Dear Colleagues,

This week, Jewish Federations exceeded our initial fundraising goal of $500 million in sorely-needed humanitarian aid for Israel, reaching the astonishing mark of $554 million in less than three weeks since the heinous Hamas attack. A total of $121.6 million has already been allocated to 60 organizations on the ground in Israel. The milestone is covered in today’s eJP.For our blog post, click here. 

We are incredibly grateful to everyone across the system for this unprecedented fundraising success. Click here for a list of all the allocations to date. Click here for yesterday’s webinar on the impact of our Federation advocacy and allocations. Click herefor a new video with footage from our partners on the ground in Israel highlighting the focus and impact of our work.

Julie Platt appeared last night on Jewish Rock Radio’s “Unity in Harmony” virtual solidarity concert for Israel, sponsored by Jewish Federations, which featured David Broza, Rick Recht, Rabbi Josh Warshawsky, and many other artists. To watch the concert, click here.

We thanked President Biden this week for his inclusion of $200 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program in his Supplemental Funding Request to Congress in foreign aid to Israel. The bill also includes $14.3 billion in emergency defense-related assistance to Israel and $61.4 Billion in emergency relief for Ukraine. Please click on this Action Alert to urge Congress to pass this bill. 

Launched in the first days of the war, The Community Mobilization Center (CMC) is 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 that she needs. 

Click here for the latest Dispatch from the CMC on the issue of antisemitism on campus and here for the latest Dispatch on new information that has come to light about the atrocities committed by Hamas during the terrorist attack. Sign up for the Dispatch here and contact communitymobilization@jewishfederations.org for support in your ongoing community relations, political advocacy, and communications efforts.

We are also continuing our highly-successful Blue Ribbons campaign. Please help get these ribbons on the lapels of every elected leader, member of the clergy, business executive, and everyone else who wants to stand up for Israel—and for peace and democracy—at this terrible time.

Jewish Federations are gathering signatures from Holocaust survivors and their families for a letter of gratitude to President Biden for his unremitting support of Israel. Click here for the letter and please disseminate widely in your community. Over 1100 signatures have been collected so far and we will continue to collect signatures until Sunday evening.

The latest episode of our podcast, The Glue, dropped today. In it, Eric Fingerhut talks about the ramifications of the war in Israel with Becky Caspi, the Director-General of Israel and Overseas and Aaron J. Goldberg, the Director of the Israel Office of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. To listen, click here.  

For additional updates, resources, and reminders, please see below:

5-Minute Shine A Light Workplace Survey: In an effort to better understand the experiences of Jewish employees in corporate workplaces, Jewish Federations is working with Shine A Light and other communal partners on a very brief employee survey. Please share this survey with those in your network. People who fill it out can choose to be anonymous, and are not speaking on behalf of their companies, just on behalf of themselves. The results of this survey will help Federations and our partners to provide resources and support to help employees navigate their workplaces during this challenging time. 

Israel at War: Media, the War, and Helping the Victims: The Jewish Agency is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, October 31 at 11 am ET, featuring Avi Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post, and Yehuda Setton, Chief Operating Officer of The Jewish Agency. Register here.

How to Talk to the Media 101: Join Jewish Federations on Monday, October 30 at noon ET for the basics of how to prepare for and navigate interviews with the press, tackle tough questions, and make sure your message gets through. Open to all Federation professionals and board members, but specifically recommended for CEO/Presidents, Board Chairs, and Marketing/Comms professionals. This is an offering of the newly launched Community Mobilization Center. To register, click here.

Speakers on Israel: Looking for a speaker to support your Israel fundraising and community mobilization efforts? Please consult our new speaker list, intake form for planned and in-process events, and speaker recommendation form for a post-event recap. If you are interested in bringing in a speaker in partnership with other Federations, please note that in the intake form. After an event, please give feedback via the speaker recommendation form. Should you need assistance, please reach out to speakers@jewishfederations.org or contact Rebecca Gerbert.

The Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI): Daily webinars sponsored by Jewish Federations and the Jewish Agency are offered. A rotating team of analysts of Israeli military affairs, the US-Israel relationship, Israel’s political system, and of the country’s diverse society will speak every Sunday to Thursday from 11-11:30 am ET. No registration is required. Join here.

JPro Israel Mini-Course: Chief Rabbi Michael Uram will teach on the basics of Israel for Federation professionals from 3-4 pm ET on Tuesday, October 31, November 14, and November 21. The course is offered through JPro. Click here to register. 

Executive Accelerator: We are accepting nominations for the inaugural cohort of Jewish Federations’ Executive Accelerator. This year-long program for mid to senior level professionals will combine professional development, applied learning, cohort experiences, and coaching—all of which will support professionals as they chart their path forward in the Federation system towards executive leadership. To nominate a colleague, click here. The nomination period has been extended to November 10th. Learn more about cost, eligibility requirements and the application process here. For more information, email Rebecca Ruberg.

Washington Conference: This gathering is being refocused to address the current crisis in Israel. Please stay tuned for changes in the messaging and schedule. It's crucial that we rally as many participants as possible for the conference, as this will enable us to present a unified front to the federal government and effectively advocate for our priorities. Click here to sign up for the conference.

Shabbat Shalom,

Shira Hutt
Executive Vice President
Jewish Federations of North America