Boaz Blumovitz has been named the new Chief Financial Officer of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

He succeeds Michael Tarnoff, a 35-year veteran of JUF, who is transitioning to his new role as Senior Vice President-Project Management.

At JUF, Blumovitz plays a central role in setting the strategic direction for and supervising the areas of finance, accounting, investments, risk management, compliance, employee benefits, insurance, and real estate-related transactions.

He brings 25 years of experience in banking, corporate finance, technology, investments and real estate, both internationally and locally. From 2009 to 2013, he directed Bank Leumi’s Midwest operations as the firm’s Chicago-based Regional Executive. He served most recently as head of the bank’s high tech industry department-corporate division, and also had been with Bank Leumi in Palo Alto and London.

Blumovitz received his BA in Economics from Tel Aviv University and his MBA from the University of Hartford. He also is a graduate of Stanford University’s Executive Education Program in Financial Management.

Moody’s, one of the major bond rating services, upgraded the Jewish Federation’s investment ranking from A1 to Aa3 earlier this month, while issuing a “stable” outlook. ( View Moody’s report .)

According to the report, the upgrade to Aa3 is supported by the Federation’s material growth in cash and investments, driven in part by the acquisition of the assets of two large foundations.

“The Aa3 rating further reflects a history of robust philanthropic support bolstered by its affiliation with the Jewish United Fund, exceptional liquidity, and strong financial resource coverage of debt and operations,” the report states.

Moody’s “stable outlook” for the Federation reflects the expectation that it will maintain a strong financial-resource cushion to debt and expenses, strong fundraising, and prudent management of its debt guarantee program.

“Our Federation always has viewed providing access to the global capital markets as one of the many ways in which we provide meaningful assistance to our affiliate and beneficiary agencies,” said CFO Boaz Blumovitz. “This upgrade to an Aa3 rating from Moody’s ultimately will result in positive financial implications to our community.”

Seventy years after the end of World War II, our community’s Holocaust survivors are facing a whole new world of challenges.

In addition to the usual demands of aging, there are unique medical, financial and emotional difficulties that stem from their wartime experiences.

The next episode of the public-affairs program “Sanctuary” – which airs at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, on ABC7-Channel 7 – explores the unique needs and circumstances of survivors in the Chicago area – home to one of the largest survivor communities – and how the Jewish United Fund’s Holocaust Community Services program is responding to a rapidly growing population in need of specialized help. Cindy Sher hosts.

Starting Monday, Aug. 24, the program will be available for viewing on the Jewish United Fund website, www.juf.org/interactive .

“Sanctuary” is a joint production of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago and the Chicago Board of Rabbis, in cooperation with ABC7-Channel 7.

Internationally recognized Holocaust scholar Prof. Deborah Lipstadt will keynote the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, set for Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker Drive. ( Register for the Annual Meeting here. )

In 1993, Lipstadt, the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University in Atlanta, authored “Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory.” In 1996, she was sued for libel by one of those named in the book, David Irving, who said his reputation as a historian was defamed. Five years later, a British judge found Irving to be a Holocaust denier, a falsifier of history, a racist, and an anti-Semite.

Lipstadt’s 2005 book, “History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier,” was adapted by British playwright David Hare and soon will be released as a feature film, starring Hilary Swank as Lipstadt.

The Federation’s 115th Annual Meeting also will feature the State of the Federation address by President Steven B. Nasatir, and the presentation of several major leadership awards.

Foremost among them will be the organization’s highest honor, the Julius Rosenwald Memorial Award, which this year goes to Frances G. Horwich. The award, named for the iconic Chicago business leader and philanthropist of the early 1900s, is presented each year to an individual who has demonstrated a lifetime of outstanding dedication and service to the Jewish community.

Horwich and her late husband, Franklin, have been stalwarts in Chicago’s philanthropic world for decades. They carry on a generations-long family ethos of supporting and strengthening the Jewish community, and mentoring subsequent generations in the role of Jewish values and institutions in preserving community and heritage.

Amy Kirsch and Michael Teplitsky will receive the 52nd annual Davis, Gidwitz & Glasser Young Leadership Award, presented to volunteers who have demonstrated exemplary dedication and have made significant contributions to Chicago’s Jewish community.

Kirsch, 35, the 2015 YLD Campaign Chair, joined the YLD Board in 2011. As campaign chair, she led one of the most successful Big Events, raising $250,000 with over 2,400 in attendance. Kirsch previously served as the 2013-2014 Executive Vice President of the YLD Board, chaired the 2013 YLD Israel Mission, and participated in the YLD Gesher leadership program. She has served on numerous JUF committees and commissions, and currently is a local co-chair of the National Young Leadership Cabinet. Kirsch has been named to the 2015 YLD/Oy!Chicago annual “36 under 36” list.

