As you know, on Sunday, November 6th, the Jewish Cemetery Association of Massachusetts held its first multicultural, community event at our historic Ohabei Shalom Cemetery on Wordsworth Street in East Boston called “Celebrating Our Diversity Together.” The event was a success and could not
have taken place without the generous $10,000 Community Programming Grant from the East Boston Foundation that was awarded to JCAM in 2021.
With much planning and outreach, we successfully engaged with the local, diverse East Boston community. There were a number of elected officials and their staff from the community in attendance. Mayor Michelle Wu received the JCAM Cultural Award for her ongoing commitment to the City of Boston. State Representative Adrian Madaro gave remarks along with Senator Cynthia Creem and City Councilor Gabriela Coletta and East Boston Liaison Natalia Benitez-Perez. Click here to see/hear the remarks from the speakers, attendees and entertainment from the day: https://fb.watch/hZupNkyfQ-/
The day was filled with a variety of ethnic music, dance, an array of catered food from area vendors, face painting and so much more. We met many of the residents of East Boston and they had an opportunity to engage with JCAM and learn a great deal about the organization. We are anticipating that this first engagement will lead to more opportunities to learn from one another and build a strong presence in the East Boston community.
According to our grant agreement, the amount of $10,000 was awarded to JCAM to be paid in two installments of $5,000 each. Please let us know if there is a final grant document or any other documentation for us to complete and submit to receive the last $5,000 installment.
We thank you again for your generous support and look forward to more community engagement opportunities in the near future.