JFED CONNECTS AN UPDATE OF WHAT’S HAPPENING AT JEWISH FEDERATION
NOVEMBER 2013
JFedSTL.org
From the CEO
INSIDE
CONNECTING WITH YOU
YPD Celebrates...................... 2 Millstone Institute News ....... 2 Societies Hold Event.............. 2 Brodsky Partnership ............... 2 News from Fiscal.................... 3 Anything Grants..................... 3 Beyond Me ............................ 3 Simons Endowment ............... 3
CAMPAIGN CLOSING
Thank you to the thousands of donors to our 2013 Annual Community Campaign. With your help, we have already raised $6.1 million dollars to support our community here in St. Louis, in Israel and around the world. If you have not yet made your gift, it is not too late—please go to JFedSTL.org/donate or call Rachel Pereles at 314-442-3809. The 2013 Community Campaign ends December 31, 2013.
WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY INSTALLS NEW OFFICERS Women’s Philanthropy is gearing up for the 2014–15 programming year. On October 21, Sherry Shuman and Vicki Singer were installed as co-chairs of Women’s Philanthropy, and members heard their vision for Women’s Philanthropy. The installation ceremony also recognized outgoing co-chairs Susan Bosse and Heidi Silberman and their entire board for their JEWISH FEDERATION’S hard work and omen’s dedication over PHILANTHROPY the past 2 years.
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Innovation. It’s not always expected from an organization as old and with as much history as Jewish Federation, but new ideas were the order of the day with the recent Innovation Grants Federation funded. Seventy-three applications were received for this program, and eight projects that address Jewish education and engagement were chosen to receive a total of $30,000 in funding. The winners’ programs serve a broad spectrum of the community— everyone from teens to seniors—and use methods as diverse as cooking, Grateful Dead music and yoga to add vibrancy to Jewish life in St. Louis. Federation will work closely with this year’s grant recipients to support their entrepreneurial efforts, will explore second-year funding, including crowdfunding options, and will fund a new cohort of Innovation Grant winners in 2014. You can read about the specifics of the 2013 cohort here. I look forward to continuing to partner with
entrepreneurs, start-ups and established organizations to redesign the experience and expression of modern Jewish life. The application process for another new funding opportunity, the Staenberg Family Foundation Anything Grants, will close soon. More information on the grants is in this issue, so if your agency is seeking funds for operations or programs, be sure and apply by November 15. Finally, I wanted to make sure you were aware of a resource Federation has available. Often people ask me, “What exactly does Federation do?” If you get that question, we have a video that delivers the answer in an informative engaging way. You can find it on our website here. Together, we make a difference in our local and global community. Watch and share the video to find out exactly how. As always, thanks for your support. Sincerely, Andrew Rehfeld
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR 4TH QUARTER HUDDLE Join Jewish Federation of St. Louis on Sunday, November 17 from 12:30 to 3:30 pm or stay as long as you can for “4th Quarter Huddle” to help close out our 2013 Annual Community Campaign. Learn how you can score a touchdown and bring in the dollars for our St. Louis Jewish community. This is a great volunteer opportunity for our community members to come together and help make a difference. We hope to see you there! For more information, contact Emilie Docter, 314-442-3868 or edocter@jfedstl.org
Young Professionals Division
Gateway
Soiree YPD CELEBRATES AT CAMPAIGN CLOSING EVENT More than 120 members of our Young Professionals Division (YPD) filled the Science Center on October 12 to celebrate Federation’s Annual Community Campaign at Gateway Soiree. Donors celebrated their role as emerging philanthropists with food, drinks, dancing and music by American Idol finalist Nikko Smith. Fredbird even made a surprise appearance to pose for photos, dance and spread the excitement. The evening culminated in a heartfelt expression of gratitude from two residents of Covenant/CHAI, a beneficiary agency of Jewish Federation. Evelyn and Ruth said thank you to donors for all their support and attention, helping them enjoy life as they age. The event was a great success, attracting more than 30 new YPD donors to Federation’s Community Campaign! Co-chairs of the event were Vadi Dodge and Seth Williams. See photos and a video from the event here. To find out more about YPD, contact Lee’at Bachar at lbachar@jfedstl.org or 314-442-3817.
APPLY NOW FOR LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS Applications are open for 2014 Millstone Fellows for emerging and established leaders in the St. Louis Jewish community and for the 2014 LENS On program for young adults in their 20s and early 30s interested in innovation and entrepreneurship in the St. Louis Jewish community. To apply for the Millstone Fellows, go to millstonestl.org/Fellows. To apply for the LENS On program, go to millstonestl.org/LENSOn. Contact Karen Sher for more information on either program at ksher@jfedstl.org or 314-442-3824.
MILLSTONE INSTITUTE PRESENTS DISCUSSION ON MEGATRENDS One hundred board members, volunteers and professionals from 15 different Jewish organizations attended a recent Millstone Institute program led by Rabbi Sid Schwarz, author of the recent book Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future. Evaluations of the event were extremely positive, and takeaway ideas for future discussions included how dramatically our communities have changed in just the last 10 years, the importance of offering programs that are deep and authentic, critical opportunities to take programs outside of institutions, and awareness of the importance of communications and marketing with reliance on social media.
