Everyday in so many ways The Birmingham Jewish Federation strives to educate our community about Israel's difficulties and dilemmas. One way we do this is through letters to the Birmingham News.

A letter that appeared today from Birmingham Jewish Federation Executive Director Richard Friedman focuses on Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' recent acknowledgement that the Palestinians made a mistake in 1947 by rejecting the UN-partition plan, a compromise that would have led to a Jewish state and a Palestinian Arab state.

"The truth about events surrounding Israel's rebirth must continue to be told, and people must know the ongoing policy of Palestinian rejection of the Jewish state is the cause of their plight," the letter noted.

Update had a story this past week headlined, "LIFT: Leadership Initiatives For Tomorrow." The story (see below link) highlighted a series of new approaches that The Birmingham Jewish Federation has developed to lead our Federation and community into the future.

In response to the story, we received a great email from Joel Rotenstreich (pictured here). Joel is a long-time and widely recognized volunteer leader who is a past president of The BJF. Joel addressed his email to an array of volunteers and staff professionals, all of whom have been part of the LIFT effort.

"What you all are doing is just totally amazing!" wrote Joel. "Your enthusiasm, your creativity, and your dedication to all that The BJF stands for has ignited the entire community. We can feel it, and we, too, are excited along with you."

"As a volunteer and former BJF leader, I am thrilled by what you all are accomplishing. My wife, Bunny, and I now have two grandsons here in Birmingham who will benefit from your thoughtful ideas and your energy. For this, and for all the good that you do -- thank you, thank you, thank you!"

We thank Joel for his wonderful comments. The success The BJF is having today, engaging young people and laying the groundwork for the future, is directly attributable to the work that he and many other great volunteer leaders have done over the years bringing our organization to this point.

It is amazing what we do...not just locally but globally. When you contribute to The Birmingham Jewish Federation Annual Campaign, about eight cents of every dollar goes to the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), a longstanding, well-respected agency that addresses needs in Israel and other parts of the world.

There's a great story on the JDC website about a program The BJF has helped fund to provide Hebrew language training for new immigrants to Israel with special needs. If you are a donor to The BJF Campaign, be proud. Your single contribution funds 32 agencies and programs which allows you to enrich lives in Birmingham, Israel and throughout the world. Here's an edited excerpt from the JDC story:

Igor K., 40, is an invalid who came to Israel less than one year ago from Luhansk, Ukraine. Since childhood he has struggled with diabetes, and today he can barely walk; with his knee distorted by a 30 degree angle, he is fully reliant on a crutch to support the right side of his body. When asked about his day-to-day challenges in his new homeland, he says his biggest impediment is isolation.

Igor is one of an estimated 125,000 immigrant adults in Israel living with special needs, about one-third of them with severe disabilities. One in three disabled immigrants doesn't speak Hebrew at all, and two out of three are illiterate in Hebrew. Immigrants in general often find learning Hebrew challenging; yet, it is important they know it if they wish to become part of Israeli society.

Israel's ulpans (intensive Hebrew learning programs for new immigrants) have not been able to accommodate the unique requirements of people like Igor -- until now. Israel Unlimited, a partnership involving the JDC, is trying to meet the needs of and empower Israel's 700,000 adults with disabilities. It has launched a new accessible Hebrew ulpan for disabled immigrants in Haifa's Center for Independent Living.

Igor, who is physically unable to attend ulpan regularly, is excited to make it to class whenever he can. He lives with his 66-year-old father, who fears for his son and accompanies him everywhere. This class is Igor's only outlet to meet and socialize with other people -- an opportunity that JDC first gave him in the former Soviet Union many years earlier.

"When I lived in Luhansk, I would go to the Hesed (Jewish community center) to spend time with other Jews and get medicine and food. Now I'm in Israel and JDC is giving me such important help again," he says.

Igor hopes improving his Hebrew will help him communicate at the market and speak to doctors about his health concerns when he makes medical visits. He practices diligently at home on a computer program designed to supplement the class time, and he says his Hebrew is starting to improve.

Photo is of a student and teacher practicing new Hebrew skills at JDC's accessible Hebrew ulpan for disabled immigrants in Haifa's Center for Independent Living.

Our local Jewish War Veterans Post 608 will hold its next meeting on Friday, Nov. 11 from 10 am to noon in the Levite Jewish Community Center library. All veterans are encouraged to attend.

Guest speaker will be Becky Gallagher from the Birmingham Veterans Hospital, who is Assistant Chief of Benefits of Veterans Affairs. She will speak about eligibility and benefits for veterans and their spouses.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Donna Berry at The Birmingham Jewish Federation at 205-879-0416 or donnab@bjf.org. In addition to providing logistical support to our local veterans post, The BJF provides funding to our national Jewish War Veterans organization.