Weekly Round-up July 22-26
Dear Colleagues,
Last weekend, President Biden suddenly announced that he will not run for reelection. Jewish Federations of North America lauded the president for his steadfast support of Israel and the Jewish community during his extraordinarily long and successful career as a public servant.
We welcomed Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to the US this week for his record-breaking address (the tenth by an Israeli leader) to a joint session of Congress, which took place despite thousands of anti-Israel activists protesting outside the chamber. Eric Fingerhut accompanied Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) into the chamber for the speech to show the gratitude of the Jewish community for her leadership of the Congressional hearings on the spike in antisemitism and anti-Zionism on college campuses.
Biden and Harris each met separately with the prime minister yesterday, after which they met with the families of American hostages. Both reportedly told Netanyahu that it is time for Israel and Hamas to declare a ceasefire and for the remaining hostages to be returned to their families.
We are excited to share with you the latest Israel Emergency Fund Impact Report and this accompanying video. This is a powerful presentation of the impact of Jewish Federations’ fundraising and allocations since October 7, including a description of Jewish Federations’ strategic approach to allocations, key data points, and compelling videos. The marketing toolkit has resources to help you share the Israel Emergency Fund Impact Report with your community.
For more on all the latest developments in Israel, including last Saturday’s IDF strike of targets in Yemen in retaliation to the drone strike by Houthi rebels in Tel Aviv, see today’s Israel Update. For more on the conflict between Israel and the Houthis, see this week’s Dispatch from the Community Mobilization Center.
Over 40 Fisher Flight and Atid alumni gathered in Park City, Utah this week for an inaugural Philanthropic Alumni Retreat. This was the first time these groups had come together and the first Fisher Flight alumni gathering in a decade. Celebrity speakers included New York Times columnist Bret Stephens and Chef Michael Solomonov. To learn more about the Fisher Flight alumni network and Atid, Jewish Federations’ program for highly-resourced wealth inheritors and wealth creators, please contact Zvi Zobin.
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.
In the next couple of weeks, we will be distributing guidance and resources in preparation for October 7, 2024 community gatherings to mark one year since the horrific Hamas attacks on Israel. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Alisa Bodner.
Finally, we continue to update our Talking Points library, which you can find here jfeds.org/2024JFTalkingPoints. This week, we added Talking Points on our Core Partners, the War in Israel/Gaza, Zionism and Antizionism, and the Lions of Judah. For feedback or suggestions, please contact Niv Elis.
For additional updates and reminders, please see below.
General Assembly 2024: Register now for the 2024 General Assembly, taking place from November 10 - 12, 2024 in Washington, DC and will focus on the most important and timely issues facing our communities in North America and around the world. The conference will include a powerful Evening of Unity event at Nationals Park Stadium on Sunday, November 10. To learn more, visit generalassembly.orgor check out the FAQs.
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.
Creating Space During the Chaggim: As we approach the one-year anniversary of the attacks on October 7, join BeWell and the Blue Dove Foundation for a webinar on Thursday, August 1 at 1 pm ET as we discuss how to create space to support the various needs, opinions, and feelings of both our community members and Jewish professional staff during the holidays this Fall. We will be joined by professionals from the JCC Association of North America, Jewish Community Services in Baltimore, and BBYO.
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.
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!
Shabbat Shalom,
Shira Hutt
Executive Vice President
Jewish Federations of North America