Lemsky grants

Evan Schrier, son of Carolyn and Adam Schrier, just graduated from Memphis University School (Pictured from left to right while on an early-morning hike to the top of Masada: Joe Hochberg, Evan Schrier, Alex Weinstein, Ryan Kertzner). Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemksy Endowment Fund provided him with a Teen Israel Experience grant to help offset the cost of his BBYO International Leadership Seminar in Israel last summer. All rising high school juniors and seniors in the Memphis Jewish community are eligible for grants up to $3,000 to attend a recognized teen summer or semester program in Israel. To learn more and apply, please go to: www.jcpmemphis.org/lemsky-endowment-fund.

From meeting new people and seeing new places to learning from different organizations and speakers about life in Israel, my trip to Israel this past summer was truly unforgettable. Prior to departing for Israel, I was nervous. I did not know many people going on the trip – BBYO’s Israel Leadership Seminar in Israel (ILSI) – let alone who would be in my tour group (there were four groups of twenty-five: two groups per bus). On the other hand, my sister knew almost half of the group already; I was afraid of becoming known as “the brother” and not as “Evan.” Thankfully, however, I was very wrong.

The people whom I shared my Israel experiences with I can now call some of my best friends in the world; the relationships and bonds that can form from being thrown into those kinds of situations are like no other (camps are similar in providing this type of situation as well). At first, I was scared to be my true self: I was nervous of what people would think of me and that they would think I was annoying – that I would be labeled as “the annoying kid” or “the weird guy.” This was obviously not the case, and I am so grateful for the staff and teens for making the trip a safe place for everyone. Also, I was able to build my leadership skills to a greater extent because of the openness and strong dynamic of the group.

I grew up living in a strong Jewish household – celebrating the holidays and following the customs and traditions of Judaism – but I was seeking to be openly Jewish. Prior to Israel, I considered my Jewish identity to be very strong and outgoing, but today I consider it to be stronger than ever before. I am proud to be Jewish; that is not always so easy to say living in the South. Having spent three weeks in Israel I now care about the land more than ever.

Fresh out of a swim at the Dead Sea! Pictured from left to right: Evan Schrier, Alix Berman, Joe Hochberg

While on the trip I met with an organization known as Friends of Roots. Roots is dedicated to building a world of peace amongst Israelis and Palestinians, where activists from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict come together to unite the groups. The main message the organization tells is although Israelis and Palestinians have two different stories, they both occurred on the same land, and Roots strives to make people understand that this is okay; that it is normal. Visiting with Roots made such an impact on me that I have helped to create a formal partnership between BBYO and Roots, in order that teens from across our Order can learn about the conflict. In addition, I am currently working on getting the Memphis interfaith community involved with the organization. I hope people of all religious and political backgrounds can come together through Roots and understand their perspective, because they tell a unique and very impactful story.

Israel provided me with the summer-of-a-lifetime, and although I will never be on that same trip with that same group of people, who I now call my friends and family, I will forever yearn for another experience like that. I cannot wait to return to Israel.

Thank you to Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemsky Fund for helping to make my BBYO International Leadership Seminar possible.

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Benjamin Siegel, son of Dr. Joel and Rachel Siegel, is a senior at Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys (pictured doing a headstand with a statue of Ben-Gurion at his childhood home). Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemksy Endowment Fund provided him with a Teen Israel Experience grant to help offset the cost of his Ramah Israel Seminar in Israel. All rising high school juniors and seniors in the Memphis Jewish community are eligible for grants up to $3,000 to attend a recognized teen summer or semester program in Israel. Teen Israel Experience applications for Summer 2022 are now available online. To learn more and apply, please go to: www.jcpmemphis.org/lemsky-endowment-fund.

By: Benjamin Siegel

During this past June and July, I was fortunate to experience the summer of a lifetime. Not only was I in the holy land of Israel, but I was there touring and traveling the entire country, visiting sites from west to east and north to south. It was an extraordinary trip.

In the famous episode of Jacob’s dream, God promises him in Genesis 28:14 that “your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.” This verse perfectly encapsulates my experience. I am one of Jacob’s descendants and my Israel experience allowed me to see the entire country. Touring Israel truly exceeded my expectations. I was privileged to visit holy places, walk in the footsteps of my ancestors, and meet new people from around the country. Ramah Seminar was an enlightening and inspiring adventure that I will never forget. 

