September 19
Against the backdrop of simmering tensions and frustration over the Israel government’s freeze of the Western Wall agreement, five members of the Israeli Knesset came to Greater MetroWest for meetings with rabbis, community leaders, and students.

September 18
At the funeral service for Jerry Gottesman, held at the Jewish day school that bears his name, the hundreds of people there truly recognized the impact he had on so many lives and understood that his was a life well-lived, filled with love, community, family, and legacy.

September 11
We are a people of collective memory – Zachor – Remember! Our memories are not simply stored away; our collective memories inform our lives; they forge our future. While we safeguard the memories of where we were on September 11, 2001, perhaps it is time to also consider where we are. And where we are going.

August 31
Rosie Saves the World is a terrific story about a little girl who wants to save the world, but realizes that she has neglected to help those nearest and dearest to her. She faces a common challenge – how to balance global citizenship with our unique obligations to our Jewish People.

August 28
We’re embarking on a mission to make Jewish learning a more fluid, engaging experience year-round. We’ve created the JKid Educator Interchange to bring together key players in Jewish education to bring Jewish learning to life for our kids 365 days a year.

August 28
Some people go to the mountains for inspiration. Others go to the ocean. But here in Greater MetroWest we need only go as far as Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange to our own Wae (Wellness, Arts, Enrichment) Center to get real inspiration.

August 21
Today’s solar eclipse offers us the rare opportunity to simply look up at the sky and whisper Wow! As humans, made of the same stuff that comprise the sun, the moon, and all the heavens, that sense of amazement has an impact upon us.

August 21
In the past week I’ve been thinking a lot about securing the Jewish community, and I’m proud of our Federation’s new ability to communicate across our community to provide immediate information and potentially save lives during a crisis.

August 10
In my years as a living bridges builder I have experienced many inspiring moments, but what happened last week was one the most meaningful and emotional happenings of my career.

August 10
There we were, a small but mighty group – a lay leader, a lead donor, and a few Federation professionals, including myself – gathered on the front steps of a home in Scotch Plains, laden with balloons, posters, books, and swag.

July 21
Last Friday, two young police officers guarding the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem were brutally murdered. They were both from the Druze community. Though not Jews, they dedicated and tragically lost their lives protecting the holy site.

July 13
Our Federation dollars leverage JDC’s work helping elderly Jews in the Former Soviet Union across 11 time zones in several thousand locations. Wouldn’t it be so much easier if the clients were centralized in large urban areas? Yes and no. But for now, if you've got the desire to make a massive impact on their lives, the best bang for your charitable buck is through our support of the Hesed system (community/welfare centers) across the FSU.

July 7
Ilyse Shainbrown, Federation’s Gottesman Fellow, Jewish Cultural and Educational Liaison to Newark, is accompanying five Newark Public School teachers on a nine-day Holocaust education teacher training program and exploration of 20th century Jewish community through Budapest, Hungary and Belgrade, Serbia.

July 6
I have been closely monitoring the “Who is a Jew” narrative over the last three decades. I broadly include all attempts by the state of Israel, and there were many, to define non Ultra Orthodox Jews as second class Jews – basically ignoring, undermining, insulting, and diminishing the vast majority of our people.

June 30
There I was in Israel this week, expecting to participate in some interesting but uneventful meetings, meet some of our partners on the ground, maybe share a nice meal with colleagues. I didn’t expect to be lobbying in the Knesset, to be interviewed on national radio, or to be working with mayors and partners on our response. Yet that’s precisely what I did.

June 26
In her final blog post as our Federation president, Leslie Dannin Rosenthal reflects on her three-year term and how we must continue to stay focused on our shared mission of ensuring a strong Jewish future.

June 13
I want to share with you an astonishing, only-in-Israel story, built over three days last week. It reflects the uniqueness of our people and the collective memory which keeps us vibrant.

June 13
There are Campaigns… and there are Campaigns. But I’ve never seen a fundraising Campaign like this.

June 6
Living in the most free and open society in history, we face a daily barrage of options and choices. Do we connect or do we withdraw? Our JCCs remind us that we’re not a monolithic society and culture; that no one holds a monopoly on expressing Jewish identity and community.

