"An extended family with a collective purpose."
Each one of our local Jewish organizations and synagogues is like a precious gem, providing a unique shape and color, which contributes to the true value of our treasured Jewish community. Like a string of pearls, stretched out across Waterbury, through Oxford and the “bury’s,” and deep into the Litchfield hills, each one of our Federation’s constituent organizations is intricately connected and helps to define our greater Jewish community.
As unique as our organizations are, each individual community member is the reason our “Jewish enterprise” exists. Unlike years not too long ago, today’s Jewish community is hyper-pluralistic, which raises the question, “How do we meet the needs of our community members today, when our Jewish community member’s needs are so very diverse?” Answering this question requires constant review and attention by our Federation professionals, our dedicated Boards and committee volunteers, and by each member of our Jewish community. Together, we must seek answers which hold promise for our total Jewish enterprise, today and well into our future. Many individuals within our community turn to our local organizations and synagogues; they expect miracles from our rabbis, spiritual leaders and professionals, as they seek to make 3000 years of Jewish experience relevant. How does one bring their Jewishness alive, strengthen their Jewish identity, their values and incorporate basic Jewish precepts into their daily lives?
Many individuals involved in our local Jewish Federation believe that we hold a special role in this search for relevancy. They provide financial and other support to our Federation because they know that our community is only strong and healthy when each of us takes individual responsibility. In large part, the success of our organization comes from these individual “partners.” They enable us to provide a myriad of programs and services for our community members, allowing them to connect with their own “brand” of Jewishness.
Only Federation has the strength of the total Jewish community,
because we are all members, one and the same! We serve those within our community who are unaffiliated, and they rely on us so that they in turn remain involved, contributing back and strengthening our total Jewish experience. Our professional staff and capable volunteers care for the most vulnerable in our community through our Federation’s Brownstein Jewish Family Service. We provide our youngest community members a Jewish education through our William and Audrey Walzer Alef Bet Preschool, the premiere Jewish early educational institution within our regional area.
We are also proud of the support we provide to sustain Jews the world over, doing our part by accepting collective responsibility with other Jewish communities throughout North America. We do not distinguish Jews by denomination, gender or geography; we support Jews helping Jews and our primary role is to support and build Jewish community, here and wherever Jews are in need and yearn to be connected.
We must remember that in our eyes, and in the eyes of most of the rest of the world, WE are all the same ... Jewish. We encourage all in our community to visit our web site at www.jfed.net to know of our good work, and we ask that you to join us in your support of our local JEWISH Federation. The responsibility for our community is not just ours. Only our local Federation has the strength of our total Jewish community and the good we do, is up to you