Although this summer was my third time in Israel, it was the most meaningful one. While we toured for six weeks, there were a few experiences that stood out to me. Within our first week, my favorite experience was rafting near the Sea of Galilee. For two hours, we were able to relax and meet new people while drifting on the water and occasionally falling into it. A few weeks later, we reached Jerusalem. While I had been to the Kotel previously, this time the Kotel had an additional level of meaning. I wrote notes to place in it and said a personal prayer with my hand resting on it. But leading davening there with a minyan brought me to an entirely new spiritual level.

Benjamin, pictured on the right with his friend Yehuda at the Kotel, enjoyed visiting destinations all across Israel on his Lemsky-sponsored trip.

Next, we moved on to the Negev, southern Israel, where we lived on a kibbutz adjacent to the grave of David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister. I learned that while he was focused on establishing a Jewish state in general, he paid particular attention to developing the Negev. I was surprised to learn that it comprises approximately half of Israel. If no one lived there, Israel would be more vulnerable to attack from the South. Our kibbutz had a beautiful view overlooking many nearby canyons. At sunset, the magnificent nature and wildlife were even more impressive. I now fully understand Ben-Gurion’s attraction to the Negev. 

As we returned to Jerusalem for the last week, I began reflecting on how much I had seen and accomplished. We traveled throughout the entire country in a span of six weeks. I completed the Yam L’yam (Sea to Sea) adventure, walking and biking from the Sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean Sea. We hiked up Masada at dawn and I was fortunate to lead davening at the summit overlooking the Dead Sea at sunrise. We walked in our ancestors’ footsteps across the land which was promised to their descendants. I made lifelong friends from across the country and met many Israelis, including some who just finished their army service. My trip and experience were all so spectacular.

I am grateful to the Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemsky Endowment Fund for helping to make my Ramah Israel Seminar trip to Israel possible. I highly recommend that other high school students visit Israel whenever possible. There is truly no other place like it on Earth.

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David Sabin, son of Dr. Joanne Levine and Dr. Noah Sabin, is a senior at Memphis University School (pictured enjoying the view on top of a mountain outside of Eilat, Israel). Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemksy Endowment Fund provided him with a Teen Israel Experience grant to help offset the cost of his Ramah Israel Seminar in Israel. All rising high school juniors and seniors in the Memphis Jewish community are eligible for grants up to $3,000 to attend a recognized teen summer or semester program in Israel. To learn more and apply, please go to: www.jcpmemphis.org/lemsky-endowment-fund

By: David Sabin

This past summer I attended Ramah Seminar in Israel. The summer was one of the greatest summers of my life so far. Being given the opportunity to spend six weeks in Israel with my closest friends not only strengthened my connection with them, but also my connection with Judaism and the Jewish people. To see with my own eyes the thousands of years of Jewish history I learned about in day school was amazing to me.

The main highlight of the trip for me was the Etgar trip, which means challenge. Initially I chose to do the Etgar Desert trip, but unfortunately it was cancelled due to a heat wave and I had to do Etgar Sea-to-Sea. This new arrangement proved to be an incredible experience. Spending four straight days without everyday luxuries made me appreciate the life I had much more and allowed me to create new friendships with people I had not even spoken to until that point.

Another great part of the Ramah Seminar was the time we spent in the Negev desert. We stayed at several kibbutzim which were all situated in breathtaking landscapes the likes of which I have never seen. While in the south of Israel, we went to a community on the border between Israel and Gaza. Hearing their perspectives and experiences of living so close to conflict inspired me to do what I can to foster peace not only between Israel and the Palestinians but also anywhere else I see needless violence arise.

Thank you to the Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemksy Endowment Fund for helping to make my Ramah Israel Seminar possible.

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Ava Jalenak, daughter of Monique and Charles Jalenak, is a junior at St. Mary’s Episcopal School (pictured left). Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemksy Endowment Fund provided her with a Teen Israel Experience grant to help offset the cost of her NFTY program in Israel. All rising high school juniors and seniors in the Memphis Jewish community are eligible for grants up to $3,000 to attend a recognized teen summer or semester program in Israel. Teen Israel Experience applications for Summer 2022 are now available online. Click here to learn more and apply.

By Ava Jalenak:
 
This summer I went on the most amazing trip and made so many memories that I will never forget.  Also, I created many deep connections with friends, and I am so thankful for the friendships.
 
