Dear Community Members, 

With the first day of spring behind us and the snow almost gone (thank goodness!), I am pleased to bring you an update on what’s new at the Federation.

On March 31, we concluded the campaign with record numbers, with our campaign closing at $5.89 million! We owe a debt of gratitude to our campaign chair, Steve Kroft and his team for their leadership and guidance. In addition, I would like to thank all of the volunteers and staff for their hard work – and a huge thank you to all donors and agencies; we could not have reached such heights without you.

We now move into the next phase: allocating the money that was raised! Our allocations committee has received submissions from each of our partner agencies, and soon they will be hearing presentations followed by deliberations. Our report on the allocation of monies will be available in June.

I am very excited to announce that after being in the works for months that the Federation is getting a mascot! We will be unveiling the design for the mascot that will represent our organization and community in the coming days - and we need your help to name it! Stay tuned for further details.

A number of you have reached out to us about your concerns with Linda Sarsour speaking at an upcoming Social Planning Council of Winnipeg (SPCW) event. For those unaware, Sarsour has attracted controversy for her criticism of Israel and statements she has made, which many consider to be antisemitic. We have been in contact with the SPCW and are having a dialogue, which we hope will cause them to reconsider her appearance.

At the end of this month, we will present Shoah Week/Holocaust Awareness Week, which begins on Sunday, April 28 and concludes on Saturday, May 4. We invite you to join us during this week of meaningful events, as we remember the victims and honour the survivors of the Holocaust. View the full calendar of events here.

Are you a student in grade 10, 11, or 12, or have a child in that age category? We invite you to join us at an information evening for the 2020 March of the Living program, where you will learn about how you can become a part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience (payment plans will be available). It will be held on Thursday, April 25 at 7:00 pm in the Adult Lounge of the Asper Jewish Community Campus.

We invite you to explore our GrowWinnipeg Facebook page to learn more about personal newcomer stories and their fascinating journeys. Please take a moment to like the page here.

Lastly, please join us at our annual Kavod Eveningwhich will take place on Thursday, May 16. We look forward to recognizing the dedication of all these amazing volunteers, and hope that you will join us. More event details are here. If you would like to congratulate one of this year's honourees, please consider sending them a tribute card.