From My Heart to Yours

Contribute to Jewish community in the Netherlands

This is our first fundraising newsletter for Oy Vey, and it’s one that comes directly from my heart to yours. If you think building Jewish community is important, I urge you to consider a contribution.

When I left home in my late teens, I searched and searched and searched for a Jewish community that I could feel part of. I dreamt of one that would open its arms to weirdos like me, who didn’t really fit in with institutional life. I hoped for one that included people who kept kosher and people who ate bacon, just like my extended family does. I hoped for one where we could all be as Jewish as we wanted to be, whether that meant keeping Shabbat or just thinking about being Jewish and what that means. I hoped for one that wouldn’t demand conformity, that would make space for activism and ritual, that would engage in deep conversations and support each other in times of distress as well as in joy.

I finally found that community thanks to the efforts of founder Lievnath Faber and all of the wonderful volunteers and members of the Oy Vey community.

Since I discovered Oy Vey, I have volunteered hundreds of hours of work. Now, I am writing to ask you all to support us with financial contributions. Every little bit helps, from 5 euros to 5000 euros. Please consider giving.

You can adjust the amount and pay with any bank in the Netherlands.
Thank you!

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Together, we have celebrated holidays like Pesach, Sukkot, and Chanukah. We have eaten together and lit candles for Shabbat. We have spoken on panels and developed Jewish education spaces like Ze Kollel and The Deviant Yeshiva. We have marched together, sung together, and created a buddies program for people in need of a little extra support, comfort, and friendship. Through the Jewish Manifesto, we met and spoke with many of you about what it means to be Jewish here in the Netherlands.

We’ve done a lot! To make sure that continues next year and beyond, please leave a contribution. Your contributions help us keep the lights on and the programs going.

By the way, I am not alone in my love for Oy Vey. Take a look at some of the comments from people in our community below.

Hear From Our Members!

“Being part of Oy Vey has given me a sense of belonging, fostering connections with like-minded individuals who share common goals. Through collective efforts, Oy Vey is not only making a positive impact on our community but also enriched my personal Jewish growth by providing a platform for collaboration and shared values.”

“Oy Vey helped me feel I belonged when I arrived in Amsterdam unplanned in difficult times. It also allowed me to connect to the Jewish part of my identity in a new way that I can relate to and feel comfortable with.”

“In an increasingly polarized space, Oy Vey offers an increasingly important pluralistic place. It means a great deal to me to know there is a Jewish space that can hold many voices at once, to hold the positive differences of each other through and with community.”

“Oy vey Balagan [The Oy Vey chat group] is a gateway to the Jewish future of solidarity, empathy, community-building, and activism.”

“Oy Vey is doing something I always wished for, but never thought was possible – giving me a Jewish community in the Netherlands where I can show up entirely as my full self. It is an emotional, intellectual, political, and spiritual refuge for so many who have felt alienated and disconnected. I am so deeply appreciative and impressed by how Oy Vey is building community and support.”

“This was my first Hanukkah, but definitely to be repeated. Het smaakte naar meer.”

Please consider a contribution so that we can continue our work and build the Oy Vey organization. And tell us what Oy Vey has meant to you.