Teplitsky, 35, currently is campaign chair for the JUF Trades, Industries and Professions Financial Services Division. He has been a member of the YLD Board, and served as the 2012 campaign chair. He has participated on numerous JUF committees and commissions, and is a local co-chair for the National Young Leadership Cabinet. An emigrant from the Former Soviet Union, Teplitsky has provided a distinctive perspective to the JUF-Kiev Kehilla Committee, on which he served.

As part of the Davis, Gidwitz & Glasser Award, the honorees are given the opportunity to attend the annual General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America, which this year takes place in Washington, D.C., in November.

Two exceptional young professionals who have shown outstanding performance in their work at a Jewish agency in the Chicago area will receive the Samuel A. Goldsmith Award, now in its 28th year. This year’s award will be presented to Faryn Kates Rudnick and Rachel Shtern.

Rudnick, 33, has been cantor at Temple Beth-El, Northbrook, since 2013. In addition, she initiated a congregational Disability Awareness Program. Under Rudnick’s leadership, Temple Beth-El has been recognized by the Union of Reform Judaism as an exemplar congregation for its work in inclusion. She is the incoming president of the Reform Cantors of Chicago, and a member of the American Conference of Cantors social action committee. She has chaired the Hebrew Union College Day of Learning, and co-led a workshop on inclusion at the annual ACC convention this year. She represents the ACC on the Jewish Disabilities Network, is a member of the JUF Synagogue Federation Commission’s Inclusion Program Planning Committee, and has been a presenter for the Union for Reform Judaism’s inclusion initiative.

Shtern, 34, is assistant director of Community Building and Jewish Continuity at the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, where she focuses on Jewish and day school education. She has fostered a culture of trust between JUF and day school staff and lay leadership, and is exploring development of a Day School Business Managers Cohort. In addition, she has introduced operational and evaluation improvements to the Community Foundation for Jewish Education Ta’am Yisrael eighth-grade Israel program.

The Federation’s Annual Meeting begins with a business meeting at 10 a.m., followed by a noon luncheon.

The business meeting, open to all Federation members, will feature the election of directors, and presentations to outgoing board members and the recipients of the young leadership awards.

The lunch session will feature Lipstadt’s speech, the annual State of the Federation report, and presentation of the Rosenwald Award to Horwich.

Seven decades after the Nazi concentration camps were liberated and the gates swung open, Chicago’s Jewish community will joyfully commemorate the end of the darkness.

Many are expected to mark the 70th anniversary with a communitywide celebration at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, at Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob Synagogue, 8825 East Prairie Road, Skokie. The event is sponsored by the Jewish United Fund and Sheerit Hapleitah of Metropolitan Chicago, the umbrella organization of the area’s Holocaust survivors.

The luncheon will feature the Maxwell Street Klezmer Ensemble and special guest speaker Yaakov Katz, author and Harvard University lecturer.

“The Chicago area is home to the largest community of Holocaust survivors in the Midwest,” said Charles Lipshitz, president of Sheerith Hapleitah. “We survived the impossible, and are determined to continue. We stand strong with our families and future generations.”

The need to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon has been one of our community’s longstanding priorities. For two decades no issue has focused the attention – and sparked the apprehension – of the Jewish people as much as the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran. And none has galvanized American Jewry for advocacy as has that nightmarish possibility.

Reflecting that communal consensus Chicago’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) expanded advocacy was launched in a 2007 Iran Action Plan, which was adopted unanimously by its constituent organizations.

In response to the accord recently reached with Iran concerning its nuclear program, JCRC met on Thursday, Aug. 6 to determine whether a meaningful community consensus existed on this critical issue. Despite knowing that several member organizations had already come out either in support of or in opposition to the agreement, JCRC felt it was nevertheless necessary to convene the community and engage in a thoughtful and civil dialogue on this important issue.

At the meeting, a draft resolution aimed at presenting the broadest possible areas of community consensus, was put forth and discussed. The draft resolution was circulated to JCRC’s 43 voting member organizations, which represent all four major streams of American Jewry and the breadth of membership, fundraising, service and advocacy organizations, prior to the meeting to enable each to review and offer amendments.

Delegates representing 31 of the 43 JCRC constituent organizations were present at the meeting. After thoughtful and civil deliberation, it was determined that no position could be issued that would reflect a community consensus. Multiple organizational voices were raised in support and opposition to the accord, as well as those who have adopted a firm “no position” on the JCRC resolution, and still others who are continuing to process the accord through their own governance structures.

Despite a lack of consensus on the Iran accord, the Chicago Jewish community remains united in our commitment to preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capacity; enhancing US-Israel military cooperation; and improving the possibility of a secure, lasting peace in the Middle East.

