News Brief

JTA is one of 28 Jewish nonprofit groups chosen to participate in a charities program run by the U.S. government.

The Combined Federal Campaign allows federal and armed services employees to deduct from their salaries to contribute directly to charities. Employees can designate up to five charities. The Jewish groups were picked by Jewish Charities of America. According to Jewish Charities, some 350,000 Jews work for the federal government and the armed forces, and 35 percent of them participate in the campaign. The average annual gift is $276. In 2006, Jewish Charities chose 18 groups, which received $365,224 through the program. “It provides an easy way for federal and armed services employees to donate to Jewish causes,” the Jewish Charities’ President Bernice Dinner said. “And it gives Jewish donors access to a new group of donors.”

Some other nonprofits included by the JCA are Jewish Funds for Justice, the Foundation for Jewish Camping, the Jewish National Fund, Jews for Judaism, the New Israel Fund, Jewish Education Services of North America and Jewish Women International.

Hebrew adorns a new police station sign in a Jewish neighborhood of Buenos Aires.

The sign identifying Station 37 in the Villa Crespo neighborhood also features Spanish and English. It reads “Policia — Mishtara — Police.”

The three-language street sign is uncommon on police stations. When a second language is required, English typically is the alternative.

“We are in a highly Jewish-populated neighborhood, and we are close to commercial streets where tourists come by to buy leather clothing,” Roberto Perez, who commands Police Station 37, told JTA.. “We want all the Argentine community to feel closer to police.”

Perez said his superiors and the station’s neighbors welcomed the initiative.