I saw some of the most beautiful scenery ever and will never forget the beauty. As well as connecting with other Jewish teens, I also connected with my Jewish faith and identity throughout the trip. Everywhere we went was meaningful to how I view our faith and culture. One of my favorite places was the Negev desert. Even though the desert was extremely hot and exhausting to hike for hours, our surroundings and all the views were worth it. At night it was cool, and you could see all the stars in the sky. It was so peaceful, and I would do anything to go back there. On the last day of hiking in the desert, we went to the top of a mountain and the wind was so strong it made your eyes water. The view of three different countries was so amazing and I can still picture it.
 
Another one of my favorite places was Tel Aviv. The beaches were so pretty, and it was fun to see what the beaches were like in Israel. The city life was so cool to experience, and the food was amazing. During the day, sometimes we would go to markets for lunch and to buy things. It was cool to see how busy the markets were packed with tons of people.

Along with being with my best friends from camp, I met lots of new people and I immediately connected, and we all became friends. This included most of the people on my bus and people from the different buses in our Adventure One group.  It was so much fun to share these connections with other Jewish teens my age. I also think sharing a faith, especially Judaism, creates an immediate bond between people before you even get to know them.  I still keep in touch with a lot of the friends I made on this trip. I am so thankful to have made these friendships and connections with teens all over the U.S. I am also very thankful for meeting the Israeli teens my age and becoming friends with them as well! I am trying to stay connected with them even though they are across the world.
 
I also loved seeing the holy sites like the Western Wall and the old synagogues. I feel like experiencing those sites made me become more in touch with my Jewish faith and identity, and it made my love for my religion grow even more. Seeing the culture in Israel was also too cool and it made me fall in love with the country.  My Israel experience was by far the best trip of my life, and I would go back to Israel in a heartbeat if I had the chance.
 
I am appreciative to Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemsky Endowment for helping to make my NFTY Israel trip possible.

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Torah MiTzion’s Rabbi Yisrael Wende and Torah MiTzion students bring Israeli culture to Hillels of Memphis graduate students and alumni at a Hanukkah event at the Morris S. Fogelman Jewish Student Center at the University of Memphis. Torah MiTzion is funded in part by a Federation Lemsky Endowment Fund grant.

Memphis Jewish Federation and the Jewish Foundation of Memphis are excited to announce the opening of several 2022 grant opportunities for nonprofit organizations. Federation Lemsky Endowment Fund and Community grants, and Foundation B’nai Tzedek Co-Op grants are open to all qualified Memphis-based non-profits.

Established through the generosity of the late Abe Lemsky, Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemsky Endowment Fund further enables Federation to strengthen the bonds between Memphis Jews and Israel.

Now in its 30th year, the Lemsky Fund accomplishes this by providing support for a variety of programs and activities, including: financial support for Memphis-based Israel engagement programs across the community; grants for high school teens (Teen Israel Experience) and young adults (Next Stop Israel) to participate in summer and/or study and volunteer programs in Israel; grants to Jewish schools for organized school trips to Israel; needs-based flight subsidies for first-time adult visitors to Israel to participate in organized Memphis trips; and vital funding for special projects in Israel to aid new immigrants, the elderly and Israeli populations at risk sponsored by our overseas partners The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), and World ORT.

Over the last three decades, thousands of Memphians and Israelis have been enriched by the broad array of Lemsky Fund programs here and in Israel.

“I am confident that Abe Lemsky, of blessed memory, would be so proud to see the incredible impact his generous bequest to Memphis Jewish Federation continues to have on the Memphis-Israel relationship,” said Bluma Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein, Executive Vice President of Federation and staff professional for the Lemsky Fund.

All agencies, synagogues, schools, and youth groups in Memphis are eligible to apply for a Lemsky grant to help support a local Israel engagement program. The fund seeks applications for programs that will likely deepen program participants’ understanding of Israel-related issues and increase their solidarity with, concern for, and connection to the people and State of Israel. The fund favors programs that have a connection to JAFI, JDC, and/or World ORT, and are structured with significant collaboration with other agencies.

Applications for local Israel engagement programs will open Thursday, January 13, and are due by the close of business on Monday, March 21. Full guidelines and applications information will be coming soon.

Funded by the Annual Community Campaign and open to Memphis Jewish Federation Strategic Partners, Community Grants fund the operations and programs of the agencies, schools, youth groups, and programs driving Jewish life in Memphis. Local grant funds are used to connect and engage members of the Memphis Jewish community to Jewish life and/or care for the vulnerable and at-risk in our community.

