News & Events

August 9, 2022

We, the undersigned member organizations of the New Mexico Jewish Community, are concerned and appalled by reports that four separate murders of Muslim men in Albuquerque – one in 2021 and three in the past two weeks – could be related, according to multiple media reports and law enforcement officials. It is abhorrent that anyone would be attacked simply because of who they are, and we are outraged that these victims may have been targeted because of their faith. The entire Jewish community expresses its deep support of and solidarity with the Muslim community of New Mexico. We thank members of law enforcement for investigating and taking the matter seriously, and we strongly encourage prosecutors to pursue hate crime charges if the evidence shows that the murders were committed because of the victims’ Muslim identity.

According to the FBI, religion-based hate crimes reached a historically high level in 2020, the most recent year for which statistics are available, with Jews and Muslims being the top two targets of religion-based hate crimes across the country. Only by working together can we address hate against any one group.

Bias-motivated incidents can be reported to ADL online at www.adl.org/report.

Sincerely,

Anti-Defamation League Mountain States Region (ADL)
Albuquerque Chapter of Hadassah
Chavurat Hamidbar (Albuquerque)
Congregation Albert (Albuquerque)
Congregation Beit Tikva (Santa Fe)
Congregation Nahalat Shalom (Albuquerque)
HaMakom, The Place for Passionate and Progressive Judaism (Santa Fe)
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque
Jewish Community Council of Northern New Mexico
Jewish Community Foundation of New Mexico (JCFNM)
Jewish Federation of New Mexico (JFNM)
Las Vegas Jewish Community, Inc. (Las Vegas, NM)
New Mexico Holocaust Museum and Gellert Center for Education
New Mexico Jewish Historical Society
Rabbinic and Cantorial Association of Albuquerque
Taos Jewish Center

The Jewish Community Foundation of New Mexico awarded grants totaling $18,000 to six nonprofit agencies in the spring. The Foundation's Immigrant & Refugee Assistance Fund provides a Jewish community response to the welfare and safety needs of immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees in Albuquerque and New Mexico.

2022 grants from the donor-supported Immigrant & Refugee Assistance Fund were made to: Albuquerque FaithWorks Collaborative for the ABQ Asylum Program; EL CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos for the Guaranteed Basic Income Project; La Plaza De Encuentro for the Strengthening Pathways to Citizenship for Latinx Immigrants program; New Mexico Immigrant Law Center for the Pro Bono & Volunteer Program; Santa Fe Dreamers Project for the Family Unity Project and United Voices for Newcomer Rights for Refugee Mentoring.

Donors interested in contributing to the Immigrant and Refugee Assistance Fund to help provide grants in 2023 can donate online. For additional information, contact Erika Rimson, 505.348.4472

On April 13, 2022, UNM students took a study break and learned about the remarkable origin of comic books. The speaker was Dr. Samantha Baskind, Distinguished Professor of Art History at Cleveland State University. Baskind began her richly illustrated story with the rise of Hitler, moving her story to the emergence of two teenagers, Jerry Siegel and Joseph Schuster, who created a counterforce to Nazism: Superman. Throughout her presentation, Baskind revealed the allegorical Jewish themes underlying Superman's origins and the challenges he faced while living two identities on Earth. Following Superman, came other superheroes, most notably Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, and The Thing, all with Jewish creators. Professor Baskind reached beyond superheroes to describe satirical publications such as MAD magazine and the graphic novel MAUS, heavily invested in contemporary Jewish themes. Questions from audience members wrapped up the stimulating lecture.

Professor Baskind's visit was sponsored by UNM's International Studies Institute and the Jewish Community Foundation of New Mexico.

85 legacy donors who’ve committed to make endowment gifts to Jewish organizations in Albuquerque and Santa Fe celebrated Jewish New Mexico and each other on June 12. Guests kibbitzed in the brightly decorated JCC courtyard while enjoying a Rhubarb & Elliott catered Bagels & Lox brunch. The Pop Fizz paleta truck (paleta is a Mexican version of a popsicle) provided refreshing, delicious frozen treats.

“Planting Seeds,” a song composed for LIFE & LEGACY by Elana Arian, a leading voice in contemporary Jewish music, was introduced by Albuquerque and Santa Fe community members. Mira Garin, who grew up attending Congregation Albert, led the guests in song.

Rabbi Jack Shlachter and JCF board member Dan Newman shared stories related to the value of community collaboration and planting seeds to benefit future generations. Erika Rimson shared results from the first four years of the LIFE & LEGACY initiative in New Mexico:

• 311 donors committed to make a legacy gift to one or more local Jewish organizations and 70% of those commitments are formalized.
• Total estimated value of endowment gift commitments reached $6.2 Million with over $716,000 added to organization endowment funds to-date.
• Participating organizations earned approximately $120,000 in incentive grants by building meaningful relationships with their donors and establishing a culture of legacy giving.

For more information about LIFE & LEGACY contact Erika Rimson.

Hats off to our event sponsor SEI.