JAINA Committees

The following is a list of JAINA Committees.  Some of the committees are very active and some are dormant.   If you are contemplating taking on a project which may overlap with a JAINA Committee - please check discuss this with the Committe member or chair.  For more information you can contact yokjain@yahoo.com or chintan.shah@yja.org

Organizational Committees

• Constitution Review

• JAINA Charitable Trust

• JAINA Convention Board

• Legal Advisory

• Long Term Planning

• Membership

• Jaina Patron Program

• YJA + YJP Coordinator

• Jain Centers Resources Committee

Service Committees

• Jiv Daya – Activity Report

• North American Jain Families Assistance Program

• JAINA Pilgrimage

• Senior Housing

• Tirthodhdhar

• World Community Service

• V.R. Gandhi Scholarship Fund

Networking Committees

• Jain Networking Forum

• Mairage Information Services

Education & Heritage Committees

• Academic Liaison

• Exhibition Committee

• Jain Rituals

• JAINA Book Store

• JAINA Education

• JAINA Library

• North American Jain History

• Scholar Visitation

Public Relations, Media, & Interfaith Committees

• Government and International Organization Relations

• JAINA Public Affairs Council

• Interfaith Activities

Publications & Technology

• Jain Digest Membership

• Calendar

• JAINA Publications

• Technology

• JAINA Spectrum

Organizational Committees

Constitution Review To review the current Constitution of JAINA and make recommendations for improving it. Members Dr. Manibhai Mehta – Cypress, CA (Chair) Dr. Manoj Dharamsi – Reston, VA Mr. Girish Shah – Campbell, CA Dr. Dhiraj Shah – Grand Island, NY Dr. Mahendra Mehta – Toranto, ONT

JAINA Charitable Trust To raise funds and use them for projects such as Jain Books, Conventions (JAINA & YJA), Medical Institutions, Relief Funds and JAINA General Activities. Members Dr. Mahendra Pandya - Staten Island, NY

JAINA Convention Board To evaluate and finalize the location for next biennial JAINA convention. To manage the convention. Members Mr. Kirit Daftary - Waco, TX

Legal Advisory Members Mr. Prakash Parekh – New York, NY Mr. Neel Shah – New York, NY

Long Term Planning To develop a long range, 5-15 years vision/mission for Jains, Jainism and JAINA by analyzing and undertaking surveys, studies and interviews. Members Mr. Yogendra Jain - Wellesley, MA Prem Jain, San Jose, CA Chintan Shah, NY Prahar Shah, Boston Jain Leadership Team Chandrakant Parikh, CA

Membership To provide constitutional, educational guidelines and materials for the forming of new Jain Centers and a forum for interaction amongst different centers. Members Mr. Kamlesh Shah - Rockville, MD

Jaina Patron Program To provide constitutional, educational guidelines and materials for the forming of new Jain Centers and a forum for interaction amongst different centers. Members Mr. Kamlesh Shah - Rockville, MD

YJA + YJP Coordinator To provide guidance and support to YJA and YJP for their activities and also a liaison to JAINA. Members Mr. Girish P. Shah - Campbell, CA Mr. Pravin K. Shah - Raleigh, NC Mr. Vinay Vakani - Oradell, NJ Mr. Prem Chand Jain - Fremont, CA Mr. Yogendra Jain - Wellesley, MA

Jain Centers Resources Committee To gather center / temple architecture/construction details of existing centers / temples (including expansions) in North America and supply this information to others who are interested in building new centers / temples. Members Dr. Nitin Shah, La Mirada, CA (Chair)

Service Committees

Jiv Daya - Activity Report To collect and provide funds to feed and provide shelters to the animals in India. Members Mrs. Pramodaben Chitrabhanu - New York, NY Mr. Ratibhai Shah – Bartonville, TX

North American Jain Families Assistance Program To evaluate and help financially and socially the troubled Jain families in North America. Members Ms. Ila Mehta - Maumee, OH

JAINA Pilgrimage To organize at least one Yatra every year to different Jain Temples and religious places in India. Members Mr. Dilip V. Shah - Philadelphia, PA

Senior Housing To explore housing facility for seniors and to initiate programs beneficial to seniors. Members Dr. Bipin Parikh - Des Plains, IL (Chair) Mr. Kirit Daftary - Waco, TX Mr. Pankaj Dalal - Houston, TX Mr. Gunvant Shah - North Brunswick, NJ Mr. Keerti Shah - Bartlett, IL Mr. Bipin Shah - Oldsmar, FL Mr. Pravin M. Shah - Plainfield, IL Dr. Dhiraj Shah - Grand Island, NY Mr. Kantilal Shah – Rancho Santa Ma., CA

Tirthodhdhar To serve, preserve and protect Jain Teerth of India. The scope of this committee will include Sthavar (Fixed, such as old Jain Derasars, temples, Upashrya and Teerth) and Jangam (moving, such as Jain Sadhu and Sadhviji) Members Mr. Kirit Daftary - Waco, TX

Wheel of Hope To help poor and needy in India by supplying free medical equipment and supplies to hospitals and other institutions of care. Members Mr. Ramesh P. Shah - Mayfield Village, OH

World Community Service To provide humanitarian services all around the world with emphasis on India. To provide medical services to disadvantage and poor people and rush to emergency disasters such as: Earthquake, Floods, and Hurricane Famine etc. Members Mr. Bachubhai S. Ajmera - Ashton, MD Mr. Bhadresh R. Dhila - Ashton, MD Mr. Prakash Mehta - Herndon, VA

V.R. Gandhi Scholarship Fund To promote and encourage studies in Jainism and to spread the message of V.R. Gandhi. The scholarship is awarded to needy students pursuing higher education in Jain philosophy, literature and scriptures at recognized universities and institutions. Members Mr. Pravin C. Shah - New Hyde Park, NY

