The Jewish Federation 2016 Report to the Community Our Federation identifies and addresses our greatest challenges and opportunities. We built this Jewish community and have been at its center for over 100 years. As the Federation of today, we are the one Jewish organization in Los Angeles that is as focused on the future as much as the present. We have both the 35,000-foot view required to plan for tomorrow and the hands-on partnerships that make it possible for us to care for our community today. We do this in collaboration with our organizational partners and our most committed leaders and donors. As a result, our work is strategic, impactful, and inspiring. We focus on Los Angeles, and serve as a global Jewish leader, doing essential work in Israel and throughout the Jewish world. Ultimately, it’s not what we do but why we do it — which is to create the kind of enduring Jewish community we all want and need, based on shared goals and Jewish values. 2 MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY Dear Friends, On behalf of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, our lay leaders, and professional staff, we thank you for your generous support in 2016. Because of you, we are able to identify and address our city’s greatest challenges and opportunities — caring for our community today, and strengthening our shared Jewish future. We work in collaboration with organizational partners and our most committed leaders and donors to create the most strategic, impactful, and inspiring work possible. This report offers a glimpse into the local and global mark on Jewish life we made together in 2016 — and continue to make. We are grateful for your long-standing support and partnership in our mission to touch every Jewish life in L.A., Israel, and the world — starting with yours. With sincere appreciation, Julie B. Platt Jay Sanderson Chair of the Board President & CEO 3 2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Julie B. Platt Lynn Bider Campaign Members Ex Officio Chair of the Board Chair of Caring for Jews in Need Debi Graboff Rabbi Morley Feinstein Strategic Initiative Women’s Campaign Co-Chair Larry Rauch Rochelle Cohen Jay Sanderson Vice Chair S. Alan Rosen Kathy Guccione Marvin Schotland Chair of Finance & Women’s Campaign Co-Chair Frank Maas Administration Committee Vice Chair George Hess Leon Janks Albert Z. Praw Valley Alliance Campaign Audit Chair Vice Chair Co-Chair Jill Namm Heidi Monkarsh Lisa Hess Valley Alliance Chair Secretary, Chair of Ensuring the Valley Alliance Campaign Jewish Future Strategic Initiative Co-Chair Jesse Gabriel Jesse Sharf Chair of Community Chair of Financial Resource Engagement Strategic Initiative Development Committee At Large Members Andrew Altshule Ari Eisenberg Ada Horwich Marc Rohatiner Jonathan Anschell Shawn Evenhaim Sharon Janks Richard Sandler Debbie K. Attanasio Josh Feffer Ken Kahan Moshe Sassover Howard Bernstein Cece Feiler Mark Lainer Dana Sayles Leslie E. Bider Larry Freeman Jonathan Littman Terri Smooke Derek Brown Rodney Freeman Virginia Maas Glenn Sonnenberg Lynette Brown Shelley Freeman Harold Masor Michael Tuchin Andrea Cayton Nancy Glaser Karmi Monsher Mark Weinstein Jerome Coben Abner Goldstine Steven Nichols Brian Weisberg Nancy S. Cohen Steven Gordon Larry Post Orna Wolens Jonathan Cookler Daniel Gryczman Kenneth Pressberg Michael Ziering 4 CARING FOR JEWS IN NEED Around the world, we support Jews in crisis and Jewish renewal. We provide assistance to Jews in need, extend a helping hand here and abroad, and fortify our community by offering opportunities for inclusion. 5 CARING FOR JEWS IN NEED LOS ANGELES The Ezra Network responsibilities and become self-advocates. This initiative was We provided social service assistance from job counseling to launched with a grant from the Jewish Community Foundation. 1,636 individuals at 20 synagogues legal services and more to We developed seven new program partnerships: throughout L.A., offering convenience, comfort, and JVS ExperienceWorks; Aish Tamid Community Educational confidentiality. Resource Center; Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters College Los Angeles Jewish Abilities Center (LAJAC) Guidance & Scholarship Program; Jewish Family Service This community resource for Jewish adults with special Training for Caregivers of Holocaust Survivors; The Miracle needs and caregivers features a comprehensive website, case Project for Adults; Camp Ramah in California Ezra Vocational management, and a “Knowledge is Power” workshop series. Training; and Jewish Family Service Paraprofessional 6 We helped nearly 3,000 people understand their rights and Training Program. CARING FOR JEWS IN NEED ISRAEL Village Way Educational Initiative Unistream Our new partnership with Yemin Orde’s Village Way Educational We leveraged and expanded our already existing partnership Initiative trained educators in a step-by-step work process to with Unistream to impact 1,500 alumni and 2,000 teens in 13 empower youth to realize their full potential and help them Entrepreneurship Centers throughout Israel. This positively feel more connected to their communities, which they then affected participants’ life trajectories — from pursuing implemented in their schools. Teachers successfully impacted academic achievement, social activism, and meaningful military 1,390 at-risk youth in two communities. service to choosing a profession and kickstarting careers. 