We believe that the most serious threat to Jewish continuity is assimilation and intermarriage. We are succeeding in reversing the trend of intermarriage and asimilation in our community by enhancing Jewish pride through the innovative programs of our Youth to Israel, Jewish Continuity and Interfaith Outreach Committees.

The key to Jewish continuity in the United States is in enhancing and instilling Jewish pride in our children, which is an achievable goal for every Jewish community. Building on the enormous success of our cornerstone program, Youth to Israel, which provides fully subsidized teen trips to Israel, in 1996, the Robert I. Lappin Charitable Foundation expanded its Jewish continuity initiative by creating unique, Jewish, community-wide programs, which enhance Jewish pride, connect people to Israel, and instill a feeling of being a member of the Jewish family—a great and unique people.

Our success in attracting outsize numbers of participants to our programs is achieved by removing cost as a barrier to participation. Most programs are free, thereby opening the gates to all who want to participate.

Our focus is on the vast majority of children and teens, who are underserved and do not participate in an intensive Jewish experience, such as Jewish overnight camp or Jewish day school. Through the programs of the Robert I. Lappin Charitable Foundation, children, teens and families engage in experiential Jewish learning in a variety of ways, including home-based, family-centered Jewish celebrations, travel to Israel, and participation in authentic Jewish experiences.

Our interfaith outreach programs are unmatched by any other community. Introduction to Judaism, a free 20-week course, is open to those seeking to learn more about Judaism, as well as for those seeking to convert. The course is held in our community, making it convenient, accessible and affordable to explore Judaism. Costs related to conversions to Judaism are fully subsidized, and conversions are acknowledged with a gift of Jewish ritual items, chosen by each convert. In addition, grants are awarded to agencies for the development of interfaith outreach programs, which meet the needs of their members.

 In May 2000 the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts awarded the Jewish Continuity Committee the Klal Yisrael Award for outstanding Jewish programs, which build Jewish community and strengthen the Jewish people. Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, President of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, nominated the Jewish Continuity Committee for the President’s Award for Jewish Education in the Diaspora, sponsored by the Jewish Agency for Israel. In August 2004, the Jewish Continuity Committee set a new Guinness World Record for the most number of shofars sounded at one time at its annual Great Shofar Blowout. The Foundation has gained a national reputation for its outstanding, creative Jewish programs, which engage people in Jewishly meaningful ways.

Several communities, including Atlanta and Western Massachusetts, are offering Rekindle Shabbat, one of our highly successful programs, and plan to expand their programming to offer more of the wonderful programs we have developed. We are committed to sharing our ideas and programs so that other communities can experience similar success.   

 In addition to developing programs, the Lappin Foundation creates resource materials, which enhance Jewish pride. These materials are available on the website, free of charge. The Jewish Pride Posters and Great Jewish Achievers Documentary were distributed to thousands of venues across North America and beyond. The soon-to-be-released Great Achievements of the Jewish People Documentary is the Foundation’s latest project and will be ready for distribution in early summer 2005