What miracle can you inspire with your light?

Jennifer Gorovitz, Acting CEO

I recently participated as part of our delegation from San Francisco in the General Assembly of the UJC/JFNA, where 3,000 Jews from all corners of North America gathered in Washington, D.C. to discuss, to learn, and to address the important issues of our day: a potentially nuclear Iran; vibrant next generation outreach; and the invaluable work in caring for vulnerable Jews around the world.

As a result of the generosity of an anonymous donor, I was able to present illuminations by Arthur Szyk, the “artist of freedom,” to JFNA in honor of Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Barak Obama. I had the great honor of meeting both leaders. A small group of us, including Jim Koshland, was invited to attend a reception at the White House with the President and his top advisors. The interest of both leaders in meeting with us attests to the importance of the work of Federations.

Earlier this month I presented the Officers of the Federation my goals and work plans for the year. I am delighted to report that we are making great progress. We are working to make the Federation more transparent and I will continue to report to you every month. We are working hard to become more nimble and cost efficient. New policies have been implemented in the Endowment; we are developing new investment options and streamlining our financial reporting. We will soon release a report that will show you where communal funds have been granted and the impact these funds have had. I can tell you that the money you entrust with us is creating miracles every day.

Our annual fundraising Campaign is now in full swing, with several affinity groups near to closing all of their gifts, and warm and inspiring gatherings being held throughout the regions. Our “Taste of Community” wine tasting was a huge success. “Connecting the Dots,” a leadership event is bringing supporters of our Early Childhood Education Initiative together. I am grateful for the many recent Endowment and campaign gifts we have received.

Along with the winter holidays, it is time for year-end financial and charitable planning, and I hope you will join me in raising your campaign gift by 15%, if you are able, to meet the vastly increased needs of our 45 beneficiary agencies, and that you will consider a bequest to our Endowment Fund to replenish the emergency funds that we mobilized this past year to help people affected by the economic crisis.

Believe it or not, Chanukah is fast approaching. Although a minor Jewish festival, its symbolism is powerful – that small pure cruse of oil with a miraculous lifespan. What miracle can you inspire with your light?

Chag Sameach.

Jennifer Gorovitz

JCF Passes Resolution Mobilizing Against the BDS Movement in Aid to Israel and its Grantees

The Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties became one of the first Federations in America to formally endorse a resolution approved on November 9, 2009, by the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America strongly opposing the Boycott/Sanctions/Divestment (BDS) movement against Israel.

At its November 19, 2009 Board meeting, the Federation unanimously approved the resolution committing to “mobilize against the BDS movement’s undermining of Israel’s legitimacy” and pledged to work with partners to “employ an active strategy to counter such BDS tactics in the Bay Area.”

“Our Federation, by endorsing the national resolution warning of the dangers of  the BDS movement and pledging to address them with the utmost urgency, has made absolutely clear the depth of its commitment to Israel,” said Jennifer Gorovitz, Acting CEO of the San Francisco Federation.

The BDS tactic is to draw an odious and spurious comparison between Apartheid and the Jewish state.  Common to most BDS calls are distortions, outright fabrications of facts, misrepresentations of international law, and a false assertion that the proffered action somehow will improve the condition of Palestinians. Almost all BDS activists embrace, in some form, an end to Israel as a Jewish state.

The San Francisco community has seen a recent surge of anti-Israel activity along with a controversy regarding whether programs that are critical of Israel are ever appropriate at Jewish institutions.

“The challenges are great and the Bay Area is a center of BDS activity,” she added.  “We are determined to meet those challenges in partnership with our grantees and other strong Jewish institutions, and in addition have created as well as supported numerous programs aimed at building community members’ connection with and commitment to Israel.”

“Even while there is a wide range of opinion in our Jewish community regarding the limits of speech critical of Israel, the board voted unanimously to battle the BDS movement to prevent its undermining of Israel’s legitimacy. Through the use of research, education and training regarding the tactics and dangers of BDS, we will help mobilize support with our partner organizations when faced with BDS tactics,” Gorovitz stated.

