L’dor v’dor—from generation to generation—captures one of the deepest truths of Jewish life. Our communities endure because each generation chooses to receive, renew, and pass forward what matters most. That is the work of leadership: to turn our values into action and strengthen what we will one day leave behind.

That theme came to life for me this past week at my first BBYO Convention at Camp BB, where Rob Nagus from Calgary Jewish Federation and I met with teens to talk about Jewish leadership and the issues weighing on them most. Unsurprisingly, antisemitism surfaced immediately—but it was still painful to see how universal that experience has become. When we asked whether anyone in the room had not encountered antisemitism directly, not a single hand went up. Our youth are navigating extraordinary challenges to their identity and to their connection with Israel.

And yet what stood out most was their strength. These teens spoke openly about how they support one another and how Jewish spaces deepen their sense of identity and belonging. They were thoughtful, engaged, and impressive, in particular in the culminating fireside chat with the whole group.  Our message to them was simple: leadership begins with showing up—for your peers, for yourself, and for your community. Just as earlier generations built the institutions and relationships we rely on today, it is now our responsibility to sustain and strengthen them for those who come next.

That idea was echoed later in the week with the launch of the JAHSENA leadership and legacy book. This project preserves the stories and voices that anchor our communal memory, and Federation was honoured to help support it through funding and consultation. I hope many of you will read it and draw inspiration from the leaders whose vision helped shape Jewish Edmonton.

That same spirit is at the heart of the launch of the L'Chaim campaign to help bring our new JCC to life. More than a fundraising effort, it is an investment in a shared space where Jewish life can flourish for generations to come—where people will gather, learn, celebrate, and build community together.

For a community our size, continuity is not abstract. In our strategic plan, building a strong leadership pipeline is one of our most important priorities. If l’dor v’dor is to be more than an aspiration, we must invest intentionally in the leaders, relationships, and places that will carry our community forward.

That is why I was so moved by a thoughtful article from Karen Kollins of the Shalom Hartman Institute on the unique contributions of small and mid-sized communities to the Canadian Jewish story. Communities like ours are not peripheral to that story—they are essential to it.

Recognizing both the needs and strengths of communities like ours, Courageous Leaders Canada was launched through a partnership between the Shalom Hartman Institute and the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, Azrieli Foundation, Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation, and the Asper Foundation. This past winter, two of our staff members participated in the professionals’ deep dive and Israel experience. The work of strengthening leadership pipelines will continue this fall through the esteemed Wexner program, in which we are fortunate to have five participants. 

As Karen notes, when leaders see themselves as part of a national ecosystem rather than isolated actors, they begin to collaborate differently. I look forward to meeting with my CEO counterparts in Alberta this summer to continue those conversations. That same sense of shared responsibility also shapes our relationship with Israel.

One of the clearest expressions of that responsibility is our ongoing work in northern Israel. Through collaborative funding with our P2G partners, we continue to support regeneration in areas of urgent need—from employment recovery programs with JDC to youth resilience and mental health initiatives, including summer camps and community counsellors. Locally, our board has also approved a high-priority project through the Edmonton Israel Fund to restore the outdoor sports courts at our twinned school, Lev HaEmek, connected to Talmud Torah. Damaged by shrapnel during the war, this space now needs renewal so children can once again learn, gather, and play. This too is l’dor v’dor: investing in the resilience and future of the next generation.

While many of our missions have been postponed, our relationships have not. We continue to meet over Zoom with our partners in Etzba HaGalil and stay closely connected through regular messages and group chats. This past week, those messages intensified when we learned that a house in Metula had been struck by a UAV from Hezbollah just a few doors down from the home of our outgoing director, Meytal. Moments like these remind us that our partnerships are not abstract; they are deeply personal. This is how we honour our responsibility to one another—across generations, across communities, and across the Jewish world.

Wishing you a peaceful and meaningful Shabbat,

Shabbat Shalom,

Stacey