Educational Alliance

I wrote a brief note on why I believe Sukkot is the holiday for this moment. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read it at the link below. In the article, you’ll also see some photos of how we celebrated Sukkot this week across Educational Alliance, the organization that I lead. (The photo that you see here is from a 20s and 30s event with Central Synagogue we held in the 14th Street Y sukkah earlier this week.)

At Infosys Foundation USA, we are proud to support the Educational Alliance at the Weinberg Center for Balanced Living. Under the leadership of Shona Kulkarni, current participants and alumni of Infosys InStep volunteered to assist with breakfast and lunch services for seniors and members with disabilities. We’re eager to continue working with InStep in the upcoming school year to create more impactful volunteer opportunities. A heartfelt thank you to: Brian Polanco, MBA, CSM Dylan Elgar, Kevin Duong, Joewin James, Jon Sheflin, James Mazzullo, John Grosel, MBA Heng Chen, Nick Shaerf and Nicholas Russo. Your dedication made this initiative possible! We’re excited to continue this meaningful collaboration and are looking forward to introducing STEM programming to Educational Alliance students when classrooms reopen this Fall. #InfosysFoundationUSA #STEMEducation #CommunityEngagement #VolunteerWork #EducationalAlliance #InStep #SocialImpact #GivingBack

Over the past several days, I’ve had the opportunity to attend two seders at Educational Alliance. Each was distinctive but they shared a common thread of perseverance and commitment to the Passover traditions.   At the Manny Cantor Center’s Weinberg Center for Balanced Living, over 200 older adults participated -- with well over a dozen volunteers from the community serving the food.   I sat with participants who live in Educational Alliance’s building for older adults, all of whom had come to the US from the former Soviet Union. At the table, they recalled how their families had not felt safe celebrating the seder in their home country but, once they arrived in the US, they and their parents immediately restarted the family tradition.   In the photos below, I’ve included a page from the Haggadah that our team put together for this community seder. It was beautifully presented and unique in that the entire seder is translated into Chinese, so that the many Chinese- speaking participants in our programs would be able to enjoy the holiday as well.   I also participated in the seder at 14th Street Y’s Project ORE, our program for older adults who are dealing with social isolation, struggling with mental illness, experiencing housing instability, or are otherwise at risk. We’re all very thankful to the many volunteers from TOWN & VILLAGE SYNAGOGUE who showed up and made the seder possible. The participants I sat with were deeply appreciative of the chance to celebrate the holiday in an environment of seriousness and respect for tradition.   None of this would have been possible without our incredible staff. Thank you to Xiomara, Hannah, Joy,  Alegría, Sujenie, Shao, Alex, and everyone else who worked so hard on these seders at both Weinberg Center for Balanced Living and Project ORE.    Please take a moment to look at the photos below and get a glimpse of these two very special seders.   #passover #seders #community

Last night, I attended a menorah lighting in Union Square Park, hosted by Educational Alliance’s 14th Street Y. There was a great spirit in the crowd, and it was wonderful to see so many members of our community show up to participate in the songs, prayers, and festivities.   After we lit the candles for the second night of Chanukah, we were treated to Yiddish Chanukah music, and then to a special, interactive insta-choir experience led by Cantor Sarah Myerson. The party continued with a Chanukah celebration back at 14Y, complete with latkes and jelly donuts.   This event reflected what 14Y does best as downtown’s Jewish Community Center, and I look forward to seeing this new tradition continue for the downtown Jewish community for many Chanukahs to come!   #Chanukah #MenorahLighting #UnionSquarePark #UJA-Federation of New York

I get to see a lot of joyous rooms here at Educational Alliance. One of my favorites is the sewing and crafts group that gathers every Friday afternoon down the hall from my office. For years, the women in this group have been coming together to improve their sewing skills, catch up with old friends, and make some new ones. Their experiences with Educational Alliance span their lifetimes, from the earliest years of childhood to their older adult years. And as they grow older, Educational Alliance maintains its commitment to helping them age with dignity. That commitment is a sad counterpoint to what often goes on in our city. We live in a society that values what’s new and economically productive. True respect for older adults – defined by real investment in allowing them to flourish – is often sorely lacking. Please take a moment to watch the video below. It’s a powerful testimony to what community and services mean to older adults, and why they're worth fighting for. And, aside from that message, I guarantee the people you meet in the video will brighten your day.  #advocateforaging #nycaging #olderadults