FedFive: Your Jewish Federation Update

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As we enter 2022, I think back on what I’ve learned since accepting the position as President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. Since starting I’ve been privileged to see the strengths and challenges of our community.

Click here to read a few of the lessons that resonate most with me. May each day forward be one of fulfillment and continued transformation towards the growth of our community and our future.

The Jewish Community Relations Council is sponsoring the Global Citizen Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service. Global Citizen hosts the oldest and largest MLK Day event in the nation. As part of the program, professionals from the Jewish Federation are helping to clean up Finley Recreation Center. We hope you will join us on January 17 to honor Dr. King’s Legacy through one or all of these opportunities:

Clean Up Finley Recreation Center in East Mount Airy. The event includes a participatory exhibit using the theme "Change: It Starts with Me" and will be followed by city-wide youth basketball games.

Attend the webinar co-sponsored by The Alliance of Trust and JCRC about “The Role of Sports in Combating Racism and Antisemitism” with a focus on “Women in Sports”. The program will be followed by a discussion of what can be done locally in Greater Philadelphia to combat rising hate. The program begins at 1:00 p.m.

Click here to participate in one of many virtual and in-person volunteer opportunities offered by Global Citizen.

“My family was in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID. While my wife and I are vaccinated and boosted, my children are not, and I was extremely concerned for their health. I am so grateful for the Old York Road testing clinic and we are so blessed to have a Jewish community that comes together at this most difficult time in our lives.” - Josh Katz

After a weekend of New Year’s festivities, the Jewish Federation’s Kehillah of Old York Road organized a COVID testing clinic at Gratz College on January 3. Conducted in partnership with Tang Pharmacy, the popup clinic served 345 people with free PCR COVID tests. This is on the heels of hosting an incredibly successful clinic in 2021 to vaccinate 1,452 community members with first and second doses.

This testing clinic provided much needed relief for those searching for testing during a nationwide shortage and during a surge in COVID cases due to the Delta and Omicron variants.

"I'm thrilled to be joining the dynamic Jewish Federation team. We live in an exciting time period that is witnessing a radical transformation in what it means to be Jewish and what it means to belong to a Jewish community. I look forward to being part of a Federation that leads the way in reimagining and supporting a collaborative vibrant Philadelphia Jewish community for the 21st century."

As Senior Chief of External Affairs, Jeffrey Lasday leads the Jewish Federation’s strategic planning and policy execution, ensuring that strategic goals are met and organizational initiatives are implemented in effective and efficient ways. Bringing more than 30 years of Jewish communal leadership experience, Jeffrey most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit. Prior to his role at the JCC, Jeffrey worked as the Director of the Alliance for Jewish Education and Senior Director for Community Development at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Jeffrey’s professional journey and accomplishments include serving as National Executive Director for the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE), Executive Vice President of St. Louis’ Central Agency for Jewish Education and Founding Director of the Columbus Commission on Jewish Education.

Contact Jeffrey at jlasday@jewishphilly.org

This Hanukkah, members of our community joined together to celebrate the holiday, a beloved tradition missed dearly since the pandemic began. The Jewish Federation and our neighborhood Kehillot brought together more than 1,900 people across our community for joyful, safe, family-friendly celebrations of the Festival of Lights. Click here to read and see the wonderful ways our community came together to share the light of the holiday following a year and a half of isolation.

Additionally, volunteers from the NextGen Board worked with JFCS clients to make latkes, menorahs, and holiday cards to send to the community.

Make Your Gift Today!

If you have made your annual campaign gift, thank you for your generosity! If you have not made your gift — please consider making it today. You can speak with your gift officer, call 215.832.0865, or make your gift online at jewishphilly.org/donate.

In The News

Ta’amod, funded by a grant from Jewish Federation’s Women of Vision, is featured in "We cannot heal what we cannot see" in eJewishPhilanthropy.

Read all about what it means to be Jewish in Philadelphia! Check out the latest editions of the Jewish Exponent by clicking here, here and here.

Upcoming Events

Women Making History:
A celebration of powerful women with powerful impact.
January 9 | 7:00 p.m.
Join current and future Lions from around the world for the 50th anniversary of the Lions of Judah. Together, we’ll fuel our passion for enhancing Jewish life and building flourishing communities at home, in Israel and abroad.

Register here

Jewish Camping Information Session

January 13 | 12:00 p.m.

Join us for a virtual presentation on Jewish Summer Camp. Learn about funding for first-time campers, financial aid, choosing the best camp for your child and more. We are providing this session two times, so please select the date that works best for you.

Register here

JCRC Web Series with David Horovitz

January 19 | 12:00 p.m.

David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel, will discuss the renewal of the nuclear talks with Iran, domestic policy priorities of the Bennett-Lapid Government, and the latest news on Gaza.

Register here

Kallah: A Night of Jewish Learning

January 22 | 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

The Kehillah of Chester County and the Kehillah of Delaware County invite you to a virtual evening of friends, thought-provoking entertainment and intellectual fulfillment. The program features a live Zoom performance of Theatre Ariel's production "Ethics of the Fathers aka: The Gangster and The Grandpa" starring playwright Jesse Bernstein. Following the play, participate in an interactive conversation of your choice with some of our local rabbis and scholars.

Register here

How the Bulgarian Jews Survived the Holocaust

January 26 | 7:00 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.

In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, hear University of Pennsylvania professor Joseph Benatov present the facts surrounding the history of the Bulgarian, Greek and Macedonian Jews during the Holocaust and the international debate over how these moments should be interpreted and remembered. Following Dr. Benatov's session, Judge Ramy Djerassi will share his family's experience of survival.

Register here