Planning the Next 15 Years for Young Leadership
by Dan Ramer, Co-Chair of the Young Leadership Division

In 1994 my wife and I were newly married and new to Essex County. A co-worker invited us to come to a UJC fundraiser. We went, barely knowing what UJC stood for, let alone all the good UJC performs locally and around the world. >>read more

UJA is in a Funding Crisis, and Vital Services are
at Risk

Like charitable efforts throughout the country, United Jewish Appeal of MetroWest NJ is in the midst of a funding crisis. The ongoing economic downturn is more intense and appears likely to go on longer than anyone expected. It is affecting everyone, and it is affecting the Jewish community. Every week, a larger part of the MetroWest Jewish community is in real trouble: people suddenly at risk of losing their jobs, their homes, their health insurance, with many suffering severe emotional distress from not knowing what the future holds for them. >>read more

Passover: The Celebration of Freedom That Binds
by Rabbi Francine Roston

Passover is all about questions. Why is this night different than all other nights? Why do we eat these special foods? When are we eating? Why don't kosher for Passover cookies taste better? Every year we ask the same questions and every year we have fresh discussions. Every year we come to the seder new people, having experienced another year of life, having learned more about ourselves, and having a new perspective on the gift of freedom, the harm of oppression, and the presence of miracles in the world. >>read more

The 12th Annual UJA Benefit Concert is Coming,
May 13

The 12th Annual United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Benefit Concert will be held on Wednesday, May 13, at 7:30 p.m., at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra will perform, conducted by Carlos Miguel Prieto. Philippe Quint is the featured violinist. The honorees for this year's concert are Jane and Arthur Brody. >>read more

In Israel, a Jew Can Feel Jewish Simply by Being
by Brian Freedman

Public transportation in Israel shuts down for the weekend in observance of the Sabbath. Jewish holidays, not Easter and Christmas, dictate the closing of schools. Twice a year, a siren commands all traffic in Israel to stop and dedicate a moment of silence for Jewish lives lost in the Holocaust and in the many wars in Israel. >>read more

Jewish Education is an Investment in Jewish Identity, in Menschlichkeit
by Dr. Jonathan S. Woocher

The Great Depression was not a good time for Jewish education. Enrollments in Jewish schools (almost all "supplementary" in those days) dropped substantially, as families were forced to cut back on "discretionary" spending. Teachers were let go. Many communities drastically cut funding for, and in some cases closed, their central agencies for Jewish education. By most accounts, it took until the post-war migration to the suburbs for Jewish education to recover, and we'll never know how many Jews drifted away from Jewish life as a result. >>read more