August 2020 Why Ben Gurion Keeps Smiling – Palm Springs’ Visionary Partnership with Ramat Hanegev Eran Doron, Mayor-Ramat Hanegev From
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Jewish Community News www.jfedps.org The Publication of the Jewish Federation of the Desert Av/Elul 5780 - August 2020 Why Ben Gurion Keeps Smiling – Palm Springs’ Visionary Partnership with Ramat HaNegev Eran Doron, Mayor-Ramat HaNegev from. Ramat Hanegev Regional Council constitutes 22% of the landmass of the State of Israel, but only 8,050 residents. In its five year plan, Ramat haNegev set a goal- from 8,000 residents to 40,000 residents by the 2048. The long outstanding partnership In 2048, Israel’s 100th year, we between Ramat HaNegev and are expecting that the population the Jewish Community of Palm of the state of Israel will almost Springs and Desert Area is based double itself and stand at 15 on mutual values shared by both million people. Given the current our communities, namely, the situation in which the center of the promoting of quality education & country is extremely populated, this Jewish life and ensuring its continuity growth will not be possible without for future generations, the unity the development of the Negev – of Jewish people worldwide and construction of housing units, strengthening the State of Israel. development of commerce and the One who travels in our region, economy, creating work places, and which is about 90 Km South of the development of a high-quality Beer-Sheva, in Southern Israel, will education infrastructure of a new no doubt notice the huge impact order of magnitude. It is our duty that the Jewish community of Palm to ensure that this development Springs has created in our lives in is conducted in an informed this remote periphery area of Israel, manner that will on the one hand namely: enables development, and protects Kindergartens & daycare facilities environmental values and our in our different communities, precious desert, on the other hand. servicing dozens of infants and If we want Israel of 2048 to look toddlers. like the Zionist dream rather than Yearly grants which foster major Taiwan, we should invest in the educational year-long and summer Negev now. The good news is that activities for Nitzana region youth we have some impressive leaders (Nitzana region with the only 5 in the Negev, a clear vision and an Jewish communities located directly excellent infrastructure to grow continued on page 4 Coming Together During Difficult Times I am excited with how who can help and have stepped Roberta our Federation staff has up to the plate. The needs in our Nyman spearheaded innovative programs community are real and the demands JewishOF Federation THE DESERTto keep us engaged while we shelter on our resources are significant and Board Chair at home. I am pleased with our growing. partnership with the rabbis in our I would like to share a quote of community to offer meaningful and Kobi Yamada that I feel describes These have been unusual and substantive programming. Thank you our community: difficult times. The members of our to all who are participating in this “There is nothing stronger than the Jewish community have, for the most special series. heart of a volunteer. With it beats part, kept their distances and have I am proud of all of you as you deal the spirit of service, generosity and been safe. We have lost a few people with this new reality. It is encouraging compassion – and the health and to COVID-19 and others have been to hear from our rabbis that more wellbeing of our community, our very ill but are recovering, for which people are “attending” the online country and our world.” we are so very grateful. I am proud services and classes than did so when Thank you for your service, 2019-2020 of how many of you stepped up attendance meant getting in our cars generosity, and compassion. JEWISH FEDERATION and contributed to our fundraising and going to services, classes, and programs. You have adapted so well. Roberta Nyman BOARD OF DIRECTORS requests, allowing our Federation to play an important role in helping feed Kudos for rising to the occasion. Chairman of the Board Roberta Nyman, Board Chair the hungry of our desert community. And thank you to those of you Lori Fritz, Campaign Chair Arnie Gillman, Vice Campaign Chair Phil Glass, Treasurer Stephanie Ross, Secretary Celia Norian, Past Co-Chair Bruce Landgarten, Chief Executive Officer Elliott Cohen Ron Langus Jackie Cohen Bernard Reiter Judith Cohen Gary Schahet Bobbi Holland Table of Contents Vol. 47 • No. 1 Community Calendar 10 Federation 1-3, 9 Legacy 3 PJ Library 19 Women's Philanthropy 6 Simchas & Classifieds 22 Temples Listing 10 Tributes 16-17 ORDER YOUR HIGH HOLIDAY ADS - SEE BACK PAGE 2 • JCN • August 2020 • Av/Elul 5780 • www.jfedps.com New Realities, New Strategies and on Federation, on campaigns and So, what is missing? practices. The acknowledgment that