Where does your campaign money go?

Many of our local agencies started out as committees of our Federation and with support from our Foundation blossomed into the agencies that service our community’s needs today. We currently give our support to seven local Jewish agencies. BERON Jewish Older Adult Services of Atlantic County (JOAS) which helps older adults maintain their independence and is actively involved in the community so they can live with dignity. The Board of Jewish Education promotes Jewish educational programming for youth and adults on a year-round basis. Trocki Jewish Community Day School of Atlantic and Cape May Counties provides excellent academic programs and Jewish studies within a supportive and intellectually challenging environment. Jewish Family Services of Atlantic County works to promote, strengthen and preserve individual, family and community well being in a manner that is consistent with Jewish philosophy and values. The Milton and Betty Katz Jewish Community Center of Atlantic County provides a myriad of services for the entire family, including quality child care, physical fitness, a summer camp and Jewish cultural and public affairs programs. Simon and Sylvia Zisman Seashore Gardens Living Center provides magnificent assisted living and long term care for the elderly.

We also provide funding for Jewish life at Richard Stockton College (Hillel) and Jewish Outreach at Atlantic Cape Community College. Federation was instrumental in partnership with Richard Stockton College in creating the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center which serves as a resource for the study of the Holocaust and its significance for the past, present and future generations. We are the primary local source providing subsidies to assist local youth to experience Israel. And we manage the Community Calendar where all agencies, synagogues and organizations coordinate the thousands of events and programs which take place throughout the year.

Through our Federation we have participated in the extremely successful program , Partnership 2000 (P2K), a “living bridge” project between the states of New Jersey and Delaware and the city of Arad and region of Tamar (the Dead Sea Region) in Israel which has coordinated hundreds of people exchanges, both lay and professional, in the past 12 years.

Did you know that Jewish Family Service agencies across North America provide help to more than 750,000 people each year? Our Federations in conjunction with our partners help care for 28,000 children and 188,000 elderly in the Former Soviet Union. And did you know that almost one third of Israel’s children (800,000) live below the poverty line? Because of limited resources today we can only helping about 80,000.

There is still much work to be done. In these tough economic times I’m reminded of the opening scene in “Fiddler on the Roof” when Tevye observes Reb Naum, the beggar asking “Alms for the poor” and in turn he is given one kopek. Reb Naum complains that last week he was given two kopeks. His benefactor tells him he had a tough week and Reb Naum laments, “So if you had a bad week, why should I suffer?”. Although there is humor in this exchange, the truth of the matter is that when times get tough it is those in need who suffer the most. We have a rich tradition of tzedakah. We have always as a community stepped up to the plate in times of crisis and did the just thing. We cannot afford to step back from our responsibilities now.

As the value of the dollar falls our money is buying fewer services. If you don’t already make a gift to the Federation please consider doing so. If you already do, please consider increasing your annual commitment to the Federation Campaign. The Jewish Federation is the only organization where your single gift touches so many lives around the corner, and around the world. Live Generously, It Does A World Of Good.