MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STEVEN SCHIMMEL

Learning the lessons of our History

Like all Jewish communities our local Jewish community is a family, and with the High Holidays approaching in the coming month we take it to heart and to drive our actions. This isn’t just about creating more harmony or happiness in our community, If we want success, if we want to thrive and to live up to our potential, all of us, and especially our organizations’ leaders must recognize that we are each a part of the singular Jewish nation. Rather than criticizing and condemning we should cooperate and coordinate, we must build and support instead of undermining and competing. These are the fundamental Jewish ideals that we need to embrace. When we think of each other as cherished and valued family members we will find ways to ensure that everyone will thrive.

We recently observed Tisha b’ Av the mournful and solemn day during which we fast to remember the destruction of the Second Temple at the hands of the Imperial Roman Army in 70CE. The foremost authority on the Jewish-Roman War, the contemporary historian Josephus notes that the various Jewish factions besieged in Jerusalem in those terrible days spent far more energy fighting each other then preparing to fight the Romans. These groups even went as far as destroying the vital stores of grain that were in the possession of rival Jewish factions. Jews fought Jews as mortal enemies. Ultimately, the Romans were able to capitalize on this internal strife to defeat these groups, burning the temple and sending our people into a 2,000 year diaspora. Josephus unquestionably makes the case that the infighting directly led to the fall of Jerusalem and the horrific aftermath. 

Contrast that with the story of the development of modern day Israel twenty centuries later when Jews from around the world worked together in countless ways to procure the necessary means to build, fund, and then defend the reborn state. Reading the accounts of the pioneers of the Zionist movement the themes of togetherness and ensuring that everyone played a role were the bedrock of the movement to build Israel. The extraordinary cooperation and coordination made possible the miraculous creation of the Jewish State despite all odds. 

We have tremendous opportunities and potential before us- and we also have a choice, we can choose division or we can choose cooperation, we can be many separate and differing factions or we can be one family. I hope we choose to embrace the latter, it would be wrong to do anything else.

Tons of summer fun around the community with YAD and Chaverim

Central Massachusetts Wraps of Year 5 of LIFE & LEGACY^TM

Jewish Federation of Central Mass and its LIFE & LEGACY partners have reached the end of the 5^th year of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s LIFE & LEGACY initiative.  330 donors have pledged 456 gifts with an estimated value of $12.8 Million!  Of that pledged amount, almost half has already been received. 

To celebrate this outstanding achievement and to celebrate our amazing legacy donors, JFCM is holding a reception on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at 6:30 PM at the Worcester JCC.  We will be honoring legacy donors from all our partners: Beth Tikvah Synagogue, Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation B’nai Shalom, Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts, Jewish Healthcare Center, Temple Emanuel Sinai, Clark Hillel, Shaarai Torah West, and the JCC.

If you are a legacy donor, we look forward to greeting you at the event.  We encourage all members of our community to join us in celebrating this amazing program.

LIFE & LEGACY is an initiative of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) that assists communities across North America, through partnerships with Jewish Federations and Foundations, to promote after-lifetime giving to build endowments that will sustain valued organizations and vibrant Jewish communities for the next generation and beyond. Through training, support, and monetary incentives, LIFE & LEGACY motivates Jewish organizations to secure legacy gifts, steward donors, and integrate legacy giving into the philanthropic culture of the Jewish community.