Event Recap: The First Annual Jewish-Asian Friendship Dinner

duda • September 10, 2025

The JCA’s First Annual Jewish-Asian Friendship Dinner was a resounding success! On August 21, a sold-out crowd of 150 people representing both the Jewish and Asian communities gathered at the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine.

We began the night by blessing a “red onion curry challah” specially created by John Rudoy from Exile Bakery for the event. We then recognized all the organizations present: the Maine Jewish Museum, Chinese-American Friendship Association of Maine, Watt Samaki Buddhist Temple, Khmer Maine, the Maine Asian-American Community Center, and the Filipino-American Samahan of Maine.

Man in a suit speaking at a podium, holding a bread roll and plate. Room with orange wall and

Presentations were made by a number of individuals. Our CEO Leslie Kirby first greeted all attendees. YuJi Smith, the youngest Board Member of CAFAM, delivered an inspiring videotaped message. We then heard a brief “History of the Jews” presentation from event organizer and JCRC Director Zach Schwartz, and learned about growing up “Jewpanese” from Abbie Yamamoto. We watched an entrancing performance from Khmer Maine’s dance youth group. Dawn LaRochelle from the Maine Jewish Museum lit up the room with an entertaining presentation about “The Jewish Love of Chinese Food." We heard about the exciting Maine Asian-American Community Center project from our friends Marpheen Chann and Sarah Boothby (which our Jewish community is eager to help build—you can donate here), before ending the night with poems from Anna Wrobel and closing remarks from Tam Huynh.

“From my point of view, the Asian and Jewish communities have much in common. Both are time-honored cultures with the shared values of respect, education, compassion, and belonging. These shared values are why it is important that our communities come together in support of each other, especially in these times.” —YuJi Smith, Board Member of the Chinese-American Friendship Association of Maine (watch below)

Every non-Jewish attendee who filled out our post-event survey agreed that they left the dinner with a “deeper understanding of Jewish history and culture,” that they saw “new connections between Asian and Jewish experiences”, and that they “gained awareness of both modern antisemitism and ways our communities can stand against hate.” You can read some of their statements, and see photos from the night, below:

Other Testimonials From the Night

"I saw many energetic Jewish and Asian young people coming together to celebrate our similarities, with a genuine interest of doing good to benefit both communities. I hope there will be more events like this in the future that unite our minority groups." — Community member from China
"Even though I'm Jewish, I thought Zach did an excellent job at his brief history of the Jews. I especially liked the way he showed that Jews did not colonize Israel…[it made an impact on me] to see non-Jews nodding in agreement to mentions of Jewish trauma and the Holocaust." — Jewish community member
"[It made me feel hopeful] that that there is an effort in uniting various minority groups, coming together to celebrate our similarities and differences. I saw many energetic, young people with expertise in various areas, talking about issues facing the nation, sharing good food, with a genuine interest in doing good to benefit both communities." — Community Member from Hong Kong
"This is one of the best events I have ever attended. I am still carrying a warm vibe in my heart and soul—very impactful! Can’t wait for next year." — Community member in Portland

Follow-Up

This is just the beginning of the JCA’s renewed focus on cross-cultural bridge-building. We are looking forward to continuing building relationships with all of the Asian communities who attended. Just two days after the event, our JCRC Director Zach attended the annual Filipiniana Gala, held by the Filipino-American Samahan of Maine. At the beginning of this important event which gathered the Filipino community across Maine, President Sarah Boothby hailed the Jewish-Asian Friendship Dinner as a “momentous occasion” that brought our two communities together.

Additionally, we will be working with Watt Samaki Buddhist Temple on a community security initiative, and the Chinese-American Friendship Association of Maine will be holding their Mid-Autumn Festival Potluck at the JCA in early October. Due to demand from both Jewish and Asian community members, we also plan to start regularly convening in smaller groups to discuss ways our communities can work together.

Special thank you to event co-organizer Marpheen Chann and all other leaders from the Asian community who showed up that night to connect with Maine’s Jewish community. Thank you as well to Rebecca Schilling from Maine Wedding Provisions for her delicious matzah ball soup, as well as our caterers Mitr Thai and Sichuan Kitchen.

See you next year!

