An institution of memory, education, and community.
Live generously, it does a world of good.
The Jewish Community Council of Erie advances Jewish life in Northwestern Pennsylvania through philanthropy, education, social service, and the steadfast work of remembrance. We hold open the universal call of Never Again.
About
A council, rooted in the region.
The Jewish Community Council of Erie was formed to further the welfare of the Jewish community: to plan for its philanthropic, social, cultural, and educational advancement, and to foster cooperation among local Jewish organizations toward that end.
We raise and direct funds to Jewish religious, charitable, and educational purposes, both directly and through partner organizations. We support tolerance education through the Alec Fisher Education Fund, sponsoring student visits to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and other regional memorials.
We respond to community needs, from synagogue security to humanitarian crisis. We hold space for Jewish life across generations.
- Headquarters Erie County
- Service Area Crawford · Erie · Venango · Warren Counties
- Member Congregations Brith Sholom Temple Anshe Hesed
Our memories are not nostalgia. They hold our community together across the years we have been given.
Programs
Six lines of work.
Holocaust Education Bus Fund
Funded student trips to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for schools across Northwestern Pennsylvania. The Council's longest running educational initiative, sustained by community giving for more than a decade.
Alec Fisher Education Fund
Supports teacher and community education promoting peace, civility, tolerance, and understanding of our diversity. Anchored by the universal Holocaust Remembrance theme of Never Again.
Jewish Camp and Youth Subsidies
Need based support for Jewish summer camp and immersive Jewish experiences. Ensures younger members of the community have access to the formative programs that shape Jewish identity.
Synagogue Security Support
Volunteer coordination and material support for security at Temple Anshe Hesed and Brith Sholom. Protecting the Jewish community's right to gather, pray, and learn in peace.
Humanitarian Crisis Response
When Israel and the global Jewish community are in crisis, the Council moves quickly. In October 2023, the Board pledged $25,000 in humanitarian relief, channeled through the Cleveland Federation.
Community Programming
Cultural and educational events that bring together members of the Erie Jewish community and broader regional partners. Sustaining Jewish life as a lived tradition, not a remembered one.
Featured Program
The Holocaust Education Bus Fund.
For more than a decade, the Council has sent middle and high school students from across Northwestern Pennsylvania to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The intention is unchanged: that no student in our region grows up without standing inside that history.
Submit Your Curriculum
Submit your curriculum for approval, schedule your USHMM visit, and request funding through the Council's application form. Review within ten business days.
Apply for Funding ›Designate the Fund
Donations are processed at no fee through Zeffy, so 100 percent of your gift reaches the Council. Designate JCC Holocaust Bus Fund when giving. No child is ever denied a seat for inability to donate.
Support the Fund ›Bring Back What You Saw
The museum experience requires at least three hours on site. After the visit, students share their reflection with the Council and the broader community through writing, art, video, or a class project.
Connect for Support ›Support our work
Give where it matters.
Your gift sustains the Council's longstanding work, the JCC Holocaust Bus Fund, the Alec Fisher Education Fund, and the community programming that holds Jewish life together in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Donations are processed at no fee through Zeffy, so 100 percent of your gift reaches the Council.
Give to the Council ›P.O. Box 3120
Erie, PA 16508
Leadership
Led by its members.
- Pam ReynoldsPresident
- Korlyn MoraisVice President, Social Service
- Mark TanenbaumChair, Jewish Community Relations Committee
- Phil FriedmanVice President, Finance and Treasurer
- Jessica KleinExecutive Member, Education and Bus Fund Coordinator
- Cindra ValloneSecretary
- Ina FisherChair, Alec Fisher Education Fund
- Bob BreakstonePast President, continuing service
- Jan MandelPast VP, Social Services, continuing service
- Jeff PinskiPast JCRC Chair, continuing service
- Julie CohenMember
- Rabbi MoraisMember
- Shanna HodgsonMember
- Karen KobierskiMember
- Lauren FrenchMember
- Laurie PennMember
With deep gratitude to past leaders whose service shaped the Council. They continue to give of their time, wisdom, and care on the General Board today.
Contact
Get in touch.
P.O. Box 3120
For everything else
Have a question, an idea, or want to get involved?