Weekly Round-Up November 27- December 1
Dear Colleagues,
This week saw the release of dozens of Israeli hostages from captivity in Gaza. Since last Friday, six rounds of hostages, totaling 112, including both Israelis and those from other countries, have come home. These include sixteen on Wednesday and two yesterday. However, more than a hundred hostages remain trapped in Gaza and their fate remains uncertain.
Yesterday morning, Hamas terrorists opened fire at a bus stop in Jerusalem, killing three Israelis and injuring six others. The attack came after the temporary cease-fire between the IDF and Hamas had been officially extended for one more day. As of this morning, the cease-fire has ended.
For the latest update from our Israel office, click here. Our system has now raised close to $680 million for emergency humanitarian aid to Israel and allocated more than $210 million. For details, click here.
You can also find several moving new videos in our toolkit that demonstrate the impact of our work in Israel. They include those of a mother of child with disabilities, a foreign caretaker, a therapist working with children, an MDA call center dispatcher, and an elderly man receiving basic needs support.
Shine A Light 2023 starts today. Join us to dispel the darkness of rising antisemitism. Check out the calendar of events, encourage your companies to join as a workplace partner, and post materials during December on your social media accounts.
In concert with other major Jewish organizations, we are participating in an AIPAC-led initiative next week to urge Members of Congress to ignore calls from pro-Palestinian activists to restrict or even stop the flow of American aid to Israel unless their demands are met for a cease-fire.
Click on AIPAC’s toolkit that you can use, beginning on Monday, to mobilize your community. Also, please ask your community members to use this Action Alert, unless you are using one that is customized with your own Federation’s logo.
The Community Mobilization Center is 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.
A Canada-wide rally will take place on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, December 4, to express Canadian support for Israel. Click here for details.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the highest-ranking Jewish public official in the nation, published an op-ed in the New York Times this week in which he decried antisemitism. On Wednesday, he spoke passionately for 40 minutes on the Senate floor on the need to protect Jews against what he called the “Five-Alarm Fire” of surging anti-Jewish hatred.
On Tuesday, a court in Moscow extended the imprisonment of captured WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich until at least the end of January. Jewish Federations decry Russia’s inhumane detention of an American citizen.
The latest episode of Eric's podcast, The Glue, dropped today. It's about how we brought 300,000 people together to show solidarity with Israel, the hostages, and the Jewish people. It features William Daroff from the Conference of Presidents and Erika Rudin-Luria from Cleveland's Federation. To listen, click here.
For additional updates and reminders, please see below.
Important Update about Washington Conference: Due to the quickly-evolving situation in Israel and Washington, we are adjusting our advocacy plans. We are now planning a Super Fly-In to DC from January 30 to 31, 2024, while the Washington Conference, originally scheduled for February, will be folded into next year’s General Assembly, which will take place in Washington, DC from November 10 to 12, 2024. Details and registration information about the fly-In will be released soon.
Community Mobilization Center: Jewish Federations’ Community Mobilization Center is 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.
For Israeli Federation Professionals Living in North America: Join us on Wednesday, December 6 at 1 pm ET for a session with Naomi Baum, a psychologist who is based in Israel and who serves as a consultant to the Israel Trauma Coalition. In this session she will address stress, trauma, and resilient coping during this challenging time. This session is intended for Israeli Federation Professionals. To register please click here. For questions or more information please email Rebecca Ruberg.
Getting Grounded: A Mini-Course on Israel--Final Session! Join Rabbi Mike Uram, Chief Jewish Learning Officer at JFNA, on Thursday, December 7 at 3 pm ET to unpack Israel’s history through a lens of complexity and gain a better understanding of the key features of Israel and Zionism. No prior knowledge needed, and we will create a space that is welcoming and inclusive to all. To learn more and register, click here.
Making Management Easier: Join Rachel Wallins, Founder of Accelerate Talent Management, for a taste of the forthcoming Management Essentials Framework being launched for Jewish Federations. In this two-part series, participants will experience best-in-class models, breakouts, surveys, and other hands-on activities to ensure they can immediately take back on the job. While we encourage participants to attend both sessions, each session also works as a stand-alone. Sessions will take place on Thursday, December 7 and Thursday, December 14 from noon-1:30pm ET. Please register here.
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 the Jewish Federations of North America, ask questions, connect with colleagues in other Federations, and access additional support and resources from JFNA. Please share this link with your team and with all new hires. Please contact Sari Kreines with any questions.
Shabbat of Love: Join Jewish Federations as we set the table for the largest Shabbat dinner celebration in North American history, now scheduled for Friday, January 19. We welcome Jews of all ages, backgrounds, and identities to come together with their family, friends, and neighbors, to experience the sacred joy of Shabbat. This 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 moment. To learn more about how your Federation can participate, visit shabbatoflove.org. Please contact Elan Kramer with any questions.
Shabbat Shalom,
Shira Hutt
Executive Vice President
Jewish Federations of North America