Our Community Newsletter - August 2025
Camp Ideal 2025: Fun, Friendship, & Forever Memories
Wow, what an incredible six weeks it’s been! This summer was packed with adventure, laughter, and unforgettable experiences. We’ve made so many memories together, and we couldn’t wait to share the highlights with you.
Hear the Story of “Galilee Medical Center: a Model for Coexistence”
After more than one year and nine months of Israel’s struggle for survival against Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and its other proxies, here is a good news story you won’t want to miss.
A Deeper Calling
It’s a true honor to be writing my first piece for Our Community Newsletter. As I step into this new role as Director of Programming with the Jewish Federation, I want to take a moment to introduce myself, share a bit about where I’ve been, and offer a glimpse of what I hope we can build together.
Honey Cookies from Our Community Table
The high holiday season is coming closer. I’m already thinking about things I can prepare in advance. Each holiday has its own special dishes, things that we traditionally make year after year. In hope of having a sweet year, we incorporate honey into our Rosh Hashanah meals. We dip apple slices in honey. We dip our Challah slices in honey. We lean towa…
Harmony for All: Jewish Community Choir Brings Voices Together
Fifty-three years ago, I was 9 years old, and the Cantor at our Synagogue was starting a youth choir. I was thrilled and loved the Jewish and Israeli songs our Chazzan chose, and the simple harmonies we were able to produce. But my experience with this synagogue choir was short-lived as other life pursuits pulled at my time and one life choice after ano…
Live Debt-Free
I’ve often talked about the importance of budgeting. Sadly, most people live paycheck to paycheck, many of them going into credit card debt to make ends meet. It is an endless cycle that causes stress and anxiety. When presented with the concept of saving, the response is, “I wish! I’m barely making it now. Any extra money I have goes to paying down my …
Jewish Women’s Endowment Fund Site Visits
Donna Ayres, President; Judy Wein, Grant Committee Chair; and Jewish Women’s Endowment Fund (JWEF) members Marsha Brook and Diane Sarnat conducted two site visits in July 2025 to see how their 2024 grants were being used.
Community Security Begins with Us
Jewish community security is no longer just the responsibility of professionals or institutions. It is a shared obligation that begins with community action. As antisemitic incidents rise globally, Jewish communities are responding not with fear, but with proactive, united efforts to protect their people, spaces, and way of life.
Celebrating 80 Years of the Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley
The Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley is turning 80 and the community is invited to celebrate in style at a Backyard Birthday Barbecue on August 17 from 12–3 PM.
Jews Under Islamic Rule — A Historical Journey
On August 14th at 7 PM, I will have the privilege of giving a presentation at the Federation titled “Jews Under Islamic Rule”, an exploration of a fascinating and often overlooked chapter in Jewish history. I created this presentation because the media often overlooks the Jews of the Middle East and North Africa. Also, since my family is from the Middle East, I decided it’s important to share this story.
Thank You, Jewish Michiana
As I step into retirement from my position as Community Relations Director, I want to use this opportunity to say a few thank yous to our community.
Our strength lies in showing up — together
As I write this, we find ourselves at a moment of significant transition — in Jewish South Bend, in Israel, in the broader Middle East, and across the world. So much is shifting, and our local experience is no exception.
Jewish Community Volunteers Dig in for Unity Gardens
On Monday, August 4, our Federation Unity Garden received a much-needed refresh, thanks to the hard work of Jordan Price, Mary Fisher, Janice Mudd, Sandy Hall, Bonny Hoover, MarySue Austin, Rabbi Shoshana Kaminsky, and Moshe Kruger, who spent the afternoon pulling weeds and tidying up the space.
Camp Ideal Wraps Up with Heart & Purpose
We concluded another amazing season of Camp Ideal last Friday with our beloved Shi’Shuk Market—a lively space where campers proudly sold freshly baked challah and other delicious treats, they had worked hard to prepare earlier that day.
Federation Book Club Reads TOM LAKE, by Ann Patchett
In the early 70s, I lived on a woodsy street in the Catskills five minutes from the late, great Concord Hotel—so close I could hear their activities announcements. We were also next door to a summer theater organization called, “Tent-arena.” Thanks to reading