June 5
Last month the Joint Chaplaincy Committee collaborated with one of our partners in Israel, Gisha L’chaim or Life’s Door, to hold a chaplaincy educational conference entitled, “Compassion and Hope in Aging, Illness and at Life’s End” as part of our new bi-national initiative.

June 5
In our cautiously calibrated society, we tend to measure most things on a spectrum. Is my glass half empty, or half full? On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, how would you rate this movie? It is Yom Yerushalayim, how happy should we be?

June 2
Often when asked, what Federation means for me, my answer is: “It is my best vehicle to translate the big global Jewish scene into a local, intimate digested sphere – glocal.” This past week provided me with yet more proof of this theory.

May 25
This week, at our Women’s Philanthropy Annual Meeting, we recognized the awe-inspiring work that our Women’s leadership takes on and the power of what all these amazing women have achieved. And it was my special privilege to honor my colleague, Sarabeth Margolis Wizen, who will be ending her role as Women’s Philanthropy Director.

May 18
The Liberty Bell – a symbol of freedom in our country – is also a compelling reminder that our world is imperfect and it is our job to continually strive to repair it, tikun olam.

May 1
Like many in our community, I’ve been watching the French elections with fascination. I’m reading everything I can about the candidates and the election climate, the spillover into the rest of Europe, and more.

April 24
On Yom HaShoah, as we remember the horrors of the Holocaust, I can’t help but think about a unique world leader and how his commitment to a special relationship – and to serving the greater good – helped the world recover from what, at the time, must have seemed like insurmountable devastation.

Serving the greater good
April 20
This coming Shabbat is Shemini, one of the most fascinating portions in Vayikra (Leviticus). Why? Because in it Nadav and Avihu, the oldest and second sons of Aaron, are killed for what seems to be a very minor transgression.

April 4
Federation is showing GMW teens and college students that they have the ability to help shape and impact the strength of the U.S.-Israel alliance by speaking with legislators, opinion makers, and campus leaders who will one day populate the halls of power.

April 3
Next week is Pesach, Passover – when we retell the story of our departure from Egypt and our liberation. We sit at the seder table to teach our children, and to be reminded of what counts in life and community. We celebrate freedom, and we teach so as not to forget.

March 21
Snow in Jewish tradition represents the concept of tshuvah, our chance to start again, to change. Most of us take for granted the reality that we do get another chance; that we can try again. But there are many in our community who have less opportunity and who find themselves trapped in a reality that is far less hopeful.

March 10
Our job, right now, is to create an exciting and compelling narrative to speak meaningfully to everyone in the community, allow each individual to shape their sense of community for themselves.

February 27
What impressed me most at a staff meeting last week was the show of hands when a colleague asked who in the room had benefited in some way from the impact of Federation’s UJA Annual Campaign.

February 7
43 fifth and sixth graders from the South Street School in Newark had an unforgettable trip to the Holocaust Museum and other sites in Washington D.C. on a Rubell Remembrance Journey.

February 7
A year ago I was accepted into the first-ever cohort of the CEO Onboarding Program which has given me incredibly unique opportunities to learn best practices, concepts, and models from mentors, coaches, other CEOs, and leadership experts.

January 31
“What do YOU want to learn?” That’s the JTEEN-GMW@ slogan. As we embark on a new era of JTEEN programming it is a question we are asking more and more… and we’re getting more responses than ever before. By Yoni Glatt, Federation’s Director of JTEEN-GMW.

January 17
As part of a larger initiative that brings local rabbis together for community conversations, we are holding a number of small discussion groups this Sunday to discuss one text – the incoming President’s inaugural address.

December 22
During these uncertain economic times, many organizations have walked away from their pension obligations. I am proud of the work our leadership has done to ensure that all of our pensioners receive what they’re due.

December 20
Cuba has to be one of the most fascinating, confusing, hauntingly beautiful places I’ve ever been. I returned on Sunday night from my second Federation Mission to Cuba, marveling at all that has changed and all that has not.

