AZM RETURNS FROM TRIBEFEST!

This year, AZM was fortunate to have the opportunity to be a partner organization of TribeFest, Jewish Federation of North America’s gathering of over 1,500 Jewish young adults from around the US. Taking place in Las Vegas, Sunday, March 25- Tuesday, March 27, participants came together to explore and celebrate Judaism through the lens of politics, entertainment, art, music, and of course, Zionism.

AZM led two exciting breakout sessions at TribeFest!

On Sunday, over 100 attendees participated in our first session, QUIZrael, a panoply style event requiring members of teams to work both together and individually to come out on top and win great prizes! Obviously, the most important part for the participants was, of course, the chance to snack on Bissli, Bamba, and assorted Israeli chocolates! But, the content of the quiz was focused on Israel and Zionism. From an Israeli logo challenge, to Sudoku, teamwork was put to the test! Did you know the first Zionist Congress took place in a casino? Well, our participants do now!

Co-sponsored by JTA Archives, and prizes were provided by Jdeal LA.

Tzedek Hevrati! Israel’s Social Protests in the Global Context was a powerful session taking place Monday afternoon. Following the morning’s community service project organized by TribeFest, the 40 session participants were eager to investigate and discuss the parallels in the global protests movements — Israel’s Social Protest, the Arab Spring, and the Occupy Movement — and explore the unique aspects of Judaism and Zionism that encourages and supports social justice. Stav Shaffir, one of the leaders of Israel’s J14 social protest movement, spoke about her personal experiences. Stav’s introduction was followed by facilitated roundtable discussions addressing the major issues contributing to the various protest movements, as well as their global impacts.

Co-sponsored by Jewish Federations of North America and New Israel Fund.

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Will you be in Israel this Passover? Join the WZO Passover festivities on Mount Herzl this year.

An important part of the Passover tradition is the discussion and debate of the haggadah. It is also part of the tradition to add new elements into the haggadah.  To provide some additional Zionist context to this year’s seder, the World Zionist Organization and AZM offer some songs and texts to be read and considered, as well as some questions to help families put the materials into the Zionist context.

The texts are part of David Ben-Gurion‘s speech at the Peel Commission, the song Out of Egypt (hear it and see it on YouTube) by Alma Zohar connecting the Jews departure from Egypt to  the Promised Land  to today’s African refugees in Israel, and a reflection by Ze’ev Jabotinsky on the “Four Sons” from the Haggadah.  The themes and questions raised in the materials include: the collective memory of the Jews, whether Israel helps or impedes the concept of peoplehood, are the Jews living in Israel and those living outside of Israel one people,  do Jews throughout the world share a “common denominator,” among others. All the questions will help your family and friends reflect on their Zionist identity and connections to Israel and the Jewish People.

The supplement is 2 pages long.  Please download it here! Use it at your seder; share it with you friends and neighbors.

By the way, we offer an English version, Hebrew version and a Spanish version!

Passover 2012-English

Passover 2012-Hebrew

Passover 2012-Spanish

In addition, we also invite you to use the Zionist Dayenu available here.

See the Alma Zohar video Out of Egypt here:

This Haggadah was created by the WZO Center for Spiritual Services in the Diaspora.

Please feel free to print out and share this full-color haggadah for children. Simply download it here.

Click on the image below to see a larger version.  You can also download copies by following the link below.

Download a PDF of Dayenu (This is a big file; please allow time for the download.)

Donate to AZM

The midwestern two-day seminar will take place Sunday and Monday, April 22-23, at a Holiday Inn Express Hotel, outside of Chicago, IL in Palatine/Arlington Heights. The seminar, a project of MERCAZ USA, MERCAZ-Canada, the World Zionist Organization and the Embassy of Israel, is now accepting applications from anyone interested in becoming a “local trainer” in the Israel advocacy field.

All participants will be expected to review certain requisite material in order to guarantee a common baseline of information. In addition, all seminar participants will be involved in organized follow-up activities to ensure continuity. The application process also requires all participants to obtain recommendation from a congregational rabbi or other communal professional.

The cost of the 2-day seminar is $105, which covers 1 night accommodations double occupancy and 4 meals, starting with lunch on Sunday, April 22, through lunch on Monday, April 23. There is a reduced fee of $65.00 for local residents who do not require hotel accommodations. Please note that all food will be kosher, provided by the caterer of the Conservative congregation North Shore Suburban–Beth El in Highland Park, Illinois. Any individual dietary needs (such as vegetarian, mehadrin, gluten-free, etc) will be accommodated, provided the organizers are informed in advance.

