Dear Friends,

As we move from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, I want to first take this opportunity to wish everyone in the community a happy and healthy New Year, and if you are fasting, a safe fast. Any new year, and the Jewish New Year in specific, offers all of us a time of personal reflection, of what we have accomplished, and also what we would like to accomplish in the future. I do hope that we also take time to reflect as a community on our past achievements, and also what we would like to see as future accomplishments that can only be achieved when working, acting and doing together. I hear from many people about the challenges we face as a Jewish community, both locally and across the world. From my perspective, I see these challenges as opportunities for us to come together and be much more than the sum of our parts. The Federation’s annual campaign is one such example, where we as a community work together, and much can be accomplished. Already, the annual campaign has raised over $2,919,180 and grows everyday through the great support and dedication of our volunteers and communal professionals. In specific, 80 new gifts have been received, and 137 members of our Young Adult Division have contributed to date with many more to come in what is shaping up as a fantastic year for the campaign and the community!

Our communal programs are another example of the work we do together, better than if we tried it alone. Every month I will be highlighting a number of these events. Here is a ‘taste’ of what's happening in the community in October:

• On Sunday, October 5 at Fort Whyte Alive (1961 McCreary Road), Federation’s PJ Library is hosting ‘Sukkot and Fall’. For more information and to register, click here.

• Open houses for both teen and adult March of the Living trips. For more information, please contact Roberta Malam.

• Early registration for Camp Massad begins on October 19. For more information, interested parents can visit their website.

• The community-wide Kristallnacht program with special guest Professor Amos Guiora is on October 26. For more information, please contact Shelley Faintuch at 204.477.7423.

Finally, as we begin our new year, I do encourage our community to think of those who are less fortunate than us, and in need. On our website is new information pertaining to poverty in our community, and starting a conversation on how we can all be part of the solution. I welcome everyone to this conversation, and look forward to working with our communal partners in helping those amongst us who are in need!

As I leave you, I wish you a Happy New Year again and a safe Yom Kippur, and look forward to working with the entire community for the betterment of all, for this is how it has always been done, and always will be done!

G'mar Chatimah Tovah,
Adam Bronstone
Chief Executive Officer