As Thanksgiving approaches, families across the country are coming together to express collective gratitude over bountiful meals.
While Thanksgiving accentuates this atmosphere of coming together, Jewish Federation Los Angeles seeks to bring people and organizations together all year round. As a convener of the Jewish community in Los Angeles, the Federation creates numerous opportunities for individuals and organizations to meet, learn from each other, and grow their capacities as a result.
For example, across the Federation’s three strategic initiatives exist capacity-building and professional development opportunities for local Jewish organizations to network with and learn from each other.
Among these programs is NextGen Engagement Initiative (NEI), part of our NuRoots initiative. Every month, NEI hosts a diverse professional development training session that brings together dozens of Federation’s professional partners working with young adults. Topics have included how to market effectively, foster inclusivity, and connect personal and institutional values. Participants have a chance to schmooze with colleagues working in their field and learn more about other upcoming events and programs.
In the same vein, the second cohort of the Federation’s Los Angeles Jewish Teen Initiative’s (LAJTI) Teen Program Accelerator has launched and is in full swing. The Accelerator provides seed funding and tools for the expansion and/or creation of creative and impactful programs to help diversify the programmatic landscape for Jewish teens in L.A. Program partners meet regularly for training workshops and receive specialized program guidance from an experienced coach. They learn together as a cohort, fostering collaborations and using each other’s experiences to inform their own.
The Federation’s Caring for Jews in Need strategic initiative is also adept at convening local partners engaged in important work. We created the Los Angeles Jewish Abilities Center (LAJAC), a centralized resource center to help adults with special needs and their caregivers easily navigate the plethora of programs and services available to help them. Through our convening, coordination, and collaboration with partners, we enable clients to live meaningful, purposeful Jewish lives.
As a convener of the Los Angeles Jewish community, the Federation also spearheads the Board of Rabbis in the spiritual and professional development of rabbis across the city, builds community resilience and safety through its novel Community Security Initiative, and ensures that hundreds of children can attend Jewish summer camps with its signature annual Tour de Summer Camps fundraiser. It also provides opportunities for alumni of our multiple leadership development programs to continue connecting and growing through professional opportunities offered by The Network.
These are only a few examples of many notable ways the Federation brings together community partners from across the city to improve existing programs and services. The Federation will continue to bring together our partners and contribute to an already flourishing Jewish community. We wish to celebrate the vibrancy that stems from this togetherness — this Thanksgiving and all year round.
