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Shabbat Shalom -
This has been a challenging, exciting, busy and in many ways monumental week for Federation. Looking back over the last 4 days I am amazed at all that we have accomplished and I am motivated by our planning for the future of our community.
This week at our Board of Trustees meeting, which was held at the Lander-Grinspoon Academy in Northampton - the first time a Federation Board meeting was held in the upper valley - Joanna Ballantine, shared with us a prayer for those engaging in communal work. The prayer states that: "In the Jerusalem Talmud, one who is engaged with the needs of the community is likened to one who engages in the words of Torah - both are meritorious and bring blessing." The blessing reads: Blessed is the Source of Life, Sovereign of Creation who sanctifies us through mitzvot and commands us to engage in the needs of the community.
As I have written in past email, Federation engages in holy work and this is just one way to recognize our efforts. At this week's Board meeting, we approved a recommendation from the Planning and Allocations committee for the 2009 Federation campaign. The campaign is projected to finish at $1,500,000 which is a $250,000 loss from last year. This is painful - gut wrenching. Our agencies need funds now roe than ever and our campaign has been hit hard by our economic downturn. We are in better shape than many fundraising organizations, but it is such a difficult process to allocate even one less dollar and we had much more than that to handle.
Our allocations committee on Monday had an incredibly thoughtful and meaningful dialogue in deliberating the allocations of the current campaign year. This committee, under the leadership of Sue Polansky, has completed two allocations process this year in order to put the process back on a timely path so that our agencies know what they are being allocated prior to the start of a fiscal year. This is astounding to accomplish and speaks volumes about the dedication of the committee, board and our talented chair.
As part of this year's planning and allocations efforts, Lander-Grinspoon Academy has been added as a full agency under the contact hour funding formula for education. This is a major first step in turning our name, Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts, into a reality. Our leadership, under the presidency of Sue Kline, has made incredible strides in developing relationships with our upper valley leadership who I belive we can call partners and friends. Prior to the board meeting, leadership from the upper valley and our board members met informally over a delicious dinner. Thank you to Karen Kuhr for making such a terrific meal! The excitement in the room was palpable. As we look at leaner times it is so important, now more than ever, that we look at ways to collaborate and work together.
In times when money is tight, we tend to become more insular, but we need to work together. As Federation works with JFS and the JCC to raise $200,000 to support an Urgent Needs Campaign that addresses the economic hardship many people are living under, we have begun collaborative efforts and this is just the beginning. We need to continue to work together so that the resources we provide to the community enable our agencies to meet the needs of the Jewish community. This is very difficult and requires patience, hard work and compromise. And, we must always remember that in all that we do for the good of our community we are blessed by the holiness of our actions.
Let's keep persevering while recognizing that we have a tough road ahead of us. Let's keep the lines of communication open between us and know that we can accomplish more together than we can separately. While in math the whole can not be greater than the sum of its parts, in Jewish communal work, I believe that the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. Let's be grateful that we have generous donors and dedicated leadership to see us through a difficult time period. And, let's remember that in our work we are blessed.
This is just a tiny piece of what we accomplished this week, but it is so significant. In the months ahead I look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts and planning for the future of our Jewish community.
Shabbat Shalom -
Meredith
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Sincerely,
Meredith Dragon
Executive Director
Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts |
