News From the Greater Miami Jewish Federation

Learn what motivates people to create a Jewish legacy through The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and find inspiration to establish your own by reading the personal stories of donors in the Book of Life.

According to Federation’s longtime overseas partner, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), a mental health crisis is impacting 55 percent of Israel’s population, or 5 million Israelis, with 2 million having developed post-traumatic stress disorder since October 7.

“Every moment in Israel was a lesson to bring back and share," for Mojdeh Khaghan Danial, Greater Miami Jewish Federation General Campaign Chair, who traveled to Berlin and Israel on a recent Jewish Federations of North America Mission.

Commemorate the 30th anniversary of the AMIA Jewish Community Center bombing in Argentina with your Jewish community on Thursday, July 25 at 7 p.m. at Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center (ATJC).

In the aftermath of October 7, through the Israel Emergency Fund (IEF) our Federation and partners across North America and Israel have provided an immediate lifeline of relief services to address the acute needs of Israeli evacuees, victims of terror and their families, and soldiers.

Last month, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Jewish Federation of Broward County, and Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County hosted in the first-ever South Florida Legislators Mission to Israel.

The first Israeli Moishe House in the US opened its doors in Wynwood earlier this year and has already begun connecting Miami's Jewish community with Israel and the Israeli people.

In what was the first visit by a North American Jewish organization to Kyiv since the start of the war, leaders from the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reaffirm the Jewish community’s continued support of the people of the besieged country.

“What can today’s high school students do to reduce antisemitism and all forms of prejudice in our society?” That was the writing prompt for 3GMiami’s Rita Rubinoff Goldberg Essay Contest, whose winners were announced on Holocaust Survivor Day at a luncheon presented by the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach.

As it does every year, Federation’s Young Leadership Division (YLD) led a Community Birthright Israel Trip this summer, taking 22 Miamians to our Jewish homeland for 10 days. But this year’s journey was unlike any previous one, coming just eight months after the horrors of October 7.

Now in its fifth year, Mitzvah Monday, run by Federation’s Jewish Volunteer Center (JVC), is teaching children at Alper JCC Miami’s summer camp to give back through hands-on activities involving tikkun olam (repairing the world).

With more to be disbursed in the future, about $449 million has been allocated thus far to provide help in four areas: lifeline services, medical and trauma relief, economic relief and recovery, and community resilience and rebuilding.

Federation overseas partner The Jewish Agency for Israel has deployed 1,600 young Israelis as shlichim (emissaries) to 170 Jewish summer camps — including Camp Sol Taplin at Michael-Ann Russell JCC and and Camp Klurman at Miami Beach JCC.

Looking for an easy, flexible and tax-smart way to support our Jewish community and your favorite charities? Consider opening a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) through The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.

For more than a decade, Federation’s Hebrew Free Loan Association of Miami (HFLA) has provided interest-free loans to would-be parents for fertility treatments. Now, Jewish individuals and families will have even more resources available to them through the Jewish Fertility Foundation (JFF).

“Even in these dark times, Beit Dan creates a completely different, happy and meaningful life for our kids and for all of us,” said one parent at the Beit Dan JCC in Kharkiv, Ukraine, as preparations were underway for last week’s Shavuot celebration.

Recently, Andrey Kozlov, a participant in the Federation-funded Masa Israel Journey program who was rescued on June 8 after eight months of captivity by Hamas, met with Maj. Gen. (Res.) Doron Almog, Chairman of The Jewish Agency for Israel.

The 7th Annual South Florida Jewish Day School Robotics Festival, which took place in May, engaged 215 students from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties in a dynamic competition advancing innovation and cooperation in education.