Dear Friend,
As we conclude the first week of 2024, many of us are reflecting on the events of the past year and how we can make positive change for the year ahead.
Our slogan this year is Stronger Together: Today, Tomorrow, Forever. Since its very beginning in 1926, the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts has evolved to meet current needs of the moment while continuing to address our core mission of sustaining local Jewish life not only for today, but for generations to come.
Our intergenerational work includes all streams of Judaism as well as allies of all faiths, and over the past fees months we have seen some of the best of what we can accomplish when we work together toward our shared goals. No matter your age, affiliation, or connection to Judaism, we can all be inspired by what we accomplish together. Thank you for continuing on this journey with us; we will continue to do great things in the months and years ahead!
If there is an idea you would like to share, a concern you would like to raise, or an area where you would like to get involved as a volunteer, I urge you to reach out now and be in touch so that we can learn from each other and make the change that we want to see happening in our community.
Thank you for your time and your support!
This week’s suggested actions to support Israel in your local community:
- Raise awareness for the 136 hostages still being held in Hamas captivity by taking part in the #RidetoBringThemHomeNow on January 14th.
- Learn best practices for addressing anti-Israel resolutions in your city council meetings at a Jewish Federations training session on January 9 from 2-3 pm ET.
- Read this joint op-ed in The Hill by an international human rights lawyer and former judge at the European Court of Human Rights, “Israel is not committing genocide – but Hamas is.
Shabbat shalom,
