Dear Colleagues,

The International Court of Justice in the Hague today declined to call on Israel to end its military operations against Hamas and called for the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages, but also said that Israel must “take steps to prevent genocide” in Gaza. To read our response to the ruling, click here, and see additional talking points here. Click here for today's dispatch on the ruling. 

Jewish Federations’ Advocacy Fly-In will take place next week with more than 400 participants from around the United States. The group will participate in and represent the System in over 140 meetings on Capitol Hill to advocate for the military support package for Israel, for a higher level of funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), and for the passage of the Antisemitism Awareness Act. For more, click here.

Tomorrow is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. As we remember the six million who were murdered, we must redouble our efforts to fight antisemitism wherever it lurks. Read this op-ed in the Jerusalem Post by VP, Community Relations Evan Bernstein on how city councils have become the latest battlefront, and take action with our IHRD Advocacy Toolkit, City Council Advocacy Toolkit, and Social Media Guidelines for IHRD Advocacy. Also, click here for yesterday’s dispatch from our Community Mobilization Center on this issue. Please take a minute to fill out this survey to keep us in the loop about what is happening in your community. Contact Evan Bernstein with questions.

The Israel Educational Travel Alliance (IETA), the consortium of over 100 Israel educational travel organizations housed at Jewish Federations of North America, will hold a convening in Washington, DC from Wednesday, February 28 to Friday, March 1 to assess the future of the field in the wake of 10/7. We welcome all Federation professionals who are involved with Israel-immersive experiences to participate. Register here. For more information about the convening, take a look at the FAQs or contact us for more information.

We recently released the Israel Emergency Impact Report & resource package to articulate our system-wide impact in Israel since 10/7. Watch our recent webinar (recording here) to learn more about this data, the allocations processes, and how you can share these materials with your donors and communities. To read the latest update from our Israel office, click here. 

Jewish Federations, alongside the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, will host the 14th annual Jewish Disability Advocacy Day on Wednesday, February 28 from 1 pm-2:30 pm ET. For all the details, including a registration link, click here. Email JDAD@jewishfederations.org with any questions.

Finally, on Wednesday, our webinar on the unprecedented legal, ethical, and humanitarian challenges faced by Israel in conducting an urban war attracted more than 800 participants. For a recording, click here. Also, to watch the inspiring four-minute 2018 video by Koolulalm that we shared at the conclusion of the program, click here.

For additional updates and reminders, please see below.

Recognizing Holocaust Survivors: The Health and Human Services Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships will host a webinar today at 2:30 pm ET to recognize Holocaust survivors and their families. Presenters will include Shelley Rood Wernick from Jewish Federations and Yelena Mushkatina from Jewish Family Service Seattle. To register for the webinar, click here. For more ways to commemorate the Holocaust, please click here.

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. Click here for more information and please share the link with your team and with all new hires. Email Sari Kreines with any questions.

New People Management Training Program: The Mandel Center is unveiling Essentials of Federation Management, a program designed to foster the learning and growth of frontline and mid- to senior-level people managers as they drive the highest engagement and productivity from their teams. To register for the first online training, which geared to frontline managers and which  starts in February, click here. To learn more about both our online and regional in-person offerings of this program, read this FAQ. Please click here to learn more about all of our innovative professional development programs.

Drop-In Jewish Learning: Does Judaism have an essence? If so, could it be love? Chief Jewish Learning Officer Rabbi Mike Uram will answer this and any other question you might have about Judaism. Join him on Tuesday, February 13 from 3 to 4 pm ET. Feel free to drop in and out as your schedule permits. Click here to register.

Connect for Good: Chat with Ukraine: Jewish Federations’ Global Volunteer Hub has launched a new virtual volunteering initiative, in partnership with ENGin, that matches English-speaking volunteers with Ukrainians seeking to sharpen their English skills for one-on-one weekly conversation practice and cultural exchange. To apply to volunteer, click here. For more information, please click here or email Hannah Miller.

Black-Jewish Relations: What's Working? Learn how to cultivate allyship across differences in a cutting-edge program on Tuesday, February 13 at 2 pm moderated by JEDI Director of Community Safety and Belonging, Nate Looney. Monica Gebell of Rochester and Jacqueline Lipsius will be featured panelists, along with Jeremy Brok of Lead St. Louis. Click here to register.

Black History Month Learning Circle: Are you a Jewish professional or lay leader who is looking to grow in your understanding and knowledge of Jewish equity, diversity, and inclusion? Join a JEDI Learning Circle to delve into our seven-unit course on racial justice and equity in Jewish life and broader society. The course, which runs from February 5 to March 4, will be facilitated by Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein. Click here to register.

Shabbat Shalom,

Shira Hutt
Executive Vice President
Jewish Federations of North America

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