One of the many challenges our Jewish Federation faces is not something you might expect. Unlike other nonprofits, for which people have a strong understanding of what they do and what their donations support, we often hear that people are still unsure what our Jewish Federation is or does. While some know and have attended or participated in our various programs and have benefited from some of the services we provide, it is often hard to fully comprehend or clearly articulate the impact our work has in building community by strengthening and enhancing Jewish life. I think that this is because our impact is not something you can always "touch"… it is most often something you have to feel to grasp our value fully.

As such, my staff and I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out ways to articulate and illustrate why the work we do is so vital. One way we did this was by creating and sharing our 1-pager (both in print and online). But it continues to be a challenge we are working to overcome, since we know how important our work is and hear from community members how much they appreciate and value it.

As you may be aware, we are in the midst of our 27th Annual Jewish Book Festival. This program brings authors to our community and creates opportunities for people to interact — not just with the author, but with one another — through their shared love of books and learning. In essence, our programs make it possible for people to "do Jewish" while doing something they enjoy. This philosophy was taught to me when I worked as a Hillel Program Director at the University of Virginia. Richard Joel, the then CEO of Hillel International, shared that in his opinion, Judaism is when two Jews get together and do something. The fact that they are doing it together makes the activity Jewish, no matter what it is. Think about that for a moment… Through the programs our Jewish Federation offers, we make Judaism happen by providing the community the opportunity to "do Jewish" by attending and/or participating. They also help foster connections that make people feel part of something bigger than themselves.

And these "Jewish" events are made possible through the support of community members like you who value our work and understand its importance for there to be a strong and vibrant Jewish Federation representing our community.

The support we receive also allows me the ability to represent the Jewish community when I am invited to speak about the impact the rise of antisemitism and hate has on society or in schools like I did this past Friday when I presented a workshop at Pasadena Unified School District's Professional Development day or this coming Wednesday when I will be speaking a christian school's 6th grade class about how our Jewish traditions impact our lives today. These experiences create a greater sense of understanding about the Jewish community, and I relish these occasions.

As 2025 quickly comes to a close, please consider doing what you can to help our Jewish Federation continue its work and to help us ensure people know what we do and the impact we have on our community. You can do this in two specific ways: first, share with us how you have personally benefited from our Jewish Federation, and second, donate today.