Category: Leadership & Philanthropy

Earlier this month I traveled to Ukraine, Georgia, and Poland with a group of Federation executives to see firsthand the work our community makes possible through our partnership with JDC, The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, one of the leading Jewish humanitarian organizations. I am still reflecting on our time but wanted to share three things I learned:

There was a strong sense of optimism among the Ukrainians we met.

Although we only ventured as far as western Ukraine, which is quieter than other parts, the effects of the war were ever-present. We spoke with several families who had been uprooted several times in the last 15 years as the conflict has expanded, and others in the midst of rebuilding their lives.

And still, I was struck by how optimistic the community was about the future. Displaced or not, they had each other. The relationships they formed gave them a sense of purpose and a community to both sustain and rely upon.

The Jewish community in Georgia is an ancient Diaspora community, dating back 2,600 years to the Babylonian exile.

In Ukraine, I was inspired by people rebuilding Jewish life after displacement. In Georgia, I was equally inspired by a community that has preserved Jewish life for more than two millennia.

Though histories vary across countries, the story of Eastern European Jewry is one of extraordinary resilience alongside extraordinary tragedy. Through World War I, the Holocaust, decades of Soviet repression—when Jews were not allowed to practice openly—and countless other hurdles, these communities have had to swim against the current of history to hold onto their traditions, their identity, and one another. This has not been easy, and many Jewish communities in the region are much smaller than they once were. But there are signs of renewal, thanks to the efforts of young leaders on the ground, dedicated organizations like JDC, and communities like ours who care about investing in global Jewry.

JDC has been doing amazing work for a long time—thanks to partners like Federation.

I saw photos from 1919 of JDC feeding war refugees in Poland. And some from 1940 showing JDC workers providing basic goods and clothing to the Warsaw Ghetto (the organization even helped fund the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising). For over a century now the Jewish people have come together to care for the vulnerable, in response to and despite immense global challenges.

This work is still being done today while evolving to meet emerging needs. For instance, we visited one of JDC’s Hesed welfare centers in Ukraine, established after the fall of the Soviet Union to care for elderly and vulnerable Jews. There, we heard about how the local Jewish community is serving those in need while also expanding their mental health offerings, refugee services, early childhood programs, and more.

I am deeply grateful to all the JDC team members who welcomed us and to everyone who shared their stories. I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helps make the amazing work underway happen through their support of Federation.

We talk all the time about investing in Jewish life and making good on the belief that we are all responsible for one another. This trip allowed me to see this promise in action. My time confirmed that one of the Jewish people’s greatest strengths is our willingness to show up for each other—a tradition as vital today as it has ever been.

P.S. I only scratched the surface here. If you’d like to hear more about the remarkable people I met and see additional photos from the trip, I hope you’ll watch the recording of our webinar. And if these stories remind you, as they did me, of what’s possible when we show up for one another, I invite you to support Federation’s Annual Campaign. Your generosity helps make partnerships like this a reality.

Keeping our Jewish community safe is one of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington’s highest priorities. As antisemitism continues to rise, protecting Jewish life requires more than physical security—it requires trusted partnerships, coordinated planning, and a community-wide approach.

Through JShield, Federation’s community security initiative, we work every day to strengthen the safety and resilience of Jewish organizations across Greater Washington. By building strong relationships with local, state, and federal government agencies as well as law enforcement, we help secure the resources, expertise, and public investment our community needs to meet today’s evolving security challenges.

We’re grateful to share that this work recently received an important investment from the State of Maryland. Federation has been awarded nearly $180,000 through Maryland’s Protecting Against Hate Crimes (PAHC) grant program, building on $200,000 awarded in 2026.

This funding helps ensure JShield’s community-wide security trainings and programs remain available free of charge to Jewish organizations across Greater Washington. In 2025 alone, JShield partnered with 134 organizations, delivered 88 security trainings to more than 2,350 participants, and conducted 261 one-on-one consultations to help organizations assess vulnerabilities, strengthen emergency procedures, and build a stronger culture of security.

Beyond delivering training, JShield helps organizations navigate the often-complex process of applying for government security grants, including the PAHC grant program, helping unlock critical public funding that strengthens security across our community.

This latest award will also support security infrastructure enhancements at Federation, JCRC of Greater Washington, Makom, and other Jewish organizations serving thousands of community members each year.

