Rosh Hashanah greetings from Federation's president

I assumed the presidency of The Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey almost one year ago. It is fair to say that it has been a year of both challenge and opportunity. Our economy is experiencing its worst recession since the Great Depression. The economic downturn has hit virtually every part of our society; not the least of which is the non-profit world.

Our donors have suffered. Our supporting organizations have seen a marked drop in the value of endowments and donor advised funds. Our own annual campaign and our agency-directed fundraising efforts are feeling the effects of the economy as well.

No group of people have felt the effects of this recession more than our clients, our consumers of service, our brothers and sisters in Israel, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. They are the most in need and the least recession proof.

What have we at Federation done to address the challenge of meeting increased needs with diminished resources? We formed a special task force as part of our finance committee to recommend a series of cost-saving measures. Some of them placed burdens on our devoted staff and include salary freezes, selected layoffs and retrenchments. A revitalized planning committee was formed to identify impact areas for funding and to match resources to needs with an eye toward prioritizing the services that need our continued support. We have worked in concert with the Saltzman Foundation, our major funder in the areas of seniors and children in financial need, to prioritize our grant requests and initiate honest and thoughtful evaluations. Our finance committee has looked at a variety of costsaving measures, ranging from health insurance to energy to synergies with other federations around the state. We have done this and much more, and to be perfectly honest, we have much more to do; more difficult and unpopular decisions to make; more hurdles to overcome.

What we haven't done is given up on our approach to annual fundraising with Donor Development as its centerpiece and Federation's annual campaign as our most significant vehicle. We remain committed to telling our story; becoming more donor centered and meeting our donors where they are to match our community Jewish needs with their philanthropic objectives. We will utilize our annual campaign, planned giving, corporate sponsorships, agency fundraising, and directed gifts for our future. All of these elements will be placed within a context of newly minted guidelines to insure the integrity of our system and the growth of our agencies and the vital services they provide.

We also haven't moved one degree from supporting a system of agencies that are on the front line of delivering social services to Southern New Jersey. Our Katz Jewish Community Center is simply one of the best in the country. The same can be said of the Samost Jewish Family and Children's Service, our Jewish Community Relations Council, our Jewish Federation Publications, our Jewish Community Foundation, our Jewish Federation Senior Housing and Healthcare Service, and our Department of Jewish Education. Yes, I am prejudiced, but prejudiced with ample justification.

In addition to the steps already mentioned, we have not allowed ourselves to believe for one minute that the year 5770 cannot be a year of growth, or honoring our tradition of feeding the poor, clothing the needy, housing the homeless, educating all who thirst for knowledge and enhancing the quality of Jewish life in general. With the help and support of our community, may the coming year be a year of change, progress, positive growth and compassionate giving. May we work together for peace and security for our beloved Israel and may we always remember every Jew in need in every corner of the world.

Lastly, may we never shrink from this task. May we never give in to despair. May we achieve these possibilities together.

L'Shana Tovah to you and to your families. .