Celebrating Passover with my family, we gave thanks for the deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt and for the vibrant Jewish communities we have created here, in Israel and throughout the world.
I also recalled the message of Washington Bureau Chief for Israel’s Channel 10 News Gil Tamary when he spoke at the federation’s annual campaign kickoff – that Jewish communities around the world are still being persecuted. Gil reported that nearly 10% of the 500,000 Jews in France are considering immigration to Israel due to recent violence. He recounted the plight of Jews in Iran, Turkey and Ukraine, as well as those who were affected by the war in Southern Israel this past summer. We need only to watch the news or scan the headlines to see that anti-Semitism exists, even in our local communities.
The federation exists to support vibrant Jewish communities and to help Jews in need here, in Israel and throughout the world. We provide the infrastructure to raise emergency funds in response to crises and important national and international connections to protect Jews in our community, Israel and in 70 countries worldwide. Through support of our international partners, JAFI and JDC, we provide emergency services and basic needs to Jews suffering in Ukraine, those affected by war in Israel and to those persecuted around the world.
The impact of the federation was voiced during our Women’s Philanthropy Ignition! luncheon, when Dr. Yarden Fanta-Vagenshtein shared the difference the federation made in her life. She recounted her childhood in Ethiopia – how she was forced to live in a remote village, denied transportation, resources and an education because she was Jewish. At age 11, she and a small group from the community decided to walk more than 800 miles through the desert to escape persecution. Her journey took two years and she lost loved ones along the way. She credited the federation for allowing her to become the first Ethiopian woman to earn a Ph.D. in Israel, even though she was unable to read and write when she arrived.
This month, as we celebrate the giving of the Torah and we recommit ourselves to living a life of Jewish values, ethics and stewardship, I invite you to recommit yourself to helping Jews in need and creating and sustaining vibrant Jewish communities here, in Israel and throughout the world by supporting the federation’s annual campaign.
