As our Federation continues the process of transformation we began five years ago, we are more focused than ever on supporting and sustaining our Jewish community and ensuring the Jewish future we share, as we impact Jewish life in L.A., Israel and over 70 countries.
Over the past year, thanks to the generous support of our Jewish community, we’ve had quite a few memorable moments. Here are just a few:
We Cared for Jews in Need
- We further expanded our Federation’s Ezra Network, bringing social workers, pro bono lawyers and job counselors into 19 local synagogues—including 4 orthodox synagogues in our newest Pico cluster—impacting 1,500 households and making social services more accessible for Jews in need throughout Los Angeles.
- Thanks to the generosity of our community, we raised over $2.8 million for our Federation’s Israel Terror Relief Fund, helping our Israeli family in the midst of this summer’s crisis with trauma counseling, medical assistance and programming for children, adults and IDF soldiers in the South of Israel.
- Our Federation’s Community Tzedakah Fund granted $225,000 to 275 households, helping 525 people navigate unexpected catastrophic life events with one-time emergency financial assistance.
- We completed the first phase of our Los Angeles Jewish Abilities Center (LAJAC) by hiring a director and building a virtual resource center for individuals with disabilities and their families (LAJAC is funded by a Cutting Edge Grant from the Jewish Community Foundation); participated in the Ruderman Family Foundation Opportunity Initiative, an internship program at Federation for adults with disabilities; implemented a case management program with ETTA and Jewish Family Service to connect people to vital programs and services; and partnered with Bet Tzedek on a community needs assessment for a special needs pooled trust.
We Engaged with the Community
- Approximately 1,000 volunteers participated in our six 2014 Community Service Days, preparing, serving and delivering meals to the hungry, interacting with adults with special needs, helping underserved children in the greater community, and much, much more.
- We launched our Campus Impact Network to train young civic leaders on campus. We also held a number of events in late summer and fall to promote Israel advocacy and better prepare college students and their parents for anti-Israel climates on campus.
- 100 people attended a live debate between Republican Elan Carr and Democrat Ted Lieu, hosted by our Community Engagement Council, the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC, and KPCC. The event was also broadcast live throughout our community.
We Ensured the Jewish Future
- As part of our fundraising efforts to send kids to Jewish summer camps, our second annual Tour de Summer Camps netted nearly $500,000. This means that, in addition to our other investments, we were able to provide a total of $1.3 million to help families afford a life-changing summer for their kids.
- Our Federation’s Community Leadership Institute brought 65 young adults ages 25-40 on an identity-building leadership trip to Israel as part of a curriculum that includes skill-building workshops, seminars, mentorships and more.
- We sent 640 Birthright Israel-LA Way participants to Israel, including two entertainment professional trips, our second LGBTQ and Allies trip, a culinary trip, campus-based trips in partnership with local Hillels, and several trips for L.A. residents ages 22-26—and connected them all to Jewish life when they came home!
- NuRoots impacted our young adult Jewish community in many ways: four NuRoots Community Fellows reached nearly 450 young Jewish adults, meeting them where they are; our NextGen Engagement Initiative held workshops impacting more than 50 community organizations; $250,000 was granted to community organizations reaching 20- and 30-somethings; and the GrapeVine technology platform went live, showcasing the programming options across our community to tens of thousands of individuals.
This is just a small sample of what our community made possible this year. Our 2015 annual budget, which supports all of this life-changing work and more, is based on funds that we have in hand before the New Year begins. That’s why your gift to our 2014 Annual Campaign is so important.
If you have already made your gift, thank you. If not, put your Jewish values into action and make your 2014 Annual Campaign gift today.
Thanks in advance for your continued support, and we wish you and yours a happy, healthy 2015!