Making history with Roselyne Chroman Swig

On Tuesday, October 27, 2009, Roselyne Chroman Swig was presented with a published Oral History of her presidency of the Jewish Community Federation at the 13th Annual Tax & Estate Planning Seminar Community Luncheon Program. Mrs. Swig is a Businesswoman, advisor, activist, and philanthropist serving in the arts, business, academic, political and social welfare communities. Below is the text of her speech.

Roselyne Chroman Swig

Thank you so much, all of you.  I am thrilled to be here with loving family members, including my daughter, Susan, daughter-in-law Darian, my son Rick, dear friends and colleagues, and privileged to be receiving this oral history book of a significant moment in my life, documenting and reflecting on the priceless work within the organized Jewish community.

As you,  leaders all,  would agree, individual accomplishments and leadership opportunities do not happen by themselves;  they happen with support, commitment, generosity of spirit and a strong desire to give of oneself and stay the course. They happen when individual responsibility and compassion for others take priority, and the desire to make a positive difference fills you, body and soul.  They happen when differences are respected and good will and good sense abound.

I have been more than fortunate and so lucky to have had the joy of meeting in 1949, my loving husband (on a blind date!). Both Dick and I came from supportive families and together in this beloved city, we had a deep awareness of our good fortune to be part of a sophisticated, innovative and growing community that honored the individual, honored spiritual and cultural beliefs, valued philanthropy, and championed diversity.

Becoming part of the Swig Family was becoming a student in training for public and community service and philanthropy, and embracing those ideals has been a life-long learning experience through today.

As a young coed (go Bears!), recently married, coming into a new community, from the beginning I felt welcomed and supported by loving, caring people, new family and friends alike.  I was swept into the business environment of tourism and hospitality and imbued with a lifelong commitment to tikkun olam….reaching out to repair the world. My natural curiosity (I am a Gemini after all) informed my deep desire to find my own identity, to know myself. This deeply personal urgency became a comfortable challenge for me, one that I am mindful of and enjoy to this day.

Volunteerism was part of my growing up, and running for or holding office seems to have surfaced in every phase of my life. The feeling of engagement, of working together, of hoping to make a difference, was just there, present, fulfilling.  And the benefits of giving of oneself far exceeded any expectation I might have had.

My initiation into Jewish community volunteerism was as a waitress in the small, very busy Mt. Zion Hospital coffee shop, with my yellow and white uniform…happiest when I was making sodas, milk shakes and malts and phosphates (anyone from Chicago knows what that is). And it was there that I learned, by seeing and doing, about commitment and service from one of my earliest mentors, Sylvia Stone (of blessed memory).  Sylvia, who was a legend in those revered hospital halls and throughout the community, who led by doing, who was a catalyst and had that magic touch of selflessness, good humor, intelligence and grace that was irresistible and magnetic. She became one of more than several leaders who affected my personal and community growth just by being herself. 

Through the unceasing efforts of other leaders like my father-in-law Ben Swig, Walter Haas and Daniel Koshland, Golda Kaufman, Rhoda Goldman, Robert Sinton – unsuspecting mentors all – I watched and learned,  observing their humility, their wisdom, their passion, their hard work and dedication, and how they left personal agendas at the door – and by their actions, taught us all to dig deeper into our personal understanding of why we were doing what we were doing.

My history in the JCF was one of moving through the chairs of leadership from Women’s Division Chair, Campaign Chair, Federation Campaign Chair and then to the Presidency…leading, along with Dick, the Roots mission in 1985 to eastern Europe and Israel, and with him leading the Shalom 91 mission to Israel…and elected chairperson of the JVS and serving as a member of the Israel Overseas Committee and board member of the Joint Distribution Committee.

My term as president of the Federation had its particular dynamic in that with a change in presidents, there was also the appointment of a new executive director, Wayne Feinstein, providing extensive experience, and solid, respected history from having moved through the channels of the Jewish Professional Communal Service.

