Weekly Round-up March 11-15
Dear Colleagues:
Earlier this week, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support, 352 to 65. We strongly support the complete passage of this legislation to stop the spread of overtly antisemitic content on social media platforms, with a focus on TikTok. It is now time to urge our Senators to pass this bill. We need everyone’s help! Take action now with our Action Alert, and find our full toolkit here.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) made waves this week by calling for elections in Israel. Read this backgrounder for more information.
We are excited to launch a new resource featuring Israel Emergency Funding Initiatives – a portfolio of high-level funding opportunities for addressing key emergency needs in Israel. This effort, which was developed following the recent allocations gathering, will highlight initiatives that are receiving significant support through the Israel Emergency Response Committee for funding consideration by individual Federations for grantmaking and engaging donors. The first initiatives are: (1) Jewish Agency Shelter Renovations, (2) Jewish Federations Israel Emergency Loan Fund, (3) Restoring Agriculture in the Western Negev. Please contact Evan Hochberg with any questions or requests for assistance.
This week, our Center on Holocaust Survivor Care and Institute on Aging and Trauma announced its largest allocation in any single year—$6.9 million—to support more than three dozen Jewish and non-Jewish agencies in delivering social services to tens of thousands of Holocaust survivors, diverse older adults with a history of trauma, and their family caregivers. Read more in EJP here.
As Federations lead in the critical work of combating antisemitism and anti-Zionism, we are pleased to spotlight the efforts of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford. They recently engaged in a successful community-wide mobilization that led to the defeat of a one-sided City Council resolution calling for an unconditional ceasefire. Read more about this vital work in our Federation Impact blog.
To read the most recent update from our Israel office, click here. To read our most recent dispatch from the Community Mobilization Center, click here.
Finally, please take a minute to check out the Passover package we released a few weeks ago. You can also get a sneak peek at the Annual Campaign package we’re launching in May, as well as an overview of the resources available for the Israel Emergency Campaign. Click here.
For additional updates, see below:
How to Talk About the Conflict: We are pleased to invite Federation professionals and lay leaders to a webinar on the research-backed messaging concepts that have proven effective. The webinar, March 20 at 12pm ET, will feature West End Strategy Team, which developed a concise guide to the best practices, key messages, dos and don'ts, and answers to the thorniest of questions, based on their meta-analysis of the extensive polling and research that has been done in the last few months. Register here.
Group Coaching for Middle Managers: Extended Deadline! Due to high demand, we have extended the deadline to apply for this is a ten-part online cohort program 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. To learn more, read these FAQ.
Connect for Good: Chat with Ukraine: Jewish Federations’ Global Volunteer Hub has launched a new virtual volunteering initiative, in partnership with ENGin, that matches Ukrainians with English speakers for one-on-one weekly conversation practice and cultural exchange. This is an accessible, meaningful way to make a difference - no prior teaching/ tutoring experience is required. Volunteers also participate in monthly Jewish learning sessions to ground their service in Jewish values. Minimum commitment: 1 hour/ week for 3 months. Apply to volunteer HERE. We encourage you to think of this initiative as an innovative engagement tool to offer to individuals and/or to create your own curated cohorts to foster relationships and make an impact as a Jewish communal collective. Interested in creating a cohort? Contact Hannah Miller with questions.
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.
Israel 101: Join us for a five-part online series led by Rabbi Mike Uram for all Federation professionals, beginning on Wednesday, May 8. The series will unpack Israel’s history through a lens of complexity and help you gain a better understanding of the key features of Israel and Zionism. No prior knowledge is needed. Click here to learn more and register here. Please click here to learn more about all of our other Jewish learning series, including our drop-in session on Passover on April 16.
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, April 17th 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/virtualorientation for more information and share the link with your team and all new hires. Please contact Sari Kreines with any questions.
Jewish Changemakers Fellowship: The Jewish Changemakers Fellowship engages young Jewish adults, ages 20-25, in a six-week online leadership experience. We are now recruiting for the summer session, which begins on Monday, May 6. 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. Nominate someone to be a Fellow or apply yourself! Learn more here or email Lauren Silverman with any questions.
Calling All Florida Professionals: A Special Regional Gathering: Palm Beach Florida is the location of our first in-person regional people management training and networking program, which will take place from Monday, May 20 to Tuesday, May 21. Thank you to the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County for hosting this important gathering. This convening will be an invaluable opportunity for Florida Federation pros to gather for a day and a half of professional development. We will also have time for networking, sharing of best practices, and celebration. Open to all Florida pros only, but stay tuned, as we will announce other locations for future programs. To learn more, click here. To register, click here.
Scaling Masterclass, Cohort 6: Expand the reach and effectiveness of your programs by scaling them. If there is evidence of demand for your program or model and you love the idea that this work could blossom in other places, this class, which will be held in Boston from Monday, June 3 to Wednesday, June 5, could be for you. For more information, click here. For questions, email Rabbi Dena Shaffer.
Shabbat Shalom,
Shira Hutt
Executive Vice President
Jewish Federations of North America