I am feeling overwhelmed by the barrage of anti-Semitic news reports in Europe, throughout North America and even in Atlanta.  I am growing very concerned about the increased successful activities to delegitimize Israel, especially on college campuses and among the academic elite.  I am worried about the plight of all, but especially our Jewish family in the Ukraine, the Former Soviet Union, Latin America, Europe and the many countries that Jews call home.

 

I am finding it hard to believe that this is all happening in a modern global world, a world with access to the internet, CNN, and fast food chains, even in some countries that have been traditionally thought of as “third world”. I thought that this uncivilized behavior was part of an historic past, all with no relevancy to our modern and enlightened present.

 

And there is a general concern that the battle to preserve a strong Jewish future requires all of our focus and resources, without time for distraction or worry about the existential threat to the Jewish people.  That was then, I assumed. This is now.

 

I have long worried that we were trying to build our Jewish future by focusing on the “tzuris” and struggles of the past.  The story of the Holocaust does not resonate with younger Jews, at least not when presented as an excuse to justify our future.  The struggle to build a strong country and homeland for the Jewish people falls more and more on deaf ears when the success of Jewish assimilation into modern America has made the concept of a homeland anathema to many.

 

At Federation, we are constantly challenged to prioritize and find a way to use our limited resources to meet an abundance of needs.  Do we channel our energies and resources and address our immediate needs and challenges?  Or do we invest those energies and resources in building our future by providing our children and teens, our college students and young adults the tools they need to find their place in the Jewish community and strengthen their commitment to the Jewish future? 

 

The answer, of course, is that we do both.  When our Global Jewish family needs us to respond to anti-Semitic or terrorist attacks, we find a way to provide the emotional and financial support needed to help them.  However, we also know that if we don’t engage our young and build a strong Jewish future, soon there will be nobody left to provide emergency responses to those in need, or to help the poor and needy in our own community.

 

Although overwhelmed with bad news, I am also encouraged by so many wonderful and exciting things going on in our own community.  In December, Atlanta hosted the USY Convention. Last month, we hosted the International Conventions of both BBYO and NFTY.  At those conventions, I saw over 3,000 teens from around the country interact with hundreds of their peers from around the world to discuss Jewish life, Jewish issues, and discover new and exciting ways to Jewishly connect.  I also see over 2,000 public school teenagers participate in activities with JSU, the Jewish Student Union, even though those activities take place very early in the  morning or late afternoon, requiting the participants to invest that extra time and energy before or after school hours, which they do.

 

Young families are finding open doors through our PJ Library program, Jewish Kids Group, numerous programs at the MJCCA and at many synagogues and temples.  We are sending more young adults on Birthright Israel experiences than ever.  Setting a goal to double the number of young Jewish kids going to overnight Jewish summer camps has seen great success, as last year 300 more kids took advantage of incentives and scholarships to attend a camp for the first time, and this year we are seeing an even stronger demand. All good news.

 

But to meet our current obligations to our fellow Jews around the world and to build a strong and vibrant Jewish future, we need all the help and support we can get. If we do nothing or wait for someone else to do it, we will fail.  But if we pull together, we can succeed beyond our wildest expectations.  Get involved, give generously, and let’s ensure a strong and vibrant Jewish future together.

 

Thank you for all you do.

 

Michael Horowitz

President/CEO