JFGO announces $50K in Collaborative Community Grants

The Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando (JFGO) has awarded $50,000 in Collaborative Community Grants to 11 Central Florida programs and services for the 2015-2016 program year. The grant recipients were announced at the Federation’s Annual Meeting in August.

To qualify for a grant, at least two agencies, synagogues or organizations must work together to develop and submit a proposal and implement a program. In addition, the programs or services must be open to the entire Jewish community of Greater Orlando regardless of religious affiliation, synagogue or agency membership.

JFGO Executive Director Olga Yorish said awarding the grants has been one of her goals since taking the helm of the Federation in 2013.

“Federation has dedicated $100,000 to this endeavor,” Yorish said, “and we’ve awarded just half of it to 11 proposals, covering a broad spectrum of new and expanded programs and services for the Jewish community, from support groups to parenting seminars to a historical exhibit to the first Israel Independence Day celebration in South Orlando.

“These programs will encourage collaboration and address some unmet needs in the Jewish community,” Yorish said. “This is what the Jewish Federation is all about, and we are thrilled that we are able to support these programs.”

Yorish said the remaining $50,000 will be offered to the community in a second round of Requests for Proposals later this year.

Yorish thanked grant committee co-chairs Maura Weiner and Dr. Maxine Silverman Rosenthal, along with committee members Neal Crasnow, Barney Chepenik, Felecia Ziegler, Sara Stern, Ava Maxwell and A. J. Kronenberg, for volunteering their time and expertise to review the grant applications received by Federation.

The JFGO Community Collaborative Grant recipients are:

• Exhibit of 100 Years of Jewish Life in Greater Orlando: Congregation Ohev Shalom, other synagogues, agencies

• Friends of Israel Defense Force Musical Ensemble Weekend: FDIF, COS, Hillel, JAO

• Coffee and Conversation: Kinneret Senior Apartments; synagogues and agencies

• Mishpacha Matters: The Jewish Academy of Orlando and The Roth Family JCC

Taking Parenting to the Next Level: Jewish Outreach Initiative (JOIN) and Orlando Torah Academy

• JSERVE: The Roth Family JCC and BBYO

• Israel Independence Day Celebration: Jack and Lee Rosen JCC and Southwest Orlando Jewish Congregation

• Kindertransport - A Kristallnacht Observance: Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center and The Roth Family JCC

• Mega Challah Bake: Chabad of Orlando, North and South Orlando; Jewish Pavilion, Kinneret Senior Apartments

• Grandparents Connect: JFS; synagogues and agencies

• Life Transitions Support Groups: JFS; synagogues and agencies