Honoring the Legacy of Norman I. Godfrey

duda • July 15, 2025

Honoring the Legacy of Norman I. Godfrey

In every generation, there are individuals whose quiet determination and selfless leadership shape the very fabric of community life. For Portland’s Jewish community, Norman I. Godfrey was one such individual. Though his time with us was brief, the legacy he left continues to resonate more than 75 years after his untimely passing at the age of 36.

In 1938, amid the growing need for unity in a fragmented Jewish community and rising antisemitism in the greater Portland area, Godfrey was hired as the first Executive Director of the newly established Jewish Community Center at 341 Cumberland Avenue. Just 27 years old, Godfrey brought with him a deep commitment to Jewish values, experience in physical education and youth work, and a unique talent for bringing people together.

Under his leadership from 1938 to 1946, the JCC became a vibrant hub for Jewish life—home to theater, athletics, lectures, youth groups, blood drives, cultural clubs, and wartime support for soldiers abroad. It was a space where Jewish identity could thrive alongside American civic life. Godfrey's boundless energy and heartfelt commitment inspired hundreds of volunteers to shape programs and services that welcomed all factions of the Jewish community and opened doors to non-Jews in a time of exclusion and discrimination.

Even after illness forced him to step away from his duties, Godfrey’s vision endured. After his death in January 1947, the community honored his memory with the creation of Center Day Camp on Sebago Lake—a project he championed but never lived to see. Thanks to the generosity of friends and supporters, the camp was purchased, built, and paid off by 1951 using the proceeds of the Norman I. Godfrey Memorial Fund. It remains a cornerstone of the JCA’s commitment to inclusive, joyful Jewish life.

To this day, Norman Godfrey’s life reminds us of what it means to lead with humility, conviction, and love. May his memory be a blessing, and may we continue to live out his vision of a vibrant, inclusive, and compassionate Jewish community.

His Legacy Lives On at Center Day Camp

Norman’s dream continues to come alive each summer at Center Day Camp. His spirit of inclusion, community, and joyful Jewish identity is reflected in the everyday magic of camp, from programming and traditions to the memories made by each generation of campers.

As Chris Thurston, CDC Director, recently shared:

"His vision continues to resonate in meaningful ways at CDC—from the magic of camp to the growth of programming, to his legacy that is reflected in the lasting memories of our campers. We’re so grateful for the role he played in our story, and for those who continue to keep his memory alive."

This summer, campers themselves became curious about “the man on the sign” near the gate. Their curiosity led to a discussion about Norman’s life and impact, culminating in a heartfelt article in the camp newspaper:

“Hello, this is an interview. Today we want to ask if you ride the bus? If so, do you ever walk by a tree with a sign that says Norman Godfrey? We want to talk about him and his life. First of all, Norman was the Director of the JCC and had the idea of a Jewish camp. Unfortunately, he never got to see it happen, but he made CDC not just for kids raised under a Jewish house but also kids who just wanted to have fun. Norman was born in 1910 and died in 1947. It was sad he only lived for 37 years but we are grateful for his vision and we are very happy this camp is running.”

This intergenerational moment is a testament to the enduring power of Norman Godfrey’s vision. Even today, children are asking questions, learning history, and feeling connected to the roots of the place they call their summer home.

In honor of this legacy, CDC also recently relocated the Norman I. Godfrey Memorial Fund plaque to a more visible location in the Shwartz building—a small gesture that ensures campers, staff, and visitors alike continue to learn from and be inspired by the man who made it all possible.

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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.