Last Shabbat I spoke about Hineni—stating Here I am and being counted among us. This Shabbat I am reflecting on a week that showed the power of our work together, As One. When we work for the greater good of our community, far more is possible than if we took any of it upon ourselves alone. 

Let me share a few examples:

1. Thanks to the generosity of a few donors at the very beginning of our United Jewish Appeal (UJA) campaign, we could take part in the Rogers Birdies for Kids tournament, securing $120,000 of funds for bursaries for Camp BB Riback, Talmud Torah School and BBYO—guaranteeing that Jewish families can access meaningful Jewish programs, among the strongest predictors of future community strength. The Birdies program has provided us with an additional Chai—$18,000 of matching dollars—adding to the life of our community.
2. A UJA gift supports programs and partnerships—a wonderful example is the Shalom Baby and PJ Library indoor playtime in partnership with Talmud Torah Society. Through this collaboration, families connect with each other and with our community. A recent newcomer from Israel expressed to us how her family could interact with the community through this program and what a difference it has made.
3. This week, the Jewish Family Services AGM reminded attendees of the incredible services available to our community, like newcomer supports, seniors’ home care, and grief and loss counselling. Their services are extensive, and the UJA campaign provides much-needed funds. Our collaborations with our beneficiary agencies extend to shared programming, whether the newcomer welcome Challah and Hummus annual event, the Jewish Peoplehood Series with Temple Beth Ora, and moments such as the Holocaust Survivors program with Johnny Daniels when he was in our city.
4. At the Jewish Archives and Historical Society of Edmonton and Northern Alberta AGM, we saw once again the value of having an accredited archive for our community. We are collaborating on a project to showcase the impact of members of our community in Edmonton for Jewish Heritage Month and are currently in collaboration with our historian Zion Barany to curate stories and materials from the archives for a future Holocaust education centre.
5. Are you aware of how our collective efforts combine with sister communities from across Canada to create an impact in Israel? Our own board member Geoffrey Mayer is also the vice chair of Jewish Federations of Canada-United Israel Appeal. Come to the AGM next Wednesday and hear more about how we connect to and support communities in Israel, made possible by long-standing commitments through your contribution.
6. At Beth Shalom, I joined Howie Sniderman this past weekend in a conversation about our recent trips to Israel and the representative work that each of us was doing simultaneously—he, at the World Zionist Congress, and me, in our partnership region. Our discussion showcased what we were seeing in Israeli society and how the Jewish people connect and bring the diaspora into the conversations that matter. I am eager to have an open dialogue with Rabbi Gila at Temple Beth Ora in the new year when she returns from her upcoming trip to Israel. 

To those of you who have already contributed a gift to the UJA campaign, we thank you for supporting our community. Working As One, we are accomplishing so much more than any single gift or organization can accomplish on its own. 

On this upcoming Giving Tuesday, we will welcome the next generation of leaders—BBYO teens—to our office. They will be ‘making the call’ for UJA. Let’s show them how their efforts are making a difference by answering the call. Every gift matters, every gift counts. 

I look forward to seeing you at the Jewish Federation, the Edmonton Jewish Community Charitable Foundation, and the Jewish Community Centre AGM this Wednesday, where we plan to share the highlights from this past year and some exciting news. You can register now.