News Archives - Kulanu

Mazel Tov Molly and Keshi!

Molly — Fri, 21 May 2021 00:46:04 +0000

I am pleased to announce that Kulanu has promoted Molly Levine to Deputy Director and has hired Keshi Taryan-Kigel as Multimedia Manager. Please join us in welcoming Molly and Keshi to their new roles. This is part of our long-term effort to make Kulanu more structured and sustainable. Thanks to you, our generous donors, for making this possible!

Molly Levine joined our staff as Kulanu’s Communications Director in 2018 and became Deputy Director in 2021. She holds an MA in Global Marketing Communications and has an extensive background working in international nonprofits, having worked for StrongMinds, The Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life, Global Nomads Group, Peace Corps, and Seeds of Peace.

As Deputy Director, Molly works with the president and the board to direct the internal affairs and external communications of Kulanu. She supervises staff and interns, manages all our communications, takes a leading role in online programs, fundraising, press relations, and assists with budgeting and financial oversight.

Keshetnitzah Taryan-Kigel joined our staff as an intern in 2020 and became the part-time Multimedia Manager in 2021. Keshi earned her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in 2018. Since then, she has worked at GiGi’s Playhouse NYC, at Dixon Place, and at the Familial Dysautonomia Foundation, before finding a home at Kulanu.

As Multimedia Manager, Keshi curates Kulanu’s photography collection and creates weekly graphics for Kulanu’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter platforms.

Click here to see the biographies of Kulanu’s board and staff.

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Global Teaching Fellow 2021

Molly — Thu, 20 May 2021 23:17:50 +0000

Last week Shoshana Nambi traveled to Uganda as a Kulanu Global Teaching Fellow. She is excited to share her Jewish knowledge with many of the Abayudaya Jewish communities in Uganda.

In 2018, Shoshana began her rabbinical studies at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, and she is has been at Hebrew Union College in New York City since the fall of 2019. Shoshana is from Uganda and has been a friend of Kulanu’s since 2003.

The Kulanu Global Teaching Fellowship aims to answer the call for education, support, and recognition of isolated, emerging, and returning Jewish communities in a meaningful and impactful way.

Click here to learn more about the Kulanu Global Teaching Fellowship here.

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Happy Passover from “all of us” at Kulanu!

Molly — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 20:39:39 +0000

Thanks to your donations, Kulanu was able to assist a few of our partner communities to ensure Passover celebrations can take place.

This year, we’ve assisted with funding Seders and Passover food supplies in Cameroon, Suriname, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

Here is a photo of the matzah baking from last year in Tanzania to prepare for Passover.

You can see more Passover photos from around the world here.

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A Museum Reborn

Molly — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 16:26:50 +0000

The global inauguration of the Beit Hatfutsot (Museum of the Jewish People) in Tel Aviv, Israel will take place online on Sunday, February 21 at 2 pm. The new core exhibit features photographs from around the world, including an image of brides after Kulanu’s conversions in Madagascar taken by board member Barbara Vinick and other Kulanu photos.

Watch live here: https://www.beit-hatfutsot.com

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Torah Donation to Honduras

Molly — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 16:14:07 +0000

Kulanu is very proud to have made possible a Torah donation to the community in Honduras. Watch the two beautiful ceremonies – one in the United States and one in Honduras.

The speakers included:

Lila Held and Hazzan Lance Tapper of Congregation Beth Shalom of Whitter, California
Harriet Bograd, President of Kulanu, and Bonita Sussman, First Vice President of Kulanu
Genie Milgrom, Director of Anousim of Kulanu
Rabbi Eliahu Birenbaum of Ohr Torah Stone in Israel
Eliseo Gonzalez
Rabbi Itzjak Abud
Najman Gonzales

Click here to watch the ceremony in the United States.

Click here to watch the ceremony in Honduras.

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2020 Kulanu Impact Stories – Our Online Community

Molly — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 03:42:47 +0000

Dear Friends,

As 2020 comes to a close we are reflecting on Kulanu’s accomplishments this year, supporting Jewish communities around the globe.

