Our new Jewish Federation Volunteer Center is off to a great start at engaging people in meaningful volunteer roles.  Our Mitzvah Day in December had a record turnout of over 700 participants.  And now, we are recruiting for an international effort called Good Deeds Day.  March 10th will bring together communities around the world to encourage volunteerism.  In this, our very first week of active recruitment, we have already registered over 300 people.  I encourage you to check out the details about Good Deeds Day and sign up by clicking here.

Earlier this week, I was privileged to participate in a “ribbon cutting” for a new staff lounge at the JAA.  The staff who work there are on the front line in caring for our community’s seniors.  I know how difficult and challenging their jobs can be.  It is great that they now have a place to enjoy lunch and a little bit of rest so that they can provide the very best care to our “parents”, thereby fulfilling one of those Ten Commandments we heard during last week’s Torah reading, “Honor our mother and father”.

Last night, Avi Munro (Head of School at Community Day School), Ed Frim (Executive Director at the Agency for Jewish Learning) and I spoke as part of a panel discussion with the USY Board of Congregation Beth Shalom.  These teens were trying to figure out how they as leaders of the youth group can better engage more teens in our community.  I walked away reinvigorated knowing that we have highly engaged and high quality teen leadership in this town.  I know that all the other youth groups the Federation supports financially, NCSY, NFTY and BBYO  along with the Diller Teen Fellows program have equally motivated leadership. 

I will not deny that money is important and growing our financial resources is critical for our communal success.  Our campaign currently has crossed $7 Million towards our goal of $13,350,000.  But the campaign isn’t supported by dollars, it is supported by generous people with their dollars.

We are lucky to live in a region with some of the best people around.

Shabbat Shalom. 

P.S.  Looking forward to seeing our Pittsburgh snowbirds at our annual Snowbirds Event in Boca Raton this Sunday!