Together we followed the dynamism of a visionary director, Rabbi Brian Lurie.

My ongoing privilege spanning many years of participation has been to work with amazing, loving colleagues, Frannie Green, Adele Corvin, Annette Dobbs, as we became part of history in holding the office of president of the JCF, breaking the glass ceiling on a regular basis. I think by now they have stopped replacing the glass and the ceiling is totally open!

I remember well my pursuit in expanding the Federation’s mission to include Community Development…“Friendraising,” along with Fundraising, which was then the organization’s primary function.  I felt a distinct generational shift and the urgency to include the new generation of young adults who would rapidly be looked to to move into leadership positions, and whose historic memory was different from those before my own generation and me.  There was resistance to change, resistance that failed to recognize the enormous challenge we would face if we could not educate through community involvement those men, women and children who were not feeling the urgency of participating in the Federation’s mission, here and in Israel.  Community building became the clarion call …new programs along with the continuing obligation of the annual campaign for funds for the then 45 agencies that came under the JCF’s umbrella. 

I believe in the Federation System of generations working together. I believe in our Jewish values of reaching out to repair the world no matter a personal comfort sacrifice. I believe in positive change, of assessment and taking the inherent risks. And I believe that if you are not willing to change, you will eventually fail as the world and your constituency moves on.

This is all reflected in my oral history and I will not elaborate; you’ll just have to read the book! However, I can tell you that the windows of the Federation were slowly opening wider and wider to new opportunities, to new regional administrative and capital structures, fostering community accessibility, stronger direct overseas support, collaboration with our synagogues and the many, diverse religious leaders and institutions.

My life is a tapestry, woven together loosely and tightly reflecting the many interests and paths that I have pursued and enjoyed. Many, if not most of you here today, have enabled the rich pattern of that tapestry, playing critical and motivating roles. In every single case I have learned from you, and my life is enriched by our relationships and our sharing: in our family lives, in women’s empowerment, rescue and relief, in the media, education, the arts, politics and advocacy.

Today there is another call: for coming together, for collaboration and cooperation, for assessing again the positive elements that have made the Federation and Endowment Fund such a positive force for so many years. There is vibrancy in the community that must be embraced and celebrated…and now how best to do that!

The Jewish Community Federation of SF, the Peninsula, Marin, Santa Rosa and Sonoma is a movable feast…a living, responsive body that requires attention, wisdom, nurturing, care, replenishing and encouragement.  I look forward to being part of its future and am grateful for being a part of its past.

I am so appreciative of all of you who’ve been a part of my journey and to my dear and cherished family for your love and support. Each day is a blessing for me.  I have come a long way since 1950 and G-d willing I look forward each day to having a long way to go.

Thank you!

The beginnings of a new season

Our Jewish festivals and Shabbat are sometimes perfect metaphors for the experiences of our daily lives. Simchat Torah, which we celebrated about 10 days ago, is about the unending joyous cycle of completing the Torah and beginning anew, immediately – much like the ideal annual Federation cycle.

Each of our departments, and all the staff, lay leaders, volunteers and donors who support them, work cyclically – the campaign, allocations, and endowment cycles end, and then just as quickly begin anew. One would hope this would occur as it happens with the Simchat Torah celebration – seamlessly and naturally and, of course, joyfully.

So in that vein, bereshit, the first book of Genesis, was very fitting for me this past weekend, as it is all about building and creating. Were I as good as the Creator, I would have already completed our most important priorities; after all, the entire work of creation was completed in 6 days, and I’ve already had 7 business days since taking the helm as Acting CEO.

But one step at a time. First of all, I want you to be more aware and informed about our activities. To that end, we will be sending you more frequent, transparent, and substantive communications. I have been meeting with our staff, lay leaders, donors, volunteers and members of our community in every possible venue. In the past few days alone, I’ve attended meetings with our Educating and Engaging Commission, Caring Commission, and South Peninsula Regional Council, and the Women’s Philanthropy Retreat. Along with many meetings with staff, community leaders and philanthropists, I’ve met with our Audit Committee, Endowment Executive Committee, Restricted Funds Committee, and Leadership Development, to name just a few.

