Through the Fund for Jewish Philanthropy, the Jewish Community Foundation awards grants to new and innovative programs that enhance the quality of Jewish life and address unmet needs within the Jewish community -- with a particular focus on those projects benefiting the Greater Phoenix area. 

Fund for Jewish Philanthropy

and

Field of Interest Funds

2008 Grantees

Arizona Jewish Historical Society

Phoenix Jewish Video History Project

To support the creation of a permanent record of the Jewish community of Greater Phoenix by recording and transcribing 100 video histories of community members, which will be utilized for first-person exhibits at the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center.  

Community of Learning Women (Israel)

Breaking the Silence: Voicing Ethiopian Jewish Women's Experiences

Jewish Women's Endowment Fund

To support efforts to document the experiences of Ethiopian women living in Ramle -- an impoverished area of Israel with a high population of women weakened by generations of discrimination and marginalization.  Based on a model used to document the lives of Indian Jewish women living in Israel, the program strives to capture the experiences of a distinct group of individuals with inspiring and often heartbreaking stories.  The women participating in the program describe their journeys to Israel and the harsh reality they often faced acclimating to their adopted homeland.  In addition to capturing these stories, which will be disseminated to women's organizations around the world, the program empowers its participants, giving them a forum to speak openly and the opportunity to connect with a support system.

Council For Jews With Special Needs

Simchat Shabbat

To support the provision of a family-friendly service for children and adults with disabilities who cannot attend regular Shabbat services.  In partnership with Congregation Beth El, CJSN has created a modified service to accommodate non-readers, short attention span and disruptive behavior, allowing for and encouraging each participants unique expression of prayer.

Council For Jews With Special Needs

Summer Camp Inclusion Program

Physically Disadvantaged Jewish Children's Endowment Fund

To support the Council's Summer Camp Inclusion Program, which enables children with disabilities to participate in regular Jewish summer camp programs.

Deutsch Family Shalom Center, Temple Chai

Developing Mental Health Resources

To support programming designed to sensitize and educate the Jews community about mental illness among Jews.  Through workshops, educational programs, and the development and distribution of materials/resources for individuals with mental illness, their loved ones, clergy and Jewish educators, the Shalom Center will aim to provide tools to help the community respond more thoroughly to issues of mental health.

Deutsch Family Shalom Center, Temple Chai

Guiding Families Through Dementia Comfort and Care

To support the provision of services that will offer guidance for Jewish individuals coping with and caring for loved ones with dementia.  Incorporating Jewish wisdom and values in its approach, the Shalom Center will offer community-wide programs, educational workshops and creative resources to assist families in need of support.

Hettena School/Day Care (Israel)

Paul Vermes Field of Interest Fund for Disabled Youth in Israel

To support the provision of educational and day care services for children and young adults (six months to 21 years of age) who have been diagnosed with severe developmental disabilities.   Many of Hettena's program participants have other disabilities as well, including Cerebral Palsy, blindness, hearing impairments, behavioral problems, Canavan Syndrome, etc.

Hillel Jewish Student Center, Arizona State University

Establishing a Moral Compass                                                 

To support the creation and implementation of programming designed to bring Jewish moral concerns and resources to bear on a range of moral issues in the general community.  The program will include several student-focused and public workshops and lectures  addressing topics such as "The German White Rose Anti-Nazi Resistance," "Truth, Moral Decision-Making and Government: Can They be Compatible?" and "Anger is Too Important to Waste: Moral and Constructive Uses of Anger."

Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School

Performing Arts Residencies - Year Two                          

To support the second year of a three-year collaborative effort among the Valley's Jewish Day Schools to provide an integrated performing arts program for students.   In its second year, “Performing Arts Residencies” will focus on the creation of independent permanent art works (such as mural or structure) for display at four local Jewish day schools.   A Foundation grant will provide salary support for an “artist in residence” who will implement the program and train teachers to continue its momentum.  

Jewish Family & Children's Service

Domestic Violence Services

To support the provision of domestic violence outreach, prevention and intervention services through the Center for Life Enrichment.  This program is designed to reach the Jewish community, with a particular focus on engaging Orthodox individuals experiencing situations of domestic violence. 

Jewish Family & Children's Service

Volunteer Coordinator/Counselor

To provide salary support for a part-time Volunteer Coordinator/Counselor for the organization's Center for Senior Enrichment (CSE).  The Volunteer Coordinator/Counselor will focus on recruiting, training and supervising the CSE's long and short-term volunteers, as well as engaging the Center's participants in individual and group counseling session to help identify mental health needs. 

Jewish Genetic Diseases Center of Greater Phoenix

Education & Screening Program on the ASU Campus

To support the provision of a Jewish genetic diseases education and screening program on the campus of Arizona Sate University.  This grant will allow  the Jewish Genetic Diseases Center to partner with Hillel, Chabad and other Jewish-sponsored campus groups to educate Jewish students about the importance of genetic testing.  Student volunteers will be actively involved in outreach and planning surrounding the event and the testing will be free-of-charge.

Pardes Jewish Day School

School Library

To support the formation of the school's first library.  The Foundation grant will be used to purchase shelving, furnishings and other items essential to the library's set-up. 

Phoenix Hebrew Academy

On behalf of the Arizona Association of Jewish Day Schools

Professional Development Conferences

To support a series of professional development conferences for staff members of the Valley's Jewish Day Schools.  Under the informal umbrella known as the Arizona Association of Jewish Day Schools, representatives from each school are working together to plan several professional development opportunities to promote best practices and share up-to-date research in the field of Jewish day school education with faculty members and educators.  In addition to educational workshops, the Arizona Association of Jewish Day Schools will plan a community-wide evening event, with a well-known speaker in the educational field, to further involve parents in their children's education.

Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center

Walk Through Jerusalem

To support this traveling, interactive exhibit for children in grades 2-7 and their families, building upon the celebration of Israel at 60 and taking place during the VOSJCC's November book fair.  Participants will travel through eight "Gates of Jerusalem" to explore the city.  The exhibit contains information about the history, geography and overall spirit of Jerusalem and incorporates the sights, smells and sounds of the city through a wide-variety of activities including poetry, music, games and archeological finds.