Jewish Children’s Aid Society donates $600,000
180 people listened to a heartfelt plea by Menucha Cooper, a mother of a child entering prep, at a The Jewish Children’s Aid Society event which raised $100,000.
Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler (Principal-Yeshivah Beth Rivkah Colleges), Rabbi James Kennard (Principal-Mt Scopus Memorial College), Jeremy Stowe-Lindner (Principal-Bialik College),Jenny Measey (Acting Principal – Adass Israel School), Helen Greenberg. (Principal-Sholem Aleichem College), Cherylyn Skewes (Principal-Leibler Yavneh College), Lahra Carey (President -The King David School council), Hilton Rubin (Principal – Yesodei HaTorah College), Eli Tayar (Divrei Emineh School), Dovid Rahmani (Cheder Levi Yitzchok School)
The event was held at the home of Michael and Sue Karp where principals and senior staff of 11 Melbourne Jewish day schools received a cheque for $600,000 from the the Society,.
Menucha Cooper explained why it was so important to her that her child with disabilities should attend a Jewish school alongside his siblings and experience the same education and sense of belonging as they do.
Josh Batten, a graduate of Bialik College, entertained the crowd with a magnificent original song that he had written and explained how the program and been so important during his school life.
Jeremy Stowe- Lindner, Bialik’s Principal and JCAS board member shared a principal’s perspective of the importance of inclusion. He explained that a generation of school children had now been educated to embrace difference and gain empathy. Michael Karp, chair of fundraising, emphasized that an important feature of JCAS is that over 99% of funds raised go directly to the cause.
Founded in 1882 as the Jewish Orphan and Neglected Children’s Aid Society, JCAS is one of the oldest continuous Jewish charities operating in Melbourne and is managed by a board of volunteers. Since 1985, JCAS has helped over 1000 children with disabilities attend a Melbourne Jewish day school and has assisted schools with just under 10 million dollars in funds A wide spectrum of children receive assistance for disabilities that may be physical, intellectual or emotional – from those that have a disability from birth, to those that become sick during school and have to spend periods of time in hospital. This year alone, JCAS will be assisting 250 children.
Traditionally, funds have been raised by the Posh Opp Shoppes, staffed by volunteers under the guidance of Rosalie Silverstein. However, the demand is such that unfortunately the funds raised by the JCAS shops simply aren’t enough to cover what is really needed to support the families and the schools.
JCAS board member Melody Curtis told J-Wire: “Whilst many people in the community are aware of the Posh Opp Shoppe, they are equally unaware of JCAS, the organisation behind it and indeed what the raised funds are used for. We are now getting people to really understanding the magnitude of what we do. We are making Jewish education accessible to everyone – and that has an incredible impact on the children with disabilities, their families, and the entire school community.”
Curtis added: “Since 1985, JCAS has helped over 1000 children with disabilities attend a Melbourne Jewish day school and has assisted schools with just under $10 million in funds. A wide spectrum of children receive assistance for disabilities that may be physical, intellectual or emotional – from those that have a disability from birth, to those that become sick during school and have to spend periods of time in hospital.”
JCAS is hopeful the $100,000 this will spearhead broader financial support from our community for this very important cause.
