A super Sunday for Rhode Island

Super Sunday co-chairs Mindy Stone and Doug Simon. /Photo | Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island

Successful day for the Jewish community

Rhode Islanders answered the call on Super Sunday, Dec. 13, to help ensure a strong future for the Jewish community in Rhode Island. Volunteers gathered on Sunday, as well as at follow-up phone-a-thons, to raise $94,547, putting the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s 2016 Annual Campaign total at almost $2.4 million. The volunteers thanked donors for their past support and were able to reach out, engage and bring many more people into the giving community. In the spirit of a new year, Rhode Islanders were reminded to give back, thus creating a shared philanthropic atmosphere.

Super Sunday volunteers representing many of the agencies and synagogues in Rhode Island participated in an agency and synagogue-wide competition to win money for board development, education and training. Jewish Family Service won the competition, bringing 10 people from the agency to support the community. The other winners of the various contests during Super Sunday were Sally Rotenberg and Sara Goodwin, both closing the most gifts during the day. A special follow-up phone-a-thon on Tuesday night, Dec. 15, featured students from the New England Rabbinical College.

While volunteers were making calls, families enjoyed Day-at-the-J activities such as a bounce house, crafts, and movies.

The morning of Super Sunday included the Cycle for Good spin-a-thon, a national fundraiser organized by the Jewish Community Centers Association of North America. Riders across the country joined forces to raise money for important causes in their communities. Rhode Island participants banded together to ride a total of 294 miles and raise $295 for the 2016 Annual Campaign. Luke Brookner, assistant J-Fitness manager, said, “This is the first time we’ve ever done this, and to see community support for another aspect of fundraising was great.”

Super Sunday was chaired by Mindy Stone and Doug Simon. Simon and Stone are active volunteers with the Alliance and are both part of the Double Chai Society – the next generation leadership initiative. Their goal was to demonstrate the strength of Jewish Rhode Island, unifying agencies, synagogues and families alike, to make a difference in the local community and abroad, one phone call and one mile at a time. Simon noted, “The collaborations between agencies, synagogues and the Alliance reinforce just how important it is to maintain partnerships and build bridges with strength and commitment to the community.”

Stone agreed, saying, “We are dedicated to our local and overseas partners to sustain and move the community forward today and for the future.

The future depends on us, and it was heartwarming to see the intergenerational aspect during Super Sunday. That demonstrates how important it is to families to teach their children about tzedakah.”

The 2016 Annual Campaign Chair, Mitzi Berkelhammer, echoed the chairs’ sentiments. “The campaign pace is ahead of last year, and we are continuing to grow,” she said. “It’s wonderful to see everyone come together, and to see the total number of dollars raised because of community commitment.”

Dollars raised for the Annual Campaign help fund programs and services that are dedicated to enriching Jewish life in Rhode Island and abroad. Programs such as PJ Library, J-Camp, J-Space, and scholarships for overnight Jewish camp and day schools enable our children to foster Jewish identities and embrace Jewish culture in their lives. Kosher meal sites and the Kesher program allow those who are isolated and vulnerable to live their lives with dignity.  In addition, the Jewish Alliance funds social programs such as the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Yesodot and the Joint Distribution Committee’s Atid Summer Camps and Youth Civic Service, which provide immersion in Jewish culture, as well as helping families in Israel and other countries across the globe.

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information about the 2016 Annual Campaign, the Jewish Alliance or to make a gift by phone, contact Michele Gallagher at mgallagher@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 165. You can also make your gift online at jewishallianceri.org.

HILLARY SCHULMAN is the development associate in philanthropy for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.