Awarded by a diverse grant committee comprised of lay leaders, Federation’s community grants support BBYO Memphis, Beth Sholom Religious School, Bornblum Jewish Community School, Facing History & Ourselves, Federation Camp Scholarships, Jewish Children’s Regional Service, Margolin Hebrew Academy/Feinstone Yeshiva of the South, the Memphis Jewish Community Center, Memphis Jewish Home & Rehab, Plough Towers, Synagogue Youth Groups, Temple Israel Religious School, and the Wendy & Avron B. Fogelman Jewish Family Service at the MJCC, with over $1 million of local funding. Community Grants Applications open February 1 and are due by March 1.

Students in the B’nai Tzedek teen philanthropy program of the Jewish Foundation of Memphis volunteered at Baron Hirsch Congregation’s Great Sandwich Make in the Spring of 2021. The program received funding from a B’nai Tzedek Co-Op grant. The 2022 grant cycle is open to qualified Jewish non-profits in Memphis and information can be found by clicking here.

During the month of January, non-profit Jewish organizations in Memphis can apply for a B’nai Tzedek Co-Op grant. Over fifty students are enrolled in B’nai Tzedek, the teen philanthropy program at the Jewish Foundation of Memphis. These are teens of bar/bat mitzvah age through high school who are given the great task of reviewing grant applications, interviewing the organizations applying, and then meeting as a group to decide collectively who should receive funding. The funding totals $10,000, money generously provided by an anonymous donor who created the Teen Philanthropy Co-Op Endowment Fund.

Applications are currently open using a new online portal that can be found by clicking this link and will close on January 28, 2022. Last year B’nai Tzedek grants funded welcome baskets for new residents of Plough Towers, multi-sensory items for preschool students at Temple Israel’s Early Learning Center, a new virtual special needs program at Fogelman Jewish Family Service, and much more. Applicants for this grant must be a registered 501(c)3 organization and support Jewish Memphis.

“Being part of a collective grant-making process is a unique opportunity for these students. They learn about our community’s needs and work together as a team to provide thoughtful recommendations. I am honored to lead the teens through this process and can’t wait to see what applications come through in 2022,” said Sarah VanderWalde, Director of the B’nai Tzedek program at the Jewish Foundation of Memphis.

The teens will rank each application on a variety of criteria including consistency with Jewish values, creativity, and clarity, whether the project is needed in the community, and whether it will change the lives of those it serves. Grants will be awarded during a reception scheduled for Monday, March 21, 2022. For more information, email Sarah VanderWalde, Director of Foundation Programs, at svanderwalde@jcpmemphis.org, or click here to learn more.
 

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Alex Agranov, son of Dana and Seth Agranov, is a senior at Crosstown High School. Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemsky Endowment Fund provided him with a Teen Israel Experience grant to help offset the costs of his BBYO Israel Journey program in Israel. All rising high school juniors and seniors in the Memphis Jewish community are eligible for grants of up to $3,000 to attend a recognized teen summer or semester program in Israel. Teen Israel Experience applications for summer 2022 will open online on November 1, 2021.

By Alex Agranov

During the summer, I was privileged enough to go to Israel with BBYO, where I was able to meet many new people and travel all around the country. Over the three weeks, I was there, I can recall the times I wished the trip would never end and I could stay in Israel for longer.
 
When I flew from Nashville to Newark in early July, I was not sure what to expect. I did not know anyone on this trip, and I was very nervous. However, after a small security threat at the airport, and a laughable first hotel, the fear went away quickly, as we all had something to talk about which led to everyone becoming friends within the first few days.
 
One of the most memorable experiences within the first few days was touring the old city. Not only did I get to try real Israeli food for the first time, but I also felt the most Jewish I ever felt. As someone who doesn’t consider himself a religious person, visiting the Western Wall was a landmark I can remember visiting and proudly saying, “I am a Jew.” Later that week, our tour guide, Adam, encouraged us to let ourselves define our own Judaism. This is a lesson I hold close to me, as I do not think a religious book should force someone to partake in certain actions.
 
After we went surfing in Haifa, the trip really started to go by much faster than I would have liked. I remember visiting Tel Aviv and staying at the worst hotel I had ever been to in my life. This was something everyone laughed about, and we could not wait to get out of there. We then stayed in a kibbutz outside of Eilat and I remember seeing how interesting it was to see what communal living could look like and how a community like that could solve problems.
 
The next day, we traveled to the Bedouin Tents, where we spent the night and hiked Masada at four in the morning. While no one really got any sleep at the tents, it was a really enjoyable experience. There were many other trips there and meeting new people became something to look forward to. Hiking Masada was enjoyable, not only because of the view up there but the story behind the civilization.
 