JCF Acting CEO Jennifer Gorovitz was pinned as a Lion of Judah by her mother at the recent Lion of Judah Luncheon.

Just yesterday, I had the enormous pleasure of speaking with the Lions of Judah and those who have endowed their annual campaign gifts. The schedule has been fast-paced, and at the same time exhilarating, as I am meeting and connecting with so many people passionate about their involvement in Federation.

This past Sunday, I spoke at the dedication of Federation Way at the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life amidst an incredible celebration of the Campus and the Oshman JCC. What an incredible achievement for our community!

To have seen the enthusiasm and engagement of hundreds of Federation’s committed volunteers, donors and leaders over the past week stirs my thoughts about Federation Way, which I shared with those in attendance. Just as Federation Way literally connects individuals to our common heritage, our shared values and, in turn, to our community, so do you connect to one another and to the broader Jewish community in the vital work of the Federation and Endowment Fund – you are the expression of what it means to be in community.

In the coming weeks I will be writing about our plans for an integrated annual fundraising and endowment campaign. I want to sneak a word in now to let you know we will be launching a Centennial campaign in honor of our long history, and I want you to be involved as an ambassador and fundraiser. The proud celebration of our first 100 years and the new beginnings and seeds we will be planting for the next 100 years will be intertwined with everything we do over the next year.

I look forward to working with you, and I am humbly grateful for all you do on behalf of our Jewish community.

Celebrating the grand opening of the Oshman Family JCC

‘Wow!’ was the expression for many people who first stepped into the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center (OFJCC) in Palo Alto on Sunday, October 18.  Celebrating its grand opening, the JCC offered an array of free entertainment and activities for all ages.  The entire day attracted hundreds of South Peninsula community members who have been anxiously waiting for this all inclusive new “Jewish neighborhood.”

They had something for everyone, from teens to seniors to families with young children. Located in the south end of Palo Alto, the OFJCC has significantly improved its educational, cultural, and recreational programming, and now offers everything from Melton classes to Hebrew storytelling to cardio kickboxing.

From left: John Freidenrich, Lisa Gurwitch, Mark Reisbaum, Bruce Landgarten, Carol Saal, Jim Koshland, Jennifer Gorovitz, and David Friedman on the brand new Federation Way.

The South Peninsula Region of the Jewish Community Federation, whose new region offices will be located on the campus, also participated in the day’s festivities by hosting a reception brunch for a select group of more than 50 dedicated donors, demonstrating our gratitude for their continued support.  Donors, lay leaders and staff joined in a dedication and naming of “Federation Way” and the main stairways. Federation President Jim Koshland, who was a gracious emcee, welcomed everyone and introduced all the speakers. John Freidenrich said a few eloquent words about the Jewish Community Endowment Fund. David Friedman spoke on behalf of the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life, and Federation Acting CEO, Jennifer Gorovitz made inspirational remarks regarding the work  of the Jewish Federation. All attendees of the reception walked away proud and smiling, a true measure of the successful and memorable event.

“We’re excited to share our new home with the entire South Peninsula community,” said Alan Sataloff, CEO of the OFJCC. “It’s been a long time in coming, and now it’s time to celebrate.”

A time of reflection and renewal

Jennifer Gorovitz, Acting CEO

For a century, the Federation has worked diligently as the face of collective Jewish philanthropy with an abiding, positive and hopeful mission. In approaching our centennial anniversary, let us re-focus, re-connect and re-energize around the strengths of this Jewish community – generosity, engagement, innovative leadership, and a dedicated, capable professional staff who are committed to making the Federation strong from the inside out.

As Daniel Sokatch moves on to take his new position as Executive Director of the New Israel Fund, we wish him well. Daniel sparked a broad vision for change, and in his 14 months at the helm, he helped us begin to make great inroads.

Today, I feel confident that we will continue to forge ahead in addressing the changing economy, as well as the interests and needs of our diverse community, a community grounded in a proud history and built on a strong foundation.

