Statement About the JCA’s Refugee Resettlement & Newcomer Services (RRNS) Program

duda • September 19, 2025

In Fall 2021, the JCA was thrilled to become a HIAS affiliate in refugee resettlement work. Over the last four years, this area of our organization has expanded more than we ever could have imagined: our Refugee Resettlement & Newcomer Services (RRNS) staff grew to 18 dedicated individuals, welcoming a total of 571 people from 24 countries to Maine. This work includes meeting newcomers at the airport, getting them settled into temporary and then permanent housing, providing stipends for essential expenses like groceries and rent, and helping them adjust to life in the United States through cultural orientations, assistance with medical appointments, enrolling children in school, employment searches, and so much more. Under the federal resettlement program, refugees are entitled to up to five years of services after their arrival.

And so, it is with deep devastation and disappointment that we share a very difficult decision made by the JCA’s Board of Directors to pause federally-funded refugee work at the end of the federal fiscal year, on Sept. 30, 2025.

The JCA Board, with input from staff, has spent many hours discussing our RRNS program over the last year. We pushed ahead more than once, taking financial risks for the organization to continue providing vital services. We’ve done this because we value this work as part of our mission and Jewish values. We respect and honor the time and energy the RRNS staff has put into their work for the last four years. And we recognize the significant needs of the RRNS clients as they continue to settle into their new homes in Maine. However, in the current political climate with massive grant cuts and unexpected changes to programs and decisions, it is not viable for us to take on further, substantial financial risks to run this program.

The JCA is many things and provides such an array of valuable and important services and programs to so many different people. We cannot knowingly agree to put the organization in financial jeopardy for the sake of one program or service area, no matter how much we value it.

Over the last couple of months, our focus has been on helping both RRNS clients and staff be in the best position possible when September 30 arrives. In addition to the services we have continued to offer clients, we have been supporting staff as they look for their next roles and balance their ongoing work with their own well-being.

We’re truly sorry and heartbroken to be in this position. And yet, in hard times, we are always amazed by our wonderful community. Through the incredible generosity of a small group of transformational donors, the modest bright light we can share today is that we will be able to fund three RRNS staff positions privately in the next year. This will allow the JCA to continue to offer intensive case management services to many of the clients in continued need of care, as well as group programming. One position will include a caseload of clients who are experiencing significant barriers to self-sufficiency and need additional case management support to gain independence. Another position will offer case management to our most vulnerable Ukrainian clients, and the third position will directly serve our most vulnerable Afghan clients. We will also continue to identify ways we may be able to serve this population through other JFS programming in the months and years ahead.

The Board and leadership of the JCA are so proud and forever grateful for the incredible, selfless, and humanistic work of the RRNS staff, especially over these tumultuous past 10 months. We very much hope that one day the JCA can open our doors to this work more fully again, when the funding streams and federal partnerships required are more stable and welcoming of refugee populations. Please join us in gratitude for our departing staff, and support new Mainers in any way you are able.

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JCA Member Tapped for Hadassah Leadership Program

