For community groups, I went to the Jackson Heights – Elmhurst Kehilla.
Side note: Kehilla means community
Upon arriving at the community center, you are greeted by this:
- The Jewish Community Center
About the Jackson Heights Kehillah:
They have been around for almost thirty-five years helping to serve the community. It is a non-profit organization that aims at promoting cultural fusion as well as providing a sense of financial security to those in need. They are able to help those less fortunate by running numerous social programs such as kosher meals on wheels, emergency kosher food, and a food pantry. Not only does the Jackson Heights Kehillah provide for those in economic need, but to those in social need as well. They offer English courses to immigrants and refugees as well as teach computer basics. Here is a normal turn-out for the ESL courses provided on a weekly basis free of charge.
- ESL Course
In this community center, there is a great mix of cultures. Although this is a Jewish Community Center, many different community groups can gather here to achieve the same goal: to learn English. There is usually an even mix of south asian, mainland asian, spanish and even caucasian.
The Kehillah’s mission is to promote unity among people of every community group by creating programs of a common interest as well as focusing on communal issues in the Jackson Heights area. Furthermore, they are available to aid in obtaining social, occupational, and educational without a bias to any particular ethnicity or orientation.
They do however offer a great number of services targeted towards the Jewish community by creating programs in particular that appeal to a broad segment of the Jewish population such as Sabbath observation every Friday night. Additionally, they hold these services in both Hebrew and English so that everybody can understand, regardless of religious belief.
