Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton

Admittedly, inspiration doesn’t always come to me on a regular basis. And, on a rare occasion, I have two things that simultaneously inspire me. This is one of those occasions.

This past week, our world lost two important people. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z”l, Emeritus Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, passed away from cancer at age 72 on Saturday, November 7th. On Sunday, November 8th, notable Jeopardy host Alex Trebek z”l passed away from cancer at age 80. While both men had incredibly different lives, they each made important impacts in our world.

Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly (JFNA GA) took place this past Sunday and Monday. The GA is typically held in person. It was supposed to take place in Chicago this year. However, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, JFNA decided to move the conference to a virtual platform.

It’s that time of year again, when Federations from all across North America and Israel gather together for the General Assembly (GA). This program cultivates inspiration, innovative ideas, and growth for both professionals and lay leaders.

This past week, I had the pleasure of meeting our new BBYO advisor, Sydney Feibus. In talking with Sydney, her zeal for the Jewish community and our youth was profound.

Last Friday, on Erev Rosh Hashanah, the world lost an icon ~ Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg z”l. Only the second woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, and the first Jewish woman to serve on the court, R.B.G, as she was known in pop culture, leaves behind an immense footprint and no-doubt historical legacy.

As we prepare to bring in the New Year, I wanted to take a moment to reflect. I don’t think any of us could have envisioned what this last year would entail. We have all been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in some way, shape, or form.

I do not think anyone could have predicted what our world would look like in 2020 ~ I certainly could not have imagined it. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, racial unrest, and political divisiveness, it can feel incredibly heavy navigating day-to-day life.

This Thursday, August 13th at 6pm, the Federation and its agencies will celebrate our community at our Virtual Annual Meeting. In addition to recognizing our award winners, the meeting also serves as a time of transition, where we thank outgoing board members who have so graciously dedicated their time and passion to Jewish Dayton, and welcome in new board members.

When you have a concern about the Jewish community or antisemitism, I am happy to hear from you. A community member recently contacted me because she was upset about what happened on Twitter. She wanted to know what we were doing to deal with this antisemitic concern of hers, and if other organizations were responding as well.