The coronavirus pandemic changed many of our plans this year, but we were able to pivot to more online programming to connect with more people than ever.

From virtual Jewish learning classes to our Online Speaker Series, Kulanu leveraged technology to continue to support and raise awareness of our partner communities.

With more than 7,000 views, our 14 Online Speaker Series sessions connected people across five continents in real-time to share different Jewish perspectives.

Our Kulanu in Song Chanukah Benefit shared Jewish music and dance from 11 countries on five continents that Kulanu supports.

“As we all joined online together, I could feel the sense of community in real-time across continents. For me, the Chanukah Benefit went even further in helping me appreciate how far we have come,” shared Kulanu’s president, Harriet Bograd.

Kulanu also collaborated with major organizations across the Jewish spectrum to help gain recognition for our partner communities. Our photo of brides from Madagascar is featured as a highlight of the museum’s new permanent exhibition at Beit Hatfutsot: Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv.

The photo by Barbara Vinick from 2016 shows four of the twelve brides who had Jewish weddings after they formally converted to Judaism with a team of Orthodox rabbis arranged by Kulanu. They are holding ketubot and challah covers from Ghana given to them as gifts from Kulanu.

Kulanu needs your help to continue its support of our many international partner communities.

Please donate online now or send a check to Kulanu, c/o Harriet Bograd (address below) to secure Kulanu’s future! If you have already given, thank you!

Consider making a multi-year donation or a regular monthly gift that will allow us to efficiently plan for the future.

We look forward to seeing you online in 2021. Thank you for being part of “all of us”!

Warm regards,
Harriet
and “all of us” at Kulanu

Harriet Bograd, President
165 West End Ave 3R
New York, NY, 10023

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2020 Kulanu Impact Stories – Projects in Zimbabwe

Molly — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 04:07:22 +0000

Dear Friends,

As 2020 comes to a close we are reflecting on Kulanu’s accomplishments this year, supporting Jewish communities around the globe. Today’s story is about how donations are making an impact in Zimbabwe.

From printing a tri-lingual Passover Haggadah to recording additional original Shabbat service music with Lemba tunes, Kulanu has supported the Jewish community in Zimbabwe in synthesizing modern Jewish practice with their ancient Lemba-Jewish language and culture.

“We are looking forward with all of the help that we are getting from Kulanu to establish more congregations in the countryside where most of the Lemba live. We will keep on growing thanks to Kulanu and thanks to its members. The Lemba tribe is on its way to fully reconnect with modern Judaism,” shared Modreck Maeresera, Community Leader (Modreck’s mother and her two grandchildren are pictured.)

In addition, Kulanu is assisting with an ongoing water conservation project to grow food in Bedza, a rural region of the country where many Lemba live, to support the local Jewish community as well as those living in the capital city of Harare.

Kulanu needs your help to continue its support of our many international partner communities like the Lemba so that they can continue to grow and flourish.

Please donate online now or send a check to Kulanu, c/o Harriet Bograd (address below) to secure Kulanu’s future! If you have already given, thank you!

Consider making a multi-year donation or a regular monthly gift that will allow us to efficiently plan for the future.

Thank you for being part of “all of us”!

Warm regards,
Harriet
and “all of us” at Kulanu

Harriet Bograd, President
165 West End Ave 3R
New York, NY, 10023

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Fall 2020 Magazine Available Now

Molly — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 20:59:25 +0000

We are excited to announce a wonderful new issue of Kulanu’smagazine. The Fall 2020 issue (volume 27, no 2) is available in full color online. Simply follow this link to explore stories on diverse topics including…

Found in Tanzania
The Jews of Arusha, Tanzania
Online Jewish Learning
Kulanu Mini-Grants
Joy of Judaism in Erode, India
Online Speaker Series

and more!

Thanks to Judi Kloper, our editor, and Lisa Yagoda, our photo and layout editor, and to all the authors and photographers for another fascinating issue!

