Kenny blogs on our April meeting

As we approach the conclusion of this year’s Jewish Youth Tzedakah Organization, we must seriously consider how we plan on benefiting the Jewish community. We could devote all $10,000 in support of one cause, or we could divide the funds in order of each grant requests' importance. This decision is not to be made hastily; because of that, we listened as several organizations presented their pitch on why they deserve this money more than others and how they plan to effectively use it.

First, we heard from Marc Jacobson of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) promoting their anti-poverty campaign. Due to the economic recession, Jews need to come together and focus on helping the poor. Jacobson stated that this we need to give special attention to poverty because of our Jewish ethics and values. The next candidate was Dorothy Wolchansky from the Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association (DHFLA). This organization funds students in need of money for under-graduate through professional level schooling. The funds are paid back without interest and circulate to the next student in need of a loan. The third representative was Amy Walton from Jewish Family Services (JFS). They promoted their direct interaction with clients. Their contributions are, as they stated, “life-changing” with programs such as their food bank for hungry Jewish families. The final presentation was from Doug Edelson and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS). This relief organization aids in the asylum of refugees seeking a better life here in America. Their primary focus is on Yemenite Jews and they are very capable as they have an operating budget of $26 million annually.