Last week was very busy at our Jewish Federation. Not only are we in the midst of our Jewish Book Festival and held a local authors event at Temple Beth Israel of Highland Park, our newly formed Jewish Community Relations Council held its first meeting, but for the first time in several years, all of our community’s Jewish Professionals (our Rabbis, Cantors, Educators, and Executive Directors/Administrators) came together at our Jewish Federation office to discuss our community and ways we can work more collaboratively to strengthen and enhance Jewish life in the greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys.

Conversations revolved around where we think our community is, what challenges we are facing (besides the obvious ones like the rise of antisemitism and hate), and ways that we may begin to address these challenges collectively. What was very evident both during and after our meeting was the unbelievable respect everyone has for one another and their dedication to making our community the best it possibly can be. We all had a shared hope and desire that more of the community would see the value in being engaged and participating in Jewish life in our community.

These types of visioning meetings can often be challenging because so many incredible ideas come out, and we need to determine the best approach to move forward collectively. To share a little bit, some of the ideas that were brought up included bringing back our community’s 3rd– 9th grade Shabbaton, figuring out how we can cross-promote Adult Education opportunities within our community, how we empower those involved to encourage their friends to participate, and a softball/basketball/pickle ball league was also discussed.

As someone who I know is invested in our local Jewish community, you have a role to play in making some of these ideas possible. You can help by being an ambassador of our Jewish community. You should invite your Jewish friends when you go to an event or even share a social media post you see from one of our local Jewish organizations on Facebook or Instagram. By doing this small act, you help us reach more people and encourage them to experience the value of being a part of participating in our local Jewish community. And if you have ideas for things you would like to see happening with our Jewish community, please let us know.

Along those lines, I hope to see you on Tuesday, December 3, at 7:00 p.m. as our Jewish Federation holds a Town Hall Meeting with a leading Israel expert. This event, held in the eastern part of our community, will be an incredible opportunity to get an update on Israel affairs and have an opportunity to ask questions. Please ensure you RSVP no later than this coming Monday because no walk-ins will be allowed for this event.

As we are just about a week away from gathering with family and friends for Thanksgiving, I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving on behalf of myself and our Jewish Federations Board of Governors and Staff.