APRIL 7 • 2022 | 5

community update
Ukraine, Missions to Israel and You.
T

his month we are 
focused on two things: 
Ukraine and Mission 
Planning. Our overseas part-
ners are briefing us regularly 
and, in turn, 
we are work-
ing to answer 
questions and 
keep the Detroit 
Jewish commu-
nity apprised of 
the situation in 
Ukraine. 
Our hearts are with the 
many refugees — mainly 
women, children and the 
elderly — who have had to 
leave their homes with only 
what they can carry. Many of 
them left their husbands or 
sons behind to fight. Because 
we were in Ukraine yester-
day, we were prepared to be 
there today. Our partners, 
the Jewish Agency for Israel, 
JDC, World ORT, National 
Coalition Supporting 
Eurasian Jewry and others, 
are working around the clock 
on the ground in Ukraine 
and just over its borders. 
Additionally, the first plane 
carrying 300 olim arrived in 
Israel last month. Some of 
them went to Nof HaGalil, 
one of our Partnership 
2Gether cities where the 
mayor and community at 
large have welcomed them 
with open arms. Others went 
to Kfar Silver youth village 
in southern Israel, which is a 
program of World ORT and 
is supported by the Detroit 
Jewish Federation. We are 
incredibly proud of the work 
our partners are doing, much 
of it through the generosity 
of this community. 
With our first mission (in 
over two years!) scheduled 
for this first week of April 

and two more right behind 
it, a lot of time is being spent 
training staff on protocols, 
procedures and COVID 
preparedness. For right now, 
vaccine requirements, PCR 
tests and potential quar-
antines are the new travel 
reality. We are working hard 
to make sure that everyone 
is prepared for their travel 
on the Partnership Steering 
Committee, the Interfaith 
Mission and two Leadership 
Development programs from 
April through May. 
While we are busy with 
these missions, we also have 
three BIG things happening 
in the Missions space: First, 
the Motor City Mission is 
heading out under the lead-
ership of Chairs Lisa and 
Richard Broder, and Diane 
and Bill Goldstein. Visit 
MotorCityMission.org to 

learn more and register.
Second, the Sue & Alan 
Kaufman & Family Teen 
Mission is going this sum-
mer. The itinerary continues 
to be refined, and we are so 
excited to be working with 
Tamarack Camps and our 
community congregational 
partners on getting Metro 
Detroit teens back to Israel.
Lastly, we are thrilled to 
announce that we are back 
in the Birthright business. 
Federation is working with 
Temple Shir Shalom and 
Hillel of Metro Detroit on 
two trips this spring. 
 Several of us have been 
working on an Israel 
Education Initiative which 
we launched at a Federation 
Board of Governors meeting 
last fall. We’re developing a 
timeline and starting to build 
our toolbox of resources 

for educators and commu-
nity members. One of our 
important partners in this 
initiative is OpenDor media. 
As a leading global nonprofit 
media company, OpenDor 
educates, entertains and 
engages its audiences by 
bringing to life big ideas and 
authentic stories, and by cel-
ebrating all things Jewish. 
As an official partnering 
organization with OpenDor, 
educators and clergy from 
the Metro Detroit commu-
nity now have unlimited 
access to hundreds of videos, 
films, lesson plans and other 
resources at their fingertips. 
Stay tuned for more informa-
tion on this initiative in the 
coming months. 

Jennifer Levine is director of the Israel 

& Overseas Department at the Jewish 

Federation of Metro Detroit.

Jennifer 
Levine

Ukrainian refugees arriving in Israel

PHOTOGRAPHER: OLIVIER FITOUSSI

