Shabbat Candlelighting 8:57 p.m.                                             Friday, June 1, 2012/11 Sivan 5772
 

This message has 476 words, and will take about one to two minutes to read.

Jewish Federation Board Approves Local Allocations
At our board meeting earlier this week, we approved local agency allocations from the 2011 Federation Annual Campaign. Despite a campaign result that was 2% lower than the prior year, we were able to sustain total local agency allocations at $3.43 million, the same level as the year before. This is a result of an earlier decision made in the wake of the 2008 financial downturn to create an Allocations Stabilization Fund. The purpose of the fund is to protect our local allocations, at least in the short-term, from some of the inevitable volatility we will experience over time in our fundraising efforts. As a result, our agencies are able to count on us for more reliable levels of support and have time to plan for change.

By leaning on the Allocations Stabilization Fund this year, we have avoided funding reductions to local agencies by about $90,000. Over this next year, we will have time to determine whether we are able to grow the campaign back to prior levels (and hopefully beyond); conversely we will have time to create a thoughtful plan with our agencies for funding reductions.

Our thanks to the group of committed volunteers who serve on the committee, and chair, Stephen Gaerber, for their extensive time in reviewing more than 50 proposals for funding from our 25 local beneficiary agencies. The Allocations Planning Committee report will be online shortly, after we have notified individual recipient agencies of their funding for the coming year.

Parashat Naso
This week’s parasha includes the text of the three-part Priestly Benediction, with which God instructs Moses to teach Aaron and his sons on how they should bless the Israelites. “May God bless you and keep watch over you. May God’s presence shine upon you and be kind to you. May God bestow favour upon you and grant you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26). These familiar blessings are now part of almost every significant ritual service and moment, in our prayer services, and recited at b’nai mitzvot and weddings. The blessings were a vehicle through which God connected with the Israelites, using the priests to bestow blessings upon the people.

Speaking last night at a Jewish National Fund event, Dennis Prager emphasized that Jewish history, both positive and negative, can really only be understood through the lens of our relationship with God, and God’s presence in our lives and our collective history. He argues that the context of God’s existence and relationship with the Jewish people is the only way to make sense of both why we have been the targets of such hatred throughout our history and why we have persevered. When we hear those three simple blessings recited, we are connected, individually and collectively, to the full sweep of Jewish history and experience.

Shabbat shalom!

 
This is an official email sent to you from the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. Federation respects and upholds an individual’s right to privacy and to protection of his or her personal information. We use personal data for providing up-to-date information on our objectives, services, to process donations.