Message from the CEO of the Jewish Federation Elaine Goldstine: October 2019

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October 2019

Dear Community Members,

Shanah Tovah! On behalf of the board and staff of the Federation, I would like to wish you and your families a new year of good health, happiness, and success.

Speaking of success, I am very pleased to report that the Combined Jewish Appeal (CJA) Campaign is off to a great start, having raised $2,053,322! Thanks to generous and committed donors, we will be able to provide vital support to our community and beneficiary agencies.

In the campaign materials you recently received, we outlined 34,718 Reasons to Give to the CJA. Today there is one more reason, as the Gail Asper Family Foundation set a challenge to match every new or lapsed gift up to $6,000! If you haven’t given to the campaign before, or haven’t given in a while, there is no better time to make your gift. Please click here to make your gift to the CJA today.

Last month, the Federation in conjunction with CIJA held a security training day where representatives from Jewish organizations throughout Winnipeg received situational awareness training, which improves a person’s ability to identify threat indicators early, and permit a response which prevents and mitigates harm to the community and its members. Paramedics also led a course which trained attendees on how to respond to injuries until trained paramedics can arrive on the scene. I would like to thank CIJA and the paramedics for leading this valuable training initiative, which has empowered the staff of the Jewish organizations to respond if an incident should arise.

On Wednesday, November 6, we are hosting our annual Kristallnacht program which commemorates the victims of The Night of Broken Glass and the Holocaust. We will be hosting a memorial concert titled “The Music of Remembrance” featuring Eddy's Story, which recounts the moving story of Toronto-based Holocaust survivor Eddy Sterk whose entire family was tragically murdered in the Holocaust. Composed by esteemed Manitoba composer Sid Robinovitch and performed by the talented Trio Exchange, the concert will be held at Eckhardt Gramatté Hall at the University of Winnipeg, starting at 7:00 pm. Admission to this event is free, but seating is limited so be sure to arrive early. You won’t want to miss this moving performance.

On Tuesday, November 12, Women’s Philanthropy is hosting an event titled “Survival & Forgiveness: A Story of Optimism and Resilience” featuring former Winnipegger Dr. Sherri Wise. Twenty-two years ago, a simple choice to have lunch at a restaurant in Jerusalem changed Sherri’s life, after she survived a triple suicide bombing. Dr. Wise will speak about the power of choosing forgiveness over anger, blame or hatred. Her belief that she was spared for a reason fuels her desire to share her story with others who might be struggling with trauma from the past.

Our PJ Library program has an exciting announcement - grandparents can now receive the gift of PJ Library, too! Upon signing up, grandparents will receive two PJ Library books in the mail, monthly emails with recipes, activities, and more, updates on books and activities being sent to your grandkids, PJ Library's PROOF magazine, opportunities to connect with local PJ Library programming, and surprise gifts! To enroll you must have a grandchild with an active PJ Library subscription and provide their information for verification upon sign-up. To sign up, click here.

May you have an easy fast and Gmar Chatimah Tovah.