Our Federation’s Response to Colleyville, TX
The events this past weekend at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas are a sobering reminder that antisemitism continues to plague Jewish communities here in…
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From the CEO
Day One
Today I join the more than 130 employees who dedicate themselves to support a kind, protected, and flourishing Jewish community here in Los Angeles and…
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Our Federation Never Takes a Break
It almost feels like a normal Southern California summer. We are taking summer trips and our children have returned to summer camp. The beaches are…
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Our Commitment to You
Since I returned from my short but impactful leadership and solidarity trip to Israel, I have heard the fears and concerns of many community members…
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The Actions We Take
I am writing to you from my seat on an El Al flight headed to Israel. After the frightening antisemitic acts of last week and…
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A Gift for Elijah
In just over a week, we will be opening up our wine-stained Haggadot and retelling the story of our exodus from Egypt. Our story is…
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Acknowledging a Milestone
I am one of those people who loves celebrating milestones, especially birthdays and anniversaries. We are fast approaching an anniversary we all have to acknowledge…
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Public Briefing on Ethnic Studies
The last year has been challenging for so many people in our community and certainly for people in all communities throughout Los Angeles and the…
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Israel feels our heartbeat
Our Federation’s love and concern for our Jewish community transcends borders. When we see the harrowing effects of COVID-19 on our Israeli family, we can’t…
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The Long Year Ahead
Thank you for your strong support in 2020 for the health, welfare, security and sustainability of our beloved Jewish community. Together, we were able to…
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Shabbat Prayer for Our Country
As we prepare for Shabbat after the tragic violence, senseless loss of life, and assault on our democracy on the steps of our nation’s Capitol…
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Jay Sanderson and David Suissa Discuss Our Jewish Future
Our Federation’s President & CEO Jay Sanderson recently joined President of Tribe Media/Jewish Journal David Suissa on his podcast to discuss the future of our…
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Stand with Those Who Struggle to Stand on Their Own
Many of us are counting down the last days of 2020 and looking forward to 2021. This has been the most challenging year for our…
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Gratitude During This
Time of Crisis
Tomorrow, we will celebrate Thanksgiving. The very first Thanksgiving came amid a very brutal winter. This Thanksgiving comes amid a historic pandemic that has deeply…
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President & CEO Jay Sanderson Moderates JFNA GA Panel
We are excited to present a recent panel of Jewish leaders moderated by our President & CEO Jay Sanderson. The discussion centered on the issues…
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We Are Listening
We hope you had meaningful High Holidays. Our rabbis and synagogues found new and innovative ways to create community and keep us all engaged and…
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Anti-Semitism: We Are Ready
We are seeing a terrifying rise in anti-Semitism across our nation. With each incident, our communal heart aches for the victims and their families — our fellow Jews in pain. When any Jew is hurt — in any community, anywhere in the world — we are all hurt. It is yet another scary time in history when our people are faced with adversity simply for being who we are.
June Gloom
I have some of my best — and sometimes most challenging — conversations in the grocery store. Last week, a generous supporter of our Federation approached me as I was marveling at the ice creams made from everything but actual milk. She thoughtfully thanked me for my commitment to our Jewish community and asked, “What’s the hardest part of your job?”
We Send Our Condolences to the Victims of the Horrific Shooting in Poway
Our hearts are heavy after another shooting at a synagogue this past weekend. We stand together with the Jewish community of San Diego and the Chabad of Poway. We mourn the loss of Lori Gilbert-Kaye who was fatally shot trying to save the life of her beloved Rabbi, Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, during morning prayers. May her memory be a blessing. We pray for the speedy recovery of those wounded both physically and emotionally.
My Pesach Thoughts
This year, Passover takes on a deeper meaning, which I’m sure will be reflected in the conversations we have around our Seder tables. I’ve often written and spoken about our Federation’s tremendous commitment to building a dynamic, engaging, and open Jewish community for today and for the future. I hope you share my pride in that important work, which is making a profound impact. Today I’m writing to acknowledge the deep concerns we all have about the rise of national and global anti-Semitic acts and hate speech.