To register, please pay below. After payment you will be contacted by the Conference organizer for further information.
For more information, please call MERCAZ: 212-533-2061 or email its director, Rabbi Robert Golub.

Israel Advocacy Conference- April 21-22 | Price: $105.00* (double occupancy)

Israel Advocacy Conference- Day Visitor | Price: $65.00

A volunteer poses with soldiers who came to take the Purim gifts back to their units.

The 2012 Purim Connection was another stunning success with lots of thank yous coming in from across Israel.

AZM with help from AMIT, Mercaz,  and many individials and synagogues across the country brought Purim joy to schools in Kiryat Malachi, soldiers in the front line units across the country, and to many Lone Soldiers (IDF soldiers who serve without the support of their families.)

An important part of our Purim Connection is the role that young Jews studying or volunteering in Israel play in the packaging and delivery of the Purim mishloach manot. This year’s volunteers from Magshimey Herut, Habonim-Dror and the kibbutz ulpan program were all on extended stays in Israel as part of  MASA Israel Journey programs.  Among the volunteers to AZM’s Purim Connection were: Raphael Falk,  Andrew DuFour,  Benjamin Scholom, Brett Godette, Yossi Cohen,  Izzy Eisen,  and Eugene Kikoin.

One of the Lone Soldiers, Gidi, who received an AZM Purim package posted on the Kehillat Netzach’s Facebook Page, expressing his happiness and gratitude. When you see comments like these you know how important it is to participate in these programs:

A soldier from Ashkelon holds his Purim gift from AZM.

הפורים בכלל לא היה מורגש, ולקבל חבילה מושקעת שכזאת. אוהב אתכם ומוקיר תודה. גידי איגנשטיין
thank you everyone for the great parcel for purim! it feels amazing to return from a hard week of training and still get to feel the happiness of purim with your kindness. gidi eigenstein.

We hope that next year even more congregations and individuals will help to us tell send the message to those in Israel that even though we live here in America, we are always thinking of Israel’s soldiers and citizens who are truly on the front lines of the Jewish people.

Thanks to all who helped bring this to reality!

Four children from an AMIT elementary school in Kiryat Malachi in Purim costumes..

Additionally, for those who can’t make it to Jerusalem, the WZO and its daughter-company Tarbut L’Yisrael (Culture for Israel), have sent performing artists to southern communities to try to help relax the residents as much as possible while they seek protection in bomb shelters.  Tarbut L’Yisrael has been in continuous contact with cultural activities coordinators throughout the year and especially during these times of distress.  With funding from the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the WZO and Tarbut L’Yisrael made preparations and have sent performing artists to help relax the southern residents as much as possible and make their lives even a little bit more pleasant.

According to Gusti Yehoshua-Braverman, Head of the WZO’s Department for Diaspora Activities, “With the renewed eruption in southern Israel, and the repeated nonstop rocket attacks on the south’s residents, this department and the WZO’s Herzl Center ask to strengthen the hands of the Israel Defense Forces’ soldiers, its commanders and the south’s residents.  We are happy to host the south’s residents and children at the Herzl Center and hope that these activities will be significant, even a little calming and allow them to enjoy a bit of happiness.”

To help in this effort, please give now.

Many of the stricken communities have been the focus of  AZM’s Purim Connection drives in the past.  Thus, AZM feels a special affinity and concern for those living under this stress.  AMIT, one of AZM’s member organizations and a part of the World Zionist Organization runs many of Israel’s school and is closely monitoring the situation.

Thousands of AMIT students in Beersheva, Ashkelon, Sderot and Kiryat Malachi remained home today from school as hundreds of rockets continue to be fired from Gaza into southern Israel for a fourth day. On Sunday, a Grad missile struck the AMIT Hazon Ovadiah Elementary School in Beersheva, which thankfully was empty. Additionally, a rocket fell very close to the home of an AMIT Beersheva student. The principal of her school has been in close contact with the family.

Most families in the affected area are sleeping in bomb shelters at night, and heavy damage has been reported to buildings and vehicles. As in the past, AMIT has quickly responded with a variety of special services to its students, including offering classes and distance learning via the internet.  You can learn more about AMIT and help them provide these services.

Wherever you are, whatever your resources you can help the people in southern Israel.

• Keep informed about the situation Don’t be afraid to speak up with your friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Tell them what is going on in Israel
• When you see media imbalance, don’t be silent. Send a letter to the editor; call-in to talk radio programs; know the facts and speak your mind (don’t antagonize –inform and educate)
• And please, contribute to efforts on behalf of Israel’s citizens in the south of Israel.