A dozen Jewish Federation professionals and lay leaders just arrived home after a whirlwind mission trip to Israel. While there, they met with more than 30 Jewish Federation-supported programs, providing an in-depth look at how their work is effecting change throughout the country.

The programs focus on a range of Jewish Federation priorities, such as:

• reducing food insecurity
• increasing social cohesion through education
• job training/employment opportunities
• promoting diverse Jewish expressions and pluralism
• promoting resilience in areas afflicted by security threats or trauma

Learn more about the mission here.

Mazel tov to Chief Program Officer Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer of Jewish Learning Venture, a grantee of the Jewish Federation. Gabrielle is one of three 2022 Covenant Foundation Award recipients. This award honors exceptional educators who have made an impact on Jewish life through innovative educational practices and models.

“I am incredibly humbled to be recognized among the amazing, creative, dedicated educators who have received the Covenant Award before me,” said Gabrielle.

The Jewish Federation congratulates Maj. Gen. (Res.) Doron Almog on his appointment as the next Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), one of our partners. We look forward to working closely with Doron, who dedicates his life to the Jewish people, tikkun olam and empowering the most vulnerable in Israel. 

"The Jewish Federation has had a strong and long-standing relationship with JAFI and we expect that with Doron's leadership, we'll continue to build a strong Jewish community around the world together," said Kelly Romirowsky, Chief Strategy and Impact Officer for the Jewish Federation.

Paula Goldstein, President and CEO of Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia (JFCS), a Jewish Federation partner agency, was recently named Chair of the national Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHS). 

NJHS is comprised of member agencies that offer a wide range of human services, including resources for advocacy, best practices, innovation and research, partnership and collaborations. The collaborative organization runs Project EM: Empowering and Employing Our Community, a nationwide network, providing jobseekers with assistance, resources and tools to find work.

JEVS Human Services, a Jewish Federation grantee, is

1 of 19 human service agencies administering and supporting Project EM through its Helping Hands program. 

Yehiel Zohar, the Mayor of Netivot in Israel, announced that the city's annual Netivot Run will be held in honor of Ron Stern, former Partnership2Gether (P2G) Co-Chair who passed away last winter. A new youth activity center will also be dedicated in Ron’s name. Ron was an active member of the Jewish Federation’s P2G committee. He also was one of Netivot's young council members, acted as the chair of the local community center in Netivot, and held other public positions.

Jewish Federation's Statement on the

Supreme Court Overturn of Roe V. Wade 

We support the rights and welfare of women, which is why we are deeply troubled by the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to overturn Roe v. Wade. This ruling not only upends decades of precedent supporting women’s health, but also fundamentally infringes on a person’s bodily autonomy and their First Amendment civil right to religious liberty. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and the Jewish Community Relations Council will continue to advocate for reproductive freedom, so we may preserve the rights of women to make their own personal decisions, without governmental inference. You can read our full statement online by clicking here. 

Recognizing that this topic is being addressed by Jewish organizations across the country, please see this compiled link of additional statements made by a variety of Jewish organizations on reproductive rights. 

Featuring Rabbi-in-Residence Eric Yanoff of Adath Israel

Learn more by registering for our upcoming information sessions:

• In-Person at a Private Home in Longport, NJ: July 15 at 10:00 a.m. 
• In-Person at Green Valley Country Club: August 11 at 6:00 p.m.
• Virtual: September 18 at 10:00 a.m. 
• Virtual: October 24 at 7:00 p.m. 

For more information about the Mission, visit: jewishphilly.org/israel75mission