The Little Federation That Could
"WE THINK WE CAN, WE THINK WE CAN..."
Birmingham is one of America's smallest Jewish communities. Our Jewish community has an estimated 5500 people, making us about one half of one percent of the Birmingham metro population. Yet, we in Birmingham, and especially at The Birmingham Jewish Federation, often see ourselves as "The Little Engine That Could" -- a tiny community that can accomplish great things.
Today's Update has two stories which reflect our achievements. The first is on a Juvenile Diabetes breakthrough that occurred in Israel, which The Birmingham Jewish Foundation helped underwrite. The second is on Birmingham's Rabbi Eytan Yammer and Miriam Friedman being featured in the national and international media.
For those of us who live here, we know what a superb and accomplished Jewish community we have. This, however, might come as news to folks elsewhere who are not familiar with Birmingham. Nonetheless, like the well-known Little Engine, we keep pushing forward, driven by determination, a vision of how a small Jewish community can make a huge impact, and a belief that we can -- and will -- improve the world.
BIRMINGHAM JEWISH FOUNDATION FUNDSJUVENILE DIABETES BREAKTHROUGH
Researchers at Israel's Hadassah Hospital have announced an important breakthrough in the treatment of Juvenile Diabetes, and a fund in The Birmingham Jewish Foundation helped to underwrite their research.
Seven years ago, Israel launched a major effort to become a world leader in diabetes research. According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), "One of the countries where many important developments are taking place is Israel. Israel views medical research and biotechnology as a national priority."
Several years ago, donors involved in both the JDRF and The Birmingham Jewish Foundation approached The Foundation about starting a fund that would support Juvenile Diabetes research in Israel. Birmingham Jewish community member Mark Froehlich opened the fund, and with additional funding from Birmingham's Barstein family and Simply Fashions, it began making grants.
Knowing of Birmingham's avid support of Hadassah, The Foundation, in consultation with JDRF, felt that a research program at Hadassah Hospital would be a perfect fit for our community's dollars. In a recent article in Cell Metabolismjournal, the researchers in this program announced a major breakthrough in the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes.
The research, led by Hebrew University Professor Yuval Dor, in conjunction with researchers from the Hadassah University Medical Center, may lead to a cure for insulin dependent Type 1 (juvenile onset) Diabetes. (Click on the below link for more details.)
This important development is a wonderful example of how donors in Birmingham, through The Birmingham Jewish Foundation, can benefit specific programs and causes in Israel. We are proud of the funding our Foundation has provided to help underwrite this effort.
If you are interested in helping to fund JDRF research in Israel, contact Birmingham Jewish Foundation Director Sally Friedman at sallyf@bjf.org or 205-803-1519.
RABBI YAMMER, MIRIAM FRIEDMAN SPOTLIGHTED NATIONALLY
Rabbi Eytan Yammer, of Birmingham's Knesseth Israel Congregation, has been mentioned recently in two widely-read publications -- Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) and The Jerusalem Post.
Rabbi Yammer was mentioned in JTA and The Post for addressing the tough financial times his congregants are facing. In response to today's floundering economy, Rabbi Yammer has discounted memberships, provided employment at the synagogue for those who are unemployed, as well as inviting congregants over to his home for Shabbat dinner.
The rabbi (pictured here in a Birmingham News photo) was one of several rabbis mentioned nationwide for their work in helping Jews through tough economic times. "In a place like Alabama where everyone is religiously minded," it was easy to get Jewish community members to help each other out, the stories quoted the rabbi as saying.
Click for story that mentions Rabbi Yammer.
***
Another Birmingham Jewish community member garnered some national publicity in conjunction with Yom Kippur. USA Today quoted Miriam Friedman in a story about shoes and Yom Kippur. Here's the part about Miriam:
Miriam Friedman, the wife of one of the rabbis at the very traditional Chabad synagogue in Birmingham, Ala., will be wearing "these cute little black Mary Jane Crocs" on Yom Kippur, and she knows everyone praying around her will also be shunning leather.
But that's about as much thought as she's going to give to her footwear, said Friedman, who runs a preschool. "On Yom Kippur, we come to stand before God as a humble servant."
She said the ban on leather is less about giving up comfort than eschewing what was once a sign of prestige. It's also meaningful to her to make an obvious separation between Yom Kippur and the rest of the year -- when wearing leather is fine.
But at the end of the day, she said, "It's not about the shoes."
