StandWithUs | Festival of Lights | December 7

Sustainable Student Village Brings 300 New Scholars to Southern Israel

While rockets fell in the south of Israel this summer, the people of Sderot were busy building. During Operation Protective edge residents of Sderot worked round-the-clock to complete a new project – a student housing project that will bring approximately 300 students from all over Israel to study at Sapir College, the local university, this academic year. The southern community of Sderot, known as a target city for rocket attacks and often referred to as the “bomb shelter capital of the world’’, was hit especially hard last summer and is struggling to get back on its feet, physically, financially, and socially.

The sustainable student village constructed of repurposed shipping containers, built by the Ayalim Association – a grassroots movement on a mission to rejuvenate hard-up areas from the Negev and Galilee, took little time compared to traditional construction measures. The village, one of thirteen built by the association, serves multiple purposes— to bring bright students, young families, and a new sense of liveliness to the region in an effort to revitalize, re-build, and to foster sustainable social change.

In the past, living on-campus was not a popular option among students due to the grim depiction of the region, causing students to seek housing in nearby moshavim and kibbutzim. The goal of the newly constructed student housing project is to change that notion, and inspire hope.

“By building a new student village in Sderot and bringing hundreds of young adults to live in Sderot, we will not only be giving an ‘energy boost’ and renewed hope to this city, we will also send an important message: we do not break, we build,” according to a statement made on behalf of the Ayalim Association.

The new village –built not only to attract young intellectuals to the region – also serves as a means to spur positive and sustainable social change. In exchange for housing, students are required to volunteer 10 hours per week with children, youth, and seniors in the community, which Ayalim believes will be instrumental in addressing the region’s educational, social, and physical woes.

Israeli officials, Ayalim Association members, and residents of Southern Israel, are aspiring to a new paradigm – a result of the student village – that will spark urban renewal and serve as a remarkable example for cities throughout Israel and the world, looking for solutions to rebuild communities, rejuvenate cultures, and inspire hope.

To read the full article by Israel21c, click here.

CommUnity Event Canceled

Dear Jewish Community,  I'm writing to let you know that Federation's CommUnity Event, scheduled for December 11, has been cancelled and the next Men's Event and Options will be held in the fall of 2015. This coming spring Federation will host a number of exciting, new programs including Party-On-the-Roof, new Breakfast Clubs and more. The first of these new and revamped events will be this year's Place2Be.  This annual NextGen event for 20s & 30s has been completely re-imagined and will be held December 24 in partnership with more than a dozen Jewish local young adult organizations, with plans to bring more than 500 young people together to have fun and support local homeless shelters as well as provide care for Jews in need from Israel to Ukraine. In addition to our highly visible events, Federation leadership and staff have been hard at work implementing our new Vision and Mission by focusing, with our community partners, on our five mission-driven strategies:  Aging in Community, NextGen Engagement, Community Teen Initiative, Shalom San Diego and Israel.  For more information about any of these efforts and our forthcoming events please go to www.jewishinsandiego.org, and don't forget to sign up for our weekly eNews. There is more innovative programming on the horizon, and I look forward to sharing with you. As always, I thank you for your time, commitment, and generosity.  You can always call me at 858-571-3444 with your comments and suggestions. Regards, Michael Sonduck President and CEO Jewish Federation of San Diego County

San Diego Unplugged

Federation is thrilled by the debut and success of Shabbat San Diego, a worldwide initiative that brought 340 cities in 35 countries together to observe a traditional Shabbat as one unified Jewish community, echoing across globe.

More than 6,000 San Diegans participated in the first annual weekend-long event. Shabbat San Diego offered a multitude of activities to encourage community members to have meaningful and personalized experiences, including a Thursday night mega challah bake, Friday evening and Saturday morning services, Shabbat meals at host homes throughout the county, afternoon lectures and study sessions, and the concluding havdalah ceremony. Keeping It Together, the weekend’s theme, emphasized unplugging from everyday life and plugging in to the Shabbat experience of family, friends, rejuvenation and community.

“Shabbat San Diego and Federation’s Shalom San Diego initiatives share a similar vision — to connect unengaged Jews in meaningful ways to the broader Jewish community.” said Michael Sonduck, President and CEO of Federation.

 Federation is happy to announce its dedication to providing ongoing support for Shabbat San Diego well into the future.

Tragedy in Israel

Dear Community, We are shocked and appalled by the horrific attack on innocent worshipers that took place in Jerusalem earlier today. As a community, we send our condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. This despicable and reprehensible act of terrorism took the lives of at least four innocent civilians and injured many others. Early reports suggest that several of the victims were American citizens, and some were rabbis. The recent wave of terror attacks and acts of violence in Israel is outrageous and completely unacceptable, but today’s attack on innocent people praying in a synagogue is incomprehensible. We call on the entire global community to join us in condemning this attack in the strongest possible terms, immediately and unconditionally. We all stand together in our concern and support for the people of Israel and all peace-loving peoples throughout the region.   We pray for peace.  Michael M. Sonduck  President & Chief Executive Officer

See Michael's interview on KUSI here

An Update From Israel | Allocation of Funds from Reach Out For Israel Campaign

This summer was a tumultuous one for San Diego’s sister community, Sha’ar HaNegev, which was under constant threat of rockets and terrorist tunnels during Operation Protective Edge. The violence, fear, and destruction caused many families to leave the southern region of Israel, seeking refuge in the north. Throughout the conflict, the people of Sha’ar HaNegev remained strong, endured endless assault, and will once again thrive as a unified, robust, and vibrant community.

As history reveals– Israel has always been the underdog– triumphantly prevailing through adverse circumstances only to prosper as a stronger nation. Rebuilding damaged communities, invigorating the economy, and attracting people to the region – some of the major challenges facing Sha’ar HaNegev – will be overcome with great tenacity, determination, and an unbroken willpower demonstrated by the Jewish people. As revitalization and reconstruction begin, “there is a strong sense of excitement and energy accompanied with a bit of trepidation” said Michael Sonduck, President and CEO of Federation, who just returned from the region.

The residents of our sister community are stridently moving forward – just as early Zionists once did – with a pioneering spirit and entrepreneurial mindset. The $3.4M in emergency relief funds raised by Federation’s Reach Out For Israel Campaign went directly to Israel, with more than $1M allocated to go to Sha’ar HaNegev for humanitarian aid and rebuilding a war-torn community.

Your generosity allowed us to focus on expanding the population base, providing business incentives and loans, funding scholarships for local students, providing mental health care for victims of terror, constructing lifesaving shelters, and supporting new immigrants and lone soldiers. On behalf of your support and due to Federation partners, 1,500 students have been provided with college scholarships to attend school in the south, a special (and attractive) loan fund for southern businesses has been established, and financial support for families who have suffered loss or injury is being provided—with nearly 100 emergency grants to date.

In addition to providing financial aid, Federation dollars have gone towards an increased effort to connect young Jews, especially in wake of this summer’s hostilities, to Israel at the present moment and well into the future. By strategically boosting the placement of emissaries and Israeli Fellows located on North American college campuses—improving the representation of the nation, increasing education, and encouraging travel— a strong and lasting sentiment towards the Jewish state will be created.

Thank you for your support of Israel!

See the Community Report

Join House of Israel | December Nights | Balboa Park | December 5 & 6

Join the House of Israel at Balboa Park's annual ''December Nights'' Festival. Latkes and Sofganiyot will be served! Israeli beer and spirits in the International Spirits Garden will be served. Don't miss the Doron Peisic Band performance at 5 p.m. on Dec. 5th.

Balboa Park December Nights, the nation’s premier holiday festival, will take place for the 35th consecutive year on Friday, Dec. 5, 5-10pm, and Saturday, Dec. 6, noon-10pm. As always, the event brings families and friends together to spread holiday joy, learn more about the cultural value of Balboa Park and kick-off the “most wonderful time of the year.” Participating Balboa Park museums open their doors free of charge from 5-9 pm both evenings and more than 300,000 visitors are expected to experience the joy of San Diego’s largest free community festival. Those who attend will participate in a truly multicultural experience, enjoying food, music and entertainment from around the world.

To learn more about the event and House of Israel visit their website. To learn how to get involved and volunteer click here.