JShield’s impact extends far beyond any one institution. Federation convenes Jewish organizations, security professionals, law enforcement, and government partners to share information, identify trends, coordinate responses, and strengthen preparedness across our region. Together, we’re building a connected, resilient community where no organization has to navigate today’s security challenges alone.

Public investment like this doesn’t replace community philanthropy—it amplifies it. Here in Greater Washington, many Jewish organizations have doubled or even tripled their security budgets, forcing difficulty choices between investing in security and funding the programs that strengthen Jewish life.

Government funding helps offset those costs, while philanthropic support makes it possible for Federation to sustain and expand JShield’s work, respond to emerging threats, and provide expert security services at no cost to Jewish organizations. Together, these investments create a safer, more resilient Jewish community. In 2025 alone, JShield helped local Jewish institutions secure more than $5.25 million in federal and state security funding, and this latest Maryland PAHC award builds on that momentum.

Our goal is to raise $1 million to strengthen the safety and security of Jewish Greater Washington. To help us get there, a group of generous donors are currently matching the first $375,000 in gifts to JShield, doubling your impact. Every gift helps ensure Jewish organizations across Greater Washington continue to receive expert security training, grant assistance, emergency preparedness resources, and coordinated support, at no cost to those who need it most.

Make your gift today and help build a safer, more prepared Jewish community.

A summer away from home. A dining hall full of noise. A Shabbat filled with song and dance. A friendship that started in a bunk and is still going strong twenty years later.

Ask an American Jew what first made them feel “Jewish,” and there’s a decent chance the answer involves summer camp.

Jewish overnight camp is one of the key ways that Judaism becomes an immersive way of life. For families in the DMV, Capital Camps has been that introduction for nearly four decades.

What actually happens at Capital Camps?

The short answer: a lot.

Located in the Catoctin Mountains of Pennsylvania, just 75 miles from DC, Capital Camps is the premier Jewish community overnight camp in the region. A core partner of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, each summer, more than 900 campers and 180 staff come together across multiple village programs. Programming spans waterfront activities, a ropes course, theater & arts through the Habima program, a working farm, and Jewish life experiences that run through the entire summer. A 700-person dining hall serves kosher meals (meat, dairy, and pareve kitchens, if you were wondering), and staff provide daily opportunities for campers to connect with Jewish text, tradition, and community.

First-time campers enter through the Yalla program, a specially designed experience for children navigating camp for the very first time. Older campers transition into leadership programming that, for many, becomes their first tangible leadership experience: running a Shabbat, taking responsibility for a cabin, or mentoring a younger camper.

Capital Camps also works to ensure that different groups feel included and that they can enjoy everything the summer camp experience has to offer. The Atzma’im inclusion program ensures that children of any denominational affiliation, gender, race, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status, including those with a range of intellectual, emotional, and physical abilities can fully participate in the camp experience. The campus is fully ADA compliant and support staff is available for medical and mental health services. Through annual partnerships with Friends of the IDF, Israeli campers who have lost someone through conflict are welcomed to camp, a reminder that the camp’s community extends well beyond its 75-mile radius.

How does the Foundation support camp?

Access to transformative Jewish experiences is one of the most powerful investments a community can make. Research shows that Jewish overnight camp creates lasting connection to Jewish identity, community, and leadership in ways that are difficult to replicate.

Study after study, from the Foundation for Jewish Camp to Brandeis University’s Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, finds that Jewish camp alumni are more likely to marry Jewish partners, raise Jewish children, donate to Jewish causes, and remain engaged in Jewish communal life across the arc of their adulthood. The mechanism is straightforward: immersive, joyful, community-based experiences during formative years create an attachment to Jewish life that withstands the drift of adulthood.

We know this, and yet, cost remains one of the primary reasons families don’t send their children to Jewish overnight camp. If we can lower this barrier to access, we know we can create strong and vibrant future generations of Jews.

Scholarship funding exists to remove this exact barrier.

The Jewish Community Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington is proud to support the expansion of access to transformative experiences like Capital Camps through strategic philanthropy and scholarship funding through both Donor Advised Funds and Legacy Gifts. Because one of the truths we keep returning to in this work is that belonging isn’t something you can teach in the abstract. It has to be lived. And the experiences that young people carry with them into adulthood, their sense of Jewish identity, their instinct toward community, their capacity for leadership, are often rooted in summers like this one.

