Behar Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs

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Behar Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs

The Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs (CJMA) is an in-house initiative of the Jewish Federation

The Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs (CJMA) is an in-house initiative of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans that contains all of the Federation’s external relations programs and directly reaches out to the wider community, both Jewish and non-Jewish. The Center is initially focusing on four primary outreach areas: [1] African-American relations; [2] LGBTQ relations, through the ex

isting Jewish Pride New Orleans (JP NOLA) program; [3] Latin-American relations; and [4] multi-faith relations.

01/18/2026

March together as a Jewish Community tomorrow, Monday, January 19th, at the official City of New Orleans' Martin Luther King Jr. Day March.

We are eager to unite in solidarity and to commemorate this important day.

Register to stay up to date on possible changes and to help us ensure an appropriate amount of security for our group.

Let's join together and make this day a meaningful celebration of unity.

Register at the link below:
https://jewishnola.regfox.com/2026-mlk-march

11/07/2025

Reflections from the National Council of Jewish Women's ( Greater New Orleans Section ) Opening Event & Fall Meeting, by Aaron Bloch, Director of Jewish Multicultural & Governmental Affairs

This week, I had the honor of moderating NCJW’s Opening Event & Fall Meeting at Congregation Gates of Prayer, where over 75 community members gathered to learn about one of the most urgent issues of our time: immigration and deportation. Our panel featured leaders whose work touches this issue from different angles — government, legal advocacy, community organizing, and direct support to immigrant families here in Louisiana.

What we heard was sobering.

We often look back to the Civil Rights Movement as a pinnacle of Jewish values in action, when members of our community showed up even when it was risky and hard. We are right to remember that history — but we cannot take pride in the courage of previous generations if we are not willing to exercise the same courage now. We cannot claim that legacy if we are not prepared to live it.

We are facing the civil rights challenge of our time. And it is our turn.

Our Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) reaffirmed this responsibility in a resolution this past May, making clear that supporting these rights is not just policy — it is a Jewish moral obligation. Our tradition teaches: “Do not oppress the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” The question now is not whether we know this teaching, but whether we will act on it.

If you are unsure where to begin, there are meaningful ways to help. We can connect you with trusted organizations in urgent need of volunteers — from grocery deliveries and court accompaniment to legal, social work, medical, translation, and transportation support.

Read more & learn how to get Involved at the link below:
https://jewishnola.org/dialogue-to-action-november-2025/

Thank you to NCJW for bringing us together, and to our panelists — Leticia Casildo, Executive Director of Familias Unidas en Acción; Marcela Hernández, Deputy Director of Familias Unidas en Acción; Allyson “Al” Page, Executive Director of Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy (ISLA); and Alanna Rosenberg, Former Section Chief at the New Orleans Asylum Office.

10/06/2025

Are you looking for an opportunity to connect with changemakers and leaders from the Black and Jewish communities for thoughtful and challenging dialogue?

Join the New Orleans Chapter of Rekindle and begin building bridges of understanding today.

All ages are welcome to apply to join the 2025 New Orleans Cohort -- deadline for application is October 16.

https://www.rekindlefellowship.org/neworleans

09/26/2025

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Latin American Jewish Diasporas in the Archive event last night. It was a truly incredible evening full of insights and connection.

Special thanks to our cohost, the Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library and Research Center at Tulane University, and our sponsors, Pan-American Life Insurance Group and Tulane University Stuart & Suzanne Grant Center for the American Jewish Experience for making this event such a standout experience.

09/22/2025

THIS WEEK!
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with us.

We will explore Jewish life in Latin America and the experiences of Latin American Jews in the United States through rare books, manuscripts, and other historical materials that tell their stories.

Experts from Tulane’s Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library and Research Center will lead a guided “show and tell” of archival selections, offering insight into the diversity and richness of Latin American Jewish diasporas.

Guests will enjoy Latin American and Sephardic food and music to complement the history and stories on display.

Free and open to the public.