Lastly, spending the last Shabbat in Jerusalem was one the greatest weekends I have ever had in my life. Not only did my friends and I spend the most time together here, but we realized this was an experience none of us would ever forget. We ended the trip with a tree-planting ceremony and a group reflection that was full of laughter and tears before we had to go to the airport.
 
Overall, my trip to Israel is something I will never forget. I will always look back and cherish the greatest three weeks of my life filled with meeting people I remain in contact with and funny events. I hope to one day return to Israel with Birthright and capture some of the same experiences that I did this summer. Thank you to Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemsky Endowment Fund for helping to make my BBYO Israel Journey summer experience possible.

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Hannah Siegler, the daughter of Stacy and Jerry Siegler, is an 11th grade student at Lausanne Collegiate School. Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemsky Endowment Fund provided her with a Teen Israel Experience grant to help offset the costs of her Summer 2019 NFTY program in Israel. All rising juniors and seniors in the Memphis Jewish community are eligible for grants of up to $3000 to attend a recognized teen summer or semester program in Israel. Teen Israel Experience applications for summer 2020 are available online.

This past summer, I went to Israel with NFTY. I had been to Israel before with my family, but I was very little so I do not remember much. The second time I had gone to Israel was with Bornblum Jewish Community School for the 8th grade trip. I was with a few of my friends going into it, so I had a good time. On this trip, I was accompanied by my friends from the URJ Jacobs Camp and kids from the URJ Greene Family Camp. Since some of my camp friends weren’t going, I was nervous to meet new people and to see camp people I wasn’t really close with.

When we arrived at our first destination, we did some icebreakers. We were all tired from a long day of traveling, so it made getting to know people more difficult. We all just stuck to our own small groups for the first week, not really branching out. But by the time we got to Israel, we went from a bunch of little groups to one big community.

We spent our first few days in Israel in the Negev desert, and this was where we really bonded. We had to do everything outdoors: sleep, eat, hike, and even go to the bathroom. From then on, there were no more unfamiliar faces because we were all friends.

Hannah, left, is pictured after an event in Israel with a friend she made on her Teen Israel Experience trip to Israel, which was supported by a grant from Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemsky Endowment Fund.

From the good times, such as Ben Yehuda Street, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Bedouin tents, to the not as happy moments, such as remembering those who gave their lives for Israel and hearing Holocaust survivors’ stories, we were together throughout it all.

I will cherish all the wonderful memories that I made in those 5 weeks. I know that this was a once in a lifetime kind of experience and that wherever I may be, I will always remember NFTY in Israel.

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Alex Rochkind, the daughter of Leslie and Bill Rochkind, is an 11th grade student at Lausanne Collegiate School. Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemsky Endowment Fund provided her with a Teen Israel Experience grant to help offset the costs of her Summer 2019 BBYO program in Israel. All rising juniors and seniors in the Memphis Jewish community are eligible for grants of up to $3000 to attend a recognized teen summer or semester program in Israel. Teen Israel Experience applications for summer 2020 are available at www.jcpmemphis.smapply.org.

Last summer, I decided to go to Israel on a BBYO Passport program. Ever since I learned about Israel and its existence, I knew I wanted to go someday and learn about the roots of my people. I was fascinated by the geography, culture, food, and of course the history behind it all. From the minute I stepped off the EL-AL plane at Ben Gurion Airport, I fell in love.

Not only was the country beautiful, with its incredible sunsets, seas, and deserts, but also, its Jewish atmosphere was breathtaking. The way Jews walked so freely and with so much pride in their identities was something I have never witnessed back home in Memphis. I could feel the connection I had with strangers, because we were Jews who understood the struggles our people have faced in the past and even now in the present.

In the final days of the trip, my 44 new friends and I sat down for a seminar with a speaker who explained the Israel-Palestine conflict to us. This history was fascinating to me, but there was one thing in particular, which he said at the end of his presentation, that I’ll remember forever.

He said, “When you go back home to America, I hope you are less Jewish.” I looked around the room and saw confusion on everyone’s faces. Aren’t we supposed to be more Jewish? I thought. He later went on to confirm my original thought– yes, of course you are supposed to be Jewish.

But what he wanted us to take away from this was that Judaism is the only religion that is written with an “ish” at the end of its name. It’s a religion whose people have been the scapegoat for global problems, their identities a target throughout history by those who wish to destroy us. I related heavily to this, as there are often times when I’m scared to be outspoken about my Judaism because I don’t know how others will react.