In assuming the role of Acting CEO, I want to briefly introduce myself to you. After more than a decade of law practice in the private and public sectors, I joined Federation’s Endowment Fund, and after 5 years was promoted to Chief of Staff before assuming this position. I am the 4th generation in my family to roll up my sleeves to work on behalf of, and raise money for, the Federation. Early in the 20th century, my great-grandfather was part of the first generation of leaders of the Hebrew Free Loan Association, one of the handful of fledgling social service agencies that came together to found the Federation. His daughter, my grandmother, went door-to-door with a manila envelope to solicit funds for the Federation year after year with her young daughter, my mother, in tow. My mother, in turn, did the same while at Cal and continues to be an active community leader today. I, too, raised funds for the Federation while in college, though in rebellion, I attended Stanford.

During my tenure here, I have been moved by the consistent kindness of our donors, and the generosity that enabled Federation to immediately respond to the profound economic challenges we faced this past year. To all of our donors, past and present – Thank you! Our longevity as an organization has proved what we have always known: that we are infinitely stronger when we work together. In entering our 100th year, and the year 5770 of our people, I encourage a renewed and re-energized commitment to each other and hope that you will join us in experiencing joy in this shared effort of repairing the world together.

On behalf of the entire Federation leadership and professional staff, may this upcoming year be one of peace, harmony and renewal. Best wishes to you and your family for a sweet and joyous New Year.

L’shanah tovah

Jennifer Gorovitz

Important announcement from the JCF

To the Community:

It is with real regret that I announce today that the Officers of the Federation have accepted Daniel Sokatch’s resignation. Daniel is to become the leader of the New Israel Fund, allowing him to have a global impact at this most critical juncture in Israel’s history.

We have dearly appreciated the leadership and vision that Daniel brought to the Federation, and take great comfort in knowing that we’ve accomplished so much in such a relatively short time. Among these myriad achievements: We raised more than $22 million from the community—no mean feat in these difficult and challenging economic times; our Endowment Committee provided crucial funding to fill the gap where the need was greatest; and, we launched the JCF Catalyst, which not only provided emergency funds to the neediest in our community, but also strengthened our synagogues and began the innovative series of projects that take us into the future with optimism and an abiding spirit of hope. From a more international perspective, our Federation, Endowment Funds and Supporting Foundations sent more than $160 million toward important and deserving projects in our local community and throughout the world.

We are pleased to announce that the able and talented Jennifer Gorovitz, who has been with the Federation for five years—most recently as Chief of Staff—will become Acting CEO. Prior to her already distinguished tenure at JCF, Jennifer practiced law for a decade and is a first-rate manager and leader. She has our confidence and trust; we look forward to working with her. We welcome her and wish her very good luck, indeed.

Please also join me in thanking Daniel Sokatch and wishing him the best of luck in his new position. Please see his letter to the community below.

Sincerely,
Jim Koshland, President

---

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

I am writing to let you know that I will be resigning my post as CEO of the JCF in order to assume the leadership of the New Israel Fund. This was not an easy decision for me, as I am genuinely sad to be leaving the Federation and its rich history of 100 years of tikkun olam and tzedakah, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lead a global organization at a particularly critical time for Israel.

Still, I feel completely confident that I leave the organization in capable and passionate hands. I am so very proud of the Federation and all we have accomplished together over the past year. I take great pride in our mutual and committed efforts to accomplish our goal that the Federation—and our Jewish community—remain relevant, vibrant and dynamic in the 21st Century. It is my hope that our meaningful progress continue ever onward.

Thank you so much for sharing in this most-important and vital cause; you should all be justly proud. I will miss each and every one of you.

Sincerely, and with heartfelt appreciation,

Daniel Sokatch

Catching up: Connecting to Poland

In early July, I spent a week in Poland as a guest of the Taube Foundation for Jewish Life and Culture and the Jewish Heritage Initiative in Poland. This was their annual Poland trip and we visited three major projects, all of which the Foundations are involved in, and they’re really quite amazing. It was my first trip to Poland, where, on a personal level, I had always been resistant to going.

