JCA Committees

duda • May 30, 2025

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 welcome your input and experience. 


Jewish Community Relations Council:

Our newly reconstituted Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) will focus on a series of working groups:

  • an antisemitism working group to assist in developing plans to address antisemitism statewide proactively, and 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 reconvened 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 to plan 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 Programming Director in planning, reviewing, and volunteering for events in arts, culture, and well-being. We are seeking to diversify our committee further and are keen to have representation from the Israeli community, the LGBTQ+ community, 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.

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.

2026 Shlichim Spotlight

June 29, 2026
Camp is officially in session, and we’re so excited to welcome this year’s Israeli Shlichim to Center Day Camp. Each summer, our Shlichim (Hebrew for “emissaries”) travel from Israel to spend the season at camp—sharing their culture, traditions, language, stories, and everyday life with our campers and community. Through games, conversations, music, special programs, and lots of fun, they help create meaningful connections that bring Israel to life in authentic and personal ways. Wishing all of our campers, staff, and Shlichim an unforgettable summer ahead!

Second Annual Jewish Asian Friendship Dinner

June 5, 2026
The JCA had a wonderful time hosting the Second Annual Jewish-Asian Friendship Dinner! This dinner brought together the Jewish community and nearly all major Asian organizations in Southern Maine. This year, we served Cambodian delicacies, Filipino comfort food, and Israeli falafel, with a special dish made for the event: a red onion curry challah created by Exile Bakery. Highlights of the night included honoring Manli Ho—the daughter of famous Chinese diplomat Dr. Feng-Shan Ho, who saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust—and a Hamotzi blessing & invocation from Rabbi Rachel Isaacs. We also heard a moving story on growing up Asian from former Portland City Councillor Tae Chong, a speech from community leader Marpheen Chann, an introduction from Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and concluding remarks from Tam Huynh, Executive Director of the Holocaust & Human Rights Center of Maine. Our Jewish Community Relations Council also presented an original artwork to the Watt Samaki Buddhist Temple in honor of our past year of friendship. Thank you to more than 150 community members who packed the JCA to celebrate Jewish-Asian unity. These include our friends at Khmer Maine, the Maine Jewish Museum, Azerbaijan Society of Maine, Chinese Gospel Church of Portland, Watt Samaki Buddhist Temple, Filipino-American Samahan of Maine, Chinese-American Friendship Association of Maine, Maine Asian-American Community Center, and The LUNAR Collective.
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