A Bridge to Overseas

COMMUNITY

By Faye Hedrick,Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida

On Thursday, January 9, the current BRIDGES cohort met for their fourth session, “A Bridge to Overseas.” The goal of the session was for participants to leave with a better understanding and to explore how our reach, as the single largest Jewish philanthropic organization in Northeast Florida, extends to Israel and over 70 countries around the world. Before taking that journey, participants fi rst needed to understand the history and relevance of Federation & Foundation and our umbrella organization, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA).

The Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida’s CEO, Mariam Feist, gave participants an overview of how the federated system fi rst began in Boston in 1895. Eighteen years later, in 1913, the fi rst Community Chest was founded in Cleveland. The Community Chest was the precursor to United Way. Mariam likes to say she used to describe Jewish Federations as the Jewish United Way; she now likes to say United Way is the secular Jewish Federations. However, Jewish Federations are much more than a fundraising and allocation organization. Mariam went on to describe our local Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida and JFNA’s relevance today.

With this understanding of Federation's work overseas, immediate past Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida President, Iris Kraemer, spoke to the cohort about the work of our overseas partners: the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), and World Organisation for Rehabilitation through Training (ORT). One of the many examples noted was Operation Solomon, a JDC rescue operation that brought 14,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel within a 36 hour span. This resulted in one of the fastest and most successful rescue missions in modern history. Not only are we proud to support eff orts such as this, but also we are proud to support JDC’s assistance in relocating Jews displaced by war and confl ict. Without this aid, many Jewish families would not be here today. Iris continued to explain that JAFI programs include help in providing quality, subsidized homes for Israel’s most vulnerable populations. Additionally, they provide opportunities for high school graduates to participate in the Masa Israel journey. Masa programs connect Jewish youth to Israel a through work, study, or volunteer opportunities. These opportunities help todays youth gain a deeper connection to Israel and its people.

Iris emphasized that the critical work of both JDC and JAFI would not be possible without the support of the Federation & Foundation’s annual campaign. Several participants were surprised to learn our dollars also support Birthright Israel, the organization that sponsors free ten-day heritage trips to Israel, a trip in which many of the BRIDGES members had already participated in.

When the group was posed with the question, “What do we, as Jews, all have in common,” the answer was simple to class participant, Marissa Kaeser. She quickly replied, “All Jews are responsible for one another. The Jewish tradition of giving is strong, especially

because tzedakah is an important part of our culture and religious identity.” The class went on to discuss the motivation to sustain the Jewish people, to enhance Jewish life, and to strengthen the Jewish community for today and the future.

BRIDGES Co-Chair, Brandon Suggs said, “Together with this year’s BRIDGES cohort, I left the last session with a new understanding of the Federation & Foundation’s long-standing history and its overseas eff orts. I thought I had a grasp on the outreach we do; however, even more, life-saving eff orts were brought to my attention tonight. Knowing we’re involved in these eff orts is something we can all be proud to be a small part of. I wouldn’t be able to confi dently get my dollars across the world for them to make an impact like this alone.”

Having a background and understanding of federated giving and being able to speak about the eff orts we are all a part of, from Hurricane Harvey relief to connecting Jews to Israel, can be a source of pride for us all. One where, if our grandparents were to ask, “What are you doing to help the Jewish people?” as Iris asked us at the end of our time together, while holding a picture of her late grandparents, we would let them know, with pride, we were a part of the Federation system. A Federation system where we are confi dent that every Jewish person, no matter where they are in the world, feels an unbreakable bond to one another and to Israel so that they continue to play a role in our ongoing Jewish story.

BRIDGES is the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida's premier leadership development initiative. The mission of the program is to expand the vision of Jewish volunteer leaders, deepen their Jewish knowledge of community both locally and abroad, and inspire them to exercise transformative leadership. The program is funded through a B’nai Tzedek grant awarded from the Jewish Foundation. BRIDGES nurtures future leaders in both their personal and professional lives, leaders who will give back to our community now and into the future. At the end of the program, each candidate will be encouraged to choose an area to move into more permanently, either within the Federation such as the Young Professionals & Families Division, Women’s Philanthropy, or as an ongoing volunteer within the community at a Federation partner agency, school, or synagogue. Contact fayeh@jewishjacksonville.org for more details.