The heat is subsiding and by Arizona standards there is a bit of a chill in the air as summer fades into fall and we begin thinking of gathering friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving. Our tables reflect our bounty. Our hearts are filled with gratitude for our many blessings. Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to reflect on those blessings.
As I look back over the past three years, I am grateful for how much this community has embraced me and my family. I am also thankful for how this community steps up to help Jews in need and to build vibrant Jewish communities.
During this season of Thanksgiving, I ask you to reflect on your blessings and to share your bounty with the less fortunate. Those in need of our help range from Jews suffering in Ukraine, who lack even the most basic necessities, to senior adults right here in our own community. Those seniors desire social interaction that reflects their Jewish dignity, and they need services to maintain their independence.
Together, we enrich the lives of tens of thousands of Jews here in Phoenix, in Israel and around the globe through educational, social and cultural programs. We have such a great opportunity to make the Greater Phoenix Jewish community among the most vibrant in the country.
November finds us in the final two months of our campaign, and though we are ahead of where we were at this point last year, we need your support to reach our goal of a $500,000+ increase over last year’s campaign. Achieving our increased goal will provide additional funds that can expand our collective impact and improve the quality of life for Jews around the world.
If you’ve not yet made your donation, I ask you to do so. If you have, I ask you to consider making an additional gift. So many here in the Valley and around the world are dependent upon us for help, and they are grateful to those who help meet their needs.
Blessings and gratitude to you and yours during this season of Thanksgiving.
Stuart Wachs is president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix.
