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May 28, 2020
JRAN Takes Steps To Enhance Disaster Resilience
One of the lessons the Houston Jewish community learned during and after Hurricane Harvey was the need to create a mechanism for a coordinated, community-wide rapid response to future floods. In December 2019, the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston created The Jewish Response & Action Network.
Read moreMay 27, 2020
PJ Library Young Chef Program Connects Houston’s Suburbs
Eight-year-old, Autumn Welch, is loving the Jewish Federation’s PJ Library Young Chef program. Her mom, Janessa Welch says Autumn was especially excited to learn how to make Israeli cheesecake. “I loved that it was really geared towards her. She’s never been confident in the kitchen and this was something she could do all by herself,” mom Janessa shared with us.
Read moreMay 27, 2020
Zikaron BaSalon or Memories in the Livingroom Goes Virtual
Like all organizations and schools, when Houston shut down for the Stay Home, Work Safe order, the Federation’s bustling program schedule abruptly stopped and shifted focus to online virtual programs to keep the community connected. Each year, for Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Federation hosts Zikaron Basalon or “Memories in the Living Room.” This unique program usually takes places in various home throughout the city. Each house features a different survivor or second-generation family member who shares their story.
Read moreMay 20, 2020
Federation Supports Seven Acres Nurses and Staff with Gift Cards
While Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care Services always celebrates Nurses Appreciation Week, this year was different. Due to COVID-19, the essential staff of this Federation-partner agency had to change the way they worked while maintaining quality care. Appreciating these front-line workers became even more necessary and meaningful and Seven Acres expanded Nurses’ Appreciation to include all of its essential staff. The Federation contributed providing gift cards, and another Seven Acres supporter provided a second gift card.
Read MoreMay 20, 2020
Seven Acres Switches Up Programming to Keep Residents Active and Connected
Daily activities enrich life for residents at Federation-partner agency Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care Services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the building closed its doors to visitors to keep residents safe and healthy, which also meant they could no longer have regular visits from family members.
Read MoreMay 14, 2020
Paycheck Protection Program
The economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have taken a toll on people and businesses at the local, state, national, and international level. When the Stay Home, Work Safe order began in the Greater Houston area, it quickly became clear that our Jewish community organizations would feel the effects.
Read MoreMay 14, 2020
Pandemic Response Plan
As the Federation learned of the immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic internationally, it began to focus on a community response through the Jewish Action and Response Network (JRAN). Dr. Ed Septimus, an infectious disease physician for Memorial Hermann, created a template for an organizational pandemic response plan for his congregation, Beth Israel, and one for Shalom Austin.
Read MoreMay 8, 2020
It is the Moments that Matter
On a recent Sunday, Aerin Kalmans (pictured below with her mother Elyse), a 20-year-old college sophomore who is currently back home in Houston, picked up the phone on behalf of the Federation to call a 93-year-old man she had never met. She was calling just to check in. “How much time do you have?” he asked. “All the time in the world—literally,” she replied.
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