Weekly Round-up January 1-5
Dear Colleagues,
We hope you had a restful year-end in preparation for the year ahead.
Our Emergency Israel Campaign has now reached a donation total of $768 million system-wide; we have allocated over $265 million to a wide range of humanitarian organizations in Israel. A detailed update on the allocations will be available in the toolkit before Shabbat. Also, click here for the latest update from our Israel office on the war with Hamas.
In the wake of the October 7 massacre, anti-Israel resolutions have been passed by city council meetings across the country. Join Jewish Federations on Tuesday, January 9 at 2 pm ET to learn practical tips to address this issue and to hear best practices from our colleagues that have mobilized their communities to respond to these incidents. Both professionals and lay leaders are invited. This training is an offering of Jewish Federations’ Community Mobilization Center. Click here to register.
In just a few weeks, on Tuesday, January 30 and Wednesday, January 31, we are hosting a Fly-In to Washington, DC to advocate for our top communal priorities and strengthen relationships with key decision-makers in Congress. We have more than 200 registrants to date. To join them, click here. For a sheet of FAQs, click here. For questions, contact Melody DeSanto Goodman.
We are still accepting registrations for the mission to Israel from Monday, January 15 to Tuesday, January 16 that will be chaired by National Campaign Chair David Heller. Please contact Lindsay Matloff for more information.
The Strategic Health Resource Center (SHRC) is working hard to include key Federations priorities in a potential FY 2024 budget deal. These include extending telehealth flexibilities, expanding access to mental health services, and combating the continued shortage of direct-care professionals. For a comprehensive look at the important work that SHRC is leading, please click here. Please contact Jonathan Schrag to participate in healthcare-related advocacy.
The latest episode of the Unorthodox podcast, Across the Jew.S.A., created in collaboration with Jewish Federations, is now available. Follow Liel Leibovitz as he journeys across the northern border to Montreal and learns about how Jewish life is thriving in one of the oldest Jewish communities in North America. To listen, click here.
Finally, join Jewish Federations as we set the table for the largest Shabbat dinner celebration in North American history, now scheduled for just two weeks from today, Friday, January 19. The Shabbat of Love is an opportunity for your Federation to engage its constituents, affinity groups, and local partners in spreading a message of love and light during this dark time. Visit shabbatoflove.org to learn how you can participate. Contact Elan Kramer with any questions.
For additional updates and reminders, please see below:
Prepare for the NSGP Application: Our LiveSecure initiative encourages every Jewish community to be prepared to apply for the FY2024 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). We anticipate the announcement of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to be in late February/early March 2024, with a very tight deadline to submit applications. SCN’s list of key steps to prepare are included in this newsletter. Click here to register for SCN’s NSGP webinar, “Deep Dive: The Investment Justification” on Thursday, January 11 from 2-3:15 pm ET. Feel free to reach out either to Debra Barton Grant or Karen Barall with any questions. For a full schedule of SCN’s NSGP webinars (including those coming up in February and March), along with links to recordings of past programs, click here.
JEDI Leadership Certificate Program: Jewish Federations certifies both lay and professional leaders in Jewish organizations by increasing leadership competencies, by providing a support network, and by helping organizations to develop multi year strategies. You will join 20 other communities that are participating in the program, which begins on Thursday, January 18; applications close on Monday, January 8. Click here to apply.
MLK Day Morning Fuel & Call to Service: MLK Day is not only about remembering the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, but about reminding ourselves to step into our own power, take action today, in the name of justice, and liberty and fuel our cause for racial justice and equity in our Jewish community and for society. Join Jewish Federation’s JEDI Team for a webinar on Monday, January 15 at 11 am ET. Register Now.
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, January 31 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/virtualorientationfor more information and please share the link with your team and with all new hires. Email Sari Kreines with any questions.
Free Year-Long Membership to BoardSource: We are pleased to provide a year-long individual BoardSource membership to every Federation board member and staff member. BoardSource is a nationally recognized curator of outstanding resources on governance-related issues. To register, please use this link. Your free membership will be in effect through September 1, 2024. For questions, please reach out to Rebecca Gerbert.
Speakers on Israel: Please see this updated speaker list, intake form for planned and in-process events, and speaker recommendation form for a post-event recap. For questions, please reach out to swordsofironspeakers@gmail.com or to Rebecca Gerbert.
Community Mobilization Center: We are 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 necessary to defend herself. You can find the CMC’s dispatches and supports in the Resource Hub linked in our toolkit’s resource section. Contact the CMC for support in your community relations, political advocacy, and communications efforts. For the most recent CMC action dispatch, click here.
Marketing Resources: Looking for videos that bring the impact of your work related to Israel to life? We have amazing ones in multiple sizes for both events and social. Here you'll find first-hand stories of people in Israel who benefited from the generosity of donors in your community. You'll also find links to both informative and moving social media reels that you can use on all your channels.
Follow us on Instagram at @jfederations: We update our Israel at War Resources daily with social posts, reels, videos, and talking points. Click here for video customizations and here for graphic customizations. Also, check out the videos here to round out your social media feeds, e-blasts, in-person events, and more. If you would like help in customizing these videos for your Federation, please click here. For questions, please contact Alexandra Coffey.
Shabbat Shalom,
Shira Hutt
Executive Vice President
Jewish Federations of North America