Locals inspired to help Israel
SARAH DELANEY
Editorial Intern
As the situation in Israel grows more unstable, many people in Arizona have decided to give time and money to organizations specifically designed to benefit Israel. Many of the groups they are turning to are actually grass-roots organizations, created on a local level to fill a need not met by the larger national associations. While these organizations may not have the size or the financial resources that some of the national groups do, their work still makes an impact, both in Israel and here in Arizona.
One such grass-roots organization is the Judaic Cultural Orchestra. The group brings professional musicians and cantors from across the Valley together to perform Jewish music.
Jay Bycer, a chairman of the group, says, "The goal of this was, number one, to bring it out to the community ... to bring in people who are not affiliated, to bring in people who are not Jewish." The first concert was held May 6, 2003, in connection with Israel Independence Day. The event was popular enough to launch a second concert, Dec. 22, 2003, and more are planned, both here in Phoenix and in various locations across the United States.
The concerts all benefit the American Red Magen David for Israel (ARMDI), as well as other charities, such as Hadassah, which was involved in the December concert.
The events, Bycer notes, have raised about $70,000 for the charities. "We're very pleased with (the results) ... from the point of view of positive image, it was a great experience, and it raises money to go to Israel. So I mean, what else?" he comments.
The Partners for Life program, another ARMDI grass-roots group, is a unique combination of ideas. It educates children about Israel and also provides an opportunity for them to help the country. Begun last year, the program taught Phoenix children from kindergarten to fourth grade "what's Israel, what's happening in Israel, what's their role," Bycer explains. Afterward, the children completed a mitzvah project. They drew pictures of what they had learned about Israel and about ARMDI's role in saving lives. Forty-two drawings were chosen to create a calendar; proceeds benefited ARMDI's work in Israel. The second year of the program focused on older children, using similar methods to teach fifth- to eighth-graders. The students wrote poems and essays about their new knowledge, which will be turned into greeting cards. Several other communities nationwide have expressed interest in starting similar programs.
A future event planned here for Phoenix will again take a new approach to educating people about Israel. The "Arm-in-Arm for Israel" Walk will feature a route in the shape of Israel. At various places signs will be posted, explaining what location it represents in Israel or the historical significance of the spot in Israel.
The hope is that all the charities that work for Israel will come together for the event to help teach the broader community about Israel and about the organizations that try to help there. The goal is to have the walk between November and February, and to make it highly visible so that all kinds of people, both Jewish and non-Jewish, get involved.
The grass-roots organizations that have grown in the past few years have been trying new approaches and techniques to reach out beyond the typical volunteers, and even beyond the Jewish community, to explain the importance of helping Israel. The success of so many of these groups demonstrates the obvious interest and desire many people feel to help others, a need that was not met by the larger national groups.
These grass-roots organizations are important for a city because, Bycer says, "it makes the community come together. There's nothing like getting ... everyone from the community, Jewish or non-Jewish, to work together for a single goal. ...The only way our community is going to survive is by being grass roots."
For more information about the grass-roots organizations mentioned, contact Jay Bycer or the Arizona Friends of ARMDI at ARMDIArizona@yahoo.com or 602-787-2390.
Contact the writer at sarah_delaney@jewishaz.com.
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