Dear community member,Dear community member, Recently, a group of lay and professional leaders in the community met to discuss the “big picture” of our Jewish community. We have long functioned without a Strategic Plan, and our community-wide institutions are struggling with a shortage of funds and difficulty keeping active board members. Jewish Federation felt that the time had come to bring people in the community together to discuss where we are going, what we should – or should not – be doing and/or offering to the community, and how we can both better serve the community and strengthen our institutions. I have been asked to lead this project and I am honored and energized by the confidence being placed in me. I am writing to ask you for your help. Far from a secretive, closed-door process, I want one that engages everyone we can reach and which at least strives to incorporate a wide range of concepts and ideas. When things go sour it is easy to cry: “the community doesn’t support us!” but I remind others that this lack of support is a message; perhaps we aren’t offering what people feel is worth supporting, or else they just don’t know what we are doing. I am about to pose a series of questions to you. Don’t think of this as a survey, meant to be answered question by question. If you do, you’ll just hit the delete button. Please don’t do that! Think about the questions and then, write answers to any parts you want to address, or write what it makes you think about that isn’t even the answer to the question; or talk to your friends and neighbors about it; forward it to other people who may well not be on my limited email list (or to your whole list, within the Jewish community). Even better, contact me (Federation office: 471-9811) about having a Parlor Meeting in your home- invite 10 or 15 people you know to come discuss these issues. I or a member of my Board will come, to facilitate the discussion and to note what is being said. It is my belief that if we enter into open-minded discussion about what will and will not work in our community as we move forward, the “truth” will bubble naturally to the surface and we will make the right decisions. I am not taking the approach of looking at what we have and do now and picking it apart or putting band-aids on it. I’d like to take a fresh look, with you, at what we need and then try to work together to figure out how to reconfigure what we have, or if need be, to start from scratch to fulfill as many of those needs as possible. If you would like to respond via email or to be added to my email list for future updates and queries, send an email to director@jewishdutchess.org Warmly, Bonnie Meadow Executive Director Jewish Federation of Dutchess County Apart from synagogues, what kind(s) of Jewish organization(s) does this community need? Do we need something, some way to bring the Jewish community together, across synagogue lines and including the un-affiliated? What would that be? In a community that is spread over an entire county (and spilling into at least 2 others, Putnam and Ulster), how do we create a Jewish “neighborhood”? What would get you to come and participate? What would seem so right to you that you would support it financially, even if you did not partake in it yourself, because you would feel it was the right thing, what the community needs? What services do we need to be providing to our Jewish population? (suggested in no particular order of importance) · Education o Early childhood o Afternoon Hebrew education o Adult education o Jewish culture o Israel history/perspectives o Other · Human Services o Counseling and support for individuals and families in crisis o Services for Seniors, social opportunities, guidance, health issue awareness, etc. o Support groups o Parenting help o Interfaith counseling · Social and recreational opportunities o Trips, shows o Aquatic activities o Sports leagues, athletic opportunities o Fitness Center · Central support services to help o Combat anti-Semitism o Interactions with the non-Jewish community, such as § Holocaust education support § Sensitivity to Jewish issues § Better understanding of Israel’s concerns § Jewish-Non Jewish relations o Raise money for the needs of worldwide Jewry, including Israel’s most vulnerable When most of our institutions were established Jews couldn’t join other health, fitness and sports clubs. We created Jewish ways and means to come together and relax (summers at Camp Jekoce many remember), play on teams, socialize, work out. In today’s world, are these concepts outdated? If so, what should take their place? How do we keep from losing a sense of Jewish community in a world where we are by and large accepted into society?