Community Messages

The JCA's Jewish Community Relations Council, Michael Klahr Jewish Family Services, and Program Committees are recruiting new members to support the J’s staff in planning, reviewing, and volunteering for events. We are seeking to diversify our committees and would welcome your input and experience. Jewish Community Relations Council Committee: Our newly reconstituted Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) will be focused around a series of working groups: an antisemitism working group to assist in developing plans to proactively address antisemitism statewide, as well as respond to incidents when they happen; an intercultural working group to support outreach to other faith and cultural groups in our area for community-building and dialogue; a social action working group to work in conjunction with KJFS on community social action in line with our values; and, an Israel working group to support Israel-related education and programming If you are interested in participating in these working groups, please email our JCRC Director, Zach Schwartz Michael Klahr Jewish Family Services Committee: Our newly reconstituted Klahr Jewish Family Services (KJFS) committee is also looking for new members. With our refugee work decreasing due to changes in immigration policies, KJFS will be building out new programs to serve our community. This is a chance to get in on the ground floor for planning the next steps to support and care for those in need. If you are interested in joining the KJFS committee, please email our KJFS Director, Margaret Mailander . Program Committee: The Program Committee is recruiting new members to support the JCA’s Program Director in planning, reviewing, and volunteering for events in arts, culture, and well-being. We are seeking to further diversify our committee and are keen to have representation from: the Israeli community; the twenty-something community; the LGBTQ+ community, the Young Jewish Professionals social group, and men (not mutually exclusive!). We would also love to have someone with a marketing background join us. For more information, please contact Program Committee Chair Janet Marstine .

Check Out What's Going on In the World

2025 Yom Hazikaron & Yom Haatzmaut

Check Out What's Going on In the World

Check Out What's Going on In the World

This week brought both mourning and celebration of Israel with Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut. Thanks to Temple Beth El for hosting our community Yom Hazikaron memorial, and to Rabbi Estrin for leading the service and providing us with such a wonderful mix of Israeli music afterward. And last night we had an amazing celebration of Israel’s 77th birthday celebration at the JCA - complete with an Israeli rave! And if you haven’t yet heard the story of Keren and Harel Oren, I would encourage you to look them up. They are both incredible people, and gifted speakers, and their story of surviving the October 7th attacks, working to rebuild, and finding hope for the future is inspiring to us all. It has been a privilege hosting them and getting to know them this week, and we look forward to staying connected on future visits to Israel. May is Jewish American Heritage Month . Formally proclaimed by President George W Bush in 2006, the purpose of Jewish American Heritage Month is to celebrate the contributions of Jewish Americans to the history and culture of the US. The Maine state legislature issued a proclamation honoring this year’s Jewish American Heritage Month, you can watch Representative Sam Zager’s remarks on the proclamation. The Jewish American Heritage website has incredible resources; in particular, I would draw your attention to their section on resources to educate the broader public about antisemitism and their “ Read, Watch, Listen, Make ” section for a curated list of cultural content that brings Jewish stories and voices to life. I’m excited to report that a draft of our Community Study has come in! We’ll be launching the results with a series of events beginning next month and continuing through the summer. We’ll have fascinating updates on Jewish life in Maine, and look forward to meaningful discussions about how to utilize the data to continue building thriving Jewish life in Maine. Lastly, see below for information on how to vote in the World Zionist Congress . This group plays a crucial role in the distribution of millions of dollars in aid to Jews throughout the world, it’s very important to make sure your voice is heard! Vote now, voting closes on May 4th! Shabbat Shalom, Leslie

Bagels and Beyond

Yom Hashoah in 2025