As 2009 drew to a close, the Board of Directors of The Jewish Federation unanimously approved a resolution to make a supplemental allocation of $700,000 to Birthright Israel. By making this commitment prior to the end of the year, we were able to make the most of a generous 2-for-1 match by the Sheldon Adelson Foundation, bringing an incremental $2.1 million commitment to Birthright Israel, on top of the Federation’s prior allocation last year. The funds go directly toward reducing the Los Angeles participant waiting list, which is the highest in the country.
In December 2009, through the generosity of Albert and Janey Sweet and with money from the Federation, 40 Southern Californian and 9 Israeli young people experienced the gift of Taglit-Birthright Israel “The LA Tech Way”—10 days of exploring Israel through a high-tech, biomedical and start-up lens. Check out our exclusive video, shot on the trip.
The Fed is partnering with LimmudLA to present “Taste of Goodness,” an evening filled with opportunities to learn about Purim and hunger in Los Angeles.
LA’s rabble-rousing melamed Aryeh Cohen will present “Orgies Amidst Scarcity: What Mordechai Saw after Leaving the Palace.” And Fed staffer and hunger guru David Lee will talk about “Writing the Blueprint to End Hunger,” a comprehensive, city-wide strategy that JFedLA released last fall as part of the Fed Up With Hunger initiative.
There will a host of other speakers, as well. You can check out the full list on the event Facebook page.
Details
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
7:00 – 9:00 PM
Events in two locations: Valley Village and Los Feliz
Email taste@limmudla.org to participate. Put the name of the event you’d like to attend in the subject line (example: “Valley Village Taste” or “Los Feliz Taste”).
Reuben Robin & Barak Raviv co-chaired a Super Sunday success
To everyone who answered the call, who gave what you could, and who volunteered time on a Sunday…you are AMAZING! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Because of your generosity, JFedLA raised over $4.5 million in one day. And that money will go toward bettering our community and helping Jews abroad. You’ve made an investment in the Jewish future, and we’re determined to provide a return. Under Jay Sanderson’s leadership, Federation is committed to increased transparency and connection. We want to make sure you know where your dollars are going. And we want to help you get to know your community, including the staffers who are hard at work at 6505 Wilshire making sure your donation makes the greatest impact.
Fed Prez Jay Sanderson had this to say about Super Sunday 2010: “I saw the strength of community in action. I was excited and inspired to see both longtime supporters of the Federation, as well as many new faces. It’s very encouraging to witness first hand the enthusiasm, energy and commitment of our Super Sunday volunteers and I sincerely thank everyone who came out, as well as all the generous donors who helped us exceed our fundraising goal for the day. Next year, I look forward to raising the bar on Super Sunday, reaching significantly more people and raising more money.”
It’s just past noon and we’re at about $1.3 million already! Thanks for answering the call. The community SO appreciates all the increases and all your generosity and support. Here’s a short vid of Mayor Villaraigosa addressing our volunteers just minutes ago:
The recession has exposed a weak link in the U.S. economy that’s rather surprising: our food system. As the unemployment rate rises, so does the number of people who face chronic hunger. Currently, 15% of the population is struggling to get enough to eat. Simultaneously, over 34% of Americans are obese, and weight-related medical bills cost the country around $147 billion per year. That’s 9% of all health care spending.
How is it possible to be dealing with hunger and obesity at the same time? The answer is that Americans are eating too much of the wrong foods, and not enough of the right foods. Hunger and obesity are opposite sides of the same issue: malnutrition.
As the LA Timesreported last Wednesday, 2/17, a variety of political figures have stepped up to tackle the food issue. Michelle Obama recently launched Let’s Move!, a campaign to combat childhood obesity that focuses on eating healthful foods and exercising. But as politicians in Los Angeles are discovering, socio-economics affects accessibility to quality calories.
I tried to avoid delis this past week after an incident at Art’s Deli. A small, but extremely loud senior leaped at me as I approached my table. “You’re the guy!” she screeched. “You’re the guy who’s going to change the Federation.” I took a deep breath, smiled and answered, “I hope we are going to work together to help our Federation serve our community more effectively.” I went on to say “It’s time to dream big.” As she left to pay her bill she turned and whispered, “We’re all praying for you.”
I admit that I took this job to lead a transformation process for our Federation and hopefully for our community, but I can’t do it alone. It will take the community to do it. This needs to be a process that engages Jews of all ages, from all backgrounds, from every neighborhood. We need to reach beyond our donor base and beyond our leadership.
The Jewish Journal wants you to pick up the paper and read it; the headline “It’s HIS turn. Jay Sanderson used to criticize The Federation. Now they made him the new President.” is meant to be provocative. The point isn’t that I used to criticize the Federation. The point is that I decided to act on my observations. I stood up and I said, “This is one of the greatest Jewish communities in the world and I want our Federation to be great. It’s time for us to take a long, hard look at our community’s need and imagine what we want our community to look like in twenty years.”
It’s difficult to look at a very large photograph of myself on the cover of a newspaper, but the image makes a statement. My sleeves are rolled up and I’m ready to work. We all need to come together to do the challenging work that will lead to transformation and make the greatest impact.
Are you with me? Drop a comment below and let me hear from you.
Join JFedLA’s Young Leadership Division, JConnect, and ATID for a multi-level Purim Party of Olympic proportions!
Enjoy live music with Ram2 and the Moshav Band, and DJ Felli Fell, while you help prepare Mishloach Manot and Purim Baskets for the elderly and infirm.
Please bring a designated driver! Taxi vouchers will be available in order to make sure everyone gets home safe.
Details
Saturday, February 27th
9:00 pm- 2:00 am
A Cow Jumped Over The Moon
421 N. Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Our new President, Jay Sanderson, is featured on the cover of today’s Jewish Journal. Check out the full story here. After you read it, come on back and tell us what you think!
Content copyright The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. This news is available to you on a read-only basis.
Reproduction without The Jewish Federation's written consent is prohibited.
Questions or comments about this page or our Web site?
E-mail us at TheWire@JewishLA.org
Reuben Robin & Barak Raviv co-chaired a Super Sunday success
I tried to avoid delis this past week after an incident at Art’s Deli. A small, but extremely loud senior leaped at me as I approached my table. “You’re the guy!” she screeched. “You’re the guy who’s going to change the Federation.” I took a deep breath, smiled and answered, “I hope we are going to work together to help our Federation serve our community more effectively.” I went on to say “It’s time to dream big.” As she left to pay her bill she turned and whispered, “We’re all praying for you.”
