Dear Friends:

Donate to JUFJ!  Help us continue this amazing program!

This year has been an amazing year for Jews United for Justice, and we're only halfway!  We've had the largest Labor Seder ever - nearly 300 people - and we have seen major progress on our campaigns.   And JUFJ's ability to develop the next generation of Jewish social justice leaders is becoming increasingly apparent.  With your support, we can continue to focus on this absolutely essential initiative.

Last fall, JUFJ launched the Jeremiah Fellowship in DC, adapting a program first developed by our partners in California, the Progressive Jewish Alliance. 

Inspired by the words of the prophet Jeremiah, "seek the well-being of the city in which you dwell... for in its peace you shall find peace" (Jeremiah 29:7), the Jeremiah Fellowship educates and empowers young adults to become the next generation of Jewish social justice leaders, harnessing their passions and deepening their commitment to live an engaged Jewish life.  The fellowship answers President Barack Obama's call to national service, and it responds to the Jewish community's need to create meaningful programs that will engage young Jews in the richness of our heritage.

For the past seven months, 15 fellows have been meeting twice a month to discuss different models of putting ethics and values into action, for intimate conversations with leaders in the Washington Jewish and nonprofit communities, and for intensive study of Jewish history and texts.   At the completion of the nine-month training program, fellows design and implement capstone projects, which will put into practice what they have learned.  They will begin what we hope will be a lifetime of commitment to the Jewish community and social change.

The current fellows come from a variety of backgrounds.  Some are already involved in social justice work or work within the Jewish community, but many are not, including those who work for the federal government and in the sciences.  But they all share one common goal:  they are looking for ways to build a better future for everyone in the Washington area.

Just two-thirds of the way through our pilot year, we are already seeing a significant impact upon this class of Jeremiah Fellows.  They are more active in the local Jewish community, attending events at partner organizations such as Sixth and I Synagogue and the DC JCC.  Many took on leadership roles at JUFJ's Labor Seder in April; others are applying tools that they have acquired in their own workplaces.  We've seen evidence of real shifts in their thinking about the impact of their work and career paths, including decisions on where to go to graduate school.  And they have begun tapping their own networks of friends to build awareness of local social justice issues, and why as Jews we should be involved. 

Though most fellows are still young professionals earning starting salaries, they are responsible for raising one-third of the cost of the program.   For this year's pilot, the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington's United Jewish Endowment Fund provided the remaining funding with an engagement grant but has discontinued those grants. 

As a result we are seeking support from new supporters to enable JUFJ to continue offering this outstanding program.  A gift from you would help JUFJ leverage the additional resources we need to continue the program this coming fall.

We hope you will help us to continue this valuable program.  Please feel free to get in touch with Robin Metalitz, Development & Communications Manager, at 202-408-1423 or robin@jufj.org with any questions.

Sincerely,

Jacob Feinspan
Executive Director