The Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore was recently awarded a Yamim grant from the JCC Association of North America, which is collaborating with Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs as part of its Mit-habrim Connections initiative. (Mit-habrim is Hebrew for connecting.)
Through this $7.2 million initiative, Yamim grants are awarded to support programs commemorating key Jewish and Israeli holidays this spring, such as Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) and Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Israel Independence Day).
This year, more than $1.5 million in Yamim grants have been distributed to more than 110 JCCs and Jewish community camps across North America.
As part of this grant, the Gordon Center for Performing Arts in Owings Mills will host Israeli-American comedian and author Joel Chasnoff on Wednesday, Apr. 30, at 7 p.m.
Chasnoff is the co-author (with Benji Lovitt) and winner of the National Jewish Book Award for his book “Israel 201.” (Gefen Publishing House).
The Gordon Center will also present “Young Zionist Voices: A New Generation Speaks Out,” a panel of thinkers and authors.
Published in 2024, “Young Zionist Voices” is a timely collection of essays by young activists and thinkers to lead the next generation of Jewish leaders.
In addition to the performances in April and May, the Gordon Center will house the gallery exhibition “The Final Peace” by Hadar Goldin. Goldin was an Israeli artist and soldier who was abducted and killed by Hamas in 2014 during a ceasefire.
“The Final Peace” has been exhibited at the Knesset, the headquarters of the United Nations, the Israeli Consulate in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, among other places.
“It is so important for American Jews to maintain a strong connection to Israel,” said Sara Shalva, the Gordon Center’s chief arts officer. “One way we do that is through commemoration and celebration of national holidays. The Gordon Center’s programming this year for these days reflects the rich and vibrant diversity found in Israeli art and culture. And, simultaneous as Jews and as Zionists, we must prioritize hearing from the next generation and lifting and amplifying their words and ideas.”
Said Leah Garber, senior vice president of Israel engagement at JCC Association and director general of the Center for Israel Engagement in Jerusalem: “Following the successes of the Yamim grants in 2024 in which 80% of North American JCCs participated, our continued partnership with the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs has never been more important, especially as we mark more than 500 days since October 7.
“With even more JCCs in our movement preparing to host holiday and commemorative events than last year,” she said, “it’s clear that this initiative has become a driving force for deeper connections between North American Jews and Israel, fueling an unprecedented level of involvement and engagement by JCCs and their communities.”
For information about the performances, visit gordoncenter.com.
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