Ready to learn more?

If you’re a donor thinking about where camp scholarship funding goes, it goes here: to a child who might not otherwise have access to the people, the places, and their connection to Jewry they just haven’t met yet.

The Catoctin Mountains are waiting!

While touring one of the oldest synagogues in Mexico City on our recent Women’s Philanthropy mission, our guide said something that has stayed with me.

“There are so many ways to be Jewish.”

That is the beauty of Judaism. There is no single way to feel connected, to be seen, or to create meaning within this religion and this community. There are countless ways. While I had heard that before, standing where I was standing, surrounded by the people I was traveling with, it landed differently. It felt truer than ever.

As co-chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington’s Women’s Philanthropy Mission to Mexico City, I had the privilege of helping lead a group of extraordinary women through an experience that moved between history and contemporary Jewish life—from walking through the historic center of Mexico City and visiting long-standing synagogues, to spending time at community institutions like the Centro Deportivo Israelita and Olami ORT, where Jewish life is actively being shaped for the future.

Everywhere we went, we saw that truth reflected back to us. We visited organizations and communities that have built something remarkable for the people they serve, each one shaped by its own history and its current needs. I left inspired by the reminder of what is possible when people decide to build.

Finding My Place

I have carried that feeling home, and it has me thinking about all the ways I can create my own Jewish identity within the communities I belong. As a parent raising three Jewish children. Within my close circle of friends. In my community here at home. And in the wider work of Federation, both in DC and at the national level. The trip gave me a new lens for seeing my own role, not as someone who simply participates, but as someone who can help build and shape what comes next.

And of course, what I will remember most is the people.

The Best Conversations Happened in Traffic

This trip was, at its heart, about building connection. And yes, we spent more than our fair share of time on the bus, moving between sites like Xochimilco, Casa Gilardi, and neighborhood community spaces, but even that became part of the experience. Those hours gave me the chance to truly get to know so many of the women on the trip.

To me, that is what being Jewish has always been about: relationships and connection.

I am deeply grateful to have served as a co-chair of this experience, and even more grateful for the people who made the journey alongside me. I returned home inspired to keep creating, and to keep building the connections that hold our community together.

There Are Countless Ways

One of the things I value most about Federation is that it creates space for each of us to explore our Jewish identity in ways that are meaningful to us. Whether through Women’s Philanthropy, travel experiences like this one, or the many opportunities to learn, connect, and give back throughout the year, there are countless ways to find your place and help shape our community.

If you’re curious about where your own Jewish journey might lead, I hope you’ll consider joining a future Women’s Philanthropy event or mission. You never know which conversation, which community, or which moment will stay with you long after you have returned home.

Looking to experience the power of Jewish community firsthand? Learn more about Federation’s giving societies like Women’s Philanthropy, or find a local event through our Community Calendar.

I just finished my friend Daniel Grossman’s new book Seeing Red. In it, Danny recounts his time working as a young foreign service officer in Leningrad and his overt and covert efforts to help refuseniks. As you might guess, his tour ended when the Soviets kicked him out.

Danny’s tales brought back memories of my own trip to the Soviet Union in 1987. A friend and I were living in New York leading a Zionist youth group, and the Jewish Agency asked (though not explicitly due to the sensitive nature of the operation) if we would be willing to travel to the Soviet Union and visit with refuseniks—some living in central cities such as Moscow and others in more remote communities in Siberia, including Irkutsk or Novosibirsk—and bring aid on behalf of global Jewry.

We were provided with specific people to visit (one of whom is pictured with me above) and asked to deliver Russian-Hebrew dictionaries—which we had to wear under our clothes to get past security—along with goods people could sell to earn money after many had lost their jobs and messages of support from Jews around the world. Looking back, I realize that trip gave me an enduring appreciation for what it means to be responsible for one another as a Jewish people. It’s a lesson that has stayed with me ever since, and one I’ve been thinking about as I prepare to return to the region.

This coming week, I’ll be joining a group of Federation executives on a trip to Georgia and Ukraine. We will visit with people in their homes and see firsthand the critical services your generosity makes possible through Federation’s partnership with JDC. We’ll hear directly from local communities about their circumstances and the challenges they are facing. We’ll also meet with volunteers and activists in Ukraine to learn how they’re developing local leadership and sustaining Jewish community in the face of war, uncertainty, and economic hardship.

