The Oshman Family JCC (OFJCC) and BINA have joined together in a new pioneering partnership to develop Jewish culture programming in Palo Alto, CA. The experimental culture of Northern California is the perfect "laboratory" for BINA’s first educational project in America. Our aim is to leverage each organization's strengths to create Jewish programs that are compelling to Jews of all backgrounds and religious practices, exploring innovative ways to integrate Jewish traditions and values into contemporary life.
The OFJCC and BINA share an understanding that Jewish experiences based on the interaction between Jewish learning and social action are often the most meaningful ways to create personal meaning, build community and contribute to social change. The OFJCC and BINA’s partnership will create a variety of programs that speak to this shared understanding, and reflect the two organization’s values of social activism, Jewish learning and community building.
The joint partnership is being hosted at the OFJCC, under the leadership of CEO Zack Bodner, and operated as the US branch of BINA's network of Secular Yeshivas, under the leadership of BINA's deputy director, Nir Braudo. The programs will be directed by OFJCC Director of Jewish Content, Tova Birnbaum, and run by Zoe Jick, whose position is a collaboration between the two organizations.
We thank Zack Bodner for believing in this partnership from its inception, the ICC@JCC (Israeli Cultural Connection) staff and leadership for opening the door to this wonderful community and to The Posen Foundation for its seed-support of the initiative. A special thanks to Daniel Posen, CEO of the Posen Foundation and Yael Nakhon-Harel, Director of the Posen foundation in Israel, for taking the time to travel with us to far-away Palo Alto for making this dream a reality.
For more details contact Tova Birnbaum – tbirnbaum@paloaltojcc.org
