45 Years Later, An Operation Grassroots Donation
FORTY-FIVE YEARS LATER, A GRASSROOTS DONATION
By Richard Friedman, Executive Director
A wonderful Operation Grassroots donation came in from a high school friend I haven't seen since we graduated nearly 45 years ago. She, along with a bunch of us from Elmwood Park (NJ) Memorial High School Class of '67, have reconnected via Facebook and it's been a treat. She made the contribution on line by going to the payment link highlighted below.
This friend is a delight on Facebook. She provides an array of thoughtful and uplifting posts, always sensitive and insightful and often with humor. She is not Jewish; thus, I was especially touched by her thoughtful Operation Grassroots contribution.
Operation Grassroots is an unprecedented Birmingham Jewish Federation effort now underway to raise ONE THOUSAND new gifts or increases of at least $100 to receive a $100,000 challenge gift. With this high school friend's donation, we now have 62 Operation Grassroots gifts -- only 938 more to go!
In responding to her, I wrote, "Thank you again for your kind and wonderful donation. I was truly touched! I have enjoyed reconnecting on Facebook. You sound like a fascinating and wonderful person."
Yes, fascinating! On her Facebook page, this friend describes herself as a "librarian biker" -- that's right...a librarian who loves motorcycles. She puts it this way: "I love pool halls, concert halls, lecture halls and the halls of learning. I am a librarian who loves motorcycles. I am very blessed in my life and I am very thankful for my children, grandchildren and friends and meaningful work. Life is good."
CONNECTION TO JUDAISM
Interestingly enough, shortly after we reconnected, I learned a lot about this friend's connection to Judaism even though she is Catholic. In a Facebook message she wrote, "We Catholics do come from a Judeo-Christian background after all!" and said that she even learned some Yiddish from hanging out at the home of a Jewish friend while growing up.
"When I was about 10 or 12, I saw a TV show that changed my life forever," she added. "It must have been 1959 or 60. It was called 'Remember Us' and was about how the Jews perished in WW II. It showed the concentration camps and told of the horrors. I still can't even think about it without getting teary-eyed."
"I visited Terezin (Theresienstadt, a Nazi concentration camp) when I was in Eastern Europe. I felt the sadness and sorrow that enveloped the place 60 years after the liberation," she added. "We had a Terezin survivor speak at the library where I work -- a wonderful lady who was only a teenager when she was taken away from her home. I felt a bond immediately, and so did she -- there's no explanation for it. All I know is that I have a great respect and love for the Jewish religion and its ceremonies, traditions, and people."
OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE
This friend's generous gift illustrates something important about Operation Grassroots -- it is open to all. No matter where you live or who you are, you are welcome to participate in this historic effort. If you are impressed by the work done by our small Jewish Federation, then please consider making a new gift or increase of at least $100 to help us access the $100,000 challenge gift.
If you'd like to participate, you can do so by going to one of the links below, contacting Tiffany Hyche at The BJF at 205-803-1513 or tiffanyh@bjf.org or calling our 24-Hour Operation Grassroots Hotline at 205-803-1514. You can also send a check made out to "BJF Operation Grassroots" to The Birmingham Jewish Federation, PO 130219, Birmingham, AL, 35213.
