Dear friends,

Oy vey, what difficult times we’re living in. How many of us doom-scroll on our phones and binge-listen to news and commentary on what seems like the end of the world? And then we shut it all down because we just can’t take it anymore?

In a recent news article, Dr. Jocelyn Sze, a clinical psychologist who specializes in treatment of PTSD and anxiety, offered suggestions for how to make it through. Besides whatever efforts we choose to make in response to current events, she encourages us to: a) set boundaries and put in place a support system to stay safe; b) build resilience, practicing collective care and self-care which are revolutionary acts in times of oppression; c) rest, which is not retreat but how we recover the clarity and cohesion needed to mobilize and rebuild; d) join hands, because there is strength in numbers and safety in solidarity; and, e) above all, keep faith in the long game, because deep change comes from staying calm, clear and connected.

Here at The Jonah Maccabee Foundation, we’re all about joining hands. Any and all donations are put to use trying to make a substantive difference where we can. We have awarded important (and unusually large) grants to programs that are working tirelessly to correct some of the injustices being perpetrated by the current administration in Washington. Without wanting to annoy you too much, your increased donation will help us to make more of these increased, vital grants.

With abundant gratitude for your support, here’s how we have used your donations thus far in 2025:

In the United States …

• National Immigrant Justice Center … keeps families together, protects neighbors from deportation, and ensures someone can start a new life in the U.S.
• Immigrant Defenders Law Center … defends our immigrant communities against injustices in the immigration system
• Northwest Immigrant Justice Center … promotes justice by defending and advancing the rights of immigrants through direct legal services, systemic advocacy, and community education
• The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project … provides free legal services to men, women, and unaccompanied children in Arizona who face immigration removal proceedings, endeavoring to ensure each immigrant has access to counsel, understands their rights under the law, and is treated fairly and humanely
• Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights … advocates for the rights and best interests of immigrant children, from custody and release to the ultimate decision about whether the child will be allowed to remain in the U.S.
• The Borgen Project … works to make extreme poverty a focus of influential nations’ foreign policy
• United Negro College Fund … awards more than 10,000 students scholarships annually, and provides financial support to 37 historically black colleges and universities
• Religious Action Center (RAC) of Reform Judaism … works to educate, inspire, and mobilize the Reform Jewish Movement to advocate for social justice
• Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry … providing food for neighbors in this part of Westchester County, NY, who struggle to make a living, work two or three jobs, or are seniors for whom it’s become increasingly difficult to live on a fixed income
• 6 Points Creative Arts Academy … a summer camp that strives to create holistic, meaningful experiences for young artists in a living laboratory for learning and performing
• Paws Crossed Animal Shelter … works to create a better world for pets and for people as a unified community, best fulfilled through rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming, advocacy, collaboration and education
• HUC-JIR Soup Kitchen … provides food and support to people in need around the New York campus neighborhood of the Reform Jewish seminary, Hebrew Union College.
• Play Group Theatre … “preparing kids for every stage in life,” PGT understands that rather than the show what’s most important when kids do theatre is learning collaboration, sharpening listening skills, embracing creativity, and treating one another with honor
• Creating S.P.A.C.E. … provides a cohesive education program in Denver, CO, that engages communities to embrace all differences and disabilities
• Treehouse Shakers … provides teacher trainings and residencies for students that focus on the art of dance and storytelling
• Harmony Project … provides no-cost, high-quality music instruction and social support to underserved children in low-income communities throughout Los Angeles, motivating them to cultivate their human potential
• Lifting Up Westchester Summer Camp and Youth Services … gives children who are experiencing homelessness in Westchester County, New York, a safe space filled with fun and games, plus literacy activities that help them retain the past year’s school lessons, preparing for success when the new school year begins, then stays with them to help ensure success throughout the entire year
• Sing Unto God … works to elevate the practice of communal singing and meaningful worship for any person, congregation, or community wanting to learn about or experience the transformative power of uniting voices
• 52nd Street Project … creates and produces new plays for, and often by, kids ages 9-18 who reside in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York City
• Institute for Multipartisan Education … dedicated to sustainably increasing and improving capacity for curious approaches to difference and disagreement in educational settings
• Makom Community … creates family-centered Jewish experiences in Philadelphia

Around the world …

• World Central Kitchen … despite ongoing and dire risk in Gaza, WCK’s Palestinian team shows up daily, providing more than 100,000 meals each day by land, sea, and air
• United Help Ukraine … provides the people of Ukraine with critical humanitarian support (first-aid, food and water) that will enable them to survive in the face of current adversity

We hope you feel as good about these grants as we do. Thank you so much for supporting our projects. We’re grateful to have you with us as we carry forward Jonah’s legacy — his zest for living and his passion for goodness — and, together, work to improve the lives of young people everywhere.

Have you ever watched “About Schmidt,” starring the inimitable Jack Nicholson? Filmed in 2002, it’s about a new retiree (Nicholson) who struggles to find meaning in his life. Needless to say, after a lot of soul-searching (and even more miles on his RV), it’s in the small acts of caring that his life sorts itself out. Treat yourself to an excellent film (it’s on Amazon) that will leave you feeling better about the modest but significant actions each of us can take to build a better world.

Wishing you every goodness,
Ellen, Billy, Katie and Aiden
The Jonah Maccabee Foundation

P.S. Your donation is always welcome at jonahmac.org/donate.