Weekly Round-up July 15-19

Dear Colleagues,

Overnight, a Houthi drone struck a building in Tel Aviv located near the US Embassy branch office and beachfront hotels; see this dashboard video footage. The IDF is investigating why no alarms were sounded and how the drone succeeded in reaching Tel Aviv. For our statement, click here.

North American communities that have groups and/or individuals in Israel now or scheduled to arrive shortly under Federation auspices are welcome to be in touch with JFNA Security Director Yehuda Gershonovitz to get specific advice regarding travel plans. Yehuda is currently in Israel and can be reached by phone at (646) 630-0774; +972-52-6130789 or by email at Yehuda.Gershonovitz@jewishfederations.org. 

For our most recent Israel update, click here. And for more, see the latest Dispatch from the Community Mobilization Center.

Jewish Federations concluded an FRD Leadership Mission to Berlin and Israel co-chaired by David Heller and Iris Kraemer. The development professionals, who represented two dozen communities from across North America, returned home with stronger lay/pro partnerships, new connections with fellow campaign leaders, and a renewal of their commitment to serve as ambassadors for the work of the Federation system. Click here for more.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will deliver an address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, July 24.  Please encourage your Members of Congress to attend the speech to show solidarity with Israel. You can access our talking points here.

Jewish Federations expressed our outrage at last weekend’s attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. We condemn political violence of all kinds and mourn the loss of life in the shooting.

Jewish WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich was sentenced today to 16 years in prison. Read our statement here.

This week, we announced a new partnership with the Israeli Health Ministry to launch 16 community-based mental health centers. The $14 million initiative will serve 200,000 Israelis a year who have been traumatized by the October 7th attack and its aftermath.

As reported this week in The Jerusalem Post, Jewish Federations are funding a program in northern Israel called “First Contractions” that will send midwives to deliver babies if pregnant women are unable to reach an emergency room in time because of rocket fire from Hezbollah.

For our most recent Israel update, click here. And for more, see the latest Dispatch from the Community Mobilization Center.

Amplifier’s Giving Circle Incubator was featured in eJP this week in an op-ed by Dara Fersel in which she explains Amplifier’s pathbreaking approach to next-gen philanthropy, one that is being adopted by Federations across the country.

The latest episode of Eric Fingerhut’s podcast, “The Glue,”  focuses on the recent Jewish Federations mission to Ukraine during which our leaders met with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Hear Eric’s moving interviews with Eli Buzunov, the American Joint Distribution Committee's (JDC) Missions Coordinator in Ukraine and Keith Shapiro, a Federation activist from Chicago.

For additional updates and reminders, please see below.

Executive Accelerator Cohort II:  The deadline is today at 5 pm for the second cohort of the Jewish Federations’ Executive Accelerator. This year-long experience combines professional development, applied learning, mentorship, and group coaching towards building the competence and confidence of mid and senior career professionals on a path towards executive leadership. Click here to apply. Email Rebecca Ruberg with questions.

BeWell Jewish Meditation Summer Series: The deadline is also today at 5 pm to sign up for BeWell’s Jewish Meditation Summer Series. Honor your spiritual well being alongside the BeWell community of Jewish youth-serving professionals. Guided by experienced meditation teacher Alison Laichter, you will get grounded in Jewish meditation, access tools to sustain your practice, learn how to set sacred spaces, and discover meditations for teens and young adults. This is a four-part virtual series, taking place on Zoom, with the option to come to one or all. 

ILOJC Conference: The biennial International Lion of Judah Conference will take place from January 12-14, 2025. Access the ILOJC 2025 Toolkit featuring a promotional video, engaging social media posts, and customizable email templates to spread the word. Visit lionconference.org to register. For questions, reach out to Mandy Kaiser-Blueth.

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!

Foundations of the PCTI Approach: Jewish Federations presents an overview of the person-centered, trauma-informed (PCTI) framework. This Zoom session is on Wednesday, July 24 at 1 pm ET. We will discuss strategies for infusing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) principles into your agency’s projects and explain how the SAMHSA principles apply to staff at all levels and to volunteers.

Quarterly Virtual Orientation for New Hires in Federations: The next orientation will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, July 24 at 1 pm ET. Please visit jfeds.org/virtualorientation for more information and please also share the link with your team and with all new hires. Contact Sari Kreines with any questions.

The Catalyst Fellowship to Inspire Young Adult Volunteerism: Next Thursday, July 25 is the deadline for applications for the third cohort of The Catalyst, which is sponsored by Jewish Federations in partnership with Repair the World. This program is geared to Federation professionals who work with community members who are under 40 yn n ears old. The third cohort of 10 professionals will engage in monthly learning and attend an in-person convening at the General Assembly. Each fellow will be eligible for micro-grant funding of up to $7,000 to pilot a new service initiative in their community. Space is extremely limited. Learn more about The Catalyst and apply.

Torah With the Times: This is a monthly gathering space for the staff of Jewish Federations across the continent to explore how to apply both Jewish wisdom and the wisdom of the world to our personal and professional lives. For 30 minutes we will sing songs, listen to stories, and learn ways to make meaning throughout the weeks and months ahead. Our next meeting will be on Friday, July 26 at noon ET.

Summer Intern Series: The third and final installment (“Career Next Steps”) of this series will take place on Wednesday, July 31 (“Career Next Steps”). For more information, please email Rebecca Ruberg.

Shabbat Shalom,

Shira Hutt
Executive Vice President
Jewish Federations of North America