Networking Committees

Jain Networking Forum Jain meets Jain. To prepare database of all registered members of YJA, YJP and MIS members. Members Mr. Sunil Jain - Eddison, IL

Marriage Information Services To promote Jains to marry Jains and practice the principle of Jainism in day-to-day life. MIS initiated a matrimonial column in the Jain Digest and has created a computerized data bank for marriage referrals Members Mr. Hasmukh M. Shah - Tarpon Springs, FL

Youth Committees

Young Jain Professionals To increase awareness and understanding of Jain principles and heritage to promote application of Jainism in professional and social aspects of young Jains. It is a forum for young Jain professionals to network and to meet other successful role models in our community Members Ms. Neha Jhaveri - Highland Ranch, CO Ms. Paulomi Gudka - Toronto, ONT

Young Jains of America YJA is dedicated towards educating the leaders of tomorrow. To be recognized nationally and internationally as an umbrella Jain Youth organization for establishing a network to share heritage and religion through youth. Members Mr. Arpan R. Shah - Sugar Land, TX Mr. Chirag Shah - Mequon, WI

Education & Heritage Committees

Academic Liaison To establish Liaison with institutions in North America that are promoting principles of Jainism Members Mr. Girish Shah – Campbell, CA Mr. Sanjay Pandya - Staten Island, NY Mr. Prem Jain - Freemont, CA Mr. Pravin K Shah - Raleigh, NC Mr. Dilip V. Shah - Philadelphia, PA

Exhibition Committee To spread Jain principles among Jain and Non-Jain communities through attractive exhibitions, provide Jain exhibit to Jain centers, schools, libraries, and Universities across North America, support Interfaith activities and supplement efforts of Education Committee, prepare supplemental brochures, booklets, and multi-media presentations promoting Jainism Members Mr. Sudhir Shah, Woodbridge, CT

Jain Rituals To perform Jain rituals at the time of Pratistha, marriage, deity worship, and other social events. To translate Jain rituals in English. Members Mr. Naresh Shah - Garden City Park, NY Mr. Vinod Doshi - Monroeville, PA Mr. Navin Dedhia - San Jose, CA Dr. Kirit Gosalia - Phoenix, AZ

JAINA Book Store To make available Jain religious books and material to members at a reasonable cost. Publish book list in Jain Digest. Members Mr. Rohit H. Doshi - Vestal, NY

JAINA Education To prepare uniform pathshala curriculum and publish a CD containing pathshala material and presentation of Jain philosophy with the goal of providing Jain religious education to children, youth and adults through classes, workshops and lecture at various Jain centers in North America. Members Mr. Pravin K. Shah - Raleigh, NC

JAINA Library To maintain a main library in Los Angeles Jain Center and make books, magazines, audio and video recording available to the community at large in North America Members Mr. Ramesh Doshi - La Palma, CA Mr. Virendra Shah – Torrance, CA

North American Jain History To write the history of Jains in North America Members Mr. Jasvant Mehta, Chair. - Edmonton, AB Dr. Vastupal Parikh, Co-chair – Brampton, ONT Ram Gada, Co-chair – Saint Paul, MN Dr. Tansukh Salgia – Columbus, OH Dr. Manoj Dharamsi – Reston, VA Dr. Dhiraj Shah – Grand island, NY Mr. Prakash Mody – North York, ONT

Scholar Visitation To invite and coordinate the visits of numerous Monks, Bhattaraks, Jain Nuns, Jain Scholars and Jain leaders to North America, to help us acquire the essential of our religion. Members Mr. Nirmal Dosi - East Brunswick, NJ

PR, Media, & Interfaith Committees

Government and International Organization Relations To foster interaction, dialogue and communication with Jain organizations throughout the world. Also to have a good working relationship with US, UK, Indian and other governments. Members Dr. Dhiraj H. Shah - Grand Island, NY

JAINA Public Affairs Council To monitor media for misrepresentation of our faith. To educate Non Jains about our faith and our community about civil rights. Also to build bridges of understanding. Members Dr. Sushil Jain - Gaithersburg, MD

Interfaith Activities To provide exchange of religious views with the other major religions of the world and promote harmony, tolerance & peace with them. To make people aware of Jain teachings and actively promote Jain way of Life. Members Mr. Arvind Vora - Kings Park, NY Mr. Naresh Jain - Rutherford, NJ Mr. Prakash Mody – North York, ONT Ms. Hema Pokhrana – Chicago, IL

Publications & Technology

Jain Digest Membership To increase the Life membership of Jain Digest and see that each and every Jain family in North America gets a copy of Jain Digest. Members Mr. Keerti Shah - Bartlett, IL

Calendar To publish colorful calendar with photographs of ancient Jain temples located throughout India and distribute to Jain families around the world. Members Mr. Rajeev Pandya - Staten Island, NY

JAINA Publications To publish Jain Games and DVD’s for children so that Jain Sanskar will be instilled in them at early age. Members Dr. Prem Gada - Lubbock, TX

Technology To build and maintain the Technology Infrastructure to meet JAINA’s needs. To provide technology service to JAINA Committees and JAINA members and to maintain JAINA website. Members Mr. Girish P. Shah - Campbell, CA Mr. Sunil Jain - Eddison, IL (JNF) Mr. Dilip V. Shah - Philadelphia, PA (Website) Mr. Dhrumil K. Purohit (Website)

JAINA Spectrum "The Jain Voice of North America". A monthly electronic newsletter by the Federation of Jain Associations in North America Members Mr. Dilip V. Shah - Philadelphia, PA (Editor) Mr. Dhrumil K. Purohit (Design)