In Response to the New York Times on Interfaith Marriage

By Jennifer Gorovitz, CEO

I was pleased to see the article in last week’s Times op-ed section Interfaith Unions: A Mixed Blessing.  In some religions, Interfaith marriages represent the majority of unions. Despite that dominance, it is a topic that still needs some unpacking.  It is so important to note that although the paradigm is shifting, many people in interfaith marriages are still unsure of how to preserve their cultural and religious heritage within a modern family.

As CEO of the JCF, I have watched this community go from shunning such relationships to celebrating them and yet, we are still at the very beginning of understanding how we can best embrace this new family dynamic, and how these families want to interact with our diverse community and its organizations. More than half of all married couples within the 2,400 square miles of our service area are interfaith, and in some communities that figure is as high as 75%.

In recognizing the pressing need to engage these families, the JCF is partnering with InterfaithFamily by providing them with a three-year grant to bring their innovative programs to the Bay Area. InterfaithFamily/Bay Area workshops range from Love and Religion for seriously-dating interfaith couples to Preparing for a Bar Mitzvah for families with 4th-7th grade children. These workshops are run by experts on the complexities of interfaith relationships, and help keep family discussions open and productive. In addition, the JCF has made grants to innovative organizations seeking to be more inclusive.

Our goal is to help our community reach out to these new families and celebrate their diversity, using new technologies to break down any barriers that might get in the way of happiness, togetherness and meaning.

While we agree that interfaith relationships are prone to their own unique challenges, we know that access to the right support can help interfaith couples successfully explore their respective religions, as they do with Judaism at InterfaithFamily. Diversity helps makes the Bay Area a great place to live, which is why we proudly support our Bay Area Jewish community with the programming tools they need to help maintain loving, supportive, and diverse families.

Realizing a Vision of a Camp Environment Open to the Entire Community Year Round

Sitting in the Santa Rosa Mountains of Sonoma County is URJ Camp Newman, a Reform Jewish summer camp serving 3,500 adults and children for off-season retreats and 1,500 Jewish youth (grades 3 to 12) through its summer camp program.  Every summer, these young Jews begin a journey of lifelong Jewish living and learning. They join a loving community where friendships thrive and self-esteem flourishes.

The Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund is proud to announce a $1 million grant in support of Camp Newman

The grant supports the camp’s comprehensive $30 million campaign to conduct critical improvements to its infrastructure, housing and program space. With the new retreat center, Camp Newman will be able to serve upwards of 13,000 individuals a year. Including the Federation grant, Camp Newman has already raised $12 million.  A state-of-the-art retreat center and a welcome and wellness center are envisioned to serve the entire Northern California Jewish community with innovative, immersive Jewish experiences.

New Campus Center Rendering

New Welcome and Wellness Center Rendering

Beyond the grant

Camp Newman worked with the Federation’s Capital Planning Committee to help hone their message, think through any challenge areas, and build bridges to supporters in the community that they might not otherwise have known.  “Our endowment fund represents the legacy of hundreds of members of our community and exists to ensure a vibrant Jewish future. Given the vital role that camp plays in building a strong Jewish identity, Camp Newman is an essential part of the fabric of our community, and this grant will ensure that it remains so for generations to come,” said Jennifer Gorovitz, Federation CEO.

Elements of the project include:

•    Constructing a Campus Center as a hub for Camp Newman, tripling the number of retreat groups during an off-season that is currently booked to capacity.
•    Developing a Welcome and Wellness Center to provide on-site health care practitioners and social services.
•    Replacing core infrastructure, including electrical, wastewater treatment, plumbing, and other physical plant systems.  (This stage has already been completed, with $5 million in funding coming from the Union for Reform Judaism.)
•    Build 16 new cabins to accommodate campers in the summer and retreat groups during the academic year.

