The Work We Do

(1) Israel advocacy. During 2008 we’re sponsoring events celebrating Israel’s 60th anniversary, from musical performances and film screenings to cooking lessons and in-depth lectures. We’ve also spearheaded efforts to help free Israeli captives Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit, like advocating for precedent-setting NJ state legislation urging action on their behalf. We will continue to seek Gilad Shalit’s freedom and we mourn the loss of Goldwasser and Regev.

(2) Holocaust commemoration. We develop and host our annual Holocaust commemoration ceremony. This year, close to 900 people attended, making the event the largest Jewish communal gathering hosted by Federation. We’ve also initiated a “Twinning” program to build ties between survivors and young people. We seek to further broaden our audience and to develop compelling future memorial rituals.

(3) Government relations. We liaise with local, state and federal elected officials. We present the view point of the Jewish community on issues including caring for the elderly and funding for programs for the poor. This year our advocacy raised close to $400,000 for aging-in-place and homeland security programs.

(4) Social justice and inter-faith relations. We advocate for an end to the genocide in Darfur by sponsoring events and participating in several coalitions. As part of a local inter-faith Darfur coalition we helped develop materials for high schools in New Jersey, which were distributed by the state’s Holocaust Commission; created a conference for student journalists focused on Darfur; hosted lectures and screened films. We participate in local inter-faith counsels on a broad variety of issues and seek to strengthen ties with leaders of other communities. We also seek to connect the local Jewish community with meaningful environmental initiatives, including disseminating information about ways to reduce carbon emissions.