Proactivity

When Rabbi Jonathan Sacks rose to speak in the House of Lords this month, he did so with a heavy heart. With incidents of anti-Semitism on the rise in Britain, and as he so accurately stated, anti-Semitism entering “the main stream” of the UK’s political life, Sacks had no choice but to speak in so august and formal a setting (click here to hear a portion of Rabbi Lord Sacks’ remarks).

Unfortunately, the number of incidents around the world, and the alarming breadth and depth of such activity, made it impossible for Lord Sacks to cover them all in his remarks. But we’ve seen them on the news and in social media: the professor’s shocking refusal to write a recommendation for a student wishing to study in Israel and the alarmingly high percentage of votes garnered by the Swedish far right party in recent elections are but two examples of this enduring, centuries-old scourge.

There are many ways that we as a community combat anti-Semitism, and Federation is proud to support them. But one of the most effective and inspiring ways is to be proactive; to instill a positive and proud Jewish identity in our younger generation in order to prepare them for all of the challenges and rewards of Jewish life. A proud, happy and engaged Jew is, more often than not, a successful one. Federation is particularly proud to support our partners in this work through allocations to our Jewish Identity and Engagement Impact Area, (including camp scholarships and Hillel) and we have exciting news about how you can help raise more money for the cause.

On Thursday, November 15, Federation will participate in Give to the Max Day—the incredible online giving platform that raises over $20 million annually for Minnesota non-profits. 100 percent of funds raised through Give to the Max will go towards Jewish Identity and Engagement. But that’s not all! The Tankenoff Family Foundation will match the first $25,000 raised. Thanks to their incredible generosity, gifts large and small will truly have tremendous impact. You will see much more about this special campaign between now and November 15.

Rabbi Sacks and many others have sounded the alarm bell. We want to do our part to respond, and with your help, we will.


Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,

Jim