On Monday, I met with the chairs of Conversations For Peace to screen the film, Two Sided Story. It documents the reactions when Israelis and Palestinians from different generations, backgrounds and political persuasions meet, talk and get to know each other as human beings. We will be bringing this film to Delaware as part of the WilmFilm Festival on Sunday, April 27th at 4:00pm. More information will be forthcoming as well as online ticket reservations. Thanks to Toni Young, Mike Abel and Michael Sigman for their leadership and vision.

On Tuesday, our Women of Wisdom (WOW) Event was held at the Blue Ball Barn and featured Amy Hirshberg Lederman. Nearly 90 women gathered together with other like-minded women who share a passion and commitment for building community and ensuring our future. Amy's advice about living a Jewish life through the "ARTS" (Actions, Relationships, Traditions and Stories) as well as her personal story about her grandmother's candlesticks was truly meaningful. Thanks to WOW Committee Co-Chairs, Carolyn Glazer-Hockstein and Amy Crain Sternberg, the WOW Committee and Women's Philanthropy Co-Chairs, Barb Blumberg and Dorothy Bobman for all they do.

Federation beneficiary agency, Albert Einstein Academy, held two performances of Candy Isn't Always Sweet, a comedic collage of Grimm's Fairy Tales, in the Siegel JCC auditorium on Wednesday and Thursday. Congratulations to the AEA students, teachers and volunteers who worked on this production.

Last night our Allocations Committee met to review several presentations from our valued beneficiary and affiliated agencies. Through an extensive allocations process, Federation leadership evaluates and recommends funding requests locally and overseas. We are grateful to Co-Chairs, Robin Kauffman Saran and Bill Wagner, as well as the entire Allocations Committee for their due diligence and leadership.

Our Community Shaliach, Adir Ben Tovim, will be attending Shabbat morning service at Congregation Beth Shalom and sharing his family journey from Yemen to Israel. Thank you to Rabbi Beals, Cantor Abrams and the congregation for this wonderful opportunity. Adir will also be welcomed by Congregation Beth Sholom in Dover next Shabbat.

This Sunday morning more than 100 community members will gather at Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor for our sold-out L'Chaim Circle Event. It will be a special celebration, honoring donors who have supported Federation for 25 years or more. Thank you to Lelaine and Stuart Nemser for serving as our Event Co-Chairs and the Federation staff for coordinating this special event.

"There's been nothing like it in human history. A small and ancient people loses its land and forgets how to speak its language; wanders defenselessly for hundreds, thousands, of years throughout the world with its God and its sacred books; meets with persecution, violence, dispossession, banishment, mass murder; refuses to give up; refuses to surrender its faith; continues to believe that it will one day be restored to the land it lost; manages in the end, by dint of its own efforts, against all odds, to gather itself from the four corners of the earth and return to that land; learns again to speak the language of its old books; learns again to bear arms and defend itself; wrests its new-old home from the people who had replaced it; entrenches itself; builds; fructifies; fortifies; repulses the enemies surrounding it; grows and prospers in the face of all threats."

Please join People To People for a 30-45 minute presentation on Israel's agricultural developments, medical & IT technologies, social aspects, diversity, education, culture, religious expression, and form of government/ democracy.  Question & answer session to follow as well as light refreshments.

Event Details:

Title: The Blossoming of Israel

Cost: Event is Free & Open to the Public
Date: Tuesday April 8th, 2014
Time: 7:00 PM for public presentation
Location: Cokesbury Village, Main Auditorium
                 726 Loveville Road
                 Hockessin, DE 19707
Directions to the venue: On Loveville Road bewteen Lancaster Pike and Old Wilmington Road. Free parking available. Use: 726 Loveville Road Hockessin, DE 19707 for GPS or internet directions

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