7 ENGAGING WITH OUR COMMUNITY We educate and advocate for Israel throughout Los Angeles and work with our neighbors to make our city better for us all. 8 ENGAGING WITH OUR COMMUNITY BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS We emphasized the importance of building relationships with In 2016, we held six Community Service Days with community by celebrating Rosh Hashanah, Passover and 500 volunteers, drawing from a volunteer base of Hanukkah with Federation and elected, community, and 3,200 individuals and working with established religious leaders. partnerships of over 60 organizations. We launched the Edah Rabbinic Fellowship, with rabbis from L.A. synagogues who received training on effecting change and engaging millennials. 9 ENSURING THE JEWISH FUTURE We reach out to our youngest generation and transform the young adult community to secure a strong, vibrant Jewish future. 10 ENSURING THE JEWISH FUTURE OUR WORK WITH CHILDREN AND TEENS FROM BIRTH THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL LAJTI (Los Angeles Jewish Teen Initiative) The PJ Library® program in Los Angeles In partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation, we touched the lives In partnership with The Harold Grinspoon Foundation, we gifted of over 12,000 Jewish teens and engaged over 430 teens through over 11,500 Los Angeles children ages six months through eight compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences that support them years old with free Jewish-content books and music. We expanded in leading healthy and fulfilled lives. Over 100 teen educators from our Community Connectors program in three neighborhoods to 50 organizations benefitted from our professional development build micro-communities to connect families who have children opportunities, provided in partnership with Builders of Jewish ages 0-2. PJ Our Way (PJOW) for tweens ages 9-11 launched a Education (BJE). We launched our new Teen Innovation Awards, Youth Advisory Board to empower over 900 Los Angeles tweens providing inventive teens with support and resources to experiment in their own online space. with new ideas for how they want to be Jewishly engaged. 11 ENSURING THE JEWISH FUTURE OUR WORK WITH YOUNG ADULTS Community Leadership Institute (CLI) NuRoots CLI prepared 70 young professionals ages 25-40 to be Through 1,000+ one-on-one meetings, 50 intimate neighborhood knowledgeable and strategic leaders to successfully hold gatherings, and three citywide holiday festivals, NuRoots positions on boards and committees of Los Angeles-based continued to empower people in their 20s and 30s to create Jewish organizations and initiatives. meaningful community across Los Angeles. Working in collaboration with young people and inspired by Jewish culture, heritage, and values, NuRoots reimagines Jewish life through creative experiences and innovative partnerships. 12 ENSURING THE JEWISH FUTURE OUR WORK WITH YOUNG ADULTS YALA (Young Adults of Los Angeles) Campus Life We welcomed more than 1,000 Jewish Angelenos in their 20s Through our 15 campus partnerships at six L.A. campuses, and 30s at over 60 social, professional, cultural, volunteer, and over 15,000 Jewish college students across Los Angeles leadership events. found a safe space to feel welcome on campus as well as ways RuJuLA to express their Jewish values and political opinions. Our Russian-speaking Jewish young professionals network Our partners created programs to reach freshmen longing offered more than 20 educational, cultural, social, and for home and tradition, helping them find comfort in Shabbat holiday celebration events for Jewish young professionals services and dinners. They also provided graduate students and families with young children. with networking opportunities at monthly Shabbats. 13 ENSURING THE JEWISH FUTURE OUR WORK WITH YOUNG ADULTS Birthright Israel LA Way engagement fellowship created over 50 high-quality programs We sent over 800 young adults to Israel in 2016 on our for their friends and peers at grassroots events attended by “LA Way” community Birthright Israel trips. Representing over 800 people. Jewish Angelenos ages 18-29, including students from Onward Israel LA sent its second cohort of 20 Los Angeles USC Hillel, Hillel at UCLA, Hillel 818, and a group of young students and young