Jewish Community Partners

This week a delegation from Memphis Jewish Federation joined more than 400 Jewish leaders from 82 communities in Washington, D.C. for Jewish Federations of North America’s “Securing Our Communities” Fly-In.

In meetings with Congressman David Kustoff and senior staff from the offices of Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Senator Bill Hagerty, and Congressman Steve Cohen, delegation members shared the impact of rising antisemitism on the safety and security of our community. They advocated for passage of the landmark bipartisan Jewish American Security Act critical to ensuring that Jewish institutions have the resources they need to stay safe, including boosting nonprofit security funding to $1 billion annually, holding social media platforms accountable for hate speech, protecting Jewish students and supporting local law enforcement.

Thank you to our Memphis and Tennessee lawmakers, all of whom expressed a strong commitment to addressing the dangers facing Jews in America today. And thank you to the members of the Memphis delegation who took the time to travel to Washington, DC to advocate on behalf of our community.

We kicked off our May celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month - a time to mark the stories, contributions, and resilience of Jewish Americans – with the next generation telling the Jewish story.

Through our Student to Student program, Jewish teen ambassadors visited University Middle School to spark conversations about identity, antisemitism, and belonging.

Ilan, Jack, and Mia spoke with warmth and honesty, and nearly 200 middle schoolers listened. Many came in knowing only Hanukkah and the Holocaust. They left having held a tallit and kippot, heard about Shabbat, and tasted kosher chocolate.

Their closing message: "Anytime you encounter a Jewish person or anyone not like you, don't stereotype them. Realize our differences are just another part of our shared human experience."

New Grant Opportunity!

Bring your ideas to life and help shape our community’s future. Memphis Jewish Federation is launching Ignite Grants in honor of our 90th anniversary—supporting bold, creative ideas that strengthen Jewish life in Memphis.

Grants of up to $25,000 available. Open to agencies, congregations, schools, youth groups & individuals (with a fiscal sponsor) serving the greater Memphis community. LOI deadline: June 2, 2026. Learn more: www.jcpmemphis.org/ignitegrants

Memphis Jewish Federation wishes the State of Israel a Happy 78th Birthday! We are pleased to share this messages from Israel’s President Isaac Herzog.

יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog 398 likes, 88 comments. "President Herzog’s Message to Global Jewish Communities on Israel’s 78th Independence Day"

Memphis Jewish Federation’s 17th Annual Holocaust Art Contest received a record-breaking 86 submissions from 11 schools across the state of Tennessee. This year’s theme, “Art as Memory: Keeping the Stories Alive,” inspired a powerful and deeply meaningful collection of student work.

Memphian Ronda Robinson wrote an incredible piece for aish.com titled "Young Artists Keep Holocaust Stories Alive." Read the full story here https://aish.com/young-artists-keep-holocaust-stories-alive/.

All submissions are currently on display in the lobby of the Memphis Jewish Community Center through April 28. We invite the community to stop by and experience these incredible pieces firsthand.

This week, more than 500 members of our Memphis Jewish community and the broader community gathered for the 64th Annual Yom HaShoah Commemoration. Together, we honored the memory of the six million Jews who were brutally murdered in the Holocaust and paid tribute to the survivors living among us.

Descendants of survivors played key roles in the program including a second generation recitation of Kaddish and a third and fourth generation choir. Amidst our fractured times, congregational and community rabbis from across the denominational spectrum delivered a powerful message of unity. And, with preserving the Holocaust’s legacy more urgent than ever, community teens reflected on their responsibility to transmit the Holocaust’s legacy.

Our keynote speaker, Judy Batalion, a bestselling author and granddaughter of survivors, shared harrowing yet inspiring stories of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. Drawing from her extensive research for The Light of Days, she illuminated the resilience and audacity of young Jewish women whose acts of courage saved not only themselves, but so many of our Jewish brothers and sisters during unimaginable hardships. Her remarks not only educated the audience but also left them deeply inspired by the strength and determination of the Jewish people during one of history’s darkest chapters.

We look forward to sharing additional photos and a full video of this powerful and inspiring event in the coming weeks.

The annual Yom HaShoah observance is coordinated and hosted by the Memphis Jewish Federation’s Holocaust Memorial Committee. We extend our sincere thanks to this year’s co-chairs, father and daughter team Harry and Michelle Diament, for their dedicated leadership and hard work in bringing this meaningful commemoration to life and to Baron Hirsch Congregation for hosting the program this year.

🔥 BBYO Delta Region showing OUT 🔥

Huge Mazel Tov to the 79th Regional Board and the 99th Regional Board - and especially to our 5 Memphis board members representing in a big way.

BBG:
• N’siah: Lilly Lapidus
• S’ganit: Libby Stepakoff
• Aym-Ha Chaverot: Emma Berger (MEMPHIS)
• Mazkirah/Gizborit: Maya Weiser (MEMPHIS)
• Sh’licha: Maggie Olswanger (MEMPHIS)

AZA:
• Godol: Jack Shanker (MEMPHIS)
• S’gan: Isaac Cowens (MEMPHIS)
• Moreh: Sam Workman (.aza)
• Mazkir/Gizbor: Jake Goldin ()

Memphis continues to lead, show up, and make an impact across the region.

At Federation, we believe memory must lead to responsibility.

We are proud to partner with Hutchison School to bring voices like Ida Notowitz Eleazer into the classroom, ensuring the next generation doesn’t just learn history, but feels its weight and understands its relevance.

Through her father Max Notowitz’s story, students experienced more than a lesson - they encountered the consequences of hatred, the courage of those who chose humanity, and the responsibility we all carry to shape a different future.

This is why we do this work.
Because education is not just about the past, it’s about what we choose to do with it today.

The safety and security of our Jewish community is always one of our top priorities. We continue to work closely with law enforcement and our security partners to maintain strong protective measures across Memphis. Together, we remain steadfast in standing against hatred and ensuring that Jewish life remains vibrant, resilient, and secure.

Our hearts are with everyone impacted by today’s attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. We stand with the Detroit community during this difficult moment, and we offer our support in any way we can.