Weekly Round-up February 19-23

Dear Colleagues,

This weekend marks the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Our system has raised a total of more than $96 million of aid to the beleaguered country, including providing humanitarian assistance to more than half a million people who have remained in Ukraine despite the war. We’ve also placed almost 200 Russian and Ukrainian-speaking volunteers in the war-torn region. To read coverage in EJP, click here, and to read our blog post, click here.

Our emergency campaign for Israel has continued apace, with our system reaching over $783 million in funds raised, and over $385 million allocated. For more details, click here. Also, for yesterday’s update from our Israel office, click here. And for the most recent dispatch from our Community Mobilization Center, click here.

On the home front, we led sixteen other major Jewish organizations this week in advocating for the Department of Education to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism. Our goal is passage of the Antisemitism Awareness Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation that would help keep Jewish college students safe. To read our letter, click here. To read our blog post, click here.

A judge in Moscow has extended until March 30 the pretrial detention of WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich who was, despite the lack of even a shred of evidence, charged with espionage at the end of last March. We will continue to advocate strenuously for his release. Click here for Jake Tapper’s impassioned tweet in support of Evan.

The American Society on Aging (ASA) is promoting the use of person-centered, trauma-informed (PCTI) care in its guidelines for thousands of professionals in the field of aging. PCTI is a methodology that sprang from Jewish Federations’ work with Holocaust survivors, and has, in recent years, become a nationwide set of best practices for working with elderly adults with a history of trauma and their family caregivers. For an article by three members of our Center on Holocaust Survivor Care and Institute on Aging and Trauma, click here. For our blog post, click here.

National Young Leadership Cabinet Alumni are embarking on Tuesday, March 19 on their first-ever solidarity mission to Israel! The 36-hour visit will be led by Keenan Wolens from L.A. (Cabinet class of 1991). This trip is open only to Cabinet alumni. For more information and to register, click here. For questions, reach out to Shayna Kreisler.

Finally, our second systemwide quarterly Virtual Town Hall for Federation professionals will take place on Wednesday, March 6 at 1pm ET. We will delve into the most challenging issues we face and spotlight some of our local Federations' amazing achievements. We'll also have time for a thorough Q&A to hear what's on your mind. More details are forthcoming. Click here to register.

For additional 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-2:30 pm ET. For details, including a registration link, click here. Email JDAD@jewishfederations.org with any questions.

Federation Annual Financial Survey: This survey, which used to be called the Revenue Survey, was sent out to Federation CEOs and CFOs on Tuesday, February 13. New sections in the revamped survey will enable Jewish Federations to make data-informed decisions and to institute best practices. The survey includes questions on how Federations and foundations allocate their money and what expenses they have; it will also ask for annual campaign revenue to enable us to calculate dues in a fair and equitable way. As always, there are options of how to participate. Contact Jessica Mehlman with any questions. 

Community Project Funding: Earmarks 101: In preparation for the Congressional appropriations process in Fiscal Year 2025, we presented a webinar this week with Andrew Usyk and Bill Dunkhe from the law and lobbying firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. The two experts outlined the rules for Community Project Funding Requests (Earmarks) and explained the project guidelines and submission processes. Click here to access the PowerPoint and click here to access the recording.

Wexner Davidson Fellowship (WDF): Applications are now open for the founding cohort of this three-year leadership development program for Jewish communal professionals ages 26–36. Up to 15 participants will be selected. Fellows will benefit from experienced mentors at The Wexner Foundation and from the foundation’s extensive alumni network. To learn if you are eligible and to start a pre-application, please click here. Applications are due by Wednesday, April 3 at 1 pm ET. This program is initiated in partnership with the William Davidson Foundation.

Affinity Group for Israeli Staff Based in North America: This group, which is facilitated by Netaly Ophir-Flint and offered by JPro in partnership with Jewish Federations, supports North America-based Israeli staff of Jewish communal organizations. We will discuss how the war impacts our work and we will support one another in navigating this unprecedented moment. The next meeting is on Monday, March 4 at noon ET.  Participants are welcome to engage in this discussion in either Hebrew or English. Register here. For questions, reach out to Rebecca Ruberg.

Black Jewish Perspectives on This Moment: Given the culture wars of our day, what perspectives do Black Jews hold that can help set new directions for American Jewish life? In what ways can Jews shed light on the compounded effects of antisemitism and racism in the 21st century? Join a panel discussion among a diverse set of Black-Jewish thought leaders, including our own Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein, on Thursday, Feb. 29 at noon ET coordinated by 70 Faces Media to mark the end of Black History Month. To register, click here.

People Management Program for Frontline Managers: This seven-part online series, beginning Thursday, February 29, 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 ten-part online cohort program will 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.

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; register here.Please click here to learn more about all the programs in our Jewish learning series and about other professional development programs. 

Passover Toolkit: 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. For questions, email Alexandra Coffey.

Shabbat Shalom,

Shira Hutt
Executive Vice President
Jewish Federations of North America