Tomorrow begins today

Campaign 2021 continues!

Karen Deutsch Campaign Chair

Happy, healthy secular new year to everyone. Even though we continue to be socially or geographically distanced in this unprecedented, challenging time, we remain connected together as one community, embracing our vision of the future, stepping forward and continuing to support important local educational, humanitarian and social service needs as well as the growing needs of beneficiaries we support nationally, throughout the world and in Israel.

There is a heightened urgency to reach out to each person in our community and ask that you make a difference in Jewish lives by donating generously to our 2021 Annual Community Campaign!

Tomorrow begins today

At our very special kickoff event last month, our impactful guest speaker, Mike Leven, visionary philanthropist and co-founder of Jewish Future Pledge, highlighted the importance of our 2021 Annual Community Campaign and how your generous donations can transform so many lives, programs, organizations and advocacy efforts, not just for today, but for so many future tomorrows.

Beneficiaries and community leaders shared stories that demonstrate the challenging times and continued growing needs we face within our community, throughout the world and in Israel for food, shelter, clothing, counseling services, medical attention and socialization programming.

Tomorrow begins today

Hopefully, you were inspired during the kickoff event by the amazing Rick Recht, singing his song, “Tomorrow Today,” telling us, “Every single step is up to me and you. We will give. We will be strong. We can believe in tomorrow today.”

Our Jewish story is still about a shared future, a brighter future and a commitment to making the world a better place through perseverance, continuity, keeping our community safe, healthy and supportive.

Your 2021 Annual Community Campaign gift makes a difference to a Jewish child in need of a scholarship to attend religious school.

Your Annual Community Campaign gift builds new pathways from our history to our future, by engaging BBYO teens in meaningful dialogue and Jewish social activities.

Your 2021 Annual Community Campaign gift supports the Senior Center at JFCS with outreach, mental health counseling and Holocaust survivor aid for housing, trips to physicians, counseling and daily health supplements.

Your 2021 Annual Community Campaign gift ensures that the Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center will continue teaching lessons of the Holocaust to all eighth-grade students in Florida, inspiring action against bigotry, hatred and violence.

Your 2021 Annual Community Campaign gift will continue to provide favorite and new programming to the community, like the Jewish Book Festival, Mix and Mingle, JCRC, Israel Advocacy, Jewish Families with Children, PJ Library for Children, WCA and MCA cultural and entertaining programming and more!

Your 2021 Annual Community Campaign gift will impact our partners nationally, overseas and in Israel, advocating for key issues and providing humanitarian assistance through organizations, such as the Jewish Agency for Israel, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and World ORT, to name a few.

Your generous gifts support Leket Israel, which provides hot meals for Holocaust survivors and vulnerable seniors; Hatikvah preschool in Ukraine, which enables Jewish life to continue and thrive in Kiev; Neve Michael, a children’s home in Pardes Hanna, Israel serving youth from 4-18 years old who have experienced trauma and abuse; Susan’s House, which employs youth between ages 15-19 and provides the only warm encouraging environment many have known; Yad Lakashish in Jerusalem, providing meals and transportation for the elderly to a creative workplace; Yashar LaChayal, providing assistance to the Needy Soldier Fund, The Ethiopian National Educational Project; and so many other worthy programs!

Tomorrow begins today, as you now join us with your gift to our 2021 Annual Community Campaign. New and increased gifts will be matched dollar for dollar through the very generous new Challenge Grant offered by Stuart and Estelle Price.

Todah Rabah, thank you to Stuart and Estelle, who truly embrace tomorrow begins today. Everything you do makes a big difference in our world today for a better tomorrow together!

Happy New Year!

Reneé Bialek Program Director

This is going to be a busy Zooming year. To start off the month of January, we welcome Consul General Galit Peleg, who will be talking to our community about the “New Map of the Middle East” at noon on Monday, Jan. 4.

The Catholic-Jewish Dialogue will host author James Barrens on Sunday, Jan. 24, at 2:30 p.m. He wrote the book, “In Our Time (Nostra Aetate): How Catholics and Jews Built a New Relationship.”

PJ Library’s Tu B’Shevat Storytime will take place on Sunday, Jan. 24, at 6 p.m.

Join us at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27 for a presentation by Senior Housing Solutions.

And of course, throughout the month of January, we continue to present the Greater Naples Jewish Book Festival. (See the Arts & Culture Section for more information.)

All of these virtual programs will take place on Zoom. Some programs are free, while others have a fee. More information on all of the above programs can be found throughout this Federation Star and in our Monday weekly e-blast.

Please make sure to register via the link that is provided in the weekly e-blasts. If you need help registering, please ask me. A confirmation email will be sent to you immediately after you register. The Zoom link is emailed to you about two hours prior to the start of each program.

Please contact me at rbialek@ jewishnaples.org with any questions.

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