Welcome

Never far from our hearts.
Freethesoldiers.org is an advocacy and awareness campaign on behalf of the Israeli soldiers who were captured last summer, Gilad Shalit, Ehud "Udi" Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. The campaign is a joint initiative of a broad coalition of Jewish organizations rallying together in an unprecedented display of solidarity and humanitarianism.The primary focus of this campaign is an online petition addressed to incoming U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, demanding that the U.N. take immediate action to secure the freedom of Udi, Eldad and Gilad

The best time to go to Israel? November 2008! Join us for the Peoria Mission to Israel, Nov. 9-20, 2008. Click here for the itinerary and costs. Application and Release forms are now available.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Conversational Hebrew with Tal Popkov: Monday evenings 7:00-8:00 Federation offices.

Israel @ 60 Events: Special Thanks to our Sponsors

Israel Fair straight from Israel with our friends from SoulTrain. May 18 noon-5:00 5614 N. University Admission: $3.00/person $10.00/family Arts & crafts, paint a tee shirt,  concerts, large selection of books by Israeli authors for all ages, Israeli food, Israeli dancing, Israeli merchandise, Bedouin tent, cook your own pita and more!!! Fun for all ages. Fair Schedule: Noon-Opening ceremony for Israel Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers Fair Activities: 12:20 p.m.-5:00 p.m. 1:30 Musical concert 2:00: Mime performance 3:30: Musical concert 4:00: Mime performance Music as well entertainment by the mime will be ongoing, with special performances at the above times. All other activities will take place throughout the entire afternoon.

The PJ Library can be reached at www.pjlibrary.org. In partnership with the Harold Greenspoon Foundation, the Federation provides books and CDs of Jewish materials to families with children ages 6 months to 6 years. If you are interested and eligible, please contact the Federation Offices at 309-689-0063.

Operation Promise is an initiative to raise $160 million to help poor elderly Jews and build Jewish identity in the former Soviet Union, and to bring the Ethiopian Jewish community to Israel and help them assimilate into Israeli society.
Our Jewish story begins with a promise, passed from generation to generation like a golden chain, etched in our collective memories and recorded in our books. This promise represents our hope to be a free people, to return to our historic homeland and to create a better future; it represents our dream to be a compassionate people, whose purpose it is to make the world a better place. Click here for more information To make a donation contact the office or go the "Donate Now" on this website.

The S.T.A.M.P. Project: Save Darfur Take Action Mail Postcards-We are asking everyone in this community to pick up a postcard, put a stamp on it and mail it to the Save Darfur Coalition. These postcards will then be sent to either the White House or the U.N. Secretary General. The  message is one of hope for increased humanitarian aid, the deployment of a strong UN peace-keeping force, and whatever else is necessary to bring an end to the genocide. Postcards are available in the office, at local businesses, houses of worship, schools, etc. To learn more go to the Save Darfur website (click here) More information is available at The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Committee on Conscience (click here)

ISRAEL CRISIS FUND:

The needs are in excess of $600 million. With your help, we'll begin the healing through trauma counseling. We'll ease the homecoming through financial assistance for needy families. We'll provide support for students returning to school. And we'll rebuild the North through business loans and restoring infrastructure.

With your help, we will rebuild lives and lift spirits.

Send pizza to a soldier serving in the IDF

Additional high resolution (suitable for printing) photos of Federation events are available here: action

The mission of the Jewish Federation of Peoria is to serve the Jewish people locally, in Israel, and throughout the world through coordinated fundraising, community-wide programming, social services, and social- cultural-educational activities.