and resiliency of the Jewish people.
Securing the community and fighting antisemitism is one of the core priorities of the Federation’s Strategic plan. This program is the lynchpin of the security work and allows us to maximize the impact we have on behalf of the community. Our goal is to create a network of security that protects and trains our entire Jewish community.
Friendship Circle Inclusion Day at the Diamond – $3,000
The JCFR is pleased to help support Friendship Circle of Virginia’s 3rd Annual Disability Inclusion Day at the Diamond in 2024. This past May saw 7,488 people, young and old, with all abilities, celebrating and enjoying America’s favorite pastime, together!
The goal of Disability Inclusion Day is to highlight the importance of an inclusive community by bringing people together with and without disabilities in a highly public and iconic RVA way. This free event supports and welcomes everyone from the disability and mental health communities and their loved ones to one of Richmond’s biggest venues to enjoy America’s pastime together in a supportive, inclusive environment.
JFS – Jewish Care Line $50,000
We are pleased to continue to support this vital program in our community. Since the Fall 2018, Jewish families and individuals have received confidential, compassionate, and understanding help from the Jewish Care Line to recover from a crisis.
The Care Line does not just pay clients’ bills: in fact, only about 65% of Care Line clients have had short-term cash assistance since its founding. The Care Line works with each client to offer personalized services to help them recover from the crisis and return to life stability.
Each client meets with a JFS Social Worker and receives needed support including career or resume coaching, financial counseling, navigation of public benefits, or other resources to help them get back on their feet.
Without the Care Line already in place, the circumstances of COVID 19 may have been even more difficult for our community; with the Care Line already in place, those more in need were able to receive help faster.
J-Lead will serve as a volunteer program for teens to help facilitate the programs for younger children while giving service and leadership learning opportunities.
New Programs
Aleph Bet Preschool –
Scholarships – $11,000
Aleph Bet Preschool, a Jewish preschool for children of all Jewish backgrounds. Their Montessori-inspired curriculum and low child–to-teacher ratio enables them to nurture every child’s unique rhythm of development, inspiring confidence through independence.
The preschool is also committed to ensuring that no Jewish child should be denied a Jewish preschool education due to the inability to pay full tuition.
Jewish Life at VCU Israel
Education and Awareness
Program – $2,500
Jewish Life at VCU is sponsored by Chabad of VA, and its Israel Education and Awareness program is designed to educate and inspire, the students at VCU, while dispelling misconceptions and helping to eliminate antisemitism.
Though cultural events and programs on Israeli history students will gain tools and information to help them in the unfortunate event they do encounter antisemitism.
Jewish Life at VCU – Shabbat Program – $2,500
The main goal of Jewish Life at VCU is to provide a warm, inclusive home away from home for Jewish students. Shabbat programming is one such tool to accomplish this mission.
This program will include different-themed Shabbat dinners, including Community Hosts, International Shabbat, and Student Chef led dinners.
RTA Middle School Trip To
Israel – $500 per student up to $4,000
RTA is planning for the first time ever an 8th-grade trip to Israel for a week of touring, study, and excellent bonding opportunities.
The study of Israel is woven into the RTA middle school curriculum and an 8th grade trip is a wonderful capstone before the students head to high school.
Weinstein JCC Global Day of Jewish Learning – $4,000
The Federation Allocation Committee was pleased to receive this request to help expand and be a part of this already successful community program.
The Global Day of Jewish Learning joins hundreds of other communities for a powerful day of learning on a specific theme. In past years, Rabbis and educators in the community have presented on a variety of topics and helped answer a variety of questions while engaging a large and diverse segment of our community.
Additional Agency Grant
Opportunities – $30,000
This amount was set aside by the committee to help offer the funds each agency is eligible to earn based on agreed-upon metrics that pertain to each individual organization.
Israel and Overseas
The Federation has and will always be committed to the work of our overseas partners around the world and in Israel.
We continue to see this work as a top priority in balance with the support we give at home in Richmond. The Israel and Overseas committee will meet to allocate the recommended, 30% of the allocable pool. A total of $587,691 will be allocated and be split between JAFI, JDC, JFNA, and elective I&O programs.
Thank you to the committee for their diligence this year.
They are: Josh Goldberg; Chair; Ellen Renee Adams, Phyllis Ellenbogen, Seth Feibelman, Ron Felmus, David Galpern, Howard Goldfine, Helen Griffin, Seth Kaplan, Amy Melnick-Scharf, Jordan Perin, Harrison Roday, Hilton Rubin, Rob Slotnick, Franklin Wolf, and Amanda Young.
For more information, reach out to Sara Rosenbaum at srosenbaum@jewishrichmond.org.
