Participating in the community to better humanity

Jane Schiff, Federation Board Chair

A new year brings new beginnings and new challenges. What Judaism hopes is that we take the time to contemplate those new beginnings and challenges, and that the contemplation will allow us to possibly soften our attitude toward life. The world currently, to me, seems so black and white, when, in reality, all of life consists of shades of gray. No one is all good nor all bad. How do we make ourselves open to all the goodness that is within every human, especially those with whom we have areas of disagreement? The answer, I think, is to find areas where we do agree.

Many of us in the Greater Naples area are financially sound, and having made our way through the world, are at a time in our lives when we can enjoy ourselves through various pastimes without the worry of making a living anymore. And many of you who fit into this category are spending some of your wealth and wisdom on bettering humanity through various worthy endeavors in the Greater Naples area. Thank you.

If, during your High Holy Day worship and reflection time, you think about how you might increase your participation in the community and thus add to healing the many evils and unfortunate circumstances that are rampant in our society, we at Federation can help you fi nd a path. Yes, donations of all sizes are important and helpful, but so is your time and experience. We have many committees and service projects, or we can refer you to other organizations for volunteer opportunities if what you want is not here at Federation.

Your Federation donations support more than 30 agencies and programs locally, nationally and internationally. It is a way to be able to reach hundreds, possibly thousands, of needy people with just one contribution. For me, it makes sense that this is the largest single contribution I make each year.

I love living in Naples. I love that I have a huge cadre of new friends that, like me, are enjoying their lives. And I am very excited that in the near future we will be breaking ground on the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center — a new home for all the programs and events that your Federation provides to our community.

There is still time to join in making this happen with a donation to the building fund. We are finishing up a $1 million challenge grant to build and sustain our dream. A donation to the building fund can become your legacy to a community that has allowed you to enjoy these wonderful years in our beautiful Greater Naples area.

L’Shana Tova to you and your families.