December 12
In an effort to reduce barriers to all donors and encourage them to see Federation as the place to fulfill all of their philanthropic duties, the Jewish Community Foundation Board voted to reduce the minimum dollar amount required to open a Donor Advised Fund from $10,000 to $5,000 through December 2108.

November 28
Israel is assessing the widespread destruction and tallying the damages caused by five days of wildfires which burned across the country. Strong winds are still expected for another 24 hours, but all fires are now under control, and the forecast is for considerably improved weather conditions from Tuesday, including a high probability of rain later in the week.

November 18
The BIGGIVE is our opportunity to come together as a Jewish community to demonstrate and celebrate our unity and to help raise the funds we need to continue the important work we do.

November 17
On a sleepless night last Tuesday, as the contours of an historic electoral decision began to take shape, my mind drifted back to a lower Manhattan courtroom, where – 15 years ago – I took the oath to became an American citizen.

November 14
Kol hakavodto my colleague Bob Lichtman, our Chief Jewish Learning Officer. He had a great idea for our teen leaders, and he and his JTEEN team just did it – they made it happen in two days’ time.

November 7
As Federation’s new Gottesman Fellow, Jewish Cultural and Educational Liaison to Newark, my charge is to create programs to commemorate, celebrate, and educate Newark residents about the city’s rich Jewish heritage. My first program is a three-session workshop for teachers on teaching about the Holocaust.

November 7
Last week GMW hosted 150 individuals from around the world for the 2016 Diller Teen Fellows Professional and Lay Leaders Conference. I was happy that, for many of them, this first impression of New Jersey was such a positive one.

November 7
If you are over 70½ years of age and have an IRA, I have some great news for you! You can now make a tax-free rollover gift from your IRA of up to $100,000.

November 1
Ten years ago, when our Keren Ness Board began directing funds to the Negev, the vision of developing and maintaining communities through economic development included strengthening relationships with strategic partners who shared our vision of building up the region.

I don’t always sit in the sukkah for the connection to the past. Sometimes I do it for the peace and quiet. Sometimes I do it because it’s a simple reminder that you don’t need all the clutter that usually surrounds you.

Here in Greater MetroWest we have and continue to lead the way in terms of our partnerships in Israel. I encourage anyone who cares about Israel and about the living bridges we continue to build with our Israeli partners to get involved in our inspiring Global Connections programs.

October 11
The hunger I feel on Yom Kippur makes me think about all those people, here and around the world, who are food insecure. And about how you help.

September 29
I’ve been amazed, inspired, and grateful for so many things this year in our Jewish Federation and in our community. But there were ten very visual things that stayed with me…

September 26
Last Sunday a group of GMW day school leaders, parents, alumni, teachers, and students traveled to the Upper West Side to represent our community and our Jewish Day Schools at the Columbus Ave. Street Fair.

September 26
Last week was an amazing week for our Federation and Greater MetroWest. Through a wide variety of events we brought together so many people to celebrate, learn, and benefit our community together.

September 23
Our partnership with the community of Ofakim in Israel is a direct result of then Prime Minister Shimon Peres. Two of his life-long passions were strengthening Israel/Diaspora relationships while at the same time helping the Negev.

September 19
Our commitment to supporting individuals with disabilities and their families is a critical component of who we are as a Jewish community and as a Jewish Federation. Together we engage our families, synagogues and local agencies to help create a community that’s accessible to all members. But we don’t just stop in New Jersey.

September 13
I’m proud to welcome Ilyse Shainbrown as our new Gottesman Fellow: Jewish Cultural and Educational Liaison to Newark, an entirely new position that will create and coordinate impactful and inspiring programs to commemorate, celebrate, and educate students and adults in Newark about the city’s rich Jewish heritage.

September 13
This time of year for many kids and teens is filled with mixed feelings of mourning the end of camp and anticipating the new school year. Thanks to your generosity, these feelings are shared by many kids and their families throughout our worldwide Greater MetroWest community.

September 6
The way we think about community is undergoing a revolution right now, because what we do as individuals anywhere keeps on having an impact on people everywhere.

September 1
Today, September 1, in Ramat Eliyahu, our longest-standing partner community, is an excellent day to showcase our Greater MetroWest impact.

