Thanks for a great Centennial year!

Jan 24, 2012 | The Wire

We want to thank our community for its generous support in 2011 and are proud to announce that we raised a total of $47 million to fund our important work caring for Jews in need, engaging in the community and ensuring a strong, vibrant Jewish future.

Our Centennial year was filled with extraordinary highlights including one-of-a-kind events, the search for the Next Big Jewish Idea, our night of 100 Shabbat celebrations and, of course, our Community Mission to Israel.  They all represent memories we’ll cherish, and experiences that we’ll build upon to make our Federation and community even stronger in 2012 and beyond.

Here are just a few of the accomplishments our community made possible in 2011:

• We continued helping Jewish families in our local community who have been severely impacted by the economy through our Emergency Cash Grants program. Since its inception in 2008, we’ve provided nearly $2.5 million in grants, helping close to 5,000 individuals who needed immediate assistance.
• In Israel, through our funding of Ayalim, we are enabling young modern-day pioneers in the Negev to shape Israel’s future while embracing Jewish values in providing services to impoverished and isolated populations.
• We sent over 1,200 of our young adults to Israel via our funding of Birthright Israel this past year alone – and a total of nearly 16,000 in the last decade!  We also expanded our programming focused on engaging young adults in Jewish life and introduced new connection opportunities for those returning from Birthright Israel trips.  

We are truly grateful for the support and generosity of our community which allowed us to make a tangible impact in the lives of thousands of people in Los Angeles, Israel and around the world.

What was your favorite Federation moment of 2011? Sound off in the comments below.

If you're looking to get a jump start on our Annual Campaign for 2012, click here.