News & Updates

Friends, One of the most memorable experiences from my childhood came when I was on a family vacation as a teenager at Yosemite National Park. Going on a hike and turning a corner, I encountered an extraordinary waterfall. The sound, the volume of water, the light, and the rainbows were all in front of me. Read more

Friends, Last Thanksgiving, we were presented with difficult questions amid the pandemic. A time usually reserved for us to slow down and gather with loved ones instead brought on feelings of stress and tremendous loss for many of us. This year, I’m thankful to be able to return to a sense of normalcy—even if it’s Read more

Friends, As we readjusted to daylight saving time this week, I found myself wondering why we sustain practices even after they no longer make sense. Countless people and organizations continue specific behaviors and practices decades after the original rationale for that behavior disappeared. We know, however, that some of our most productive growth depends on Read more

Friends, On my nightstand, there is a seemingly endless stack of books. On top of the pile is The Resilient Society, by Princeton’s Professor Markus K. Brunnermeier. I learned of the book from an online review, and was intrigued by the topic. I’ve long thought about the idea of resilience as one we must consider Read more

Friends, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about where we go from here as a community, and I know I’m not alone. We’ve all seen how the pandemic accelerated earlier shifts in Jewish life. It also underscored that to foster a vibrant Jewish future we must co-create an accessible, engaging, and meaningful Jewish community today. Read more

Friends, This is not the reflection I’d planned to share this week. But then the DC chapter of national climate action group Sunrise Movement publicly declined to participate in a Washington voting rights rally, based solely on the inclusion of the Jewish Council on Public Affairs, the National Council of Jewish Women, and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism; three Read more

Friends, 2021 hasn’t been easy, as we all know. Many in our community have faced significant challenges. And yet, 2021 also highlighted our community’s strength, resilience, and compassion. I encourage you to take a few moments to peruse Federation’s just-released 2021 Annual Report—a fully digital, immersive, and interactive showcase of our work over the past year Read more

Dear Friends, I recently watched Worth, the biopic about DC attorney Kenneth Feinberg and his administration of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. I first met Ken through his wife, Dede Feinberg, former president of Federation and a longtime Jewish communal leader locally, nationally, and overseas. When Worth was released, I was eager to see Hollywood’s take on how Ken approached an unthinkable Read more