I believe in the power of doing this work in person. By showing up, we’ll get to witness the dignity, resilience, and determination with which these communities are building Jewish life and bring those lessons back with us. And we, in turn, will get to express our continued commitment to caring for the most vulnerable and building Jewish life around the world.

If you’re interested in learning more about our exchange, I invite you to join a webinar on Wednesday, July 22 at 12:00 PM a few days after I return. I’ll share what we discovered and how those insights will help inform Federation’s ongoing work to support Jewish communities in the former Soviet Union and beyond.

If you’d like to learn more about the work your generosity makes possible in Ukraine, you can do so here.

In 1987, I set off with a backpack full of supplies and messages of solidarity. Today, I travel carrying the trust and generosity of an entire community. This is one of my favorite aspects of Federation’s work—helping to build our community here in Greater Washington while strengthening the bonds that defy borders. It’s these kinds of missions that put into action the idea that no Jewish community stands alone. We are part of a global family, one that shows up for, relies on, and supports one another.

When I decided to co-chair the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington’s Women’s Philanthropy mission to Mexico City, I expected to learn more about another Jewish community. To see how Jewish life is lived in a different corner of the world, meet remarkable people, and better understand both the challenges and opportunities they face.

What I didn’t fully expect was how deeply connected our communities are, even separated by thousands of miles, different languages, and different histories.

Throughout our journey—from walking along Paseo de la Reforma and through the historic heart of Mexico City, to visiting synagogues, community centers, and cultural institutions—I kept seeing the same thread woven through every conversation and every organization we visited: a shared commitment to building Jewish life for the next generation.

In every place we visited, I found myself returning to the same profound question: What enables a people not only to survive but also to thrive, adapt, and continue creating in new contexts?

The Future Has Small Hands

Our visit to Olami’s Idea Lab offered a beautiful answer. There, children are not simply taught information. They are taught to see themselves as makers, capable of imagining, building, solving, and repairing. In a world that often encourages passive consumption, they are being empowered to believe that they can shape the future with their own minds, hands, and hearts.

It struck me how deeply Jewish this idea is.

Throughout Jewish history in the diaspora, we have rarely had the luxury of permanence or certainty. Communities were uprooted, dispersed, and compelled to begin again across continents and generations. Yet wherever Jews found refuge and opportunity, they built. They built homes, synagogues, schools, businesses, and communities rooted in values, belonging, learning, and shared responsibility.

Time and again, Jewish life became an act of sacred creation.

The Question That Followed Me Home

What moved me most in Mexico was witnessing a community continuing that tradition in its own unique context—vibrant, creative, deeply connected, and forward-looking. While preserving Jewish identity remains at its center, this community is also asking how to empower the next generation to contribute meaningfully to the world through that identity.

The children in the Idea Lab are not merely creating projects. They are practicing agency, imagination, collaboration, and repair. In many ways, they are inheriting one of the oldest Jewish callings: to take what exists and help shape it into something more whole, more compassionate, and more alive. Perhaps that is one of the great gifts of belonging to a people shaped by diaspora.

We learn that home is not merely a place we inherit; it is something we continually create. Community is not simply something we belong to; it is something we build together.

As I left Olami, I found myself wondering: How will we continue to use our divinely given gift of being makers to repair our aching, broken world? And, what’s possible if each of us embraces our responsibility not only to inherit the world, but to co-create it?

The Gift I Didn’t Expect

That may be the greatest gift of traveling with Federation and Women’s Philanthropy. We set out to learn about Jewish communities beyond our own, but along the way, we discover something about ourselves. We return home with a deeper appreciation for the many ways Jewish life flourishes around the world, and with a renewed sense of our own role in shaping its future.

Looking to experience the power of Jewish community firsthand? Learn more about Federation’s giving societies like Women’s Philanthropy, or find a local event through our Community Calendar.

Every career has a beginning. Mine might have started before I was born.

When I interviewed at The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, part of the process included a writing exercise. The assignment was straightforward: write a sample fundraising appeal. So I sat down at my desk, opened my laptop, and got to work.

The desk where I wrote that appeal once belonged to my maternal grandfather, my Opa.

Long before I became a Jewish professional, long before I learned the language of campaigns, community building, stewardship, and philanthropy, my grandfather was doing the same work. From this very desk.