February 4, 2026

Hadassah Welcomes Its Fourth Group of Future Hadassah Leaders The 11 women from 7 states are the latest to be chosen for Hadassah’s Evolve Leadership Fellows program NEW YORK, NY — Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America , is proud to announce its new class of Evolve Leadership Fellows . The 11 women comprise the fourth group chosen for the two-year leadership development program, which the organization launched in 2022 to identify and nurture the next generation of Hadassah leaders. The fellows, a diverse group of women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s from California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Texas, i nclude professionals working in cybersecurity, education, healthcare, social work, and the arts as well as several part and full-time homemakers. As befits a group participating in a leadership development program run by an organization with a strong focus on healthcare and a public hospital system, Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Organization , among the fellows’ specialties are academic coaching for neurodivergent children, therapy for autistic children, healthcare consulting, donor recruitment for blood banks, and locating housing for doctors working in underserved communities. Carol Ann Schwartz, Hadassah National President , welcomed the new fellows, saying she was "delighted to see younger Jewish women eager to take up the mantle of leadership to help advance Hadassah’s mission." During the first year of the Evolve Leadership Fellows program, the fellows meet with Hadassah's national leaders and learn about the organization’s programs and initiatives in Israel and the US. They also participate in a series of workshops led by Hadassah's senior management team, which focus on developing the skills needed to inspire and lead their fellow Hadassah members. In the second year, each fellow is paired with a Hadassah mentor and asked to take on a leadership role in her local Hadassah chapter or region based on the community’s needs and interests. Among the roles taken on by past fellows are the presidency of their Hadassah region, representing their regions at meetings of the World Zionist Congress and the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, and chairing a Hadassah Evolve symposium. The Evolve Leadership Fellows program is part of Evolve Hadassah: The Next Generation , a Hadassah initiative that seeks to build community among younger members and empower them to take action so that Hadassah’s mission remains life-changing for generations to come. About Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America: Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States. With nearly 300,000 members, donors, and supporters, Hadassah brings women together to effect change on such critical issues as ensuring Israel’s security, combating antisemitism, and promoting women’s health care. Through its Jerusalem-based medical center, the Hadassah Medical Organization , Hadassah helps support exemplary care for more than 1 million people every year as well as world-renowned medical research. Hadassah’s hospitals serve without regard to race, religion, or nationality and earned a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2005 for building bridges to peace through medicine. Hadassah also supports two youth villages that set vulnerable youth in Israel on the path to a successful future. Visit hadassah.org and follow Hadassah on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and Threads . Carly Wittman has been selected as a member of Hadassah’s newest cohort of Evolve Leadership Fellows. Carly, a second-generation Hadassah member, was encouraged to apply to the Fellows program by longtime Hadassah member Leslie Gonzalez, who knew Carly wanted to develop leadership skills, was committed to Israel, and was active in the Fellows’ umbrella group, Evolve Hadassah: The Next Generation . Carly has been involved in Jewish life since she was young. She attended Congregation Beth Israel in Old Orchard Beach, the Hebrew school of Congregation Etz Chaim in Biddeford, and Jewish summer camps in Portland (Camp Gan Israel) and Windham (the JCA’s Center Day Camp). In her senior year at the University of Maine, Orono, she was Hillel president. Today, in addition to her activity with Hadassah, she sits on the JCA’s Intercultural and Government Advocacy committees and is proud to have testified at the Maine State House against a BDS bill. She hopes to form Maine’s first Hadassah chapter with the help of the JCA’s Young Jewish Professionals group, of which she’s also a member. For now, she’s happy to be part of New England’s Hadassah Northeast chapter, joining meetings by Zoom and sometimes traveling to Boston for events. Carly is a senior research analyst with Portland’s Crescendo Consulting Group , which works to improve life in the communities it serves by advising local healthcare organizations, public health departments, and tribal nations. It’s another way in which her interests complement the mission of Hadassah, which operates a public hospital system in Israel.

Guided by Jewish Values, Committed to One Another

January 30, 2026

Guided by Jewish Values, Committed to One Another The JCA reaffirms our unwavering support for every member of the community. Guided by the core Jewish value of pikuach nefesh - the preservation of life - and a deep respect for human rights, we remain committed to being welcoming and safe for everyone. This value states that life is a gift from G-d that must be protected. Every aspect of human life is sacred - physically, mentally, and emotionally - regardless of religion or race. Our tradition teaches us the immense weight of this responsibility. The Torah speaks passionately about our obligation to build a society that is just. The call to actively pursue justice, צדק צדק תרדף - tzedek tzedek tirdof - (Devarim 16:20), is presented as a central and fundamental component of Jewish life. Our tradition is clear: Jews must work for a world in which all people can live in dignity. In alignment with these values, we stand in solidarity with our immigrant community, who deserve to live free of fear, oppression, and discrimination. We believe in the inherent dignity of every individual. We remain dedicated to serving you and upholding the values that define us. B'yachad - together, Stefanie Levenson & Rachael Alfond Acting Co-Directors

No-Cost Security Support for Maine's Jewish Community - Communal Security Initiative at Combined Jewish Philanthropies

January 27, 2026

Maine’s Jewish communal organizations have access to no-cost security support through Combined Jewish Philanthropies’ (Greater Boston’s Jewish Federation) Communal Security Initiative (CSI) and its partnership with Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine (JCA). A product of CSI’s expanded service area, these additional resources can strengthen overall safety for our community. As a hub for Jewish life in the region, JCA has hosted CSI trainings and been a key partner in the provision of security grants and relationship development with rabbis, board members, and educators. Paired with CSI Regional Security Advisor Mark Atlee’s extensive law enforcement and community engagement experience, JCA’s connections with federal, state, and local law enforcement have been streamlined to ensure easier access to shared resources. Through 2027, CSI’s services are available to organizations within JCA’s catchment area at no cost through the Jewish Federation of North America’s LiveSecure grant program. CSI focuses on four mutually reinforcing communal security pillars known as PACT: P hysical security infrastructure, A ccess to CJP-provided and federal physical security grants, security consultations, and incident response support, C yber threat preparedness and response, and T raining to help partners balance being open and welcoming with creating a safe and secure environment. Our grants and services are designed to empower our partners’ improvement of life-safety decision-making and investments. We take pride in the time we’ve spent establishing connections and better understanding Jewish communities and congregations across Maine, as well as the relationships we’ve built with law enforcement officials. Together, we can support a thriving Jewish community and strengthen our network to respond to community organizations’ needs, both proactively and in times of uncertainty or crisis. To access support and explore training offerings, visit https://ma.cjp.org/communal-security-initiative .