Augusta Jewish Federation

In Augusta, the Federation supports Jewish Family and Children’s Services that provides assistance to individuals and families in need as well as the Augusta Jewish Community Center that provides educational, cultural and social programs for the community. Recently, the Federation spearheaded efforts to create a Unified Community Sunday School.

Federation also supports local and national organizations that provide a meeting place for Jewish students, fight anti-Semitism, feed the hungry and encourage economic ties between the U.S. and the State of Israel.

At the same time, around the world, our agencies are rescuing persecuted Jews and airlifting them to safety in Israel. Currently, we are helping to feed 240,000 elderly Jews in the Former Soviet Union. This year, we helped the Jews in Argentina keep their Jewish school system from collapsing. This year, our special campaign helped victims of terror in Israel and sent over 200,000 children to camp in Israel, away from terror "hot spots".

Below you will find a complete listing of our beneficiary agencies. Together we allocated $363,923.00 this past year.

Your dollars helped support:

LOCAL NEEDS NATIONAL NEEDS

AJCC ADL

JSR/JFS American/Israel Chamber of Commerce

Local Hillel National Hillel

Golden Harvest Food Bank Birthright Israel

Youth Scholarships Jewish Educational Loan Fund

National Jewish Medical Research

OVERSEAS NEEDS

United Jewish Communities

Israel Emergency Fund

Neve Michael

Hadassah Hospital

Rabin Hospital

Magen David Adom

OneFamily Fund

Trust for Israeli Soldiers

Kav Le Chayim

National Council for Soviet Jewry

Shoham Geriatric

Argentina Emergency Appeal

That’s our official name. And it represents what we have done most and done best: supporting the social, educational, and medical needs of Jews wherever they might be. Just scan the list on this page of where your dollars have gone this year to help so many in so many ways and in so many places.

But, your Federation has and will do much more. Let me share with you some of what we are planning for the months and years ahead.

· Your Federation has sponsored the Unified Religious School Committee. The Community Sunday School Plan has been approved by the Boards of the Temple and Synagogue. We soon will be hiring an Administrator and a Lead Teacher and setting up a school Oversight Committee.

· Your Federation is promoting the growth of our Endowment for the Future - to preserve Jewish life in Augusta for our grandchildren and their grandchildren.

· Your Federation is providing opportunities for young adults and for families to travel to Israel at excellent prices.

· Your Federation has set up a Community Relations Committee to address local issues that have an impact on Jewish students and community members (e.g., scheduling of exams on Jewish holidays; the use of language by public officials that excludes minority religious groups).

· Your Federation is developing an exclusive Young Leadership Series to build Augusta’s future Jewish leaders.

· Your Federation is building a website which will be accessible initially through a link from the AJCC website www.augustajcc.org. This will be your source for the most up-to-date information on all activities of your Federation.

· Your Federation will continue to keep you apprised, through print material and through speakers, of important political events that affect Israel and the welfare and safety of Jews everywhere.

· Finally, your Federation will continue its Annual Campaign and High Holiday Campaign to preserve our fundamental historic and critical role.

Can your Federation do any of this alone? Of course not. There is no Federation without you. Please call the Federation office (706) 228-3636 for more information on activities of your Federation or to offer your assistance.

Al Grinspun

President