Opa’s story began oceans away from mine. As a young Jewish boy, he escaped the horrors of Europe during World War II, fleeing from country to country, even in Mandatory Palestine before Israel became a state, before eventually building a new life in the Bay Area, California. Along the way, he became a military officer, journalist, a traveler, and a gifted communicator. Fluent in five languages, he spent years telling stories and connecting with people across cultures and borders.

Eventually, those talents led him to a career in Jewish communal service. He became the Western Regional Director of United Jewish Appeal (which later evolved into Jewish Federations of North America), helping raise funds and build support for Jewish communities around the world. His friends were politicians and celebrities. He helped bring some of the earliest Israeli emissaries to the West Coast, a precursor to the shlichim programs that remain such an important part of Jewish communal life today. He founded my home synagogue in Northern California. And he spent the rest of his life helping strengthen Jewish community.

I was far too young when he passed away. I never had the chance to know him as an adult, to ask him about his travels, his work, or what it felt like to dedicate a lifetime to serving the Jewish people.

But somehow, pieces of him found their way to me anyway.

More than a decade ago, I began my own journey as a Jewish professional. Different organizations. Different communities, different coasts. Yet so often, I find myself drawn to the same things that animated his work: relationships, storytelling, connection, and the belief that communities are strongest when people come together in service of something larger than themselves.

Sometimes I wonder what he would think of today’s overall Jewish landscape and its space in our world. The man who embraced technology and innovation would have been fascinated by social media, virtual meetings, and the ability to connect with people across the globe with the click of a button. And I suspect he would have loved the fact that, thanks to a hybrid workplace, I now spend part of every week working from home at the very desk where he once wrote his own appeals.

A desk that has quietly served the Jewish community since the 1950s.

A desk that has witnessed handwritten letters, fundraising plans, newspaper articles, family photographs, and now Zoom calls and digital campaigns.

The wood is older now. So am I. But the work continues, and there is something deeply comforting about that.

In a world that changes so quickly, it feels almost magical to place my hands where his once rested and know that, in some small way, we are connected through a shared purpose.

Perhaps that is what legacy really is – the quiet passing of values from one generation to the next. The belief that community matters. The willingness to serve. The courage to tell stories that inspire people to care.

And sometimes, if you are very lucky, a sturdy wooden desk.

The photograph above is of my Opa and me at that same desk many years ago. Neither of us could have known then that one day it would become mine. Or that decades later, we would still be doing the same work together. Z”l Opa 

I’ve spent a lifetime experiencing the incredible, vibrant diversity of the Jewish world. I grew up Conservative in Toronto, navigated Reform spaces in Anaheim after my family moved there when I was nine, engaged with Chabad, and even spent time backpacking through Israel, staying on my family’s kibbutz.

Moving around as much as I have, I’ve seen just about every model of Jewish community layout imaginable, from tiny, 20-family pockets with a traveling rabbi to massive communities where people only show up for the High Holidays. Experiencing that full spectrum also gave me a deeper understanding about what makes a Jewish community thrive.

When my family and I moved to Alexandria right before the pandemic, we knew it was time to finally put down deep roots and find a true home in our local community. I jumped into leadership, eventually chairing several committees at Beth El Hebrew Congregation. But while I loved my synagogue, I couldn’t shake a familiar feeling: NoVA’s Jewish community was missing out on key opportunities to come together.

The structures we’ve inherited naturally build walls between community leaders throughout our region. But the reality is, leaders across our different NoVA organizations actually want to work together. At our core, we are facing the same challenges and chasing the same goals. We are more alike than we realize and are stronger and more effective together. We just needed the space, the trust, and the opportunity to do it.

That opportunity came for me when I learned about Federation’s Northern Virginia Leadership Cohort from Carly Rubenstein, Board President at Beth El. She told me it was something I’d find fascinating and impactful for my work in the community. I didn’t know a single other person who had signed up for it, but I decided to take the leap.

Professional-Grade Tools for Community Transformation

I recently took six months off from the corporate world to dedicate myself fully to volunteering as a leader in Jewish communal work, so I wasn’t looking for a casual networking mixer. I wanted something substantial. To my surprise, the caliber of this Federation program ranked right up there with the absolute best professional development trainings I’ve ever done in the corporate sector.

