This Muppet Movie's plot line (sorry if you haven't seen it yet and are still planning to) is that the Muppets disbanded as an entertainment group back in the 1980's; their home theater now in disrepair, is being purchased by an individual with the intention to destroy it to drill for oil underneath it; and the Muppets reunite to put on a telethon to raise money to repurchase the theater.

In modern day business parlance, the Muppets identified an issue, developed a strategy to address it, raised the resources and solved their problem.  That is exactly what we are doing at the Federation as we continue to form a strategic plan using our Vision statement (to have a thriving, vibrant and engaged Jewish community) and Mission statement (we raise and allocate funds and build community locally, in Israel, and around the world) as a backdrop.  The other thing I witnessed as I watched the Muppets was that they were willing to change.  They realized that they could continue with some of their old traditions, but at the same time recognized that new modalities had to implemented.

Let’s keep focused on that vision and mission and “someday, we’ll find it, the rainbow connection”.

Shabbat Shalom.

Jeff Finkelstein
President/CEO