Weekly Round-up December 18 to December 22
Dear Colleagues,
After 75 grueling days, Israel continues to make progress in its war with Hamas, having hit over 22,000 targets, killing 5,000 terrorists (including over 70 top commanders), and arrested 500 more. For more on Israel's progress in the war, check out our Community Mobilization Center's latest Dispatch.
Following the tragic accidental killing of three hostages in Gaza, Israel and Hamas have reengaged in negotiations over a potential ceasefire and additional release of hostages, with priority given to any remaining women and children along with elderly male hostages. Read more in the latest update from our Israel office.
Jewish Federations have now raised a total of more than $762 million system-wide and allocated over $265 million to a wide range of humanitarian organizations in Israel. Click here for our latest allocations update.
We just marked ten years since the launch of the White House Holocaust Survivor Initiative, launched by then-Vice President Joe Biden, it has impacted over 40,000 survivors in the United States through the Jewish Federations of North America's Center on Holocaust Survivor Care and Institute on Aging and Trauma. The program has not only improved the lives of survivors but has also sparked a national movement to support aging adults, drawing lessons from Holocaust survivors. Read more.
In January, we will run two solidarity missions to Israel for those donors who have given $250K or more to the Israel Emergency Fund; the mission on Monday, January 8 to Tuesday, January 9 will be chaired by Julie Platt and the mission from Monday, January 15 to Tuesday, January 16 will be chaired by David Heller. Please contact Lindsay Matloff for more information.
Female-identifying philanthropists who have donated a minimum of $25,000 to the Israel Emergency Campaign are invited to participate in a special Fly-In to Israel, which will be chaired by Suzanne Barton Grant. It will take place from January 10-11 and will focus on how the ongoing war has impacted women and children. (There will also be an optional volunteer day on Tuesday, January 9.) For information, email Mandy Kaiser-Blueth, Associate Vice President, National Women’s Philanthropy.
On Tuesday, January 30 and Wednesday, January 31, we will have a Fly-In to Washington, DC to advocate for our top communal priorities and strengthen relationships with key decision-makers in congress. To register, click here. For more information, contact Melody DeSanto Goodman.
Looking for videos that bring the impact of your work related to Israel to life? We have amazing ones in multiple sizes for both events and social. Here you'll find first-hand stories of people in Israel who benefited from the generosity of donors in your community. You'll also find links to both informative and moving social media reels that you can use on all your channels. For questions, please contact Alexandra Coffey.
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram at handle @jfederations. We update our Israel at War Resources daily with social posts, reels, videos, and talking points. Click here for video customizations and here for graphic customizations. Also, check out the videos here to round out your social media feeds, e-blasts, in-person events, and more. If you would like help in customizing these videos for your Federation, please click here.
Due to the holidays and many people being out of office, this will be the last weekly roundup of 2023. We’ll be back the first week of January.
For additional updates, see below:
Prepare for the NSGP Application: Jewish Federation’s LiveSecure initiative is encouraging every Jewish community to be prepared to apply for FY2024 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). We anticipate the announcement of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to be in late February/early March 2024 and that it will be a very short timetable to submit NSGP applications. SCN’s suggested key steps for your organization’s preparations are included in this newsletter. Please register for SCN’s NSGP webinar “Deep Dive: The Investment Justification” on January 11, 2024, from 2:00 to 3:15 pm EST. Please connect with Debra Barton Grant or Karen Barall if you have any questions.
JEDI Leadership Certificate Program: Jewish Federations certifies both lay and professional leaders in Jewish organizations by increasing leadership competencies, providing a support network, and helping organizations develop multiyear strategies. You will join 20 other communities that are benefiting from the program. Program begins on Thursday, January 18 and applications close on Monday, January 8. Click here to apply.
MLK Day Morning Fuel & Call to Service: MLK Day is not only about remembering the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, but to remind ourselves to step into our own power, take action today, in the name of justice, and liberty and fuel our cause for racial justice and equity in our Jewish community and for society. Join Jewish Federation’s JEDI Team for a webinar on January 15, 2024 at 11am ET. Register Now.
Shabbat of Love: Join Jewish Federations as we set the table for the largest Shabbat dinner celebration in North American history, now scheduled for Friday, January 19. Shabbat of Love is an opportunity for your Federation to engage its constituents, affinity groups, and local partners in spreading a message of love and light during this dark time. Visit shabbatoflove.org to learn how you can participate. Contact Elan Kramer with any questions.
Quarterly Virtual Orientation for New Hires in Federations: Jewish Federations are running quarterly virtual orientations, to which all new hires are invited. The next orientation will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, January 31 at 1 pm ET. The orientations provide an opportunity for newly hired professionals to learn about Jewish Federations, ask questions, connect with colleagues in other Federations, and access additional support and resources. Please visit jfeds.org/virtualorientationfor more information and share the link with your team and all new hires. Please contact Sari Kreines with any questions.
Free Year-Long Membership to BoardSource: We are pleased to provide a year-long individual BoardSource membership to every Federation board member and staff member. BoardSource is a nationally recognized curator of outstanding resources on governance-related issues. To register, please use this link. Your free membership will be in effect through September 1, 2024. For questions, please reach out to Rebecca Gerbert.
Speakers on Israel: Please see this updated speaker list, intake form for planned and in-process events, and speaker recommendation form for a post-event recap. When reaching out to speakers, please cc your Federation-size liaison (Bev, Debbie, Ed, etc.). For questions, please reach out to swordsofironspeakers@gmail.com or to Rebecca Gerbert.
Community Mobilization Center: We are monitoring major developments in Israel and North America related to the war, rapidly disseminating resources, and mobilizing our local communities to ensure that Israel has the civic and political support necessary to defend herself. You can find the CMC’s dispatches and supports in the Resource Hub linked in our toolkit’s resource section. Contact the CMC for support in your community relations, political advocacy, and communications efforts. For the most recent CMC action dispatch, click here.
Shabbat Shalom, and wishing you happy new year!
Shira Hutt
Executive Vice President
Jewish Federations of North America