JCRC will continue to make resources available that reflect the different points of view of its constituent organizations (see: http://juf.org/jcrc/iran.aspx ), and encourages members of our community to further educate themselves, express their views to their members of Congress, in letters and calls to the media, and engage their synagogues, friends, family, neighbors and colleagues.

JCRC will also work diligently to promote bipartisan support for a strong America-Israel relationship, and urges members of our community to engage in respectful and civil discourse on this and other critical issues.

JCRC celebrates the strength of our community and our ability to constructively and respectfully express differing views. We will surely call upon that strength and our historic unity to face the many challenges and opportunities the coming New Year, 5776, will present.

Kadima Tzoran at Dunbar Vocational High School.

The Kadima Tzoran Football Club from Israel arrived in Chicago on July 19 for the Chicago KICS Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament and finished second place in their division.

More than 50 teams participated in the second year of the tournament held at Dunbar Vocational High School, including several from sister cities of Chicago.

During their trip, the sixteen 14-year-old boys plus seven coaches, club personnel, and chaperons enjoyed opening ceremonies at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, closing ceremonies complete with fireworks at the 31st St. beach, and even a White Sox game.

The Petach Tikva Committee of the Chicago Sister Cities International program greeted the team when they arrived and joined them for a Shabbat service and meal. After the tournament ended on July 25, members of the committee threw a Chicago deep dish pizza party for the team; in turn, the Israeli organizer, Shahar Yellin, and coaches presented Kadima Tzoran flags to the committee members.

Chicago committee members and friends included Michael Schmitt, Diane Gold, Dan Shure (committee chairman) and Dan Sabol.

More than $166,000 has been awarded to bolster exciting, effective responses to a growing desire for Jewish learning throughout the Chicago area.

The Best Practices in Jewish Education grants, just announced by the Community Foundation for Jewish Education, are going to 13 synagogues, schools and other institutions to strengthen a remarkable array of programs geared to students from preschoolers to teens.

“I am heartened by the very range of our grant recipients,” said Debbie Berman, board chair of CJFE, a support foundation of Chicago’s Jewish United Fund. “Their diversity is matched by the variety of the projects for which they are receiving grants, each one unique in its approach to convey fundamental Jewish knowledge and values.”

“These grants help congregational and Jewish early childhood education programs build on what they already are doing well,” said Rabbi Scott Aaron, Ph.D., CFJE’s executive director. “These existing programs provide good Jewish educational experiences to their students, but too often lack sufficient funds to make a good program better or ensure it reaches more people.

“While CFJE is committed to spurring innovation in Jewish education to meet the changing needs of our kids,” Aaron said, “part of our mission is to help facilitate incremental enhancements in what these schools do well for their students, rather than make major changes to how they do it.”

The grant recipients include Oak Park Temple, which is receiving $20,000 for its weekly sixth grade family class. A $9,100 grant to Akiba-Schechter Jewish Day School in Hyde Park will help deepen staff competency in the Reggio Emilia approach for its preschool. Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation in Chicago will get $15,000 to expand its religious school. Congregation B’nai Tikvah in Deerfield is receiving $5,250 for its “Badges of Jewish Living and Learning” program, to expand its early primary age educational offerings. And Congregation Or Shalom of Lake County , in Vernon Hills, will receive a $20,000 award to expand its family school through a program called “Beyond the Classroom.”

Some of the grants focus on Hebrew-language courses. Temple Sholom of Chicago is receiving $2,500 for a Hebrew curriculum pilot project. A $20,000 grant will support a Temple Jeremiah in Northfield class called “Hebrew Through Movement” that also will serve three other congregations. And the JCC Chicago system is receiving $10,000 for a Hebrew-immersion weekend for teens.

Other grants focus on arts education. Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue in Wheeling is receiving $8,000 for a Jewish music-education project. Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation in Lincolnshire will get $6,390 to further integrate Jewish art and artists in its efforts. And North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe is receiving $20,000 for its school’s visual arts track.

And Congregation Beth Judea in Long Grove is receiving $10,000 to expand Shabbatonim, weekend youth retreats filled with learning, prayer and socializing.

One grant specifically supports teachers: the Board of Jewish Education is receiving $20,000 for professional development programs, including a KickStart conference for all congregational school and early childhood teachers.

For more information about CFJE and its Best Practices in Jewish Education grants, contact Scott Aaron at (312) 673-3267 or[email protected].

Footage from ‘ Crossing the Line 2 .’

Anti-Israel activism continues to rise on college campuses across North America. Chicago has seen its share of action with student governments at two premiere Chicago universities voting to divest from Israel. The divestment votes were followed by anti-Semitic attacks, some of which are being investigated by the FBI. The rise in anti-Israel vitriol is intimidating Jewish students and “crossing the line” into anti-Semitism.

