Our Louisville Jewish community is at a crossroads. The difficult economic times across the country, a changing local Jewish community and significant financial challenges at the Jewish Community Center, one of our core Jewish agencies, have presented our community with an opportunity to move in a bold new direction.

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Our Louisville Jewish community is at a crossroads. We are changing and so are our needs.      

Who are we today? What do we want? What do we need? How do we invite people in? How do we ensure a vibrant Jewish Community in Louisville in the future?

There are no simple answers, and if we are going to plan realistically for the future, we must first do research to establish a firm foundation in fact.

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On Monday, July 7, the Louisville Jewish community enjoyed a visit from the Tzofim Friendship Caravan, a group of Israeli Scouts who came to town for two musical and dance performances. The Scouts, a group of five male and five female 17-year-old Israelis, returned to Louisville for performances that delighted their audiences.

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On Monday evening, July 7, approximately 15 members of the Young Adult Division's Ben Gurion Society gathered at the home of Michael and Beth Salamon to hear from Kentucky 3rd District Congressman John Yarmuth.

 

Yarmuth spoke with pride of being Kentucky's first Jewish member of Congress, and noted that it speaks well for the American Jewish Community that Jews are being elected from states such as Kentucky, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, and Tennessee - Yarmuth said his closest friend in Congress is fellow Freshman Congressman Steve Cohen from Memphis, who is Tennessee's first Jewish Representative.

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Eliahu Academy closed its doors at the end of the 2007-2008 school year due to dwindling enrollment and increasing difficulties in raising the funds necessary to sustain the school, despite substantial support from the Jewish Community Federation and community contributors. more

"The Jewish Community Federation's Foundation for Planned Giving is pleased to announce that it is partnering with the Jefferson County Public Schools by making a $10,000 grant to the school district to help it implement 'The Exploring Civics: Facing History and Ourselves' curriculum in 21 JCPS high schools this fall," Foundation Chair Robert H. Sachs announced on Tuesday, May 6. "This grant will be used to help fund a Summer Institute to teach the teachers how to use these materials. more

The excitement started early on Sunday, May 18, as nearly 200 cyclists and nearly 100 walkers gathered in the field near the Drivers License Bureau on Dutchmans Lane to kick-off a full day of celebration for Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel's Independence Day, organized by the Jewish Community Federation. Congressman John Yarmuth and ride/walk co-chairs Matthew Karr and Stanley Miles gave everyone a pep talk and at 11 a.m., the bikers, many carrying small Israeli flags, set off on their 19.48-mile trek (Israel was established in 1948) that took them across the Second Street bridge, through Seneca Park and back to the Jewish Community Center. They were part of a world-wide event: Ride with Israel@60. more

They are young - just 19-25 years old. They come from Tel Avai and Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Netanya, cities, kibbutzim and moshavim. Some have served in the Israeli Defense Forces and others haven't. Some have studied in college, some have only completed high school. But they all share one thing - a passion for dance, and together they are the Kibbutz Gaaton Dance Group from the Western Galilee, our Partnership with Israel region. more

In keeping with its mission, “to build and strengthen the highest quality of Jewish life in order to ensure the future of a vibrant Jewish community,” the Jewish Community Federation's Board of Directors is looking into the possibility of purchasing a piece of land in Louisville's East End. more

Did you miss the call?

There's still time to make your commitment to the 2008 Federation Annual Campaign. Click here to make your pledge today.

When you support the Campaign, your are supporting the Jewish agencies and programs in Louisville, and you are helping Jews in Israel and around the world.

Muhammad Ali Pays a Surprise Visit

When a group of 10 Israeli teens from Acco – five Jewish and five Arab – and their teachers came to Louisville this week, they expected to talk with Louisville teens about their Triwizard project. They expected to let people know that people of different cultures and backgrounds can build bridges and become friends.

They did not expect that their event with teens from Central, Atherton and Manual High Schools and students from St. Francis of Assisi and Nativity Academy at the Muhammad Ali Center would capture the attention of the world renowned boxer himself and bring the champ out to meet them. But that is exactly what happened.

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Recently, several groups have traveled to Isreal and a group of Israeli teens came here.

Check out these stories:

Families Discover Israel and Make Connections

Kesher Kentucky Teens Strengthen Links to Isreal and Judaism

Building Friendships, Communities through Partnership

Israel Draws Two Families Back to Explore the Country and Help Others

Kohn Family Returns to Israel for Second Group Trip

Through Art and Partnership, Goldin Connects to Israel

Kefiada Teens Bring Israel and Excitement to JCC Camp

NEW YORK (JTA) -- Charges of anti-Semitism are swirling in a tony seaside village in the Hamptons after a contentious community meeting at a local synagogue and the departure of a former deputy mayor concerned over rising anti-Jewish sentiment. read more...

I stand here today moved and appreciative of the trust you have placed in me on behalf of our people. Your trust is of value to me, it places a great duty on me, one which I, as President of the State, will carry with reverence and a deep feeling of mission. click here for more

NEW YORK (JTA) -- Amos Avgar won't talk about the signs of death he saw in Myanmar in the days immediately following Cyclone Nargis. read more...

July 11, 2008 - Jewish Hospital has been ranked as one of America's Best Hospitals for the fifth year in a row in U.S. News's 2008 publication accessible online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals and on sale at newsstands.   more

 

Moving to a new city can be a daunting experience. After moving your belongings and settling into a new house, you have to learn your way around, figure out what stores carry the items you like, establish children in schools, and the list goes on. more

It's not business as usual in 2008.

Every day, we watch the prices at the gas pumps go up and wonder how much higher they are going to go. And as gas prices rise, so do the prices on almost everything else. We are all feeling the pinch.

That makes the Federation Annual Campaign even more crucial this year.

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Have you ever heard a musician play water?

If you were at the Idan Raichel Project concert on Tuesday, May 13, in the Bomhard Theater in the Kentucky Center for the Arts, your answer would be yes.

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Signature HealthCARE, LLC, has signed a Letter of Intent with the Jewish Hospital organization to purchase Four Courts Senior Center in Louisville. The transaction is expected to be complete on February 29. Signature assumed operational responsibility for the facility January 31. more

As we look to the future, many of us are concerned about the ability of the Jewish Community Federation and our community agencies to remain relevant to the changing needs of the Jews of Louisville. To ensure the continuity and vibrancy of our community, Steve Shapiro has established a Community Realignment Task Force, chaired by Bob Sachs, to take a close look at who we are today and make recommendations regarding where we need to be tomorrow. more

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