By Nancy B. Greer
President & CEO
Day by day, week by week, your Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle has worked steadily throughout 2021 to ensure Jewish continuity by strengthening relationships—the human connections that are at the heart of community. Throughout the year, we made do, innovated on the fly, and adjusted as needed amidst the ups and downs of a predictably unpredictable pandemic—because Jewish life doesn’t stop for any reason, not now, not ever.
As 2021 draws to a close, I want to share with you highlights of the year’s work that could only have happened because of your generosity, for which my colleagues and I are deeply grateful. Your support is the spark that powers the investments we make to ensure a bright future for Jewish Puget Sound!
All of our investments are like instruments in an orchestra—each one, in its own way, enriching Jewish life. Expanding and deepening Jewish engagement. Supporting formative Jewish experiences for children and teens. Strengthening ties with Jews in Israel and around the world, our mishpacha. Drawing our community together to speak with one voice. Helping families reach their philanthropic goals and partnering with communal organizations to assure a vibrant future.
Throughout 2021 and its challenges, collaboration with partner organizations was the secret sauce for making our work even more impactful. Gatherings like Share the Light! Hanukkah celebration a week ago and Finding Our Voices, made possible by collaboration, deepened impact in two ways—by broadening the reach of engagement and reinforcing habits of working together that strengthen community relationships.
I want to highlight two examples of Federation’s work in 2021 that further strengthened community connections and will serve as a foundation for greater progress in 2022. The Courageous Leadership Initiative (CLI) convened some 150 communal leaders who gathered with Shalom Hartman Institute educators to deepen relationships, reimagine community life for a post-pandemic world, and bring to fruition fresh ideas for Jewish engagement. CLI 2.0 will build on those accomplishments.
Likewise, Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) has convened leaders from across Jewish Puget Sound’s spectrum to work together on issues of community-wide import. Advocacy in the Legislature for our community’s public policy priorities. Ensuring that the ethnic studies framework for Washington’s public schools recognizes the diversity of the Jewish people and avoids antisemitism and false narratives about Israel. Exploring long-term efforts to fight antisemitism. These and other projects have demonstrated the JCRC’s value, and we look forward to more such progress next year and in years to come.
The investments we made in Jewish life in 2021 laid a promising foundation for greater impact next year. You make it all possible! Please continue your generous support and consider making a gift by December 31.
As we think about our work this year and what lies ahead in 2022, our shared Jewish values underpin what we accomplish together. Collaboration. Integrity. Respect. Innovation. Community. On that enduring foundation, we can be sure of a bright future for next year and years to come.
