STAMFORD – May is “Israel Month” at the Stamford JCC. In honor of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s 63rd Independence Day, the JCC will host a community photography exhibition, “Israel Through the Lens.”
Any photo that represents Israel or an Israeli experience is eligible to be included in the show, says Stamford JCC Israeli Shaliach Adam Weiss.
The exhibition opens on Tuesday, May 10, during the JCC’s community-wide Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration, and will be displayed in the JCC lobby through the end of May.
Photographs must be submitted no later than Apr. 1. Requirements:
• Email each photo in .jpg format to Adam Weiss: aweiss@stamfordjcc.org. Submission must Include: photographer’s name, title of photograph, date taken and location, and brief description of the photo (five sentences maximum)
• Photographs will be selected and photographers notified by Apr. 8.
• Photos selected for the exhibition must be printed and framed, and submitted to Adam Weiss by Apr. 19. Prints can be either 11″ x 14″ or 12″ x 18″. All frames should be black, with photographer’s name and photo title written on the back of the framed piece.
Weiss says that his mission as shaliach is to bring Israel closer to the community. “I thought, why not let the community help me bring Israel to the community,” he says. “People like sharing their experiences, and photos are a good way to do that. They give an effective platform to show the value of visiting Israel. I’m hoping that people who don’t have photos to share will be inspired to go to Israel in order to change that.”
Weiss says he is especially interested in personal photos, “not just of Masada at sunset or the Western Wall, but Israel through the eyes of the people – your kid’s bar mitzvah, sharing Passover with a family in Netanya.”
Next month, Weiss will facilitate a video conference at the JCC with Noam Shalit, the father of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was captured by Hamas in 2006 and is still being held prisoner in Gaza. The program, in cooperation with ConnectIsrael, will be held on Sunday, Apr. 3 from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
On May 1, from 1 to 5 p.m., the JCC will host JServe: National Day of Service for Jewish Teens. The event, which coincides with Holocaust Memorial Day, will feature a panel of teen trainers from the Anti-Defamation League’s “Confronting Anti-Semitism” program, followed by volunteering opportunities at various locations around the community. All 6th- through 12th-graders are welcome.

Info: Adam Weiss, (203) 487-0961 / aweiss@stamfordjcc.org