Our Jewish community is stronger when everyone in the larger Madison community we are a part of thrives. We enrich our Jewish lives through connections and partnerships with diverse members of our community. These tenants are central to our mission at the Jewish Federation of Madison. One of our resources that strives to fulfill this mission is the Jewish Federation of Madison Community Grants through the Cheryl Rosen Weston (CRW) Fund, made possible through a generous bequest by the fund's namesake posthumously.

The grants support projects that work to advance social justice, build community partnerships, and improve the well-being of all community members. We are living in an urgently critical time of need, filled with crisis, tragedy, and inequities. Supporting this vital work is our commitment to creating social change and our Jewish value of Tikkun Olam - repairing the world.

We are proud to announce awarding $10,000 grants to six inspiring, creative, and impactful projects in the latest round of Jewish Federation of Madison Community Grants through the Cheryl Rosen Weston (CRW) Fund.

Adelante Madison will use the funds to launch a Young Leaders Initiative that will provide a "civics in action" educational program open to all local teens, stressing the importance of youth engagement and community education. Students are given the skills to pursue the information needed to make informed decisions and training in encouraging their peers and community members to engage in the same critical thinking.

EDOT Midwest project funding will bring its Mentoring Program to Greater Madison, in which Jews of Color (JOC) teens will be paid mentors to younger JOC children and their families. The program will increase engagement and a sense of belonging for mentors, mentees, and families, and build Jewish diversity awareness in the wider community.

Habitat for Humanity of Dane County will be using the funds to sponsor a Habitat Frame Up event in the fall of 2021 open to volunteers from throughout the Jewish community. Having built over 300 homes for local families over 30 years, this is a unique volunteer opportunity to build the frame of an entire Habitat home over one day.

Literacy Network and Jewish Social Services (JSS) have partnered to advance social justice and reduce poverty with their grant by improving literacy skills, something one in seven adults in Dane County struggles with, in Connecting Madison through Adult Education. The project will provide supported volunteer training opportunities to members of the Jewish community to help adults with low incomes improve their reading, writing, and English skills.

Temple Beth El has partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, using the funds to create Addressing Systemic Racism through Summer Internships with Jewish community member employment sites. The project will develop paid employment internships for low-income youth of color in Dane County during summer 2021 and engage in authentic and respectful relationship-building to enhance opportunities for youth through exposure to different employment settings and levels of professionals.

Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice will use its grant for two programs addressing Interfaith Organizing and Racial Justice. Racial Equity Training for WI Clergy and Faith Leaders is a new program that will offer training to interfaith clergy groups focusing on having shared experiences and understanding for what it means to be anti-racist and work for equity. The Wisconsin Interfaith Voter Engagement Campaign will expand its outreach to engage the interfaith community in the democratic process, to educate and empower people to vote.

Stay tuned for updates. Over the next few months, we will be highlighting each project individually to bring you a more detailed look at the exciting and impactful work they are able to accomplish with the support of these grants.