Dear Community Members,

This is crunch time! The 2017-2018 CJA Campaign closes March 31st and we are so close to reaching our goal. Once we reach that goal, we will be able to provide much needed operational funding to our 12 local and 6 national and overseas partner agencies. Learn more about these agencies and the wonderful work they do here. Your donation ensures that our partner agencies continue to meet ongoing needs and that we move forward with excellence as a caring community. If you have never made a donation, today is the perfect day to start as it is never too late to make a difference; now is a great time. Donate now.

The campaign is now at $5,729,528 and we have welcomed 234 new donors. Thank you to each donor! Our campaign department is active all year round and we welcome your feedback at any time. Please contact me with any comments, suggestions or questions. Thank you to Steve Kroft and the entire campaign team! Watch for more highlights in my April CEO email once the campaign officially closes.

Last month you received information regarding the Leave More Than Memories (LMTM) endowment re-launch and the 80 for 80 as part of our 80th anniversary. The more individuals who create or add to their own LMTM endowment fund at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba (JFM), the more secure our future will be. We are off to a great start! A fund can be opened for as little as $100 and you too can leave a legacy that will enrich lives within our community. Click here to create or build on your own LMTM endowment fund.

Over the next few months, various donors who have established a LMTM endowment fund will be highlighted in my CEO email. If you have a LMTM fund, we may be approaching you to share your unique story and message about why leaving a legacy is important to you or your family.

March is an event filled month with thought provoking presentations, culture, and great food; from Shabbat Across Winnipeg that began on Friday with an event for young adults to a weekend full of ideas and education at Limmud. We invite you to join us, along with Jewish Child and Family Service (JCFS) and JFM who have partnered to present Our Jewish Family: A Conference on Diversity and Inclusion on March 12th. This conference is an excellent example of our community coming together to make positive changes that we hope will ensure each new face and family feels welcome and included. This is a community where everyone counts! Please registerto join us for any of the sessions. As a community member or lay leader, the evening session is one you do not want miss.

Continue your learning by attending a Federation and Winnipeg Chapter of StandWithUs Canada co-hosted event on March 21st. We will be screening the award winning documentary film, “The Forgotten Refugees”, followed by a WordSwap project presentation. WordSwap members from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds (Bedouins, Druze, and Muslims) engage Canadian students in conversations to help them get to know Israel for what it really is - a complex, diverse and beautiful country. This will be their first time in Winnipeg so let’s give them a warm Winnipeg welcome!