2/1/2019

From the desk of Stewart Bromberg

Dear Friends,

Occasionally I look at websites from other Jewish Federations across North America. What am I searching for? I am looking to see what programs and services they are offering to their communities. I am looking to see how they are reaching out to and engaging their families. I am looking to find new ways to provide our community with the opportunity to grow and work together to build a stronger future.

A few years ago, this community worked on planning a community demographic study. This is an enormous process to undertake and there are a few organizations who excel in the science of conducting this research and evaluating the results. The difference between the methods used center around how the information is gathered and how the sample groups are selected.

The time has come for us to reconvene our task force, review our plans from the past, update the methodology to be used, and start this study as soon as we can. The more reliable information we  gather, the better we understand what the community is looking for and ideal locations for programs. The sooner we collect community data, the quicker we can respond to your preferences and provide you with the services you are looking for.

As we move forward with this project, I promise to provide you with ongoing updates. The only way this study will be fruitful is if we all commit to responding when we receive a call, an email survey, or an invitation to participate in other methods our experts guide us to. Once again, I find myself talking about the power and strength of our community working together. If we want to be successful, more connected, and have a greater impact on the future, we need to know who we are, where we are, what activities we want, when we want them, and who we want to do them with.

I recently came across an article written by a Create a Jewish Legacy coordinator. It is titled ‘Why do we give?’ I read this with great interest and when I finished the article, I started to think about why I give. I give my time, I donate to the causes that I feel have merit, and I also support community organizations to help them provide assistance to those they serve. The question is: why do I give to these causes? I give because in my mind, it is the right thing to do. I was raised to believe that there are many people who did not have what my family had. We were taught by our parents that it is our obligation to provide help to others in need. I give because it makes me feel good. I give because it is the thing to do. I give because it helps make our community a better place to live and to raise our children.

Please take a minute and reflect on the reason you give of yourself and your resources. Think about how you give and what your passion is. Share your reasons with your family and friends. Choose to support those organizations and causes needing our support to help others. As the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts, we support our constituent agencies who provide programs and services in our community. We are here when disaster strikes, and we are here to provide the community with opportunities to celebrate and learn together.

Thank you to all who continue to support our efforts and the community we live in. Your contributions of time, wisdom, and resources always matter. There is still time to help this year. I welcome the opportunity to speak to you about the great things happening in the Jewish Community of Western Massachusetts. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Stewart L. Bromberg, CFRE
CEO, Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts