There was a great piece in Sunday's Birmingham News Viewpoints section by Miriam Bleich, a newcomer to Birmingham who is participating in The Birmingham Jewish Federation's new Leadership Writing Project. Miriam's piece, which previously appeared in Update, was headlined, "Jewish Couple Belongs in Birmingham." It described the positive welcome she and her husband, Steven, have received from the Birmingham Jewish community.

As a result of reading it in the News, Jeffrey Bayer, a generous BJF supporter and well-known Jewish businessman, wrote Miriam.

"I am a long-time resident of Birmingham and I appreciated your article in Sunday's paper in many ways. I am thrilled you are establishing a 'home' in both our city and our Jewish community," wrote Jeffrey. "Much continued good luck and I hope I have the opportunity to meet you and Steven."

The BJF's Leadership Writing Project, which provides young adults with the opportunity to affirm their leadership voices through writing for Update and other media, continues to be a success.

Participant Hilary Gewant had pieces published in the Montgomery Advertiser, Tuscaloosa News and Alexander City Outlook, and participant Elisa Held Nelson had an article published in the Birmingham News.In each of these, they, as Miriam did in her Sunday piece, expressed their commitment to their Judaism and the positive impact that The BJF has had on their lives.

Birmingham's small Jewish community has had a remarkable and rich history ever since our city was founded shortly after the Civil War. Jews have played a role in enriching every facet of life in Birmingham and our history is something to be emulated and celebrated.

The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life has a great link on its website about the Jews of Birmingham which is worth reading. Update readers will likely recognize the names of many of the individuals and families who played a role in not only creating and sustaining a vibrant Jewish community but also in enriching the welfare of our city.

The website's narrative begins with the following: "After railroad tracks were laid to the area, the Elyton Land Company founded a new town in 1871. With dreams of the industrial behemoth in England of the same name, they decided to call it Birmingham. As train whistles screeched and factory furnaces blasted, heralding the city's rapid development, a handful of forward thinking merchants arrived at the railroad depot, quietly marking the start of a Jewish history in this new land of progress, iron and steel."

Also included is this reference to The Birmingham Jewish Federation: "During the Depression years, the Jewish community also collaborated to focus its philanthropic efforts. In 1936, the Birmingham United Jewish Fund was founded with Dora Roth as its first leader. The Fund coordinated the efforts of numerous organizations to raise money for a variety of local and international Jewish causes."

"In its first year of existence, the Fund raised $24,000," the website continues. "Many years later, the Fund became the Birmingham Jewish Federation, which took on such projects as the founding of the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School and the resettlement of Jews fleeing oppressive regimes."

The BJF is proud of the history of our Jewish community and our pride in the past has been one of the factors that has led to the creation of Our Next 100 Years. This project is a historic endeavor to ensure that Jewish life in Birmingham will remain creative, cohesive and vibrant for generations to come.

Operation Grassroots gifts continue to come in daily. We thank all those who've responded since this unprecedented effort began. One of the latest came from one of our BJF Board members on behalf of this individual and the person's spouse.

This couple recently finalized plans to leave the Federation a generous legacy gift and still were able to increase their annual campaign gift from $7000 to $7400. "We are proud of all the really amazing accomplishments of the Federation, and are happy to be a small part," this board member wrote.

Operation Grassroots is an effort to raise 1000 new gifts and increases of at least $100 to obtain a $100,000 challenge gift. Operation Grassroots is open to anyone who would like to participate.

Click to make an Operation Grassroots payment.

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