The Poland of the Jewish imagination is different from the physical and political map that we see today. It includes this giant Jewish heartland where for 1,000 years Jewish life flourished. Until World War II it was, in many respects, the center of Jewish learning and culture for the Yiddish speaking Ashkenazi Jewish world. Before the war, major Polish cities like Warsaw had enormous Jewish populations, but, of course, almost all of it disappeared in the Shoah.

Daniel Sokatch visits the Remuh Synagogue in Kazimierz, the former Jewish quarter of Krakow, Poland.

The first project connects North American Jews with these thousand years of Jewish cultural heritage. As my rabbi says, we as a people suffer from collective Post-Traumatic Syndrome Disorder, and you don’t get over that by not addressing the traumatic parts of your past. It’s like we sometimes imagine that we just came here to the US or moved to Palestine at the turn of the last century. Then quickly rewind a thousand years and we were walking the dunes of Judea where suddenly we were expelled, and Rome, Spain, the Inquisition and then murkiness, the horror of the Holocaust and now we’re here. So, part of what I think this project is meant to do is to allow us to reclaim this part of our Jewish history.

At the Jewish Genealogy and Family Heritage Center of the Emanuel Ringleblum Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, there is a nonprofit organization headed by Mr. Yael Reiser, with a massive databank that allows them to connect Jews to where they came from. “You were told of the Shtetl where your family came from, that the little town was wiped out, erased from the map.” Everyone nods that, yes, that’s what they were told; and he says, “Well, that’s not true. There’s not a single Jewish settlement that vanished like that. The names may have changed, the Jews may have been completely eradicated, but we can find out where it was and where you came from.” So I emailed my parents and handed him a list of towns and he said, “It may take a while but I will get back to you and I will tell you something about where you come from.” For Jews of Eastern European origin this is very powerful and very profound, that connects us to this critically important part of our past.

The Old Synagogue in Krakow

The next project is the revitalization of a Polish Jewish community. There were 3.5 million Jews in Poland before the war and now there’s just a tiny remnant, perhaps 25,000 – 30,000 out of a nation of 39 million. There’s something very poignant and powerful about watching this community re-establish itself. I had the opportunity to meet with some of the young people from a student group called Cholent. I asked them “Why do you call the group cholent?” and they said “Oh, you know, we’re a weird mix and it’s all been simmering for some time.” They’re these adorable, brilliant, gorgeous, sweet Jewish kids and they’re struggling to figure out what being a Polish Jew means. The 22-year olds I spoke to were not saying I want to move to Tel Aviv, London, or New York — they were, at this point in their lives, intent on living a Jewish life in Poland.

It’s important to note that Poland today has made itself a strong ally of the US and Israel. This association with the West, with democracy, understandably after the Polish experience with Nazism and under communist totalitarianism, is incredibly powerful. They’ve made it their business to be strong supporters of Israel and of the United States.

So the Polish kids growing up now are growing up with this strange double legacy: on one hand they know the history of Polish anti-Semitism. They know there’s this whole long history of pogroms even after the Holocaust, but there’s clearly an attempt on the part of Poland to come to terms with it.

One important piece of this second project is Rabbi Michael Schudrich, an American born, modern orthodox New York rabbi with a civil rights background, who is a real character, a real mensch, and I think, a godsend to the Polish Jewish community. He has clearly become somewhat of a national celebrity. He’s a very engaging guy, has a sense of mission, his kids have grown up in Poland instead of New York, and he’s one of the real great spark plugs in the Jewish community there. 

The Izaak Synagogue in Krakow

Our trip began at the Krakow Music Festival, which bills itself as the largest free Jewish music festival in the world. It’s important to know that Krakow was not destroyed in the war, including the old Jewish quarter which was perfectly preserved. When you walk into the Jewish quarter you’re immediately struck by a very weird mix of emotions because there is both actual preservation of the Jewish quarter plus a lot of kitsch such as Jewish-themed restaurants, the outer walls of which have these faux shops, like “Moishe Ringlebaum, Tailor.”