on endowments. And let’s face it— At the moment it is the impetus to core infrastructure will be there for all not every organization or institution come together, to think and plan as a of us and the assurance that valuable Bruce can make it. Some were on shaky community, to consider how to create components of the communal Landgarten ground before COVID-19. At greater efficiency and alignment from landscape will not be sacrificed Jewish Federation times, overbuilding was a result of our disparate, component parts. We simply because, at this moment, for Chief Executive diffuse community planning and an need share-of-mind and attention a particular institution, there appears Officer environment in which compelling ideas from those who have the most to offer to be insufficient, short-term financial or notions found the support and to the critical planning we must do. We wherewithal. interest required to bring those ideas need it to address the pivotal question: Hillel the Elder’s most famous lesson, It is difficult to verbalize what our to life, but having perhaps done so How can we join hands to assure that found in Pirkei Avot (“The Wisdom country and community has been without an understanding of broader this community will have what it needs of Our Ancestors”), says "If I am not through in the last several months. community needs and the community’s to provide for its Jewish future, when for myself, who will be for me? But if I Looking back to the start of the durable capacity to meet them. this crisis is finally behind us? am only for myself, what am I? And, if pandemic, when our world was turned Back in 2008, during the Great Partnership and collaboration. not now, when?" Now is a time to draw on its head, the climate was chaotic and Recession, the pressures on the Jewish Shared resources—human, physical, upon this wisdom, together, before filled with uncertainty. We have each community were compounded by and economic. The junction between market forces make our strategic been met with varying degrees of huge losses in financial markets and ambition and expectation, between decisions for us. personal loss and disruption to daily radical reductions in valuations of good intentions and sound business life. communal endowment and foundation As the COVID-19 virus rapidly assets. Those pressures also undercut evolved, we were and are humbled annual campaigns and crippled nearly by the generosity and responsiveness every organization dependent upon of our caring Jewish community. Our fundraising and philanthropy. There Emergency Response Fund has helped was no safe harbor. to address the most immediate and Twelve years later, the circumstances pressing community needs. I am proud are markedly different. On March 1, of how our Federation has worked 2020, the cumulative charitable assets to help our low-income population and resources in the hands of the North and become a source of support and American Jewish community may never resources. We have fed and cared for have been larger. Foundation assets, our most vulnerable. We have helped endowment portfolios, and institutional the food insecure in our community reserves had enjoyed the benefits of a through our support of FIND and decade-long bull market and major its food market sites throughout our stock indices seemed routinely to be desert community. For our Jewish hitting new highs. The pandemic has community isolating at home, we have certainly made a dent but, to date, provided weekly community wide only a modest one. Those assets and healing and prayers in partnership with resources so effectively managed and our Rabbis. safeguarded over these years seem We have risen to the challenge. While poised to provide the means to meet there is still much to be determined, the strategic challenges of the rainy day there is one thing that remains certain: no one saw coming. Our Federation is here. We will always We have infrastructure. We have be here. resources. We have leaders who are In the face of changes, a good dedicated, and extraordinary, both deal of soul-searching is underway. lay and professional. We have a Every institution and organization is common crisis. And we have a shared scrambling to find a pathway through commitment to a better, stronger, more the crisis. There is huge pressure on vibrant, more dynamic Jewish future. boards and on funders, on foundations JCN • August 2020 • Av/Elul 5780 • www.jfedps.com • 3 continued from page 1 are facing are not simple, but this we must make sure that future alongside the 200 Km of the border forces us to become more creative, development will be done rationally, JEWISH with Egypt). more precise, and focused. allowing the developments needed COMMUNITY Yearly grants which foster emotional The title of the 5-year development but keeping the environmental values treatments and programs at the program is “ Ramat HaNegev – where of our beloved desert – the Negev.