Impact Stories

Including Hallel

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Every parent wants their child to be happy. But not every child has a “happy place.”

Gaby and Stephen knew quickly that there was something different about Hallel. Within hours of her birth she was diagnosed with Down syndrome, a genetic disorder of developmental delay, with varying de…

Respecting Sam

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The police knew him as Sam.  When he was found dead, they called the Federation.

Name: Sam no-last-name.  Age: Unknown.  Address: Unknown.  Time of Death: Early A.M. Cause of death: Exposure. That’s what the police report said.  His body was found on a bench in front of Town Hall.

S…

Connecting Hannah

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Hannah had no idea Jews still had to hide their identity until she went to Federation-supported summer camp in Hungary.

My Experience at Szarvas International Camp
By: Hannah Sessler, Szarvas Fellow, summer 2015

I had never thought of Judaism as a privilege. It has always been the cor…

Partnering Together

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The seniors thought teens wouldn’t listen. The teens though they had nothing to say to the seniors. Misconceptions faded and life-changing connections were made, thanks to a Federation-funded plan.

Aaron Nayer described the teens in his confirmation class at East Brunswick’s Temple B'na…

Advocating for Michail & Natalia

They never felt at home where they were born. Then they came here.

Michail Gorelik says his mother always told him to not to have any illusions about being a Jew in the Soviet Union.  “She said we weren’t really citizens of Russia, and she was right. Even our passports said we were J…