Last night, I returned from Cherry Hill, New Jersey (outside Philadelphia) where I met with 30 Jewish Federation CEOs from similar size Jewish communities. It was our annual get together, where we shared our experiences and new ideas. This year had special meaning as it was the first time we were together in-person as a group since October 7 – a year filled with much time/effort spent on Israel and the rise in antisemitism.

Eric Fingerhut, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, joined us. He shared the often repeated line, “If you have seen one Jewish Federation, then you have seen one Jewish Federation.” It is as if each Jewish Federation is a unicorn. We may think we are (culture, size, scope of services), yet the reality is we are very much alike. The same holds true for JCCs, day schools, camps, synagogues, etc. It reinforces the idea that the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland (like other Jewish organizations) is part of a larger system – and that may be our greatest strength.

While together, we talked about a wide range of issues, including:

• How are you managing all the issues we are addressing (fundraising, antisemitism, Israel, security, our regular work)? How is your professional team doing?
• How are communities acknowledging the many differing views on Israel and its war with Hamas?
• How are you managing the stress and strain of everything happening? Are you able to breathe with the ongoing demands?
• How do we build back the Jewish joy/positivity/happiness into our communities? It feels so heavy all the time. People want to be uplifted.
• What can we do to better support college students and fight against potential resolutions that are anti-Israel?
• (Community A) feels so divided with almost hostile viewpoints about Israel and even the presidential election? People struggle to be in the same room and have civil conversations. What can I do?
• What events are you planning this year? Who are your speakers? Do you feel all programs must be Israel related?
• Are you seeing a surge in people attending programs and wanting to volunteer?
• How do you as the CEO measure your own success? How does your board measure your success? And how do you measure the success of your community?

I was very proud to share what we are doing in Portland addressing many of these questions. I also learned a lot from my colleagues based on their wisdom and experiences. Because we are part of a collective system, we can find the commonality in our work and support one another.

While together, we discussed this story from the Talmud (Kiddushin 40b:8):

There was an incident in which Rabbi Tarfon and the Elders were reclining in the loft of the house of Nit’za in Lod, when this question was asked of them:

Is study greater than action?

Rabbi Tarfon answered and said, “Action is greater.”

Rabbi Akiva said, “Study is greater, but not as an independent value; rather, it is greater as study leads to action.”

We have lived the events of the past year. We each deal with these challenges in our own way. My colleague, Rabbi Noah Farkas, at the Jewish Federation in Los Angeles recently wrote:

If you want to do something about your fear, take action.

If you want to do something about your sadness, take action.

If you want to bring more joy to our Jewish community, take action.

As this new year begins, reclaim this moment by putting your values into action!

On a very different topic, there was this article in the Wall Street Journal last Saturday that really spoke to me. It talked about how teenagers should find “service jobs” (restaurants, stores, camp counselor, etc.) and focus less on seeking fancy internships. Everyone seems so focused on “getting ahead” and preparing for their career – even at the ripe old age of 16 and 17. In fact, I personally am not a fan that universities and colleges today want students to declare their major before they even step foot on campus.

As you may recall, my father owned a Jewish deli in Orlando and I spent my Saturdays, summers (when not at camp), and days off from school working at the deli. And in high school, I was a “bag boy” at my local supermarket. (By the way, it was working at that job that I first experienced antisemitism – from my boss.)

I learned four valuable lessons (which I have shared before):

• A smile goes a long way in diffusing challenging situations.
• The customer is always right, whether you think they are or not.
• I learned how to count back change correctly. (Today a lost skill, yet very few pay with cash anymore.)
• Most of all, I learned to speak with and interact with all kinds of people.

I loved this paragraph, because this was my experience:

“Working in a restaurant or store is a master class in human interaction. You learn how to respond to irrationality, to prickliness, to demanding or fickle desires, to unruly or unfair criticisms, which are highly useful skills to master when you are young. You are exposed to a variety of colorful strangers. You figure out how to manage all kinds of situations. And, of course, learning to navigate people is something you need in every profession, in every walk of life.”

As the article concludes, "It's not about furthering your career, but being good at life." And that should be everyone’s focus – no matter what age.

Two important links for upcoming programs:

Here are High Holy Day services and happenings in our community. We hope that you will find your place to observe the holidays.

On October 6, our community will hold a memorial service for the horrific attack almost one year ago and the ongoing war. We hope you will be able to join us. Registration is required.

Shabbat shalom.