Weekly Round-up February 12-16

Dear Colleagues,

This week, the Senate passed the “National Security Act,” a supplemental appropriations bill for military aid to both Israel and Ukraine, along with a significant increase to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). On Wednesday, we took out full-page ads, signed by a slew of additional Jewish organizations, in Politico and The Hillto show our immense gratitude to the 70 senators who voted for the bill. To read our leadership message, click here. For our blog post, click here. And to read Julie Platt’s op-ed in the Jerusalem Post, click here. For our Action Alert encouraging the House to take up the bill, click here.

Also this week, the House nearly unanimously passed a resolution that condemned the use of sexual violence by Hamas on October 7. For the coverage in Jewish Insider, click here. The passage of the resolution followed a Fly-In to DC by a group from National Women’s Philanthropy who attended a briefing by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Sexual & Gender Based Violence; the participants also urged lawmakers to pass both emergency funding for Israel and a higher level of funding for the NSGP. 

Our Israel Emergency Campaign has now raised a total of more than $780 million and allocated close to $350 million. For details, click here. And click here for the latest update from our Israel office. Also read this JNS piece featuring Julie Platt on American Jewish philanthropy reaching new heights since October 7.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog published a powerful op-ed in the Wall Street Journal this week that decried the case brought by South Africa against Israel in the International Court of Justice at the Hague. He noted how the prosecutors distorted his words and he called the case a “blood libel against the nation-state of the Jewish people.” To read the op-ed, click here.

This year’s Passover toolkit is now available! It contains two options for messaging. The first, to be used for fundraising, is for a general message of support. The second is geared specifically to bringing home the hostages from Gaza.

Finally, National Young Leadership Cabinet is thrilled to launch the application for the incoming class of 2024. Cabinet is a five-year leadership training program for adults between 30 and 40 years old. To apply, you must submit this application and be nominated by a professional in your local community. Please review and share the Cabinet Overview, FAQs, and video about the Cabinet Experience. For questions, including how to launch Cabinet in your community, please contact Ben Schindler, Managing Director, Cabinet.

For more updates and reminders, please see below.

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

Future of Israel Educational Travel: 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 of Israel educational immersive travel 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, take a look at the FAQs or contact Melody DeSanto for more information.

Jewish Life and Israel Hamas War Survey: To understand the current feelings and needs of the American Jewish community, we are undertaking our third national survey since the start of the Hamas Israel War.  A random sample has been developed using new methods; no organizational lists have been used.  Invitations will be sent via text message Tuesday, February 20 through Friday, March 1. Email questions about the survey to David Manchester, Senior Director of Research.

Jewish Changemakers Fellowship: The Jewish Changemakers Fellowship engages young Jewish adults, ages 20-25, in a six-week online leadership experience. Participants will meet inspiring professionals and peers in a fellowship that aims to expand their networks, hone their leadership skills, and jumpstart their careers. Current Jewish professionals are invited to join our new Jewish professional cohort. Applications close this Sunday, February 18 for the spring session, which begins on Monday, March 4. Nominate someone to be a Fellow or apply yourself! Learn more here or email Lauren Silverman with any questions.

A Deep Dive into Fiscal Year 2025 Community Project Funding: Earmarks 101: In preparation for the Congressional appropriations process in Fiscal Year 2025, we will present a webinar with two experts, Andrew Usyk and Bill Dunkhe, both from the law and lobbying firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, on Thursday, February 22 at 1 pm ET. Click here to register. Usyk and Dunkhe will outline the rules for Community Project Funding Requests (Earmarks) and explain the project guidelines and submission processes. Virtual drop-in office hours will be then made available the next day (Friday, February 23 from 11 am to  1 pm ET) to answer any remaining questions. Click here to join that Zoom.

People Management Program for Frontline Managers: This is a seven-part online series, beginning Thursday, February 29, which will support our critical frontline workforce. We will learn how to drive engagement and productivity from our teams. To register, click here. To learn more about the program, read these FAQ.  

Group Coaching for Middle Managers: This is a ten-part online cohort program for to empower experienced managers to develop coaching skills, build trust and emotional resilience among their employees, and collaborate more effectively with peers, supervisors, and partners. Apply here; the deadline is Friday, March 15.  To learn more, read these FAQ.

Giving Circles: Giving circles are a great way to engage new or existing donors, build leadership skills, and more. Join us on Tuesday, March 5 from noon to 1pm ET on Zoom for a train-the-trainer style workshop featuring our newest tool, Giving Circle in a Box! Our facilitation guide helps you run a four-session giving circle from start to finish. Register for the workshop here. Also, join Amplifier’s second Giving Circle Cohort, which runs from Thursday, April 18 to Monday, June 17. Learn more about the cohort here and apply here. For questions, email Dara Fersel.

Judaism 101: Join Rabbi Mike Uram, Chief Learning Officer, for a four-part online series for all Federation pros that starts on Wednesday, March 13. We will explore the history, culture, religion, and traditions of Judaism. No prior knowledge is needed. Click here to learn more and register here. Please click here to learn more about all of our Jewish learning series and other professional development programs. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Shira Hutt
Executive Vice President
Jewish Federations of North America