Category: People
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An Israeli in Memphis: I Feel an Embrace
Tali Versano Eisman, resident of Memphis’s Israeli partner city Shoham and a member of the Memphis-Shoham project’s steering committee, visited Memphis in October to deepen ties between the two communities, and to speak at this year’s Israel Festival. In this piece, she reflects on her visit, the love for Israel…
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Omri Casspi Celebrates Hanukkah with the Memphis Jewish Community
When all 6 feet and nine inches of Israeli basketballer Omri Casspi ducked under the door and into the MJCC’s Belz Theater, the crowd gathered for this one-of-a-kind Hanukkah celebration knew they were experiencing something special. Rabbis from every Memphis congregation and agencies like the MJCC and Hillels of Memphis…
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70 Faces Project Highlights Community’s Compelling Personal Narratives
Memphis Jewish Federation’s yearlong celebration of Israel’s 70th birthday will culminate with an exhibit highlighting individuals from the Memphis Jewish community as well as from Shoham, Memphis’s partner city in Israel, announced Laura Linder, President and CEO of Jewish Community Partners. The 70 Faces exhibit will launch on Monday, December…
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Lauren Luskey Taube: Driven by Community and Family Values
What values do you live by? How do you express your values in your work and personal life? What makes a value Jewish? How do these values shape who you are and who you want to become? At the first seminar of the Next Gen Jewish Federation Fellowship last May,…
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Stephanie O’Dell: Peace and Zen in Israel
By Stephanie O’Dell The question of how was your trip to Israel is such a hard question to answer. However, it is a question I have been asked a lot since I have returned. I was lucky to have gone on this journey through the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (JWRP),…
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A Closer Connection to Israel: Teen Israel Experience
By David Mashinsky This past summer, I went to Israel on NCSY TJJ (The Jerusalem Journey). I had already been to Israel multiple times to visit family. I heard about the trip from a friend and thought I would go because my friends are going. I wasn’t expecting to…
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Layers of Learning: My Teen Israel Experience
By Batya Salomon In January, I set off on the adventure of a lifetime. I left Memphis and all my friends and family behind to spend a semester in Israel. I was terrified of being gone for four whole months, but I was also sure that I was going…
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Travel to Europe, Israel Builds Lifelong Friendships, Memories for Memphis Teen
By Sarah Unowsky Prior to my BBYO trip this past summer, my knowledge of Israel was rudimentary. I had been able to learn the basics: Israel has a parliamentary form of government, Israel’s capital is Jerusalem, Israel is a world leader in technology, etc. What no one had ever attempted…
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Jewish Federations Across North America Mourn, Heal, and Prepare for an Insecure Future
Yesterday in an off-the record briefing held for hundreds of Jewish Federation leaders, Meryl Ainsman, Board of Trustees Chair and Jeff Finkelstein, President and CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh discussed the stress and trauma of the past week after a gunman opened fire in a local synagogue…
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Healing After Horror: Outpouring of National and International Support
Support from Around the World In the wake of the horrific violence at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, community gatherings like the one in Memphis Sunday evening have taken place across the country. Many, like ours in Memphis, were attended by Jews and non-Jews alike, perhaps…