Kulanu Credits: The 2013 Volunteer Community
Ken Klein (Harriet Bograd’s husband) playing
with young friends in the Abayudaya Village of Namutumba in Uganda
Photo by Beverly Koster
It’s always such a pleasure to see the support come in at the end of the year, with many gifts accompanied by heart-warming notes that remind us why we do this work. Of course, it’s not just the donors who make things happen here at Kulanu – in our grassroots organization, many of our projects are carried out by volunteers whose dedication to global Jewry is an inspiration to me. These volunteers are the core of Kulanu’s success. Not to mention all the folks who travel far and wide to spend time with isolated Jewish communities, either as visitors who build relationships across borders, or as volunteers who contribute their skills and energy in addition to helping strengthen our connections with each other.
Meet the Kulanu community members who made 2013 such a dynamic and rewarding year…
(Imagine the names below scrolling over a large movie screen – what a production!)
Kulanu Board Members and Officers:
Harriet Bograd, President
Judith Manelis, Vice President
Barbara Vinick, Secretary
Sandy Leeder, Treasurer
Jack Zeller, President Emeritus
Rabbi Stephen Leon
Daneel Schaechter
Andria Spindel
Marcy Stein
Rabbi Bonita Sussman
Aron and Karen Primack, Honorary Board Members
Peter Persoff (board member and treasurer in 2013, now volunteer engineering consultant to Kulanu)
Regional Coordinators:
Brazil: Regina Igel, Dione Pereira, Robert Feron
Cameroon: Rabbis Bonita and Gerald Sussman
China: Jim Michaelson
Ecuador: Daneel Schaechter
El Salvador: Rabbi Aaron Rehberg
Ethiopia: Lucy Steinitz, Sam Taddesse and Yohannes Zeleke
Ghana: Harriet Bograd
Guatemala: Rabbi Elyse Goldstein
India: Romiel Daniel, Navras Jaat Aafreedi
Kenya: Ari Witkin
Latin America: Daneel Schaechter
Abuja, Nigeria: Shai Afsai
Poland: Rabbi Haim Beliak
Puerto Rico: Rabbi Lawrence Goldstein
Suriname: Jacob Steinberg
Tutsi: Rabbi David Kuperman
Uganda: Laura Wetzler, Mordy and Miriam Feinberg
Zimbabwe: Sandy Leeder
Liaison to Saudades: Rufina Mausenbaum
Speakers:
Individuals who make presentations about Kulanu and world Jewry in their home communities and elsewhere –
Rabbi Barbara Aiello
Joyce Alpiner
Jeanne Bodin
Serge Etele
Dolores Goldfinger
Modreck Maeresera
Judy Manelis
Yoash Mayende
Aaron Kintu Moses
Shoshannah Nambi
Rabbi Bonita Sussman
Rabbi Gerald Sussman
Barbara Vinick
David Wise
Gil and Lil Zinn
Magazine Editors:
Judy Manelis, Editor
Serge Etele, Layout and Photography Editor
Programming and Development Coordinator:
Katie Rosenthal (part time)
Justina Shaw (part time)
Bookeeping and Database Coordinator:
Jerry Krasny (part time)
Social Networking Volunteers:
Wathira Nganga
Ivan Porto
Community Member-Leaders:
There are many dedicated individuals in remote places who help encourage Judaism in their own communities, despite the challenges of being far from other Jewish communities and resources.