Led by renowned leadership consultant Rae Ringel, the program is entirely about giving you tools, learning by doing, and doing in a group of leaders who have the same mission and values. Through a dynamic mix of in-person and virtual sessions, Rae guided us through “connection modalities” that taught us how to surface differing perspectives, navigate difficult conversations, and truly articulate both our personal stories and our organizations’ missions.

For me, the most tangible takeaway was learning structured, innovative frameworks to pull apart larger, sometimes overwhelming community challenges into manageable, actionable pieces, building the concrete skills to execute your vision.

The Power of Coalition: “Shipbuilding” in NoVA

What surprised me most, though, was the sheer willingness of everyone in the room to work together.

There is a distinct difference between standard corporate or nonprofit experience and Jewish nonprofit experience. To me, the main difference is “shipbuilding,” learning how to build lasting coalitions across different denominations, synagogues, and grassroots organizations in a casual, high-trust environment.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington understands this, explicitly designing the program to facilitate these deep connections by assigning us to smaller “coffee groups,” which became the foundation for real collaboration.

Just this week I was texting with another participant from my cohort. We recreate those coffee groups all the time. We are constantly leaning on one another, bouncing ideas off each other, and using the exact problem-solving structures we learned together to figure out how to best serve Jewish NoVA.

By bringing together leaders from across the Jewish communal space in NoVA, Federation is actively weaving a powerful network of friends and collaborators. The cohort has allowed lay leaders and professionals across the region to realize we are not facing our challenges alone.

Now’s The Time: Join the Third NoVA Leadership Cohort

If you are reading this and feeling even a little bit intrigued, my advice to you is simple: don’t be afraid to give it a shot.

Whether you are a seasoned board member, a dedicated committee chair, an engaged volunteer, or someone who hasn’t held a formal leadership role yet but has a passionate desire to grow, this cohort will give you the tools to decide how you want to be involved and the lifelong network to back you up.

Federation is launching the third Northern Virginia Leadership Cohort this fall. From August 2026 through May 2027, a new group of 16–20 lay leaders will come together for a kickoff event, a closing celebration, and 8 monthly sessions (alternating between in-person and Zoom) led once again by Rae Ringel. To learn more and nominate a talented and dedicated individual with a desire to grow in their Jewish leadership journey (including yourself), please see here.

We need a diverse set of organizations, ages, and perspectives to make a truly strong, vibrant, and unified NoVA Jewish community a reality.

Take it from me—it is entirely worth the investment.

Prepared by Jewish Federations of North America’s Israel Office
Shared by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

On Wednesday evening, two powerful earthquakes measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck northern Venezuela less than a minute apart, causing widespread destruction. Search-and-rescue operations continue as emergency crews race to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings. Tragically, at least 235 deaths and more than 4,300 injuries have been confirmed, though both figures are expected to rise. Hundreds of people are verified as missing, and communications outages and extensive damage in Caracas and the coastal state of La Guaira have left tens of thousands temporarily unaccounted for with families frantically searching for loved ones. Tens of thousands have also been displaced, with many sheltering in public buildings and open spaces as aftershocks continue.

International assistance is mobilizing rapidly, although damage to Maiquetía International Airport has complicated the arrival of international rescue and humanitarian teams. The United Nations is coordinating urban search-and-rescue efforts, while the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Spain, France, Italy, and El Salvador have deployed rescue personnel, medical teams, equipment, and humanitarian supplies. Relief organizations are also providing emergency food, shelter, and medical assistance.

Impact on the Jewish Community

Nearly all of Venezuela’s approximately 3,000 Jews live in Caracas, where many buildings in Jewish neighborhoods sustained damage. Three community members have been confirmed dead, and one remains missing after the building they were in collapsed. Sadly, those numbers are expected to rise. Several community members have been left homeless, and the community is working to secure temporary housing. Despite the tragedy, community leaders report a strong sense of calm and coordination, having quickly accounted for members, assessed the needs of older adults and those experiencing anxiety, and provided appropriate support.

Our hearts are with the Jewish community of Venezuela and all those affected by these devastating earthquakes. We mourn those who lost their lives and pray for the swift recovery of everyone who has been injured.