SOCIETIES HOLD COST OF EDUCATION EVENT Jewish Federation of St. Louis held its second event of the 2013–14 UMB Event Series for members of its professional societies on November 7, 2013. “The Cost of Education,” a thought-invoking panel discussion, featured L. James Willmore, MD, professor in the Department of Neurology & Psychiatry and associate dean for admissions at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, and Brian Tamanaha, who is the William Gardiner Hammond Professor of Law for Washington University School of Law. This is the second year UMB has funded a professional society event series. Trade society members are professional and philanthropic leaders in the St. Louis Jewish and general communities. The Cardozo Society is open to Jewish attorneys and judges. The Maimonides Society is open to
Jewish physicians, dentists and healthcare professionals at the doctorate level. The Montefiore Society is open to Jewish accountants, stockbrokers, bankers, financial planners, insurance brokers and others in financial services. All societies also are open to students in the respective fields. Society membership is open to donors who give $1,800 to Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ Annual Community Campaign ($1,000 for those younger than 45). The societies promote camaraderie among local Jewish professionals, strengthen commitment to Jewish values and traditions through educational and cultural activities, and support the activities of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. For more information on professional societies, contact Emilie Docter, 314-442-3868 or edocter@jfedstl.org.
BRODSKY LIBRARY EMBARKS ON PARTNERSHIP WITH MARYVILLE UNIVERSITY The Brodsky Library has created a “satellite location” at Maryville University, which houses many books from Congregation B’nai El’s library collection. The aim is to collaborate with Maryville on future programming. One item in the Brodsky Library’s strategic plan to open a pilot satellite location to bring the Library to a greater portion of the community, a goal that has been fulfilled by this collaboration. The partnership with Maryville was accomplished at no cost to either party. Paul Kravitz, chair of the Brodsky Library Commission, sees this partnership as a way to merge the Library’s mission of providing “convenient access to an unrivaled, evolving collection of significant Jewish resources” with Maryville’s interest in engaging the Jewish community.
NEWS FROM THE FISCAL DEPARTMENT We appreciate the confidence that you have shown in us for processing your pledges and payments. If you ever need to speak to anyone about your account, give us a call. We will be happy to assist you!
Jewish Federation Stock Procedures Jewish Federation uses Muriel Siebert & Co. to process all publicly traded stock. Brokers should be instructed to transfer stock to: Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc. Account # CXT 515140 DTC #0226 Required information (to be sent to the Federation): • Donor Name • Stock Name • Number of Shares • Estimated Date of Transfer Please remember, Misty (314-442-3853 or mduncan@jfedstl.org) must be notified of every stock transaction before transfer. This will ensure timely processing of your donation.
WELCOME! We are pleased to announce Carrie Richter has joined the Fiscal Department. As agency accountant for Federation, she will be providing accounting support to several of the agencies that Jewish Federation supports, including JCRC, CAJE, the HMLC, and the Library as well as our three supporting foundations. Carrie, a CPA, has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a certificate in leadership from Webster University. Before joining Federation, she worked as a tax intern for Mueller Prost, PC, and as a senior auditor for Schmersahl Treloar & Co. We are glad to have Carrie on board!
If you are donating a mutual fund please call Misty for specific instructions For donors who are paying with an IRA, please indicate on your check this is through your IRA. This is to ensure you receive the correct tax letter at the end of the year.
LAST CHANCE TO APPLY FOR AN ANYTHING GRANT
THANK YOU TO THE CARL AND FAY SIMONS FUND The St. Louis Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) is fortunate to have been supported periodically by the Carl and Fay Simons Endowment for Senior Services over the past 10 years, and 2013 again finds us a beneficiary of their generosity and foresight. Overseen by the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, the Fund has been a supporter of St. Louis’ Jewish seniors since 1998. Carl and Fay chose to support seniors because, according to Carl, they both have a “soft-spot” for older adults. They both were caregivers for their aging parents and learned firsthand the importance of supporting the independence of adults through stimulation, activity and care. When they left St. Louis in 1998, moving to Boston to be closer to family, they left a legacy behind that continues play an essential role in the support of Jewish older adults living in St. Louis.
BEYOND ME BRINGS LOCAL SURVIVOR’S STORY TO THE STAGE
Carl now resides in New York and has been an active volunteer in Dorot, an organization with a mission (like St. Louis NORC’s) that seeks to help older adults maintain their independence and age with dignity. Carl is specifically involved with Dorot’s friendly visitor program for homebound seniors. He spent five years visiting weekly with a woman beginning when she was 100 years old. Their visits ended only because she passed away at age 105. Carl certainly saw the power of socialization and its impact on longevity. He has begun visiting another homebound woman, who is now 106 years old.
The Holocaust Museum and Learning Center, Jewish Community Cater, Saint Louis Effort for AIDS, St. Louis Breast Cancer Coalition, Shaving Israel, and Sharsheret are working in partnership to promote the performance Beyond Me: A Song Cycle in the Key of Survival.
St. Louis NORC is so grateful to Carl and Fay for their endowment legacy.
The Staenberg Family Foundation, a supporting Foundation of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, has a new grant opportunity aimed at helping agencies and programs raise funds for a variety of needs, including infrastructure, capital improvements, new and ongoing programs, technology, etc. The Foundation’s Anything Grants will award $50,000 in grants to local Jewish organizations, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per grant. Each grant will be equal to 50% of the project budget; organizations are responsible for raising the remaining 50% from other sources. Anything Grant applications are being accepted now through November 15 at JFedSTL.org/AnythingGrants. Members of the Staenberg Family Foundation will evaluate proposals and announce the winners by January 15, 2014. For information, contact Mindee Fredman at mfredman@jfedstl.org.
This vibrant theater piece, created and performed by Suzanne Tanner, celebrates the courageous life of St. Louis’ own Rachel Goldman Miller and her ability to overcome immeasurable loss, including her family to the Holocaust and her son to AIDS. Rachel is also a cancer survivor. We hope you’ll join us for this powerful performance, Sunday, November 17, at 2 pm at the Mirowitz Performing Arts Center at the JCC. Tickets can be purchased at hmlc.org/beyondme or by calling 314-442-3711. Ticket prices are $18 or $36 (Mitzvah price; includes tax benefit of $18). This event is generously underwritten by the Staenberg Family Foundation.