When I was a kid, growing up in the Bay Area, I was not really aware that there was a Jewish Federation, let alone two – one that “covered” San Francisco and one in the Greater East Bay that was responsible for where I lived. However, unbeknownst to me at the time, my Jewish life was being supported by Jewish Federation through their advocacy work and the support they provided to programs I was a part of.

I bring this up in today’s weekly message because I know many people in our community are still unaware of all that our Jewish Federation does. As you may know, our mission is to strengthen and enhance our community by promoting and advocating for Jewish values and Jewish life in our community. We do this by coordinating the various programs we make available for people to participate in, such as PJ Library, our Cultural Arts program, and Camp Gan Shalom,, to name just a few. And yet, I believe our greatest impact comes through the advocacy work we do, oftentimes behind the scenes.

Several years ago, our Jewish Federation became a member of Jewish California (formerly known as Jewish Public Affairs Committee (JPAC)), joining over 40 other Jewish organizations, to help champion Jewish issues and advocate on bills and laws in line with our Jewish values in our state’s capital. Next week, they are holding their annual Capitol Summit, and our board president, Jeanine Borland Mann, and I are attending to represent our Jewish Federation. We will be in attendance, along with hundreds of other concerned Jews from all across the state, hearing from incredible speakers, engaging with California’s legislators, and preparing to advocate and lobby on issues that will directly impact not only the Jewish community but all of California’s residents.

Advocating on behalf of our community has been a priority of our Jewish Federation over the last several years. Again… this is not something you may see every day, but the impact has been felt. I highly encourage you to look at the personal testimonies of that kind of work in our latest Federation FOCUS newsletter. I am bringing this up in today’s message to further illustrate how the money people donate supports our community through the work we do, both locally in our Jewish community and with other Jewish organizations across the state.

As you probably have seen or read about, the latest attack on California’s Jewish community was the horrific antisemitic diatribe that somehow made its way into the California June 2 Primary Election Voters Guide that was recently mailed to all registered voters in California. A fringe gubernatorial candidate used the space provided to all candidates as a way for voters to learn more about each candidate and what they stand for, spreading conspiracy theories and anti-Jewish/anti-Israel sentiment. We are actively involved and supporting the work being done with our partners like Jewish California, the ADL, the American Jewish Committee, and many others to figure out what can be done to rectify this oversight and mitigate its impact.

This is the same type of advocacy we are locally, as the City of Pasadena has been subjected to calls for BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) at almost every city council meeting for the last year and a half or so. This ongoing attack on Israel has increased the level of animosity targeting the Jewish community. It is for this reason that we have put together our Call to Action and provided ways for our community to get involved, as this issue will be discussed at the May 11 (this Monday’s) city council meeting. (Check out my Op-ed in today’s Pasadena NOW calling on the city not to single Israel out in any decision they make moving forward.

We are able to stand up and advocate for our Jewish community with the support we receive from the community. Please help us continue to do what we do by making a donation today. I promise you that your gift will have a lasting impact not only on our local Jewish community but also throughout the state.

I look forward to reporting back in and an upcoming weekly message on the Capitol Summit in Sacramento, sharing highlights, and the work being done on behalf of the collective California Jewish community.