You enter the big Jewish square through this alleyway and you see these real Jewish synagogues and buildings that have been renovated. There is increasingly a return of Jewish culture and activity there, even in the absence of Jews. Michael Berenbaum, a Holocaust scholar who I ran into said, “You know the whole story here now is about the absence of presence, and the presence of absence,” which I thought was exactly the way to describe this situation.

There you are in Krakow and during the music festival there’s just Jewish culture happening everywhere. There are maybe 200 Jews in this tiny community, which is descended upon by five to fifteen thousand people who on the final night crowd into that central square of the Jewish quarter where Jewish life happened for a thousand years, crowding in to see Israeli, American and European Jewish musical acts – and only a handful of us are visiting Jews; the rest of the people there are non-Jewish Poles.

Main entrance to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps in Oswiecim, Poland

Which brings me to the last of the three great Jewish projects that I encountered – the reclamation by a new generation of Poles of the Jewish parts of Polish history and culture. And I realized that this is not about us – this is about the Poles coming to terms with the fact that a critical part of their culture, history and country were expunged, murdered and driven out both by the Nazis and by this history of Polish anti-Semitism.

I was infused with a sense of great hope for this Polish national project, this generational project that’s turning a history of anti-Semitism and of ignoring Jewish life into reclaiming it. The head of the Jewish Music Festival in Krakow is a non-Jewish guy who wears a kippah and keeps kosher. The most acclaimed guide to the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex is a 32 year old Polish woman who’s not Jewish. The ten thousand people who squeeze into that square, the vast overwhelming majority of them listening to Jewish music and dancing and experiencing Jewish culture in the absence of Jews, are Poles who are not Jews.

As I imagined, this trip was a profound and moving experience, and I deeply appreciate the opportunity.

These remarks are based on excerpts from JCF CEO Daniel Sokatch’s interview with Richard Miles, Senior Director of Marketing, on August 12.

Recognizing the power of our community

I have now worked in our Jewish community for over a year and a half—as my first job out of college, I came to the San Francisco Bay Area and entered my first “real job” with the kind of nervousness usually reserved for the first day of school, group presentations or performing onstage. I had no idea what to expect, or where I was going. My connection to the Jewish community growing up was slim to none, although my mother would sometimes light the menorah around Hanukkah.

A year and a half later, I have come to realize that I unknowingly entered a profound, caring and wonderful community by stepping into my position with the Jewish Community Federation. I feel that I made one of the best decisions of my life by choosing to be here and by working with such amazing people who have a strong desire to do good and to do tikkun olam – “repairing the world.” As an individual who cares deeply about people in need, I know that I have found my niche in the nonprofit world, and the Jewish community is one with such strong values and integrity, that I know I belong exactly where I am, and doing exactly what I am meant to do.

The power of who we are can be expressed not in what we say, but in what we do. I can think of no better example than of when I announced to my friends and colleagues that I would be moving to Berkeley. Immediately, I had offers of help, food, furniture, and anything I could possibly need. I can’t help but notice and compare this move with all of my other moves, when I had to bribe and beg anyone who would listen for assistance. There is a stark difference between this time, and all of those other times, because of the fact that I am in a community that consists of individuals who support each other.

I would like to thank my associates, my friends, my colleagues, the professionals, lay leaders, and everyone in this community for making me a part of something wonderful; a community and a presence within the world that gives back what they receive and then some, with a desire to make the world a better place than when they found it. There is no greater strength, no greater power than to do good, and our Jewish community does just that.

