Weekly Round-up August 19-23

Dear Colleagues,

Israel’s negotiating team arrived yesterday in Cairo, in a last-ditch effort to strike a deal with Hamas for a ceasefire and for the release of the remaining hostages. The IDF recovered the bodies of six hostages this week. Jewish Federations mourn the loss of Yagev Buchshtav, Alex Dancyg, Yoram Metzger, Avraham Munder, Chaim Peri, and Nadav Popplewell.

The IDF believes that 105 hostages are still in Gaza, including the remains of 34 who have been confirmed to have died. For more on the war, see yesterday’s Israel Update and Tuesday’s Community Mobilization Dispatch.

In less than two months, Jewish Federations across the US and Canada will lead and support commemoration events marking one year since October 7th. Please use our toolkit to support the planning of these events. Submit your event here to be listed on our website, October 7th: Marking One Year. The website also offers resources to help you commemorate lives lost, honor the heroes, and demonstrate solidarity with the Israeli people.

We are pleased to announce a new microgrant fund that is offering up to $10,000 to support community or campus commemoration events. Click here to learn more and apply by Monday, September 9.

Last week, we launched Serve Israel, which offers funding and support for Federations and partner organizations to organize volunteer trips to Israel. We are prepared to work with every Federation and their partners to develop trip experiences that meet the needs of your community. Please contact Sophie Hearne to discuss your community’s plans.

Early bird registration for the 2024 General Assembly ends on Friday, September 6. Register now at www.GeneralAssembly.org and ensure your spot at this year’s gathering. General Assembly attendees will also receive premium access to the special Unity event on Sunday, November 10, which will be rolled out more broadly in the coming weeks.

Please join us on Thursdays from 2 to 2:30 pm ET for our series on how to deal with anti-Israel protests on campus, which are already ramping up again as classes resume. Registration is required, but you are welcome to share the links. We have urged universities to adopt these standards to keep Jewish students safe. These briefings complement the Monday leadership briefings that have been taking place since October 7. For more information on Monday calls please contact Hindy Garfinkel.

Please join our webinar this afternoon at 1:30 pm to learn how we use the annual Revenue Survey to benchmark Federation revenues and to capture our system’s collective financial impact, as well as to calculate the dues owed by each Federation.

Finally, don't miss "Torah With the Tmes," a monthly half-hour inspirational program that takes place right now at noon ET. Rabbi Joshua Stanton, who does interfaith outreach for Jewish Federations, wlll help us use Jewish wisdom to create meaning and purpose in our lives.

For additional updates and reminders, please see below.

Rosh Hashanah Toolkit: Rosh Hashanah is just around the corner! Inspire your community to imagine a brighter future together with our marketing toolkit, including engaging social media posts, a stirring video that celebrates unity and hope, and a direct mail letter to spark meaningful conversations and drive donations.

Repair the World Microgrants: Repair the World is offering microgrants of up to $1,000 for Federations and other Jewish organizations to host service programs in the US between September 15 and October 15. The goal is to engage 3,000 volunteers in acts of service and Jewish learning in conjunction with the anniversary of October 7th.

Overview of Professional Development Opportunities: We offer Jewish Federation professionals across North America opportunities to learn and grow. Please review our robust schedule of upcoming programs. Bookmark the page and check back often as new ones are added weekly! Also, if you are new to Federations, sign up for our next virtual orientation for new hires on Wednesday, October 30 at 1 pm ET. To learn more and register, click here.

Judaism 101: Everything you Need to Know to Work at a Jewish Federation: In this series of webinars, which will be offered on Thursdays in September at 1 pm ET, you will learn about some of the most important ideas in Judaism so you can feel more confident working in a Jewish organization. We will explore a multitude of Jewish cultures, traditions, practices, and customs, with a focus on those that you are most likely to encounter in your job.

Ensuring Safety During the High Holidays: The Security Community Network (SCN) is continuing its annual series on how to keep your community safe during the High Holidays. Please sign up for the upcoming webinars.

Leading Edge Guides: Leading Edge has just released two new guides — one for board members and one for board chairs. These cover all the essentials of how to be an effective board member and how to be an effective board chair. Please share them with the lay leaders in your community.

Jewish Belonging Professional Working Group: This is a monthly convening of Jewish communal professionals from across religious and faith backgrounds to collaborate to increase a sense of belonging for all Jews and their loved ones. We will develop, test, and support best practices to support field professionals; we will also explore how to use data to inform decision-making and implementation of strategies to expand belonging. Our first meeting is on Thursday, September 12 at noon ET. For questions, contact Stacey Aviva Flint.

Shabbat Shalom,
Shira Hutt
Executive Vice President

Previous
Previous

Weekly Round-up August 26-30

Next
Next

Weekly Round-up August 12-16