JDC Response

JDC has maintained a longstanding presence in Venezuela through its partnership with the Jewish community, supporting a welfare and humanitarian aid network for its most vulnerable members. JDC was in contact with community leadership within minutes of the earthquake and remains in close communication to assess urgent needs, including conditions at key community institutions now serving as shelters. Immediate priorities include shelter management, essential supplies, water, sanitation, electricity, safety, psychosocial support, and operational coordination.

JDC has also launched a non-sectarian response through JDC GRID (Global Response and Innovative Development), its humanitarian and disaster response arm. In partnership with the local community, it is prioritizing the delivery of food, safe drinking water, and other essential supplies to the hardest-hit and most difficult-to-reach areas, including La Guaira. As access improves, JDC plans to provide medical organizations with critical supplies and support temporary shelter for displaced families.

The Jewish Agency Response

The Jewish Agency for Israel activated its Overseas Emergency Desk immediately following the earthquake and has remained in continuous contact with community leadership. It is providing immediate assistance to affected community members, including temporary housing and other essential support, and has established a dedicated hotline through its Global Center for Venezuelan immigrants in Israel and those seeking information about immigrating to Israel.

In recent years, through its JReady program, the Jewish Agency has helped strengthen the community’s emergency preparedness through resilience and trauma training and emergency planning. As a result, the community has responded to the crisis in an organized and effective manner, while JReady continues to provide guidance and ongoing support.

This crisis highlights the value of the global emergency response network that Federations have built and sustained. Thanks to our ongoing core support, the North American Jewish community was able to respond immediately and will continue to stand with the Jewish community of Venezuela for as long as needed.

Additional Humanitarian Response

The Israeli government has said it is preparing for the possibility of sending an aid delegation. “The Foreign Ministry is holding a situational assessment with the relevant figures in Israel and is determining ways to help,” it said in a statement on Thursday morning. However, the absence of diplomatic relations between Israel and Venezuela would complicate any deployment.

Other Jewish and Israeli humanitarian organizations have also mobilized, although Israeli organizations face challenges obtaining visas for Israeli passport holders. IsraAID has deployed its global Emergency Response Team, working with specialists from neighboring Colombia to assess needs and support affected communities. Cadena International, HIAS, and World Jewish Relief are coordinating with local partners to assess needs and prepare emergency assistance. NATAN is dispatching medical and mental health professionals, while SmartAID is deploying search-and-rescue personnel along with water purification systems, telecommunications equipment, and clean energy units, particularly for remote areas.

The Venezuela Earthquake Relief Fund has been established by JFNA, our national Federation partner, to provide immediate humanitarian assistance and support long-term recovery efforts.

Jewish summer camp is where children build lifelong friendships, grow their independence, develop leadership skills, and strengthen their connection to Jewish life. For many, camp becomes one of the most formative Jewish experiences of their childhood—shaping identity, confidence, and belonging long after summer ends.

Today, families are navigating rising antisemitism, economic uncertainty, and the need for safe, affirming spaces where their children can feel secure, proud, and connected to their Jewish identity. For many, camp can feel out of reach without support.

That’s why Federation invests in two key pathways that make Jewish camp possible for families across Greater Washington: One Happy Camper grants for first-time campers and need-based financial aid for families facing financial barriers.

This summer, those grants will help hundreds of children attend more than 40 Jewish overnight camps across the country, opening the door to a first camp experience that many families might not otherwise be able to afford. And through our need-based financial aid program, campers will attend more than 20 camps nationwide with the support they need to participate fully in Jewish camp life.

As one parent shared, “Camp has always been a high expense, but without the scholarship, it would have been the first thing we would have been forced to remove to save money. Camp is where our children develop leadership skills, a sense of confidence, form lasting connections and relationships, and it helps ground them in their identity.”

Another wrote, “I have lost my job twice this year. I’m also a single parent, but Jewish camp is my top priority. I am grateful beyond words for the financial assistance.”

These stories remind us that financial aid is about much more than covering tuition. It is about ensuring access to safe, joyful, and deeply formative Jewish spaces. It is about helping children build community, develop pride in their Jewish identity, and feel connected to something larger than themselves.

As we look ahead to another summer of campfires, song sessions, Shabbat celebrations, and lifelong memories, we are grateful to the donors who make these opportunities possible.

Together, we are lowering barriers, opening doors, and investing in the next generation of Jewish life.

Want to help more children experience the magic of Jewish camp? Your gift helps ensure that financial circumstances never stand in the way of a transformative Jewish summer.