-Jasmine Blanchard
Administrative Assistant, Early Childhood Education Initiative

The Pride Parade after Prop 8

Jews Celebrate Pride

The party attire was full-effect on Sunday for the 2009 San Francisco Pride Parade: feather boas, glitter, leather mini skirts, 5-inch heels… and that’s just the men! The traditional flamboyance associated with the 2009 Annual Pride Parade definitely did not disappoint, but there was a solemn and very strong political undertone to the celebration this year. In all of the years I’ve attended both the San Jose and San Francisco Pride parades, this year felt less like a giant dance party in the street and more like an organized, professional, and strategic mobilization in the entire community as both LGBT members and their supportive allies came together with one message: We want equality, and we want it now.

Eight months ago, hearing the word “no” had a positive connotation. When Proposition 8 (the Proposition to ban gay marriage in California) was still on the table and with so much money and effort being poured into our state to fight against equality, the San Francisco Bay Area stood up and firmly said, “NO”. It was strong, encouraging, and it banded our community together. I was and still am so proud to live in an area where discrimination is not tolerated and the leaders in both my political and Jewish community were adamant in saying, “No. This can not and will not happen.”

On October 11, 2008 my girlfriend of two years and I were married in a small civil ceremony surrounded by family and friends. It was to be exactly one year to the day before the “big” wedding we had been planning since our engagement earlier that spring – but bumped up in the timing “just in case”. It was a gorgeous autumn day, and the most special day of my life, but in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but feel like we were smart for taking out this insurance policy of sorts.

Elana and Denise exchanging vows

Then on the first Tuesday in November, we heard the one word we didn’t want to hear: Yes.

By a devastatingly narrow margin, the slim majority of California had succeeded in taking away a passionate minority’s rights. Yes had become no. No equality. No marriage for us. Signs went up crying “fowl” as chickens suddenly had scored a better deal on the November ballot than the LGBT community. Angry marches stopped traffic along Market. Little did my wife and I know, we were about to become one of just 18,000 couples who are now a part of this first-class / second-class hybrid who were allowed to keep their marriage legal while everyone in the foreseeable future will have that right denied.

Shortly after the second painful blow by the Supreme Court’s late-May ruling to not overturn Proposition 8 based on the argument of its unconstitutionality, The j. ran a cover-story on the Jewish community’s mobilization after the verdict to let its constituency and most importantly, the general public know that this blatant disregard for equality and justice is not accepted in our Jewish faith, which firmly believes that all people are created b’tzelem elohim – in the image of G-d.

Knowing that something had to be done, our leadership started banding together. Federation LGBT Alliance director, Lisa Finkelstein, in partnership with East Bay Federation’s LGBT director, Sam Strauss, the Progressive Jewish Alliance, Kol Tzedek, Jewish Mosaic, JCRC, local synagogues and other organizations mobilized over 500 Jews to march together in Sunday’s parade. Email blasts signed by a number of rabbis were created. Word of mouth spread the information from community professionals to temple members to friends and family.

My North Peninsula’s community was small, but not to be outdone. With Rabbis Dan Feder, Nat Ezray, Dennis Eisner, temple executive Amy Mallor, temple president Keith Tandowsky in attendance, as well as families from local temples with their children, community leaders, some with Federation connection for over 25 years – all marching with us, for the first time in a while, hearing “yes” was okay again. As a Jewish community professional, I asked my community members to march with me for professional reasons and of course, personal ones… and I heard, “yes” many times, and always enthusiastically. It was as if the word “no” wasn’t even an option; even those who were going to regrettably be out of town insisted that they would indeed be there in spirit. Sunday morning, as we assembled and turned on to Market Street in the abnormally hot San Francisco sun, the “yes” continued. “Yes” roared from the crowds of people watching the parade from the sides, along with “thank you” shouted at us from random people who were absolutely thrilled to see us with our Hebrew-lettered t-shirts and tallit-covered shoulders.

I am so proud to be a part of this community and honored to have had the opportunity to march and to “pray with my feet” Sunday morning. It’s nice to be told yes. It’s nice to say yes. It’s empowering to be in a community that won’t tolerate anything but the best it can give, and as a Federation employee, it thrills me to be able to give back to a community that deserves so much.

~ by Denise Ron, North Peninsula Campaign Associate

Part of the Jewish contingency at the Pride Parade