Indy JCRC Update 3.5.2018

What We’re Up To

Indy Civic Leaders Study Tour to Israel: The JCRC is honored and thrilled to have completed our community’s first “Indy Civic Leaders Study Tour of Israel” in over 10 years.  The 10-day program was a wonderful success having brought over a dozen non-Jewish civic leaders from various sectors to Israel for the first time. Thank you to the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis and Mickey & Janie Maurer for the financial support that made this Study Tour of Israel possible.

State House Update: The JCRC was pleased to host Israeli Consul General Aviv Ezra at the Indiana General Assembly on February 19th.  Consul General Ezra was on hand to accept a ceremonial resolution passed by the General Assembly recognizing the occasion of Israel’s 70th Anniversary and offered greetings from Israel to Indiana during floor sessions of the House and Senate. Click here to see a copy of the resolution, and here to see photos from the day.

With the bias crimes bill dying in the first half of the session, the JCRC has turned its focus to supporting the work of several coalition partners, including helping to defeat the expansion of predatory lending in Indiana, and closely monitoring a bill that would allow houses of worship to make discretionary decisions on allowing firearms on their property.  Although this latter bill appears to have died, we are closely monitoring the conference committees for the bill’s language and will make sure that the security concerns of the Jewish community are accurately conveyed and addressed. 

Connecting the Community: The JCRC connected Patty Spitler from Great Day TV to The CANDLES Holocaust Museum for an interview with Eva Kor, which will be aired in two parts on March 18th and March 25th at 10:30am. The JCRC’s Programming and Communications Coordinator, Aaron Welcher, has been active in helping plan the community-wide Israel at 70 celebration that will be joined together with the JCC’s Earth Day this year. Aaron also has been having meetings with leaders inside and outside the Jewish community. If you want to meet him for coffee, email him to set up a meeting.

Words to Action: The JCRC’s Israel and Antisemitism Education Coordinator, Marla Topiol, was in Florida last week to be trained by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to facilitate their “Words to Action” program.  This program empowers students to address antisemitism and anti-Israel bias by equipping them with constructive and effective responses. Her cohort included Jewish professionals from all over the country including other JCRCs, ADL employees, and educators. The Indianapolis community now has a resource available to combat antisemitism and other forms of hate speech. We are fortunate to continue our relationship with the ADL and be part of this larger community.

A Bit of What We’re Reading

A Jewish Teen Outreach Program Goes National

Israeli Consul General Aviv Ezra with Jewish communal leaders at the Indiana Statehouse, after passage of the 70th-anniversary resolution by the Indiana General Assembly.

Check out the full slideshow here

Upcoming Events

March 8: Battle for Jerusalem film screening at the JCC’s Laikin Auditorium.

March 18: Rabbi Sandy and Rabbi Dennis Sasso will be honored as the “2018 Interfaith Ambassadors of the Year” by the Center for Interfaith Cooperation at its 4th Annual Interfaith Banquet. Sponsorship opportunities and tickets available here!

March 18 and 25: Patty Spitler from Great Day TV interview with Eva Kor will be aired in two parts at 10:30am on both days.

March 22, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31: Dear Bobby: The Musical tells the story of two teen girls—one black, one Jewish—who anticipate the arrival of Bobby Kennedy to Indianapolis for very different reasons. This was a moment in history when everyone had to decide whether to stand separately or, in the words of Bobby Kennedy, “make an effort, as Martin Luther King did, to understand.” The world premiere ofDear Bobby will run as part of ONYXFest, IndyFringe’s annual festival celebrating African American playwrights. Buy tickets here!

March 23: Join JFS and NEXTGen for a Passover Food Drive to help families in need.

April 4: 50th Anniversary Commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, and Robert Kennedy’s Indianapolis speech. Sponsorship opportunities are available! 

April 5: “EVA” Movie Premiere at Butler’s Clowes Hall.

Internship Opportunity: Every summer JFGI offers internships at our local Jewish agencies.  The program helps interns develop real-world experience and gain an understanding of the Jewish professional world.  The application can be found here. For any questions contact Pam at the Federation.