Kranzberg Foundation announces grant recipients

The Kranzberg Family Foundation, a supporting organization of Jewish Federation of St. Louis, has awarded $55,000 in grants to 12 Jewish programs for children, teens and young adults for 2015. This is the eighth year the family has gifted grants to next gen programs. Since its inception, the Foundation has donated more than $400,000 to projects that benefit the St. Louis Jewish community.

“It is wonderful to see how many amazing programs we have in our city to engage the next generation,” said Mary Ann Srenco, president of the Foundation that was started by her father, Ken Kranzberg. “I am thrilled that our Foundation can continue to make a difference with Jewish youth and young adults, leading to a stronger future for the St. Louis Jewish community.”

Two of the 12 programs receiving grants in 2015 are new recipients; the remaining 10 have received funding before, including Covenant Place’s “Tablet Tutor” program. The program, engaging young people ages 12 – 22 to connect with and teach older adults, has benefited from the grants. “The Kranzberg Family Foundation’s grant has provided an opportunity that empowers young people as they teach technology skills to older adults,” said Joan Denison, executive director of Covenant Place. “The young people are excellent instructors and we are delighted that so many of the participants wish to repeat their experience.”

Joe Auteberry of Q Jews is also appreciative of what the grants have meant to his organization. “Thanks to the support of the Kranzberg Family Foundation, Q Jews can continue to create events that increase the visibility of the LGBT Jewish Community. We are thankful that the Kranzbergs support our efforts to provide a place for anyone identifying as Jewish and on the spectrum of LGBTQ and have fun while creating dynamic programs and meaningful dialogue within the community,” he says.

The 2015 Kranzberg grant recipients are:

• Bais Abraham Congregation: to continue Mishkan, a mobile, dynamic and engaging program that will connect young adults in their 20s and 30s to one another, to the broader Jewish community, and to their Jewish roots.

• Covenant Place —to continue the Tablet Tutor program (see above).

• Hillel, Mizzou – to revitalize Tikkun Olam and Jewish Learning (Limud) programming offered to undergraduate and graduate students at Mizzou Hillel.

• Jewish Student Union —to support an ongoing program that engages teens in exploring Jewish values and ethics through contemporary media, including television shows, music, movies, etc. This connection will then be used to inspire the teens to become more involved in Jewish infrastructure, such as youth groups.

• Maryville University —to help the University’s Jewish Initiative work to engage Maryville with the overall St. Louis Jewish community, explore ways to engage students in Jewish activities and encourage the creation of bonds between Jewish students, Jewish faculty and staff.

• Next Dor —to help this post-denominational, non-institutional, urban Jewish community space for young adults in St. Louis continue to be a welcoming open space to connect.

• Nishmah — to continue the Banot Buddies program, which engages girls 8 to 12 years old and teenage girls in programming that encompasses Jewish values and fosters leadership building, mentoring and relationship building.

• PJ Library — to continue this program for children ages 6 months through 7 years, wich helps deepen Jewish family relationships and connections to the Jewish community by giving children free Jewish-themed books and CDs.

• Q Jews (new for 2015) —to provide social and educational events, along with advertising to promote Q Jews events in the St. Louis Jewish Community and the St. Louis community for LGBT Jews and allies. 

• St. Louis Jewish Light —to continue the teen initiative, “Ohr Chadash: Teen News by Teen Jews,” a monthly section in the Jewish Light (see pages 20-21) and an ongoing online feature that is produced by a staff of 13- to 19-year-olds. It provides news, features, opinions and analysis of interest to teens in the Jewish community.

• Torah and Turf —to continue this unique program,run by St. Louis Kollel, which combines scriptural study and flag football. Teams participate in Torah study first, then take to the field for friendly competition.

• Yeshivat Kadimah High School (new for 2015) — to support this Jewish high school, started in July of 2013 by a group of parents and community members who believe that in order for St. Louis to have a vibrant Jewish community, St. Louis must have a financially viable and high quality Jewish high school. The school offers a full high school curriculum.