New Cabin Rendering

The Campaign for Camp Newman is still in its early stages, with leadership-level gifts as the focus of campaign efforts.  Camp Newman is seeking the involvement of the thousands of current and former campers, parents, and staff.  For more detailed information about the project or campaign, please contact Advancement Director Ari Vared by e-mail or at (415) 392-7080. The entire project is being phased over several years, so that neither the off-season retreats nor the summer camp will be impacted. 

“Camp Newman is honored to receive this generous support from our Federation,” said Daryl Messinger, Board Chair and along with her husband, Jim Heeger, a lead donor to the campaign.  “It is wonderful to have the Federation as a partner in ensuring that everyone can be a beneficiary of the immersive magic of Camp.”

For more information on Jewish Camp for Kids, visit One Happy Camper which provides incentive grants of up to $1000 to families with children attending Jewish overnight camp for the first time, or apply for need-based scholarships.

Please Support the Israel Terror Relief Fund

We are thankful that the cease-fire is still in effect, but many Israelis continue to feel the impacts of the violence. Federation leaders witnessed the strength of Israelis in aftermath of war on a mission that offered a glimpse of life for many traumatized by the tension in the south of Israel. Participants visited programs and initiatives operated by The Jewish Agency for Israel, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), World ORT and the Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC), where Israelis are benefitting from your generosity.

The Federation’s Israel Terror Relief Fund, in collaboration with our partners, continues to address the most critical needs in Israel. Our Bay Area community contributed generously to this fund, and for that we are grateful. With support from the broader North American Jewish community, the Fund is helping children, people with disabilities and special needs, seniors and families who are victims of terror. To see images of the Israeli people’s amazing resilience, click here.

We thank you deeply for your support that is helping those effected rebuild their lives and their homes.

 

Make a tax deductible contribution for immediate emergency assistance.

You made the Day of Philanthropy a Tremendous Success!

Ambassador Dennis Ross

In its second year, our marquee community-building event welcomed more than 500 professionals, community leaders, staff and philanthropists who gathered to learn, connect and celebrate our collective impact.

The day-long event kicked off with the  16th annual Tax Seminar. A community luncheon followed, with a heartfelt tribute to philanthropist and JCF past president Ron Kaufman, and a keynote address by Ambassador Dennis Ross, who provided valuable insight on what lies ahead for U.S. Middle East policy. Afternoon interactive workshops featured a variety of experts on topics that attracted an intergenerational crowd – from innovative philanthropy by young adults, to crafting your own inspirational family story.  The day concluded with a reception toasting the power we have when we, as a community, come together to improve the world.

See more photos from the event on Facebook.

Celebrating Women’s Philanthropy at the Lion of Judah Luncheon

See more pictures of the event.

As we overlooked a crystal clear Bay and spectacular view, more than 90 of us (Lion of Judah and Pomegranates) from throughout the Bay Area gathered at the Saint Francis Yacht Club on October 24 to kick off the Lion of Judah 2013 Campaign with a meal and inspirational stories.

The spirit of tzedakah made the room radiate with palpable, synergistic energy, and we raised over $266,000 for the Federation’s local and global community projects!

A highlight of the day was a lively keynote interview with
Dr. Tricia Hellman Gibbs, led by Rabbi Sydney Mintz. In the conversation, Dr. Gibbs explained how her connection to her Jewish roots has impacted her personal community involvement and philanthropy.

Special thanks to our Federation leaders, CEO Jennifer Gorovitz, President Nancy Grand, Women’s Philanthropy President Carol Weitz, and Pomegranate Chair Vanessa Friedman, who helped bring this event to life and joined me in sharing personal family stories, reiterating how our involvement in the Jewish community today is motivated by the generations before us.

Adean Golub, Lion of Judah Endowment Co-Chair, shared her path to endowing her annual gift with us, and nicely summed up the Luncheon theme with a great quote from Muriel Ruckeyser, “My lifetime listens to yours.”

This campaign kick-off event was a true testament to the power of community – the power of women specifically – to create change in the world.