August 22
It’s a quiet summer … relatively. But in the last few weeks my colleagues in our Planning and Impact Department have been starting a round of meetings with our partner agencies and programs.

August 18
On last week’s annual visit to Jewish overnight camps by Federation and Foundation leadership I was reminded of the power of the camp experience to teach girls that they can do and be anything.

August 15
We were there, on the ground in France, at exactly the same time as the Brexit vote, as Europe’s identity is changing, discussing the work that our Jewish Federations are leading – on Jewish communal identity, Aliyah, security, and education.

August 8
Federation proudly accepted the first Community Partner Award presented by Camp Harlam. We see our work with Jewish camps as an important investment in the future of our community.

August 8
Over the years, our Federation has played a critical role in Israel as a shadchan, or matchmaker, bringing Israeli communities and organizations together to work collaboratively toward their mutual, larger goals.

August 5
I don’t know many Federation supporters who give only to Jewish Federation. They give because they care, because they have found organizations that share and implement their values... and those values are wide-ranging enough to include more than one cause.

July 29
Kibbutz Erez is a community of about 400 residents located in south-western Israel on the Gaza border. But this special Kibbutz is much more than that for us.

July 25
We’ve had a complete reorganization this past year of how we plan and allocate. We really needed it.

No More Ashes
July 25
On July 15, 1937, 69 years ago, Nazi officials processed the first of what over the next eight years would eventually amount to just shy of a quarter million prisoners at Buchenwald Concentration Camp. On January 29, 1945, Elie Wiesel arrived with his father.

July 21
A young GMW community member writes about her summer internship in Be’er Sheva and about how excited she is to be a small part of the effort to make this community in the Negev the next recognized technologically advanced city in Israel.

July 18
Recently I spent Shabbat in the city of Sarcelles, about ten miles north of Paris. Out of a population of 60,000 there are some 15,000 Jews living there.

The Human Heart...A Thing of Wonder
July 15
The human heart is a thing of wonder. It represents our ability to act ethically, to identify our conscience and do what is right, to make good decisions that are based on reason and fairness, and to express compassion and understanding.

July 14
It’s been just a little over a week since the Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life merged with our Jewish Federation, but the magic is already happening. Together, we’re focusing even more attention on the younger members of our community, making an even more powerful investment in our Jewish future.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana. St. Paul, Minnesota. Dallas, Texas.
July 14
In light of the recent violence on the national scene, Federation asked the rabbis of Greater Metrowest New Jersey to provide their latest divrei torah, drashot, or other insights on the situation.

July 14
A young volunteer’s first-hand account of the work our Federation is doing in the largely Ethiopian-immigrant community of Ramat Eliyahu in Rishon LeZion, giving thousands of residents paths to a brighter future.

July 11
Hunger is a huge challenge facing New Jersey. A million people in our state are food insecure. Almost 900,000 people in our state (many of them children and seniors) rely on food banks, and that number is climbing.

July 5
There was a fascinating piece on JTA the other day that looked at the funding for Birthright, what has become recognized as one of the most successful programs in Jewish communal life.

June 27
For almost a year now our leaderships has been considering how to bring The Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life into Federation as a Federation department. We’re proud of the achievements and success of The Partnership, the Jewish education and identity-building arm of the Federation that has developed quite a reputation throughout our community and beyond.

June 20
I was proud and privileged to write an article in eJewish Philanthropy about my participation in the CEO Onboarding program.

June 10
We were fortunate to have the opportunity at our recent Annual Meeting, in front of hundreds of community members, to thank Maxine Murnick for her service and dedication as she steps down as UJA Campaign Chair.

June 7
It’s wonderful to save whales, but you also have to save Jews. We had an inspiring speaker at our Women’s Awareness Day the other week – Jane Weitzman, philanthropist and board member of our partner agency, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). Jane enthralled the hundreds of women in the audience with her personal story of philanthropy and Jewish leadership.* She was engaging, funny, thoughtful, and memorable.

June 3
Edie Lopez dedicated her life to our Federation for more than 40 years.

May 31
The legendary Ted Comet, perhaps the longest-serving Jewish communal professional in North America, came to speak with our professional team last week. His dedication to helping the Jewish people around the world is unmatched.