This moment was when my mindset went from usually suppressing my Jewish identity to realizing how special and important it is to me.

Without my visit to Israel this summer, my connection to Judaism and the country would not be nearly as strong.  I am so grateful to have gone on such an incredible trip that I will look back on and cherish forever.

The effect of spending a month in a place where Jews aren’t the minority had a greater effect on me than I could have ever imagined. I can’t thank Memphis Jewish Federation enough for giving me this opportunity, and I can’t wait to go back to Israel one day.

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Spending the summer on NCSY JOLT Israel was truly life-changing for me. There were so many incredible aspects of this once in a lifetime trip to Israel. This was not my first trip to Israel, but it was by far the best way to experience Israel! NCSY and the Federation’s Lemsky grant gave me this opportunity to grow as a Jewish teen leader as well as give back to Israeli children.

The mission of NCSY JOLT Israel is to tour Israel in a unique way that allows for each of us to take advantage of the cultural and religious experiences that Israel has to offer, as well as work together to develop our team-building and leadership skills. One unique experience we had was herding sheep in groups. Several of us worked together to learn how to herd sheep in the most efficient way. It brought to mind for me the times of our ancestors, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, as we worked in small groups implementing old-fashioned techniques to herd the sheep. It took communication, teamwork, and a lot of mess to figure out how to do it. I grew very close with the 59 other teens who joined me on the trip! This was just one example of an activity we experienced during our amazing five weeks in Israel.

The highlight of the trip was running a ten-day camp at Zichron Menachem. The campers were all siblings of children fighting illnesses. Often, the siblings do not have the typical fun summers that Israeli children experience, because their parents are busy caring for a sick child. The camp celebrates these siblings and allows them to shine. As part of the program, we planned activities for the campers and made the experience as special as possible for them. I especially loved using all the Hebrew I have learned at Margolin Hebrew Academy to communicate with the children in the camp. Many of the other participants in JOLT Israel did not have strong Hebrew communication skills and they stayed mostly with the children who could speak English. I loved being able to talk with all the children and help them feel as special as I could!

This experience in Israel helped me grow as a person and focus on how I can give back to others and learn about my role on teams. But most importantly, I experienced Israel with my friends. Memories like climbing Masada at 5 am in a group of 60 people and dancing at the Kotel on Tisha B’Av with hundreds of American teens on NCSY trips will stay with me for many years to come.

Jason Schubert, the son of Charna and Eric Schubert, is an 11th grade student at Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys. Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemsky Endowment Fund provided him with a Teen Israel Experience grant to help offset the costs of his Summer 2019 NCSY program in Israel. All rising juniors and seniors in the Memphis Jewish community are eligible for grants of up to $3000 to attend a recognized teen summer or semester program in Israel. Teen Israel Experience applications for summer 2020 will become available at www.jcpmemphis.smapply.org.

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MJF is thrilled to announce the creation of a new Lemsky Endowment Fund initiative providing travel subsidies for first-time Memphis Jewish adults participating in an organized Israel trip, who have demonstrated financial need. Any Jewish Memphian over age 32 (post Birthright) who joins a Memphis-based Federation, Synagogue or JCC trip to Israel may request from Memphis Jewish Federation a flight subsidy of up to $1500 for a coach ticket to Israel.

Individuals seeking the flight subsidy should submit a letter including the names and dates of the trip, total trip cost and an outline of the need for a subsidy. The request should be sent to Tim Wheat, JCP’s Director of Finance and Human Resources. The process will be strictly confidential. Following subsidy approval, applicant should send Tim a copy of the flight receipt and a reimbursement check will be sent. Subsidy recipients are required to volunteer at Super Sunday or at another Federation-sponsored event if they will be out of town on that date (with anonymity preserved).

Subsidy request letters for trips taking place July 1, 2019-June 30, 2020 will be accepted from December 15, 2018-April 15, 2019 on a first come-first served basis.

Facilitating opportunities for immersive Israel experiences has long been a priority of Memphis Jewish Federation.  We recognize and value the long term impact of Israel experiences on Jewish and Israel engagement, leadership and philanthropy. For many years, Federation’s Lemsky Endowment Fund has provided Israel experience subsidies for school-led junior high trips to Israel, high school and post high school young adult Israel programs and Federation missions. We are thrilled to be able to now add to our menu need-based subsidies for first time adult visitors to Israel.

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