Southwest Jewish Congress

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

Southwest Jewish Congress We are dedicated to educating the public on Israel and the Middle East and celebrating cultural and interfaith diversity in the community.

SWJC is committed to educating, empowering, and elevating our community through impactful programs, dynamic events, and grants that advance social justice, foster understanding of Israel & the Middle East, and celebrate cultural and interfaith diversity.

UTD Hillel just had such a beautifully moving commemoration of the third anniversary of October 7th, written by students...
10/12/2026

UTD Hillel just had such a beautifully moving commemoration of the third anniversary of October 7th, written by students and community members.

There were tears, joy and messages of the need to stand strong, 💪 and continue to shine the light for those we lost, who no longer can. The student leadership of Hillel spoke about the need to build bridges and continue outreach to our allies. Thank you to all the community groups who showed up to support our UTD students. 🌟

Click the first comment to hear the voice of an angel singing “New Day Will Rise,” the song that Yuval Raphael sang at Eurovision winning second place. 🎶 Enjoyed this incredible evening with Helen Kalmans, Susie Salfield Avnery, Karen Even Cane, Joshua Arbital, Mark Wettreich, Dini Druk, Miriam Zivin, Andrea Fasken and Sobel Blum.

If you missed the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas' event this week, please join us to commemorate October 7th with o...
10/09/2026

If you missed the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas' event this week, please join us to commemorate October 7th with our students at UTD this Sunday. SWJC will be joining with our community partners, standing together in Strength and Hope. 💔❤️‍🩹♥️

RSVP through this link:
https://forms.gle/sAnUBDPdccdN2gKq8

Last night, our community gathered together for Hatikvah and Hope, a meaningful event sponsored by Jewish Federation of ...
10/09/2026

Last night, our community gathered together for Hatikvah and Hope, a meaningful event sponsored by Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas' Jewish Community Relations Council and fifty community organizations, including Southwest Jewish Congress to honor the lives lost, the people left behind with shattered lives, and the enduring strength and resilience revealed since October 7.

Through remembrance, music, reflection, and shared presence, including students with posters of those they were honoring and whose memories they were keeping alive in their young hands, there was a stronger feeling than grief — its kinder twin, hope.

Hatikvah, which means “the hope,” is more than the Israeli anthem. The pianist/performer took us through a journey to understand Hatikvah, the song, and Hope of the Jewish people. Through music and visuals, she recognized the resilience of the Jewish people and recognized our city leaders and all our allies committed to compassion, solidarity, peace and justice.

Thank you to the JCC, the musicians, Dr. Astrith Baltsan and Israeli singer, songwriter, and storyteller Gilad Segev; artist, George Tobolosky; the organizers, and every community member who helped make this gathering one of remembrance and resilience, through laughter and tears. May we continue to honor the memory of those we lost on this horrific day three years ago through action and carry the HOPE forward together. 💔❤️‍🩹❤️

To our non-Jewish Board members of SWJC and all our friends in the community who have stood by our side during the past ...
10/07/2026

To our non-Jewish Board members of SWJC and all our friends in the community who have stood by our side during the past three years:

Your support in the wake of the October 7 tragedy has meant more than words can fully express. In a time of profound grief, fear, and uncertainty for Jewish people around the world, your willingness to stand beside the Jewish community with compassion, empathy, and a commitment to our shared values has been deeply meaningful. ♥️

Allyship is not simply a statement; it is the Action of showing up, listening, acknowledging pain, and helping ensure that Jews feel seen, safe, and supported. We are sincerely grateful for your partnership and for the humanity you have demonstrated during this difficult time. 🙏🏼

Susan Myers, Nelly Cuenca, Lynn Gaines Towery, Kevin Bolton, Cecilia McKay, Pearl Garza Fracchia, Quynh Chau Stone, and Sandy Washington

We look forward to seeing our friends and allies tomorrow as we come together as ONE COMMUNITY to commemorate the third ...
10/06/2026

We look forward to seeing our friends and allies tomorrow as we come together as ONE COMMUNITY to commemorate the third anniversary of the tragedy of October 7th at Hatikvah: Hope and Resilience 🙏🏼 sponsored by Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas' Jewish Community Relations Council and 50 participating partners, including Southwest Jewish Congress.

“Incredible” — “Fabulous” — “Inspiring:” these were just a few of the comments our attendees said when they thanked us f...
09/25/2026

“Incredible” — “Fabulous” — “Inspiring:” these were just a few of the comments our attendees said when they thanked us for putting together this powerhouse panel to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

The collective wisdom from Florencia Velasco Fortner, Dr. Catalina Garcia, MD and Adriana Ocampo Senior deserved every compliment and then some. Their performance was so impressive, it could fill an entire dictionary with praise.

