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Looking Ahead: The Essential Role of
Jewish Education
A Message from Gil Preuss
One of our core responsibilities, as a community, must be to ensure that upon entering adulthood, every young Jew feels equipped to “articulate the ways in which they belong to the Jewish civilization and community, while recognizing that these points of connection will likely evolve, grow, and mature over time.” Young Jews should feel empowered to take ownership of and responsibility for their ongoing Jewish journeys. And if this is the goal, Jewish learning and engagement is the means.
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Federation's Pitch Night Spotlights Grant Process, Connection, and Community
This year, leveraging our unique ability to mobilize our community towards comprehensive change and collective impact, Federation expanded our initial call for local organizations to dream big and think strategically about strengthening Jewish life and furthering the community. Last night, our comprehensive Task Force process came to life during Pitch Night 2020. More than 71 organizations came together to present their newest, best, and brightest ideas for impact and innovation in the fields of Strengthening Jewish Life in Northern Virginia and Engaging the Next Generation in Jewish Life – and the energy was phenomenal. Having raised more than $1 million from generous donors for our strategic areas of focus during Federation’s 2019 Annual Campaign, we are poised and eager to enable critical impact within these fields for the second year in a row.
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Tu B'Shevat: Let Trees Teach Us to Have Roots and Wings
To develop a deep appreciation of Judaism, one must have a sensitivity to metaphor. All religions have their lists of “shalts and shalt nots,” but Judaism as a religious civilization has a broader album of rituals, stories, and images to convey attitude and recommend a way of life. Tu B'Shevat is referred to in the Mishna as the “new year for trees.” At face value, the holiday does not seem very relevant today. But when moved into the realm of metaphor, this minor holiday takes on existential significance.
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February is Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, & Inclusion Month (JDAIM), an annual opportunity to reflect on the state of inclusion in Greater Washington. Lisa Handelman, Federation's Disability Inclusion Specialist, recently met with representatives of local Jewish agencies to discuss the journey towards disability inclusion, and how institutions in our community can work together to develop a roadmap to become more inclusive.
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