from SAVEKOACH.ORG & SHEFANETWORK.ORG
KOACH Fact Sheet
USCJ wants to put KOACH on "hiatus"
Background
-KOACH is a project of The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
-Thousands of students have benefited from KOACH. Many of them have become important leaders in the Jewish community.
- KOACH has provided 20 years of support and enrichment for Conservative Judaism on campus, working with Hillels, communities and individuals.
-KOACH is a resource for all students, no matter where they are on their Jewish Journey.
-KOACH provides progressive religious role models as well as programming for the entire college Jewish community.
-Five years ago, KOACH had a budget of 750K; this year, 127K
-KOACH has provided: Campus Interns, Enrichment Grants, Taglit-Birthright Israel for participants with Asperger's Syndrome, International KOACH Kallah, Dynamic Web Resources and monthly Ezine, Weekly 2 Minute Torah podcasts, the KOACH Faculty Program, onsite education, counseling, consultation for Jewish college choices and individual campus concerns and more.
-With extremely limited resources in the past year KOACH has still managed to continue to transform conservative Jewish life on campuses across North America
-USCJ Strategic Plan of March 2011 identifies the KOACH program as mission critical: "It is recognized that a continuing presence on campus for Conservative Judaism is vital to maintain the bridge between our high school students and the young adult post-college generation.
Today
-On Friday, June 1, 2012, The Jewish Week posted the following: "Rabbi Steven Wernick, chief executive officer for the United Synagogue, told The Jewish Week on Thursday that while Koach remains "a valued program," it would be "on hiatus" unless and until philanthropic funds can be secured to continue its work at colleges around the country." http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/breaking_news/conservative_movement_likely_suspend_college_outreach
-From ejewishphilanthropy.com: Wernick: Koach Closing, It's "Non-strategic" http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/wernick-koach-closing-its-non-strategic/
What you can do
-Send an email to Rabbi Steven Wernick, Chief Executive Officer of the USCJ (wernick@uscj.org)
-Send an email to Richard Skolnik, International President of the USCJ (skolnik@uscj.org)
-Join the effort to save the program with your donation, no matter how small, via the KOACH home page (www.koach.org) or the Women's League for Conservative Judaism (www.wlcj.org)
-Sign the petition at savekoach.org for:
a) Immediate reversal of the decision to suspend or eliminate the KOACH program next year
b) A commitment to additional personnel dedicated to fundraising and development which will secure long term, sustainable funding for the KOACH program
Links