Shooting Hoops for a Good Cause

(from left) Phil Ginsburg, SF Recreation and Parks General Manager; Jennifer Gorovitz, JCF CEO and SF Mayor Ed Lee

On Thursday, October 10^th at the Betty Ong Chinese Recreation Center, approximately 70 kids, 5 basketball players and a coach split up in groups to practice a different basketball techniques.  This was all part of Haifa Hoops for Kids, an event that raised money for a nonprofit in Northern Israel serving disadvantaged and special needs children.  The special basketball clinic was attended by local urban youth basketball enthusiasts and kids from the Jewish Community High School and Jewish Community Center of San Francisco.

(from left) Consul General Dr. Andy David and son Ron, Maccabi Haifa assistant coach Rami Hadar, Maccabi players Anton Shoutvin (5), Bryan Cohen (8), SF Mayor Ed Lee, Lior Segev (10), JCF CEO Jennifer Gorovitz, Alex Chubrevitch (9), Maccabi Haifa owner Jeffrey Rosen, and team staff.

This was no ordinary gathering.  Jennifer Gorovitz, the Federation CEO, acted as the emcee with San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, Consul General of Israel, Dr. Andy David,  Chair of San Francisco-Haifa Sister City Committee, Arthur Wachtel and General Manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department , Phil Ginsburg.

Maccabi Haifa vs. The Golden State Warriors 

The following day, Thursday, October 11th, Maccabi Haifa played a preseason game with the Golden State Warriors at the Oakland Arena. Maccabi Haifa Basketball team, one of the oldest basketball teams in Israel, and a recent re-joiner of Israel’s top league ligat ha’al, made a rare visit to the Bay Area.

Over 8,000 came to enjoy the international scrimmage and after a solid game with the leading score bouncing back and forth between the Golden State and Haifa, the game ended 108 to 100 in favor of the warriors.

Watch our video featured on the jumbotron mid-game:

Thursday’s game shed light on the similarities between San Francisco and our Israeli Sister City. With a metropolitan population of over 600,000, Haifa is northern Israel’s premiere seaport. Built on the slopes of Mount Carmel, Haifa enjoys a similar Mediterranean climate as San Francisco. “San Francisco has a lot in common with Haifa, more than you would think,” said Federation CEO, Jennifer Gorovitz. “Exposing our kids to Maccabi Haifa is a great way to get their minds thinking about Israel.”

In the end, all agreed that when the Bay Area plays Haifa, either team’s win would be celebrated.

Maccabi Haifa’s visit is sponsored by the SF-Based Jewish Community Federation, the Israel Center, and is co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel, The Jewish Community Relations Council, the San Francisco-Haifa Sister City Committee, The Jewish Community federation of the East bay and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.

Be a Part of The Power of Community

When you give, you are sending a message that the Jewish people both take care of each other, and strive to improve the world.

We are approaching the end our 2012 Campaign – the collective effort that allows us to make a greater impact and ensure a vibrant Jewish community locally, in Israel, and around the world.  With less than 1 week to go before the close of the 2012 Campaign on June 30, every act of support, every gift, makes a difference.

With your help, we make grants to solve challenges that effect our entire community, and offer donors a range of options to connect their giving with issues that align with their passions. Contributions of any amount provide support to those who need our help most, ranging from aid to Jews in need, connecting our people and resources on the ground in Israel, and ensuring that our diverse community and its children are able to build a welcoming and meaningful relationship with their heritage and values.

Please join me in giving as generously as you can. We can do good individually, but when we work together, we are an even greater force for change.

With warm regards,

Jennifer Gorovitz

CEO, Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund

Public Launch of JCF’s Reducing Barriers and Increasing Access to Jewish Life Initiative

By Laura Mason, Senior Program Officer

As part of the public launch of JCF’s Reducing Barriers and Increasing Access to Jewish Life Initiative, the JCF gathered educators, rabbis, synagogue and preschool directors, foundations and Federation supporters to consider how we, as a community, can effectively tackle the key challenges facing Jewish Early Childhood Education as a profession and as an important gateway to Jewish life. The top issues identified by experts included affordability, teacher compensation, serving children with special needs, creating and adopting standards of excellence, and the need for a collective approach to advance on these issues.