May 24
You’re invited to join us on June 1 for our Federation’s Annual Meeting. We’ll celebrate the achievements of the community, thank our outgoing Campaign Chair Maxine Murnick, and be inspired by Rabbi David Wolpe, one of the most inspiring speakers you’ll probably hear all year.

May 23
There are people we celebrate with awards. And there are people we celebrate with honors. But some people have done so much in and for our community that we want to occasionally take a step back and find a way to thank them in a special way.

May 20
We’re almost at the end of the Yoms – Yom HaShoa, Yom HaZikaron, Yom HaAtzmaut, Yom Yerushalayim. They create all kinds of pictures in my head and emotions in my heart. The overarching feeling I’ve had this year is of being in two places – New Jersey and Israel – and yet in neither place.

May 18
Our Outreach and Engagement Department has been in existence for a little less than a year. Over the course of this year, as our lay and professional leadership worked to chart their course, set departmental and community priorities, and engage the community around their efforts, they’ve accomplished something really impressive.

May 9
It’s a disturbing topic. One I truly wish there was no need to address. I’m talking about Elder Abuse and, sadly, it’s a topic that’s on the mind of many of those on the front lines in our community, the incredible people who, through our partner agencies, are charged with making sure our seniors are able to live with the dignity and respect they deserve.

April 22
The erev (eve) of each Jewish holiday has its own feeling as we approach it. On Erev Rosh HaShanah, it can be a feeling of introspection.

April 15
It’s bothered me for some time now that we’ve had an artificial delineation in the community between “donors” and “professionals.” For too long, we haven’t had a Jewish communal professional campaign supporting the UJA Annual Campaign. And that’s an important opportunity lost.

April 12
Some of the most inspiring, moving, and memorable moments from our Jewish Federation’s Global Connections U'faratza Mission to Israel last week. By Federation CEO Dov Ben-Shimon.

April 4
On our Global connections Mission, the important theme running through everything we do is conversation.

March 29
It is now time for us to join with those working in our state in support of racial justice. Anyone interested in getting involved and making a difference is invited to join us for a very important program, “Criminal Justice Reform: Formulating the Jewish Response” on April 6 at 7 p.m.

March 4
I’m excited for our upcoming LIVE from Greater MetroWest event for so many reasons. It’s going to be a night to remember.

March 10
There are more than 90 synagogues in our Greater MetroWest community – small and large, established and new, spanning all denominations – and we take our relationship with each and every one of them very seriously.

March 16
We’re blessed to have incredible, amazing, inspiring donors and leaders in this community.
During these past few weeks, several of them stepped up and said, “Follow me.”

February 16
If you’re a former, part-time, or occasional GMW resident living in Florida… come join me in two weeks

February 19
It's my birthday tomorrow. I’m way older, and (presumably) way wiser, than when I last wrote my Birthday List. Here’s what I’ve learned this past year…

February 26
Why do we invest so much into our delegation of shlichim (Israeli emissaries)? What do they actually do?

February 3
Israel is inspiring, complicated, and changing. We must embrace and we must wrestle. And throughout the journey, we must be proud to call Israel ours.

February 5
The Ness Fund supports economic development throughout the Negev region of Israel. The purpose of our mission is to meet with prospective recipients and learn about their innovative ideas.

February 8
I’ve just returned from a joint leadership mission to Israel. Five leaders from our Federation embarked on a life-changing experience to learn about leadership, philanthropy, and responsibility.

February 3
JCF event offers fund holders more face time, more information, more engagement, and more transparency.

January 28
The Challenge is to spread the word about human trafficking leading up to the Super Bowl and then joining together to make the topic go viral during halftime.

January 27
JDAIM is a worldwide effort to raise awareness and champion the civil rights of all Jewish people to have access and be meaningfully included in every aspect of Jewish life.

January 25
It is a Jewish custom to plant trees for Tu B’Shevat. And this year we have an extraordinary opportunity to participate in that custom by supporting our partner community of Kibbutz Erez and plant a tree in Israel.

January 25
We can pray together. We can hope together. But what matters is that we act together. A rabbi friend of mine from St. Louis shared a heart-breaking story with me.

