CEO Letter 8.30.19

This column marks the end of our fiscal year and I am energized by the many opportunities that lie ahead for our organization and our community.  It is also hopefully an exciting time for students commencing their new academic year.  Best of luck to everyone from the earliest grades of preschool through those embarking on advanced degrees beyond college.

You know I am a big advocate of opportunities to enrich one’s education. Our Jewish teens have access to a fantastic program called Sababa where they can connect with peers and learn a wide variety of cool topics including yoga, cooking, Kabbalah, photography, journalism, and many more. And all of this is being kicked off, literally, with the Sababa Kickball Kickoff on September 8 at the JCC.  I hope you’ll join me and Sally Jo Bronner for this fun afternoon, but even if you miss it, you can still register your teen for the upcoming season.  Thank you to Lois Lehrman Grass for her ongoing generous financial support of Sababa.

For my own personal enrichment, I’ve just started reading An Oasis in Time: How a Day of Rest Can Save Your Life, by Marilyn Paul, which will be part of a Zoom discussion with other Federation CEOs. My new dog, Riley, tried to eat my book, but luckily she only damaged the cover so I’m looking forward to the insights and will share more in a future column.  I also plan to attend as many Federation and community cultural and religious programs as possible as they help me refill my cup.

I started by sharing that I’m enthusiastic about the year ahead. The reason I didn’t provide a recap of this year is because our October 11 edition will be for our “JAAM” (Joint Annual Agency Meeting) and share many of the highlights from this past year. I hope you will save October 24 (7pm) to celebrate with us and our other local agencies- The Campus of the Jewish Home, Jewish Family Service, The Jewish Community Foundation of Central Pennsylvania, and The Silver Academy, as we install our board members, recognize staff for special years of service, and celebrate those who are being recognized for their award winning service to our agencies.

Please let me know your thoughts on how we can enrich our community together in the year ahead. I can be reached at 717-236-9555 x3104 or j.ross@jewishfedhbg.org.