Weekly Round-up July 8-12
Dear Colleagues,
Jewish Federations of North America announced this week an allocation of almost $7 million to enable the Israeli Ministry of Health to launch 16 community-based mental health centers that will serve a total of 200,000 Israelis a year. It will help alleviate the suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder that has afflicted so many Israelis since the attack by Hamas and the carnage of the ensuing war.
For the latest on the war in Israel, see yesterday’s Israel Update. Also, please join us on Tuesday, July 16 at 1 pm ET for a webinar on the escalating situation on the border between Israel and Lebanon. For details on the drones in Hezbollah’s arsenal, see this week’s Community Mobilization Center Dispatch.
We are proud to announce the completion of Jewish Federations’ two-year $9 million Ethiopia campaign! Please take a look at these slides/infographics and this video highlighting the impact of the campaign on the lives of both thousands of Ethiopian olim and also thousands of recipients of food and medicine in Gondar and Addis Ababa.
The Senate this week unanimously reauthorized the Never Again Education Act to perpetuate the lessons of the Holocaust. Five years ago, Jewish Federations partnered with Hadassah to advocate for the initial passage of the bill. We thanked the Senate for demonstrating its commitment to Holocaust education by reauthorizing the bill for another five years.
On Wednesday, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee approved a bill that would reduce by $10 million the budget of the office at the Department of Education that investigates and adjudicates antisemitism claims. Along with other Jewish organizations, we expressed disappointment in the proposed cutback.
This week’s civic engagement and community relations focused blog features the first-ever South Florida Legislators Mission to Israel, one that brought ten state senators and representatives from Florida to the Jewish State. Read more about this impactful initiative of Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Jewish Federation of Broward County, and Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.
We look forward to welcoming you and your communities to the 2024 General Assembly, from November 10 - November 12 in Washington, DC. We are excited to announce that President Isaac Herzog and Sheryl Sandberg will be among the speakers at this year’s General Assembly. Registration includes this year’s special Evening of Unity event at Nationals Park Stadium on Sunday, November 10. To register or learn more, visit generalassembly.org or check out the FAQs.
For additional updates and reminders, please see below.
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 want to ensure professionals in Jewish Federations across North America have access to opportunities to learn and grow. We encourage you to review our robust schedule of upcoming professional development opportunities. Feel free to bookmark the page and visit back often as new programs are added weekly!
Jewish Teens Israel Attitudes Survey: A national survey of Jewish teens by Opinion Research Institute launched this week. While the sponsor is not being publicly identified at this time, we affirm that the survey is legitimate. Please review the survey and access information about it along with template social media posts and a logo here. Reach out to David Manchester with any questions.
Fundraising Institute Summer Series: Take advantage of the summer months and join us. Whether you are a new or long-time development professional, these sessions will give you practical tools and tips to gear up for your Fall fundraising season. Each session is stand alone and we welcome you to attend as many as you are able. The next session, focusing on Your Campaign Plan, will take place via Zoom on Thursday, July 18 at noon ET. Register here for any and all of the sessions. Be in touch with Sari Kreines with any questions.
Connect for Good: Chat with Ukraine: Jewish Federations’ Global Volunteer Hub partnered with ENGin to launch a virtual volunteering initiative that matches Ukrainians with English speakers for one-on-one conversation practice and cultural exchange. Volunteers also participate in monthly Jewish learning sessions. The minimum time commitment is an hour a week for three months. We encourage you to think of this initiative as an innovative engagement tool. For more information, see this flyer. If you are interested in creating a cohort of volunteers, email Hannah Miller.
Summer Intern Series: The second installment (“Making the Most of Your Internship”) of this three-part series will take place on Wednesday, July 17 at 1 pm ET. This series is designed to introduce interns to the Federation system, connect them with their peers, provide tools to deepen their learning, and envision and chart their professional path forward. Interns can register for the two remaining sessions—the final one to take place on Wednesday, July 31 (“Career Next Steps”)—at one time. For more information, please contact Rebecca Ruberg.
Fundraising Institute Summer Series: Take advantage of the summer months and join us. Whether you are a new or long-time development professional, these sessions will give you practical tools and tips to gear up for your Fall fundraising season. Each session is stand alone and we welcome you to attend as many as you are able. The next session, focusing on Your Campaign Plan, will take place via Zoom on Thursday, July 18 at noon ET. Register here for any and all of the sessions.
Executive Accelerator Cohort II: Applications are now open for the second cohort of the Jewish Federations’ Executive Accelerator, with a deadline of Friday, July 19 at 5 pm ET. 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.
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, July 24 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/virtualorientation for more information and share the link with your team and all new hires. Please contact Sari Kreines with any questions.
The Catalyst Fellowship to Inspire Young Adult Volunteerism: Jewish Federations, in partnership with Repair the World, are excited to announce that applications are open for the third cohort of The Catalyst, a transformational professional development initiative for Federation professionals who work with community members who are under 40 years old. This cohort-based training program provides tools and resources to design and deliver programming that inspires Jewish volunteerism and service. The third Catalyst 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 by Thursday, July 25.
Shabbat Shalom,
Shira Hutt
Executive Vice President
Jewish Federations of North America