Campaign is about more than just your gift

Kirk Wisemayer, Annual Community Campaign Director

The size of any gift you make is only important if it is a meaningful gift for you to make; this includes your gift to Campaign 2022: Here for Good. Whatever its size, if your gift is meaningful to you, it is meaningful to Jewish Federation, and it is certainly meaningful to the tens of thousands of recipients who will benefit from the lifechanging and, yes, life-saving programs and services our collective gifts fund.

When you make a gift to the Annual Community Campaign, you are performing a selfless mitzvah, perpetuating a timehonored tradition of Jewish life. Your mitzvah is selfless because you are joining together with your community to provide for the welfare of recipients, whether they live here in Greater Naples or elsewhere, whom you will never know. The strength of your gift is both its anonymity and its impact as one gift among many. Your gift matters. Every gift matters.

Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center Building Committee Chair Marc Saperstein with Jewish Federation Board Chair Jane Schiff and Immediate Past-Board Chair Alvin Becker were thrilled to see the progress of construction since the groundbreaking event.

As important as your gift is, your participation in the life and activities of our Jewish community is equally important. This too is part of being Here for Good. Celebrating community and campaign and rejoicing in the good we do in the world, in Jewish life, in our traditions, and being part of a vibrant and engaged Jewish community and all it has to offer are key components of the Annual Community Campaign.

This symbiosis was evident Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, at the Here for Good celebration on the site (or adjacent to it) of the future home of the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center.

Campaign Chair Paula Filler and King David Society/Major Gifts Chair Michael Sobol enjoyed the day and the beautiful weather.

Almost 200 community members of every age, all of them existing or new donors to campaign, attended Jewish Federation’s celebration of campaign and community. Thanked for their support and participation by Board Chair Jane Schiff and Annual Campaign Chair Paula Filler, those who blessed us with their presence enjoyed an afternoon of delicious barbecue (and, yes, vegan and gluten-free options) prepared by Two Guys Kitchen, as well as live and very entertaining music performed by Malibu Band.

Seated at tables on the grounds of Temple Shalom, or strolling from one to the other, the sunshine and fresh air, together with great company, warm smiles and friendly conversation made for a perfect afternoon. After several months of little or no communal assembly, being there was itself a gift all enjoyed.

Joan Goldman and Leatrice Kaye enjoyed the afternoon (and their table in the shade!).

It is difficult to know, given the up and down rate of COVID transmission, when we will have an opportunity to gather again. It is our hope there will be many, and that more of you will participate.

We are now planning our Power of Community Celebration, currently scheduled for Tuesday, March 29, 2022. It is our hope that many of you will attend to celebrate all you make possible and to recognize those who will receive the Patricia J. Adkins Young Leadership, Human Needs, and Stand Up for Justice awards. We must all embrace every opportunity we have to come together.

Jan Goldman and Cheryl Ginsburg enjoying all there is to enjoy about our community and being Here for Good.

The campaign cycle here in Greater Naples is not, as in most communities, a calendar year. Rather, it runs from July through the following June. It takes some getting used to, but it is a fantastic idea, not only because it accommodates everyone, but because it means campaign closes when our financial year closes.

Harriet Spirer; Marcy Friedland, Jewish Federation capital campaign and planned giving director; and Carol Hirsch enjoyed the food, the music, and especially the company.

With more than $1.2 million promised to Campaign 2022: Here for Good by 584 households, there is more work to be done to secure the support of those who made a gift to the last campaign, but who have not yet made a gift to the current one. The good news is, you have until June 30, 2022, to be Here for Good!

For more information on how you can support the Annual Community Campaign, please contact Kirk Wisemayer at Jewish Federation, 239-263-4205 (x305) or kwisemayer@jewishnaples.org. For more information on programs and events, please contact Renee Bialek at 239-263-4205 (x300) or rbialek@ jewishnaples.org and please read our weekly Monday e-blasts.

Susan Pittelman, Pomegranate vice-chair, and Pomegranate Susan Pittleman!

The music was fabulous!

There was plenty of food for everyone — and it was all delicious!