The moderated panel discussion was led by Jennifer Gorovitz, CEO of the Federation, and featured: Rabbi Ed Feinstein a leading scholar on issues of Jewish identity and engagement; Marcy Whitebook, Ph.D., the founder and director of the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California at Berkeley and the preeminent expert on teacher compensation; Jennifer Splansky, a Senior Consultant at FSG, a global consulting firm dedicated to helping nonprofits and entire communities discover new ways to solve social problems and create large-scale change; and Janet Harris, the Director of the Early Childhood Education Initiative at the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.

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Rabbi Ed Feinstein on Affordability and Access to Early Childhood Jewish Education

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Jennifer Splansky: The JCF’s ‘Collective Impact’ Approach to Early Childhood Education

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Dr. Marcy Whitebrook: Rethinking Compensation for Early Childhood Educators

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Participant Takeaways: Reducing Barriers & Increasing Access (Ori & Emma)

You can view the entire panel discussion on our YouTube page.
Learn more about the Reducing Barriers and Increasing Access to Jewish Life Initiative.

Addressing Two Fundamental Challenges Facing the Jewish Community – Affordability and Access

As part of a multi-year effort to address two fundamental challenges facing the Jewish community – affordability and access, our Federation is rolling out the first of its major initiatives for 2012: Reducing Barriers and Increasing Access to Jewish Life.

Tackling affordability, early childhood education and special needs

The goal is to make at least $1 million available for need-based scholarships, and provide an additional $500,000 in grants to support early childhood education, and programs to help ensure a welcoming and inclusive community for children with special needs and their families.  We’re one of a number of non-profits in the region working to keep families rooted to the Bay Area by maintaining access to quality education and enrichment activities, despite the high cost of living.

“We’re working to ensure that participating in Jewish life does not become a luxury out of reach for Bay Area families,” said Laura Mason, the Federation Senior Program Officer who is heading up this initiative.  “People are struggling to make ends meet, and our partner organizations report that requests for financial aid continue to increase.”

“For us, the connection to Jewish Life is a priority, but we know we are actually one of many organizations responding to an increase in the need for financial assistance,” said Jennifer Gorovitz, the Federation’s CEO. “As is the case with so many pressing issues, it will take a coalition of organizations to help bridge these resource gaps.”

There are three program areas within the initiative to Reduce Barriers and Increase Access to Jewish Life:

1. The Affordability Project.  With membership costs, tuition and program fees that reach into the many thousands each year, more than half of all households in the Bay Area don’t earn enough money to participate fully in organized Jewish community.  The Federation, with the support of individual and foundation donors, including the Jim Joseph Foundation, will be awarding 6,000 scholarships to families in need, helping to ensure a community that is vibrant and accessible to all.

2. Early Childhood Education (ECE).  The Early Childhood Education program area will focus on increasing access to a high quality Jewish preschool for all families.  The program will work to advance the field on major issues such as teacher compensation and rigorous standards of excellence, while encouraging meaningful lifelong connections to Judaism for children and families.

3. Special Needs.  There are approximately 9,000 Jewish children under the age of 18 in the Bay Area who have special needs. Many of these children and their families cannot participate in Jewish life, including attending day school, camp, synagogue and other family programs because these environments have lacked the supports they need to serve these children.  The Federation’s initiative is helping to build the capacity of the entire community to be inclusive by funding professional training for Jewish educators, expert consultation in early childhood education, high quality camping experiences, and effective social enrichment activities for children, teens, families, and friends.

To advance this work, we will convene a series of events in the coming year

Stakeholders and donors will share information on strategies and preliminary goals and gather input from the community. The first of these events is May 24, 2012 and will focus on early childhood education, inviting education professionals from the entire region to a half-day event, culminating in a panel discussion with experts in early childhood development, educator compensation and philanthropy.

Household budgets stretched in Bay Area

Recent reports tracking economic indicators for the Bay Area and Silicon Valley indicate that while certain sectors of the economy have seen improvement, median household incomes continue to shrink.^[i] At the same time, the Bay Area is the third most expensive place to live in the US^[ii], with housing expenses absorbing the lion’s share of earnings. This continual decline in household income has meant that many of the 130,000 Jewish households cannot participate in Jewish life the way they want to.  Reducing financial barriers is critical to maintaining a robust Jewish community in the Bay Area.

“So much of being Jewish is our experiences,” said Jennifer Gorovitz. “Our work is intended to make schools, summer camps, and synagogues more accessible…these are the places where great connections are made, and it is those memories that help sustain us…one Jewish generation to the next.”

[1] Silicon Valley Index 2012

[2] Bay Area Council Economic Institute, “Bay Area Economic Profile March 2012

Yom HaZikaron: Remembering Those Lost and Looking Forward

By Jennifer Gorovitz, Chief Executive Officer

Just three weeks ago, we took a committed and enthusiastic group of lay leaders, our Israel and Global Committee, as well as members of our Board of Trustees, to Israel to evaluate the progress of our grantees in social and economic inclusion and pluralism. We found that our shared dreams have become reality with incredible community development, poverty fighting, education, and social businesses. We were awed once again by Israel’s beauty, its ingenuity and creativity, and its complexity. Together we stand in good times and in sad times, like today.

Community members arrive for JCF's Yom Hazikaron ceremony.

When we met with Amos Oz, one of my favorite Israeli authors, and a person who expresses these dual realities so well, he said: Israelis are a fiery collection of arguers, prophets, prime ministers and missiles all shouting at the top of their lungs to be heard. Ours is a people of doubt and argument, which also makes us a people of creativity and invention. When we solve our two major issues, war and peace, and social solidarity, Israel will truly be paradise on earth. The land of dreams and intentions and master plans that finally come true.

In the meantime, together we work to honor the memories of those lost, help those who were connected to them to go on, and transform our dreams into reality.

Let me tell you one such story: When we were in Israel this time, we visited a trauma center in Sderot, in the south of Israel. Before we could really begin, we needed to understand where the bomb shelter is in this school, knowing that any moment a siren could go off and we would have only 15 seconds to get there.

We got up, we moved in an orderly fashion, and we did not make it in time. Once inside, we were reminded that 12,000 missiles have fallen in this area in the past 10 years. The children here know all too well, and they know that a siren means run, not walk, to the shelter.

The techniques that are applied to the children to teach coping and resilience are now being applied to the soldiers too.

While we were sitting in the classroom, about to hear from a soldier, a rocket landed not far from us I guessed by the way the ground rumbled and the thunderous sound it made. Our hearts raced, our anxiety peaked, yet no alarm went off.

And then we heard Yaron’s story. Yaron is 28 years old. He fought in the Second Lebanon war and was a company commander. He was responsible for 120 soldiers. During his command, a rocket fell on a building they had entered and one of his soldiers was killed and 10 were wounded. His unit was sent by the Army to the trauma center to help them now to lead stronger, healthier lives by processing their experience and their pain. Combat leaves marks, and rather than be diminished by them, there is now growing recognition that with support these boys can grow differently and lead more resilient lives by using the intensity of their brothers in arms for social support. during the program, these combat units visit diaspora cities and learn how grateful we all are. And for many of them, they are realizing, hey I did that for the Jewish People. And their perspective on their experiences is forever changed. Yaron believes that this program is invaluable. The government isn’t so sure. He and others like him are building a movement, one soldier at a time, one memory, one trauma at a time.

Today we join him in remembering the soldier he lost in battle, the innocence he lost in battle and in wishing for him and others that they may transition from the army to civilian life in a way that bolsters them, strengthens them and helps them to lead full lives.

You can connect with Jennifer Gorovitz on Facebook and Twitter.