How many years have you worked in the Jewish communal field? How many in your present position as President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona?
I am older than I can believe. I started in the field as the Supervisor of Teen Services at the JCC in Baltimore in 1977; I am in my “chai year” in my current job (began Dec. 1, 1995).
Do the recent findings of the PEW study about lower levels of engagement reflect what you see happening in Tucson?
As to the Pew Study, what’s certain is that the world is changing fast! But of course, if we think about how we relate to our Jewish lives and compare it to our grandparents, it is likely to be vastly different. So why would we expect our children and grandchildren’s experience to be identical to ours. Societal norms allow us to embrace our Jewish identity, or, as in the case with many, create a Jewish identity that changes over time, and exists along with our other identities. And so yes, while we have a vibrant Jewish community, there are many that are not connecting. It seems to me that we need to see this as an opportunity. More than ever I see that my friends and family members are in their own personal journeys; journeys that last a lifetime. This observation was reinforced a couple of weeks back by my attendance of an adult bat mitzvah of a 60-year-old friend who had never learned Hebrew as a child and had spent many of her adult years distant from Judaism and her Jewish community. She actually reconnected through our Federation’s LGBT Inclusion Project; which propelled her to join a congregation and begin her studies, leading to her bat mitzvah. Her story is uniquely hers, but not so unlike the stories of many who are seeking meaning and connection.
Which programs do you feel attract people not actively affiliated with the organized Jewish community?
We are trying to craft a community that is welcoming and celebrates diversity. I find that the programs that are most successful are the ones that engage the participants as “co-creators.” We have so many dynamic community members – each of whom has a unique voice. While there are many exciting new portals created nationally that we are embracing wholeheartedly such as PJ Library and Birthright, we are also working with our community to create for ourselves. For example, we are in the 10th year of a Jewish-Latino Teen Coalition – as far as we know the only one of its kind – which is inspiring engagement of teens and adults as well.
What do you see as Federation’s greatest success in recent years?
Over the past year we established the Jewish Community Roundtable along with our community partners (agencies and synagogues). We meet quarterly to plan and collaborate. This comes from the widespread understanding that no solitary organization can tackle engagement alone; we must work in partnership to break down barriers and create connections.
Are there new programs/initiatives you look forward to launching in the coming year?
In the coming year we are establishing, with the oversight of the Roundtable, a new Concierge program that will further our goal to be welcoming and foster connections. We are also creating a more user-friendly approach to technology, to be launched in the fall, which will make it easier to find out with “one click,” for example, what’s happening for teens or adult Jewish education in our community.
Any other developments/trends you are excited about?
In my “chai year” I feel as energized as ever about our work. Knowing as we now do that each of us is on our own unique and lifelong journey, we can continue to invest in creating the kind of community that takes care of the most vulnerable and welcomes all who want to connect.
