JCRC’s purpose is to define and advance the values, interests and priorities of the organized Jewish community of Greater Boston in the public square.
As we welcome the new year, we close the door on a summer that has shaken many of us. We were saddened and horrified when, in the space of six weeks, two glass panels from the New England Holocaust Memorial were destroyed by acts of vandalism. The second glass panel was shattered just days after white supremacists and self-proclaimed neo-Nazis marched in the streets of Charlottesville. Though … Continue reading New Year Brings New Lessons from Malden High Students
I never had the privilege of meeting Connie Spear Birnbaum, who died in 2003 at age 48 of breast cancer. But as I’ve come to learn about her much too short life, it’s clear that she left behind a powerful legacy; a call for Jewish unity in our community. Connie moved to Boston to pursue her Masters in Jewish Communal Service at Brandeis University. It … Continue reading The Legacy of Connie S. Birnbaum
Hardly a day goes by when someone doesn’t ask me: “Is JCRC making a statement on x today?” And hardly a week goes by when we don’t hear a critique of our choices. Some ask, “Why are you speaking on that?” From others we hear, “How could you possibly stay silent in the face of such an urgent issue?” Allow me to share just a few considerations … Continue reading When To Speak Up; When To Speak Out
In the spirit of back-to-school, this week’s message is from Rebecca Shimshak, the Director of our Greater Boston Jewish Coalition for Literacy program. As summer ends and a new year of learning begins, school staff throughout Greater Boston are working feverishly to prepare for their students’ arrival. Here at JCRC, our nearly 300 Greater Boston Jewish Coalition for Literacy (GBJCL) volunteers are also gearing up … Continue reading Back to School with GBJCL | A Message from Our Literacy Program Director
We have spent this summer at JCRC – between crises – mapping out our goals for the coming year. Among our priorities, is a commitment to engaging young adults in our work, not only as participants in our programs, but as stakeholders in our mission, and ultimately as future leaders of our organization. To inform our efforts, we’ve turned to our own young staff members … Continue reading Asking and Acting | A Millennial Message from Our Senior Synagogue Organizer
