This is the time of year, when our Annual Community Campaign is drawing to a close and we are in full swing planning for the fall launch of the 2024 Campaign, that I like to take a moment to look back on all we’ve accomplished.
Our staff and volunteer leaders together are proud of all that’s been achieved in fostering a strong, engaged, connected, vibrant and enduring Jewish community this year. We couldn’t have done it without the generosity of time and finances of every member of our community. Thank you!
This past year, we have intentionally prioritized our activities around our three pillars: Philanthropy, Engagement, and Convening. I’d like to share some updates in each of these areas.
Philanthropy
- At our May 31 Annual Meeting, we allocated $1,500,000 to our local, national and international partners. You can see our allocations in the Annual Meeting Program and hear from our partner organizations about the impact of our work in this recording of the 2023 Annual Meeting.
- The new Community Engagement Fund grant process fostered collaboration and creativity through projects that have targeted mental health supports, arts & culture, Israel engagement, and Jewish education.
- Forty-six donors have made legacy commitments to the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor to ensure our community’s financial sustainability for generations to come.
Engagement
- Our Jewish Community Relations Committee (JCRC) is laser-focused on developing relationships with other faith, civic, and cultural groups in Washtenaw County.
- Just in time for Israel’s 75th anniversary, Ann Arbor area teens visited their peers in Moshav Nahalal for the first Student Exchange trip in four years. We also welcomed over 100 community members to an evening of comedy, cocktails and social commentary from American-Israeli comedians Benji Lovitt and Joel Chasnoff earlier this month.
- Our Women’s Philanthropy department engaged hundreds of women (and men) with the highly successful Challah Prince event, plus regular “Ladies Night Out” gatherings and the third annual favorite “Shmooze & Booze.”
- Jewish Young Professionals held a full calendar of Shabbat and holiday-related events, including a Mega-Shabbat event held in collaboration with UM Hillel and other Jewish young adult groups in the area.
Convening
- We completed data collection for our Community Study and are working on next steps to roll out the results and begin a community planning process in the next year.
- A community-wide conversation last fall led to the development of a plan to address antisemitism through education, advocacy, relationship-building, and security.
- We hired a Community Security Manager, Shane Dennis, to lead our community in developing and implementing a security plan based on best practices in the field.
- Regular meetings of community leaders have brought our community closer together and broken down barriers to collaboration and communication.
This is just a small taste of all that you’ve made possible during the last year. We cannot thank you enough! We are busy planning for next year and welcome your participation in any of this community-focused work.
L’Shalom,
Eileen