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2020 Annual Report

Molly — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 14:59:26 +0000

Dear Friends,

We hope this letter finds you and your loved ones healthy and safe.

It’s that time again for “all of us” to look back on the memories and accomplishments of the past twelve months. 2020 has been a hard year for many in the world and within our communities. The coronavirus pandemic changed many of our plans, but we were able to pivot to more online programming to connect with more people than ever. From virtual Jewish learning classes to our Online Speaker Series, Kulanu has leveraged technology to continue to support and raise awareness of our partner communities.

We ask that you donate now to Kulanu during these challenging times, as we continue to support isolated, returning, and emerging Jewish communities around the globe.

Here are some of the ways that your donations were put to great use over the past twelve months:

Facilitated the printing of numerous Jewish works in local languages – including a Passover Haggadah in Hebrew, English, and Shona in Zimbabwe, a booklet detailing Jewish practices in English and Tagalog in the Philippines, and creating a printing center business in Madagascar to enable the community to print their own Jewish books in Malagasy and French, supported by the printing center’s sales.
Continued work on building the mikvah, a Jewish ritual bath, in El Salvador. Sent funds to the community in Kenya could nearly complete their new social hall and kitchen.
Hosted online learning courses for hundreds of students to learn about Jewish history, Hebrew language, kosher laws, and more with participants from El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, India, Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, and Zimbabwe.
Sent donated Torah scroll to Brazil, and prayer books and Judaica to communities in the Philippines, Italy, Nicaragua, Honduras, and India using travelers as couriers before the pandemic.
Recorded more original music in Zimbabwe, getting closer to the goal of a complete Shabbat service with Lemba tunes.
Gave towards the legal fees to establish a much-needed Jewish cemetery on government land in Ethiopia.
Funded holiday celebrations in Ghana, Italy, Pakistan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Welcomed new partner communities in Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Spain.
Supported a computer lab program and deaf education scholarships in Uganda.
Provided laptops, smartphones, and funds for internet access to leaders in Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe
Constructed two new boreholes and a water reservoir in Zimbabwe to increase agricultural production in order to ensure the community becomes self-sufficient. Aided in the creation of a savings and loan cooperative for farmers in Uganda in addition to funding a land survey by an agronomist.
Created holiday household food packages for communities in Ghana, Suriname, and Zimbabwe to ensure families could safely celebrate in their homes.
Delivered food relief in partner communities experiencing food insecurity due to COVID-19 lockdowns in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, and Uganda.
Provided guidance, referrals, and information to donors, scholars, journalists, filmmakers, and other nonprofits who wanted to learn from, support, and publicize our partner communities.
Published two comprehensive 24-page magazines, maintained a rich website, and stayed active in social media networks- thanks especially to our team of devoted and skillful interns.

… and so much more! Keep in touch by checking our website at kulanu.mahoneywebmarketing.com, or find us on Facebook and YouTube.

Please help us continue to serve our partner communities around the world with a generous donation today. Recurring gifts give us more freedom to plan ahead for the future. Donate now. Any amount will be greatly appreciated – and as you can see, it really does make a difference.

Thank you for being part of “all of us!”

Sincerely,

Harriet

Harriet Bograd, President

And “all of us” at Kulanu, Inc.

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Keeping Up Connections

Molly — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 16:19:22 +0000

Even during the pandemic, the Jewish community in Papua, Indonesia is keeping their spirits high. Connecting through WhatsApp with Kulanu volunteer Nili Salem who visited several years ago, the community makes sure to wish her a “Shabbat Shalom” and “Shavua Tov” weekly, send updates on celebrations, and even pictures of baking challah.

The many boxes Nili recently mailed the community have arrived with hundreds of Jewish star necklaces and posters of the kotel, the famous Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Levana Yawang, pictured, shows off one of the posters received. She explained that everyone in her community was thrilled to receive these items from Israel.

Nili has been especially touched by their commitment and dedication to Judaism, even during these challenging times.

Click here to learn more about the community in Indonesia.

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