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This event is co-hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans' Behar Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs (CJMA) and the Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library and Research Center at Tulane University and proudly co-sponsored by Pan-American Life Insurance Group and the Tulane University Stuart and Suzanne Grant Center for the American Jewish Experience.
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Advance registration appreciated:

https://jewishnola.regfox.com/latin-american-jewish-diasporas-in-the-archive

09/17/2025

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with us!

Together we will explore Latin American Jewish diasporas - Jewish life in Latin America as well as the experiences of Latin American Jews in the United States - through rare books, manuscripts, and other historical material that tell their stories.

The evening will also feature Latin American and Sephardic food and music, creating a vibrant setting to complement the history and stories on display.

Free and open to the public

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This event is co-hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans' Behar Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs (CJMA) and the Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library and Research Center at Tulane University and proudly co-sponsored by Pan-American Life Insurance Group and the Tulane University Stuart and Suzanne Grant Center for the American Jewish Experience.
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Advance registration appreciated:

https://jewishnola.regfox.com/latin-american-jewish-diasporas-in-the-archive

09/09/2025

Join us for a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration!

Together we will explore Latin American Jewish diasporas - Jewish life in Latin America as well as the experiences of Latin American Jews in the United States - through rare books, manuscripts, and other historical material that tell their stories.

The evening will also feature Latin American and Sephardic food and music, creating a vibrant setting to complement the history and stories on display.

Free and open to the public

This event is co-hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans' Behar Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs (CJMA) and the Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library and Research Center at Tulane University and proudly sponsored by Pan-American Life Insurance Group.

Advance registration appreciated:

https://jewishnola.regfox.com/latin-american-jewish-diasporas-in-the-archive

09/02/2025

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with us!

The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans' Behar Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs (CJMA) and the Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library and Research Center at Tulane University are hosting a special Hispanic Heritage Month celebration exploring Latin American Jewish diasporas - Jewish life in Latin America as well as the experiences of Latin American Jews in the United States - through rare books, manuscripts, and other historical material that tell their stories.

The evening will also feature Latin American and Sephardic food and music, creating a vibrant setting to complement the history and stories on display.

Free and open to the public

Advance registration appreciated:
www.jewishnola.org/latinarchive

08/19/2025

Last week we held a private encore screening of the impactful film 'October 8' for a diverse group of community members. The film focuses on the rise in antisemitism after the October 7th Hamas attacks. If you have not seen it, we highly suggest watching it and sharing it with your individual circles. Learn more at the link below:
https://www.october8film.com/

07/18/2025

We were proud to gather with 600 local leaders for the Together New Orlean's Citywide Delegates Assembly. In a resounding display of grassroots power and civic resolve, a non-partisan platform for the upcoming City elections was ratified. Read more: https://www.togethernola.org/news/we-are-the-ones-weve-been-waiting-for

Save the date for Thursday, September 18 and join us for the Mayoral and City Council Candidates Convocation at Xavier University, which will bring together 3,000 people.

Questions? DM us.

06/25/2025

Thank you to everyone who attended our second annual Juneteenth Seder, making it another deeply meaningful time of connection and reflection.

For over 2,000 years, Jews have gathered for the Passover Seder - a ritual meal that recounts the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt. Through storytelling, song, and shared food, the Seder passes this memory from generation to generation, keeping the spirit of liberation alive.

The Juneteenth Freedom Seder draws on this practice, blending the structure and symbolism of the Seder with the legacy of Juneteenth, which marks the 1865 arrival of Union troops in Galveston, Texas to enforce the end of slavery more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

This gathering calls us to reflect on the enduring struggle for freedom and the unfinished work of building a just society. Through a communal retelling, we ensure these histories are known, remembered, and carried forward year after year.

Thank you to our sponsors Jones Walker and Ochsner and to our partners ADL, Convergence Collective, NAACP New Orleans, Tulane Hillel and Xavier University. Special thanks to Wendell Shelby-Wallace, Rabbi Katie Bauman of Touro, and Terrell Mims for their involvement in the creation of the Haggadah.

Photos by: Jayvon Watkins of Hendrix Shot Em Photography

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Is this an event you would be interested in attending next year? DM us to express your interest!

Address

Metairie, LA
70002

Telephone

+15047805608

Website

https://jewishnola.org/

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