January 21
This summer, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Methodist Church (UMC), and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will hold their national conferences. Anti-Israel and pro-BDS resolutions will likely be debated at each.

January 20
My favorite painter is the great pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. By blurring the boundaries between “high art” and mass culture, he reinforced the idea that art doesn’t have hierarchies.

January 14
Mini-missions have become an important part of how we understand and appreciate the work and impact of these agencies and, ultimately, give Federation leaders involved in the allocations process the background information we need.

January 14
As I end my term in New Jersey this week, I look forward to returning to Israel and continuing our Global Connections work from our Greater MetroWest office in Jerusalem.

January 6
In the face of continuing violence and tragic loss, we must remain determined to not let terrorism consume us. We will continue to go to Israel, to the place where we feel at home, to connect with the wonderful people and to see all of the important work being done there.

January 4
I’m proud that in 2015 our Federation, led by the hard work of our Community Relations Committee leadership, made a real impact on government affairs.

December 28
It’s nearly the end of the year. Close enough to the end, at least, that I’m starting to see it. Here’s what I learned in 2015…

December 17
From January to the end of September 2015, a total of 11,105 new olim arrived in Israel from countries of the Former Soviet Union. Half of these new immigrants are under the age of 35. They made it because of you.

December 17
New Jersey is a prime location for Human Trafficking because it is a major national and international transportation and shipping hub.

December 16
Through this mission you have a unique opportunity to visit meaningful sites of Jewish heritage in Poland and Israel with Holocaust survivors — to uncover and to learn about the past, and to see and celebrate our strength and vitality as Jews who have survived and flourished.

December 10
The 20 individuals in Greater MetroWest NJ’s eighth cohort of the Diller Teen Fellows program graduated from our 15-month journey in an exuberant ceremony in front of our parents, grandparents, siblings, and many others who have supported us through the process.

December 8
I was privileged to speak this morning at the annual meeting of the National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry (NCSEJ, formerly the National Coalition for Soviet Jewry, or NCSJ).

December 4
Since Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014, one of our partners on the ground, the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), has been increasing its work with the Fund for Victims of Terror.

December 2
As we prepare to celebrate the miracle of Chanukah, it is important for us to also remember those who are less fortunate and to commit to help them live their lives with dignity and support.

November 30
Our national Jewish Federation system launched a special Fund for Holocaust Survivors Campaign last year.

November 24
The tectonic plates that have been shifting underneath our feet in the Jewish world seem to be coming together to produce a moment where we understand that it is through the will and the passion of the individual that we can and will do our best work as a whole community.

November 24
It sometimes feels like the sky is falling. But together we are strong and can make a difference by taking action. We in the Community Relations Committee are addressing the concerns of the Jewish community.

November 23
Yesterday was Super Sunday. It was, in a word, super. We raised more money than we’ve raised in years. And that’s critical, because the UJA Annual Campaign is the lifeblood of a strong, healthy vibrant community.

November 18
False. For years we’ve been hearing that Israelis don’t give. That they don’t understand Jewish community, philanthropy, federations ... it’s not true.

November 16
This is a lovely, wonderful, inspiring opportunity. Want to send a message of support for Israel, and at the same time send a mazal tov (congratulations) or a note of sympathy? Send a tribute card that plants a tree in Kibbutz Erez, along the Gaza border.

November 13
I love the GA – our national Jewish Federation system’s annual General Assembly. The GA is filled with inspiring moments and people. I leave every GA energized and impressed by our story. The 2015 GA was held earlier this week.

November 12
For nearly 15 years, our Greater MetroWest Federation has had a powerful connection and partnership with Kibbutz Erez, a community of approximately 500 residents in the northern Negev facing the Gaza Strip border.

November 10
One of the hardest things to do is get out of the day-to-day grind – the immediate – and spend time thinking about the future. We know it’s important, but finding the time is difficult. It’s what our Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest (JCF) gets to do with donors on a daily basis.

November 2
Last week was the third anniversary of Hurricane Sandy. The aftermath of the storm provided an opportunity for us to live our values and fulfill our mission: to care, to build, and to save.