Here are just a few of the people we had the pleasure of working with this past year, who serve their respective communities as devoted members and leaders, and as liaisons to Kulanu and Jews everywhere:
Cameroon: Serge Etele
Ethiopia: Demeke Engina
Ghana: Alex Armah, Ben Baidoo, Akiva Kena
Guatemala: Jeannette Orantes
India: Sadok Yacobi
Nicaragua: Kurt Preiss
Nigeria: Remy Ilona
Poland: Joanne Auron-Gorska
Uganda: Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, Seth Jonadav, Aaron Kintu Moses, Naume Sabano, Samson Shadrack, Samson Wamani, Avram Mukiibi, Nora Nantabo
Zimbabwe: Modreck Maeresera, Rabson Wuriga
Kulanu volunteer Irwin Berg at dinner with friends at
the Harare Lemba Synagogue and Guest House in Zimbabwe
Photo by Elaine Berg
Local Volunteers:
All the volunteers who arrange for Kulanu-related speaking events or educational programs,
fundraise with family and friends, spread the word on Facebook or blogs —
there are so many that we cannot list them all, but here are a few from the past year:
Harriet Bograd and Kenneth Klein
Elaine and Irvin Berg
Dr. Michael Costello
Mickey and Mordy Feinberg
Dr Elizabeth Feldman
Joanie Levine
Howard Metzenberg
David Michaelson
Jim Michaelson
Karen and Aron Primack
Jeanne and Murray Bodin
Dr. Ronald Plotka
Edward Rensin
Patti Scheinman
Maya Sokolsky
Jocelyn Spencer
Joshua Uhlfelder
Barbara Vinick
Community Visitors and Volunteers:
All the adventurous people who have visited or volunteered in Kulanu communities – we may miss many guests and helpers, but these are some who came through Kulanu –
Harriet Bograd and Kenneth Klein
Nathan Devir
Kimberly Dueñas
Rabbi Elyse Goldstein
Lorna Hopf
Lisa Kassow
Beverly Koster
Sandy Leeder
Joanie Levine and Yehudah Winter
Judy Manelis
Rabbi Aaron Rehberg
Daneel Schaechter
Patti Scheinman
Rabbis Bonita and Gerry Sussman
Shep Wahnon
Laura Wetzler
Photographers:
Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder
Shai Afsai
Severyn Ashkenazy
Elaine Berg
Harriet Bograd
Kimberly Dueñas
Kimberly Dyer
Vanessa Dylyn
Serge Etele
Mordecai Feinberg
Rabbi Elyse Goldstein
Andrzej Gorska
joyofcolor.com
Kenneth Klein
Beverly Koster
Sandy Leeder
Lorne Mallin
Judy Manelis
Yoash Mayende
William F.S. Miles
Aaron Kintu Moses
Naser Nama
Aaron Primack
Domenico Pulice
Rabbi Aaron Rehberg
Daneel Schaechter
Andria Spindel
Rabbi Bonita Sussman
Ike Swetlitz
Viviane Topp
Laura Wetzler
Rabson Wuriga
Jack Zeller
Authors:
~ Individuals who wrote articles in the 2013 issues of KulanuNews ~
Shai Afsai
Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak
Elaine Berg
Irwin Berg
Harriet Bograd
Kimberly Dueñas
Rabbi Elyse Goldstein
Sandy Leeder
Modreck Zvakavapano Maeresera
Judy Manelis
Margo Nash
Karen Primack
Daneel Schaechter
Rabbis, Cantors, Teachers, and Educators
All the leaders and influential people who include Kulanu materials in their programs, classes, and other outlets –
there are too many to name, but you know who you are.
Thank you!
Blog and Social Media Coordinators:
Matt Feldman
Wathira Nganga
Ivan Porto
Email Group Moderators:
Harriet Bograd
Remy Ilona
Shep Wahnon
Jack Zeller
Multimedia Coordinators:
Enid Bloch
Serge Etele
Emma Patterson
Jocelyn Spencer
Partners:
American Jewish University – Brandeis Collegiate Institute
Coexist Campaign
Crypto Judaic Society
David Weingarten, Far West USY
Diva Communications (Debra and David Vinik)
Friends of Jewish Renewal in Poland – Beit Polska
Hillel Council of New England
The Hillels of Wellesley College, Trinity College, and Babson College
Jemglo.org (Ellen Friedland and Curt Fissel)
Judy Gray, Rabbi Andrew Sacks, Masorti Olami, Marom Uganda
Michael Freund, Shavei Israel
Rabbi Barbara Aiello
Rabbis Arnie Belzer and Anson Laytner, Sino-Judaic Institute
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Ohr Torah Stone
Rabbi Jeffrey Summit, Tufts Hillel (Abayudaya Higher Education Program)
Rabbi Marvin Tokayer
Relly Coleman, Books for Zim
Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Young Judea Year in Israel – Olami Program
Business Partners: Free Services
Google: Mail, Docs (GoogleDrive), Calendar, Maps, Analytics
Phanfare.com – online photo albums (free for nonprofits)
Youtube.com – video channel
Business Partners: Paid Services
Blackbaud/eTapestry (donor database)
OLM.net (web hosting)
Paypal.com (online store payment processing)
Prostores.com (online storefront)
Donors of $4,000 to $32,000:
Anonymous
Ben and Esther Rosenbloom Foundation
Brandeis Collegiate Institute
The Cherna Moskowitz Foundation
Coexist Foundation
Estelle Friedman Gervis Family Foundation
The Good People Fund
Irwin M and Elaine R Berg
Otto and Marianne Wolman Foundation
Lloyd Rubin
L Weider
Werner and Phoebe Frank Family Foundation
Jack and Diane Zeller
… And thanks to our many other donors, with gifts from $5 and up!
As you can see, everything that Kulanu accomplishes is achieved through the hard work of “all of us”.
Many thanks to everyone who collaborates to support isolated and emerging Jewish communities around the world. We couldn’t do it without you!