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Pomegranate
Breakfast Recap
At a
wonderful, delicious breakfast hosted by
incoming Chair Julie Puchkoff, the Pomegranates
gathered to enjoy the season, share ideas, and
also work on a project for the Aspen Homeless
Shelter.
Julie explained
the Pomegranates want to reach out to the local
community to provide volunteer and other
support. A variety of other projects were
proposed, including a Jewish
Colorado Heritage Weekend in Leadville.
Additionally,
the Pomegranates discussed PJ
Library, a non-profit organization that
supports families in their Jewish journey by
sending Jewish-content books and music on a
monthly basis to children from age six months to
five, six, seven or eight years depending on the
community.
The
group's consensus was to contact local
congregations who would in turn reach out to
local families to see if they are interested in
receiving the books (at no cost to them).
Special
guest Jennifer Kraft, Community Relations
Director, American Joint Distribution Committee
(JDC) provided an update on the Gamla
Mentoring Project in Lod, Israel.
The
Pomegranates are providing the sole funding for
this effort to
help at-risk immigrant Ethiopian students and
their families. The pomegranates have made a
three-year, $22,00 per year commitment.
Barbara Goldstein
noted that the Pomegranates have room to grow and
add new members with their ideas and enthusiasm.
Read
the Thank You Letter from the Aspen Homeless
Shelter
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Message
from Outgoing Chairs Pamela and Rachel and
Incoming Chair Julie
Pamela and Rachel
wish Julie all the best as the new Pomegranate
Chair and look forward to working with her.
Happy
2010 to all!
I
am excited to be serving as the incoming Chair
of the Pomegranate Division and a new member of
the Board of Directors of UJA. I would like to
thank Pamela Zuker and Rachel Hahn for not only
establishing the Aspen
Pomegranate chapter, but providing leadership
since its inception. I look forward to
continuing their great work.
Thank
you to all who attended last month’s breakfast
at my home. It was great to meet many of you for
the first time. For those that were not able to
attend, we had some lively discussion about
projects for 2010 and we completed our first
(hopefully annual) holiday mitvah project.
Travel-sized amenities were collected from the
group and toiletry packets were compiled for our
local homeless shelter (see above“Thank You”
note). Our final tally (after much debate)
turned out to be 40 men's and 11 women's
packets. As the saying goes, “Many hands make
light work” and, this was certainly true.
We
are currently 12 members and growing. Although
our group is committed to a 3-year sponsorship
of the Gamla Mentoring Program in Lod, Israel,
we have decided to bring our energy and
creativity to our local Roaring
Fork Valley community as well. Details on
this additional direction to our efforts can be
found above.
Finally,
I would like to encourage any suggestions or
ideas you may have on making the Pomegranate
experience meaningful and rewarding. I can be
contacted at puchkoffj@yahoo.com
or at home 970-925-3356.
Shalom,
Julie |
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Pomegranate
Division
United Jewish Appeal Aspen Valley
PO Box 8590, Aspen CO 81612
970.704.1827
aspenvalleyuja@yahoo.com
www.aspenvalleyuja.org
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UJA
Hosts United States Film Premiere
The
United States Film Premiere of "Jewish
Transit Berlin:
From
Hell to Hope" will take place in
Aspen on Tuesday, March 10 at 5 pm at the Doerr
Hosier Center of the Aspen
Institute.
UJA
Aspen Valley is hosting the premiere of this new
documentary, which tells the story of the Jewish
men, women and children of the “sherith
hapleitah” who sought refuge in the Displaced
Persons camps in Berlin (US and French Sectors)
following the defeat of the Nazis in World
War II.
Producer
Gabriel Heim of Berlin explains, "This
previously untold story will provide the viewer
with never before seen footage of a community
born of shattered lives that came together in
its darkest hours to rebuild and ultimately
prevail."
"Jewish
Transit Berlin Trailer
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2010
UJA Officers, Chairs, New Board Members
At
the December Annual Meeting of the UJA Board of
Directors, new leaders were unanimously elected
as were four new Board Members.
*
Rob Leavitt: President
*
Richard Shenk: Vice President and Campaign Chair
*
Richie Pearlstone: Deputy Campaign Chair
* Melinda Goldrich: Lion
of Judah Chair, Nominating
Committee Chair
* Roberta Morris: Allocation Chair
*
Julie Puchkoff: Pomegranate Chair
Newly
elected Board Members are:
*
Alan Altman
*
Bob Sirkus
* Julie Puchkoff
* Nina Hawn Zale
Click
here to meet all of your Board
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What
Makes a "Pomegranate"
The
Pomegranate the Pomegranate Division honors
all women who make a personal gift of
$1,800-$4,999 to the Annual Campaign of United
Jewish Appeal Aspen Valley.
You
and your Pomegranate sisters can show their
commitment by wearing a sterling silver and
ruby pin,custom designed for you in Aspen by
Pamela and Ross Andrews Jewelers.
The
pin reflects a commitment to saving lives, as
well as to helping Jews in need around the
world.
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Pomegranate
- One of the Seven Fruits of the Bible
Jewish
tradition teaches that the pomegranate is a
symbol for righteousness, because it is said to
have 613 seeds which correspond with the 613
mitzvot or commandments of the Torah.
The
pomegranate is one of the few images which appears
on ancient coins of Judea as a holy symbol, and
today many Torah scrolls are stored while not in
use with a pair of decorative hollow silver
"pomegranates" (rimmonim) slid down over
the two upper scroll handles. |
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