Weekly Round-up January 29-February 2

Dear Colleagues,

This week, 400 Federation leaders from 65 communities joined us in Washington, DC for the Advocacy Fly-In. Fly-in participants joined over 190 congressional meetings, urging them to authorize emergency military aid to Israel without conditions, fund the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) at the $500 million level, and pass the Antisemitism Awareness Act to protect Jewish and other pro-Israel students on college campuses. For our blog post, click here.

The day of lobbying featured a Q&A with National Security Council spokesperson Adm. John Kirby (see video on Fox Live) and remarks from Israeli Amb. Michael Herzog. It followed a Capitol Hill briefing, moderated by Eric Fingerhut, on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s definition of antisemitism.

The Biden Administration issued a new executive order yesterday to impose sanctions against four Israelis it said had committed violence in the West Bank. Please see this message for more information and background on the order.

Jewish Federations’ Israel Emergency Campaign has now surpassed $775 million system-wide. We have allocated more than $300 million to a wide range of humanitarian organizations in Israel. See a detailed report on allocations here. We also have an impact update on aid to LGBTQ+ groups in Israel; to read it, click here.

Jewish Federations are supporting the enhanced Child Tax Credit component of the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024, which has been passed by the House and now heads to the Senate. The child tax credit is projected to raise 400,000 children above the poverty line and make an additional three million children less poor. With more than a quarter of American Jews reporting difficulty covering their basic expenses, this is an important issue for our community. We will provide updates as this bill moves through the legislative process.

The Federation Annual Financial Survey (formerly known as the Revenue Survey) will be sent 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.

For more updates and reminders, see below.

Convening on the 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@jfna.org for more information.

Preparing for NSGP Grant Application Cycle: The Secure Community Network will host a panel discussion next Thursday, February 8 from 2 to 3:15 pm ET to discuss the looming security threats to Jewish communities. The program is intended to help communities to prepare for the next round of NSGP applications. To register, click here.

Black History Month Learning Circle: Are you a Jewish professional or lay leader who is looking to grow in your understanding and knowledge of Jewish equity, diversity, and inclusion? Join a JEDI Learning Circle to delve into our seven-unit course on racial justice and equity in Jewish life and broader society. The course, which runs from Monday, February 5 to Monday, March 4, will be facilitated by Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein. Click here to register.

Rabbinic Network Session with Eric Fingerhut: Increasingly, rabbis and spiritual leaders see Jewish Federations as a new kind of pulpit. Calling on all Jewish Federation Rabbis and Ordained Clergy currently, or formally, in a professional or lay position, to join us for an important discussion with Eric Fingerhut, President and CEO of Jewish Federations of North America, about the 21st century rabbinic pulpit and the Jewish Federation Rabbi. Click here to register.

Drop-In Jewish Learning: Does Judaism have an essence? If so, could it be love? Chief Jewish Learning Officer Rabbi Mike Uram will answer this and any other question you might have about Judaism. Join him on Tuesday, February 13 from 3 to 4 pm ET. Feel free to drop in and out as your schedule permits. Click here to register.

Black-Jewish Relations: What's Working? Learn how to cultivate allyship across differences in a cutting-edge program on Tuesday, February 13 at 2 pm moderated by JEDI Director of Community Safety and Belonging, Nate Looney. Monica Gebell of Rochester and Jacqueline Lipsius will be featured panelists, along with Jeremy Brok of Lead St. Louis. Click here to register.

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 all the details, including a registration link, click here. Email JDAD@jewishfederations.org with any questions.

People Management Training Program: The Mandel Center introduces Essentials of Federation Management, a program designed to foster the learning and growth of frontline and mid- to senior-level people managers as they drive the highest engagement and productivity from their teams. To register for the first online training, which is geared to frontline managers and which starts this month, click here. To learn more about both our online and regional in-person offerings of this program, read this FAQ. Please click here to learn more about all of our innovative professional development programs.

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 on 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.

Shabbat Shalom,

Shira Hutt
Executive Vice President
Jewish Federations of North America