CEO Judy Alperin: Innovation, Transition and Change

It seems we’ve been caught in a never-ending storm. When you find yourself in the eye of a hurricane, it is eerily calm; there is opportunity to see clearly what lies ahead. This is “that moment” as we are in the eye of the storm. We understand that there is great uncertainty swirling ahead; we have confronted the realities of what has come before. Now, with continued careful reflection, planning and vision, we will emerge into a brighter tomorrow filled with promise and opportunity.

Many of us have found ourselves comparing the “plagues” of 2020 with the plagues recounted in the Torah. We retell the story every year at Passover and remember the plagues that were endured before the Jewish people could find their way to redemption in the “promised land.” If we can look beyond the plagues themselves—although we did rescue frogs from the JCC’s outdoor swimming pool after Tropical Storm Isaias—the story is about leadership. It wasn’t just about Moses. It was about many dedicated leaders who were inspired to find a better tomorrow.

The Greater New Haven Jewish community is blessed to have many who walk in the path of Moses, Aaron and Miriam. Some are concluding meaningful roles leading synagogues or agencies; some are continuing or are just beginning to lead. We salute them all with gratitude as we are stronger because of each of them. Since my tenure began, I have benefited from dedicated and caring partners, beginning with Stephanie Wain, and followed by Norman Ravski and Jeffrey Hoos. Each helped move our organization and community forward. At our Annual Meeting on September 2, Steven Fleischman will follow in their footsteps and those of many wonderful leaders who came before. Steve is entering his tenure at a critical moment; he will lead as we continue our strategic planning process and continue to imagine and innovate to meet the challenges today and tomorrow.

Our Jewish community is dynamic and resilient. Our ability to adapt to COVID-19 has been remarkable. Since the onset of the pandemic, we have seen creativity and determination abound as programs and opportunities connect virtually and now carefully in person. While we continue to live with COVID-19, we must meet the emerging and rising needs while fostering opportunities for learning, outreach and engagement. I am proud of the staff team at the Jewish Federation, Foundation and JCC who “turned on a dime” when the pandemic hit to provide virtual programs seamlessly as we began an outreach campaign to contact more than 10,000 households and launched the COVID-19 Response/Maimonides Fund.

An incredibly dedicated team of volunteers are serving on many committees to safely reopen the Beckerman/Lender Jewish Community building to resume swimming, racquetball, fitness and spinning. Our team worked tirelessly to open the JCC Day Camps, which ensured that more than 200 kids could run, jump, play, celebrate Judaism, swim, frolic and just be a kid in the summertime in the safest environment possible. That same team will take their expertise gained this summer and apply it to All Day at the J, a completely new program designed to support online learners and provide a full day of enrichment and activity on the beautiful

JCC campus. At the same time, the Beverly Levy Early Learning Center will reopen its doors to welcome back infants through pre-K children.

Our integrated organization—the Jewish Federation, Foundation and JCC—continues to deliver important programs and services, serving as an advocate for the Jewish community and those we care about; supporting and providing education; and caring for the safety, security and well-being of Jews here in Greater New Haven and around the world as your trusted philanthropic partner.

Thank you to the more than 1,000 people who took the community survey. The data gleaned is now supporting the Strategic Planning Task Force as it is guided by Panoramic Strategies in the work ahead to align the work of the

Jewish Federation with the priorities of our Jewish community. I look forward to sharing much more about this in the weeks and months ahead.

We must recognize that our community has lost many to this dreadful virus and that others continue to suffer from isolation or financial hardships. We must also remember that adversity has led to creativity and innovation that is enabling us to meet the moment. May 5781 be a year of good health for us all and may we find pathways to be together even if that means being apart.

L’shana tova, Judy