Shabbat Shalom

duda • November 17, 2023

This week we entered the month of Kislev, during which many of us will gather to celebrate Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. It is difficult to reconcile the sadness and heaviness we feel right now with these holidays of family, togetherness, and joy.

 

We are reeling from the horror of the attacks on October 7th, and from increased antisemitism worldwide. We grieve for Israel’s fallen and wounded. We grieve for our families and friends in harm’s way, and we pray for the safety of those serving in the IDF, and for the hostages who have still not been returned home. We also feel deeply the pain of thousands of innocent people – Palestinian and Israeli – who have lost their lives, their livelihoods, and their communities due to the conflict.

 

As a member of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Community Center Association, the JCA supports the sovereign, democratic State of Israel. It also supports a two-state solution.

 

Even as we support Israel in its efforts to extinguish Hamas, many in our community not only feel deeply the pain and the weight of war, but also the pain of alienation from others who disagree about specific strategies, political decisions, and tactics. For some, the ferocity of Israel’s response conflicts with deeply held beliefs about Israel’s role as a light among the nations.  As difficult as it is, we recognize that it is in differences of opinion, and in our ability to truly wrestle with our values, that our strength as a people can be found. Indeed, it is in the struggle to maintain our values in the face of adversity that our character must stand firm.

 

We are a small but mighty community, and we draw strength from one another. As an organization that works to build a community in which Jews are safe to live proudly and feel at home, we seek ways to engage sensitively, productively, and respectfully in this time of crisis. There is a diversity of opinions, perspectives, and beliefs in our community, but the Jewish values that drive our commitments can help us bridge any divide. Our differences will never be greater than the power of what we share.

 

No matter how we kindle our lights this year, we know that standing together, we shine more brightly than any darkness.

 

Molly Curren Rowles, Executive Director

Stuart Piltch, JCA Board President


A Call for Peace and Responsible Rhetoric

July 31, 2026
A Call for Peace & Responsible Rhetoric

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!
Show More