Our panelists rose to the top of their fields in medicine, engineering/aerospace and the nonprofit world. Their stories were poignant— at times hysterical (as you can see from the photos) and at others tugging at your heartstrings with more than a few tears.

Just a few words of wisdom from these strong, brave and resilient women:
From Dr. Catalina Garcia, MD:
Tell people what you need. Everyone needs help and most are happy to help you. They just don’t know what you need unless you ask.

From Florencia Velasco Fortner:
You have to just dive in. I was the first one in my family to go to college. You don’t have to believe you can do something— just go do it. Take away beliefs and stick to action. My Dad taught me this at a young age. He said, “This is a problem you can solve. Figure it out and stop feeling sorry for yourself.” He taught me not to be afraid. You are more capable than you think.

From Adriana Ocampo Senior:
My mother was the first Columbian marine biologist. So there was a high expectation when I went into engineering. What I learned was there are mentors and then there are advocates that will go to bat for you. You need both. You can’t let someone else’s opinion of you (or your accent) stop you from being who you are.

Thank you to Cecilia McKay and Pearl Garza Fracchia for planning such an incredible program last night, to our Board members Nelly Cuenca, Helen Kalmans, Rosie Stromberg, Kevin Bolton, Susie Salfield Avnery and to our panelists for sharing your stories, your strength and your hope! 🌟

Que noche tan fabuloso! 😍 Hispanic100 really knows how to throw a gala! From the clothes to the delicious dinner to the ...
09/24/2026

Que noche tan fabuloso! 😍 Hispanic100 really knows how to throw a gala! From the clothes to the delicious dinner to the incredible awards, these women are changing our community for the better! 🩷 So proud to support you last night and can’t wait to partner next year for a SWJC-Hispanic100 Fiesta! 🎉

Congratulations to Dr. Elba Garcia for winning the Living Legend Award 🏆 and to Dr. Catalina Garcia on winning the distinction of Woman of the Decade! 🏆

We can’t wait to hear from you and our two other panelists, Florencio Velasco Fortner and Adriana Ocampo Senior, tonight at our own SWJC Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration! See you all 🔜— you are in for a treat! 🤩

Last night The University of Texas at Dallas Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies had the most incredible event: a book...
09/23/2026

Last night The University of Texas at Dallas Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies had the most incredible event: a book launch and discussion celebrating the first-ever critical edition of The Origins of Totalitarianism. The three volumes (of 16 planned) took more than 50 scholars, academics, philosophers, and historians a decade to write as the books combine final English and German texts, early drafts, and archival annotations.

Editors, Annette Vowinckel, Hanno Berger, Christian Pischel, and Elena Stingl each presented and then took questions from the audience which was absolutely enthralled by the painstaking process to complete phase one of the Herculean task. The three books totaling 3,100 pages can be read as history, philosophy or political theory. Three of the four presenters had flown in that day from Berlin and were so pleased with the warm Texas welcome.

Kudos to our partners at the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies on such an impressive event! Finally, SWJC extends a huge welcome to the new Ackerman Center Director, Dr. Mark Celinscak! 👏 👏👏

Join us THIS THURSDAY as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month! 🤩We have exactly 8 spaces open for this incredible panel ...
09/22/2026

Join us THIS THURSDAY as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month! 🤩

We have exactly 8 spaces open for this incredible panel of Hispanic trailblazers making a difference in medicine, engineering/aerospace and the nonprofit sector. Hope you can join us for what is sure to be an inspirational, engaging evening! 💥

🩷Join SWJC as we celebrate El Power de La Mujer/ The Power of Women! 🩷

Thank you to Joshua Arbital of StandWithUs and the Israel Now Forum (INF) for such a great presentation and explanation ...
09/17/2026

Thank you to Joshua Arbital of StandWithUs and the Israel Now Forum (INF) for such a great presentation and explanation about why Anti-Zionism is the same thing as Antisemitism.

Thank you to Josh and the INF for all you are doing to fight antisemitism by spreading tolerance and understanding in our wounded world. 🌎 🙏🏼

Address

P. O. Box 700116
Dallas, TX
75370

Telephone

+12143610018

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Southwest Jewish Congress posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Southwest Jewish Congress:

Shortcuts

Sponsored

Share

Category