Your Global Reach

Your support of our local Jewish community in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys connects us to an incredible network of important work that supports Jewish communities around the world.

A Leader at Heart

 A veteran of Federation partner JDC’s youth leadership programs in Ukraine, Masha couldn’t wait to become a community leader in Donetsk. When conflict arrived, she was forced to flee to safety in Kharkov, becoming one of 2,800 internally displaced Ukrainian Jews.

But Masha refused to …

Standing in Unity With Israel, Flaws and All

Israel’s Yom Ha’atzmaut — Independence Day — is particularly meaningful for my family. My uncle brought his family to the country from Poland in 1936, and he and my aunt fought on the streets of Tel Aviv in the War of Independence in 1948. My grandmother’s sister and her husband es…

Safety From Fear and Violence

When fighting broke out in Donetsk, Ukraine between the government and separatist forces last year, Raisa Libenson believed she and her family would be safe at home.

It wasn’t until a mortar shell tore through the walls and furniture of her apartment, leaving the 78-year-old temporarily d…

One Year After the Earthquakes: Moving Mountains in Nepal

The future looked bright for Mira’s family. They were saving up and had even added a new room to their modest home. Then the twin earthquakes of 2015 destroyed all their progress. By helping her tap into her passion for sewing, Federation partner JDC helped Mira lift her family out of a te…

Dayenu — Would It Really Have Been Enough?

It is one of the most recognized tunes at the Passover seder. Dayenu — it would have been enough.

Every year, the lyrics take us through the Israelites’ escape from Egyptian slavery and their journey through the desert, as we sing about each gift — each miracle — that G-d bestowed a…