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National Diaper Need Awareness Week 2026

September 15, 2026

The Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine Marks National Diaper Need Awareness Week, Celebrating Community Support for Maine Families As Maine recognizes National Diaper Need Awareness Week, September 14–20, Michael Klahr Jewish Family Services (KJFS) at the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine (JCA) is highlighting the ongoing challenge of diaper need and the extraordinary network of volunteers, donors, funders, and community partners who make the KJFS Diaper Bank possible. Across the country, one in two families with young children struggles to afford enough diapers to keep their children clean, dry, and healthy. Diapers are a basic necessity, but they are also an economic issue for families: many childcare and early education programs require parents to provide an adequate supply of diapers, meaning diaper need can create another barrier to parents’ ability to work. Here in Maine, the KJFS Diaper Bank works to ensure that families throughout the state have access to this essential resource. As an essential component of the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, KJFS approaches this work in the spirit of Jewish values—the belief that caring for our neighbors and helping people meet their most basic needs is a responsibility we share. The Diaper Bank puts those values into action by serving families of all backgrounds throughout Maine. In 2025, the JCA distributed 290,050 diapers to an average of 965 children each distribution month. Currently, the Diaper Bank serves clients in Lewiston, Gray, Raymond, Mechanic Falls, Brunswick, Saco, Biddeford, Gorham, Windham, Standish, Buxton, Steep Falls, Scarborough, South Portland, Portland, and Westbrook. As we continue to see the impacts of inflation, diapers continue to be a barrier for families, and without clean diapers, babies are exposed to potential health risks and toxic stress, and mothers are at risk for increased maternal depression. In a letter recognizing National Diaper Need Awareness Week, Maine Governor Janet Mills thanked the state’s diaper banks, staff, volunteers, and donors for their service and specifically recognized the JCA among the trusted community-based organizations working to distribute diapers to families throughout Maine. “We thank Governor Mills for recognizing the work of so many across our community to address diaper need,” said Susan Cohen, CEO of the JCA. “Jewish tradition reminds us that we are responsible for one another, and that caring for our neighbors is both an obligation and an expression of our deepest values. Through this work, we seek to ensure that every family has the dignity, resources, and opportunity they need to thrive.” The work of the KJFS Diaper Bank is only possible because of the community behind it. In 2025, the Diaper Bank had over 80 volunteers, including 50 individual volunteers as well as many corporate and student volunteer groups who donated over 700 volunteer hours. Volunteers help receive, organize, package, deliver, and prepare diapers for distribution, while individuals, businesses, foundations, government partners, and community organizations provide the financial and material resources needed to keep shelves stocked. Margaret Mailander, Director of Michael Klahr Jewish Family Services shares that "addressing the immediate diaper need is important and as the National Diaper Bank Network has made clear through their research, diaper need is a systemic issue caused by economic and social systems and therefore requires our collective support to find solutions that are structural." During National Diaper Need Awareness Week, KJFS encourages Mainers to learn more about diaper need, organize diaper drives, volunteer, and support the continued availability of diapers for families throughout the state. Please donate to the Jewish Family Services Diaper Bank at Diaper Bank . About Michael Klahr Jewish Family Services KJFS is the social services department of the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, providing programs and resources that support individuals and families and strengthen communities throughout Maine. Guided by Jewish values and open to people of all backgrounds, KJFS works to meet immediate needs while fostering dignity, connection, and well-being. About the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine The Jewish Community Alliance (JCA) is a central hub for Jewish life, education, and community support. We provide meaningful programs, essential services, and opportunities to connect. Rooted in Jewish values, history, and our connection to Israel, the JCA cultivates and sustains a welcoming and thriving Jewish community in Maine and strives to build a better world for all.

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July 31, 2026

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Remembering, Rebuilding, and Resilience: JCRC Hosts Eugene Damlich

July 15, 2026

Last week, the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine welcomed Eugene Damlich, a survivor of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, for a special lunch and community dialogue. Eugene shared the story of losing his family, surviving unimaginable violence, and rebuilding his life in the years that followed. The only surviving child in a family of five children, Eugene later immigrated to the United States, where, as an adult, he found love and belonging with a Jewish-American family. The gathering was not simply a testimony program, but a genuine exchange between communities. Eugene asked participants how the Jewish community has preserved Holocaust memory while helping survivors and their descendants live with hope, dignity, and purpose. He also invited discussion about forgiveness, justice, healing, and the responsibility to transmit memory across generations. Several people at the table were children of Holocaust survivors—one JCRC member, Anna Wrobel, shared that her mother was also the sole survivor of her family—profoundly relating to Eugene in a way that few others can. In preparation for the lunch, the JCRC held its first movie night, where participants watched Sometimes in April, a 2005 historical drama about the Rwandan Genocide. Last week’s lunch also built upon the JCRC’s participation in this year’s Kwibuka, which annually commemorates the Rwandan Genocide; JCRC members walked in the memorial procession, and a post-Kwibuaka gathering for Maine’s Tutsi community was held at the JCA. We are deeply grateful to Eugene for sharing his testimony, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen the relationship between Maine’s Jewish and Tutsi communities.