|
|
|
D'Var Torah
Lee I. Sherman
President/CEO
I've been thinking about two different stories emerging from the Jewish world this week. First, at Warwick University in England, 2,500 Jews gathered for Limmud UK, several days of Jewish learning on a vast array of topics ranging from politics to the environment to Torah. A diverse group of Jews from secular to ultra-Orthodox shared viewpoints and challenged one another in building a community of learners. The other story is the divisive behavior occurring in Beit Shemesh, where Jew is battling Jew over levels of observance and conflicts of civil rights and personal choice. One story gives me pride in the strength of our diverse Jewish community; the other makes me wonder whether we can survive ourselves.
This week's parashah, Va-yiggash, is a story of forgiveness, reconciliation, and the spirit of community. Judah pleads his case to Joseph who is overwhelmed, and amidst cries of relief and love, the brothers are reunited as a family. Forgetting their past grievances, the power of their connection provides the strength to survive the physical peril of the famine and build a nation. Jacob and his sons leave their homes and relocate to Egypt. There is no question about entitlement to real estate, only the desire to work united to overcome the current difficulties.
I have no doubt that during their years together in Egypt, Joseph and his brothers continued to have many disagreements. But, they remained a family. And, because of their commitment to work together, to forgive and move on, they were able to create a life that, even though they resided in a foreign land, became the foundation of a great nation. May we continue the tradition of Joseph and his brothers as we gather to discuss our differences, while remembering we are one family.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy New Year.
|
|
AJFCA's 40th Annual Conference
Leading with Vision: Strategies for Excellence
We are loo king forward to seeing you April 22nd-24th in Houston, TX for the 40th Annual AJFCA Conference. Please visit Annual Conference on the AJFCA website for details about the Houston Intercontinental Hotel, where we'll be hosting the conference, as well as local attractions.
Stay tuned for more details and don't forget to mark your calendars, we can't wait to see you there! |
|
Hardship Fund Changes Widen One-Time Payment Criteria for Holocaust Victims
Hardship Fund Changes Widen One-Time Payment Criteria for Holocaust Victims, December 28, 2011, by eJP
Following talks with the German government, the Claims Conference has announced three changes to the Hardship Fund that will enable thousands of Jewish Holocaust victims to receive one-time payments. All changes are effective as of January 1, 2012. To learn more about the three changes and the potential benefit to Holocaust victims living in your community, click here.
|
|
Faith Based Liaison Contact List - CMS Regional Offices
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Servicespublishes a faith based liaison contact list with names and contact information for liaisons at each of CMS's regional offices around the country. Use these contacts for any questions you may have regarding Medicare and Medicaid.
|
|
Making Your #2 Professional a #1 Investment Priority
Making Your #2 Professional a #1 Investment Priority, December 16, 2011 by eJP, by Scott Brown
What is the secret weapon for current and future success? According to Scott Brown, it is the investment in and retention of quality #2 professionals to assist in leading our organizations.
With the right person in place at the right organization with the right chemistry, that organization will thrive and its top professional will excel. There will be an immediate talent resource for the future. This topic is hardly ever written about or discussed in journals or at Jewish professional conferences. Yet, it may be the single-best investment strategy we can follow.
|
UPCOMING WEBINARS
The Overachiever's Guide to Online Fundraising: 10 Steps to Kick Start 2012
Care2 is the largest online community empowering people to lead a healthy and green lifestyle while taking action on important causes. The Overachiever's Guide to Online Fundraising, a free webinar, is designed to teach participants about the most successful fundraising strategies, such as:
- How to create compelling fundraising campaigns that motivate web visitors to make a donation on your website.
- Which easy fixes you can make to your donation page, so that donors complete the donation process.
- How to communicate with donors before, during, and after they donate money online to your nonprofit and build long lasting relationships.
The Overachiever's Guide to Online Fundraising: 10 Steps to Kick Start 2012 - FREE Webinar
Thursday, January 5th, 2:00pm EST
REGISTER HERE
______________________________________________________________________________________________
How Can Monitoring Your Organization's Performance Lead to Fundraising Success?
The Social Impact Exchange & Social Solutions invite you to join an informative discussion: How Can Monitoring Your Organization's Performance Lead to Fundraising Success. Hear from two grantmakers, a nonprofit CEO, and a research director abou t the value of monitoring the effectiveness of your efforts and using this information to continuously improve. Learn about new research currently underway indicating how performance management leads to fundraising success!
How Can Monitoring Your Organization's Performance Lead to Fundraising Success?
Tuesday, January 17th, 3:00pm-4:00pm EST
REGISTER HERE
|
|
|
|
|