Two upcoming events, sponsored by JUF’s Israel Education Center, will address the current climate on campus and prepare students and their families for the upcoming year.

On Aug. 12 from 7-9 p.m. Congregation Solel and will host Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions: A Movement Against Israel on Campuses. Participants will hear from a panel of expert campus professionals and students to learn effective advocacy skills and how they can support Israel both on campus and off. The event will take place at Congregation Solel, 1301 Clavey Road, Highland Park. The program is cosponsored by Am Shalom and North Shore Congregation Israel. For more information please contact www.solel.org.

On Aug. 16, AMC Theatre in Northbrook Court will screen Jerusalem U’s new film, Crossing the Line 2: The New Face of Anti-Semitism on Campus, and afterward, hear from a panel of activists and experts. During the afternoon, college students will participate in a special “Back to School Survival Training Workshop” at the Bernard Weinger JCC. Here they will interact with panel guests and other local experts.

Two of the special guests include Muslim born Kassim Hafeez, former anti-Israel activist, who became pro-Israel after reading The Case for Israel, by Alan Dershowitz, and, former University of New Orleans student activist, Chloe Valdry, now a Fellow at the Wall Street Journal. Chloe has been widely recognized for her pro-Israel work as an African-American and her work with the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel.

These events are being co-sponsored by variety of community synagogues and organizations. To register visit www.StepUpForIsrael.com/Chicago .

“We need to awaken the larger community to the seriousness of the problem, but more importantly, to give college students-both new and old-the opportunity to prepare for what they may face on college campus and how to foster a positive Jewish pro-Israel community, “ said David Coleman, Senior Producer with Jerusalem U, the creators of Crossing the Line 2: The New Face of Anti-Semitism on Campus.

In June, Dr. Ronald Silver, 61, summited Mount Kilimanjaro for the third time in six years, accompanied by his son Zachary Silver, 22, a senior at Suffolk University. But this particular trip was much more than a recreational father-son climb; it was a mission to fulfill a commitment to tikkun olam, repairing the world.

Now, typically one does not associate repairing the world with climbing a 19,431- foot mountain in Tanzania. But Ron and Zach saw an opportunity to combine philanthropy with their love of adventure. The result was a challenging six-day climb up and down the face of Mount Kilimanjaro devoted entirely to raising awareness-and funds-for the JUF-supported organization Keshet: A Rainbow of Hope for Individuals with Special Needs, whose influence played a formative role in Zach’s early education at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago.

In other schools and academic settings, students of typical development would ordinarily be kept apart from students with special needs because of their differences in abilities. But, at Solomon Schechter, this is not the case. For almost 25 years, Solomon Schechter students like Zach have had the privilege to learn and play alongside students from the Ariella Joy Frankel Keshet Day School, who possess unique challenges like Down syndrome, Autism, and Fragile X syndrome.

“I think it’s important to learn at a young age the potential of students with special needs,” said Zach. Having integrated classrooms isn’t “about learning to be sympathetic…it’s about empowering each other and building a community.” In fact, according to Zach, it was watching his friends from Keshet Day School “continue to exceed everyone’s expectations” that inspired him to step out of his comfort zone and make the philanthropic climb up Kilimanjaro with his father.

A veteran climbing for a cause, Ron summited Kilimanjaro in 2009 and 2012 to raise money for Chicagoland Jewish High School and The ARK, supported by JUF. So, upon hearing of Zach’s desire to organize a climb for Keshet, Ron was more than happy to put on his hiking boots once again. In his letter to potential sponsors of the expedition, Ron wrote: “Society, and more particularly ourselves, can be judged by how we care for those less fortunate than us.”

“Our family has admired and supported the educational, recreational, vocational, and social programs that Keshet provides for individuals with intellectual disabilities,” Ron said. “All of their programs and activities are done in a most compassionate and caring manner,” and ensure that no person will ever be forgotten. This climb of Mount Kilimanjaro is “to assist in caring for those who face significant obstacles in their daily lives” and to empower them to succeed.

And assist they did. Together, the Silver family donated $20,000 as matching funds for the first $20,000 donated to Keshet, and the donations are still rolling in.

On their expedition to bring tikkun olam to new heights, Ron and Zach Silver redefined what it means to repair the world. They transformed tikkun olam from a gracious act into a physical and spiritual journey, one that encourages us all to reconsider what generosity can do and what empowering each other can inspire.

To learn more about Keshet and opportunities to donate, visit www.keshet.org .

Jenna Cohen is a marketing consultant, writer, and blogger living in Chicago. She currently works as the marketing intern for Keshet: A Rainbow of Hope for Individuals with Special Needs.

Keshet is a partner with the Jewish United Fund in serving our community.