While we're only at the beginning of August, my thoughts, and likely yours, are already turning to the upcoming school year. Camp counselors are packing for college, and back in my hometown of Savannah, students have already been in class for a couple of weeks. This time of year always reminds me why the work of our Federation matters so much. At its heart, it is about ensuring that Jewish learning doesn't just survive…it thrives.

 

That commitment to educating takes many forms. Through our community relations work, we connect with administrators across Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties—public, private, parochial, and higher education—providing a five-year Jewish holiday calendar so Jewish students don't have to choose between their faith and the classroom. It's a simple tool that helps schools understand our traditions and creates a more welcoming environment for Jewish families.

 

Education also happens beyond the classroom. Each week, we use this space to explore the issues shaping Jewish life—confronting antisemitism, discussing security, explaining events in Israel, and sharing the stories and programs that strengthen our community. Learning has always been one of Judaism's greatest strengths, and it remains one of ours today.

 

But the most direct investment we make is in our children.

 

The Talmud teaches, "The world exists only by virtue of the breath of school children." Rabbi Judah the Prince understood that a community's future depends on what it teaches its youngest members. That wisdom has never felt more relevant.

 

Whether it's a synagogue religious school, a community education program, a Jewish day school, or an experiential learning opportunity, the Federation is proud to stand behind those efforts. More importantly, you stand behind them.

 

Every grant we make begins with a gift to the Annual Community Campaign. Every child who learns Hebrew, celebrates a Jewish holiday, studies our history, strengthens their Jewish identity, or builds lifelong friendships through these programs does so because people like you chose to invest in the future of Jewish life.

 

This year, your generosity helped make possible grants to:

• Ahavas Achim (Westfield): $2,000

• Beit Ahavah (Florence): $2,300

• B'Yachad (Springfield): $15,000

• B'nai Israel (Northampton): $14,000

• Jewish Community of Amherst: $12,200

• Lander-Grinspoon Academy (Northampton): $32,000

• Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy (Longmeadow): $45,000

• New England Jewish Academy (West Hartford): $12,000

   

Your support reaches well beyond those classrooms. Last year, the Federation provided $12,000 to UMass Hillel, helping Jewish students find community and connection on campus. Part of our $75,000 allocation to the Springfield JCC supports its Early Childhood program, giving our youngest children a joyful and meaningful introduction to Jewish life.

 

The impact continues through the Jewish Endowment Foundation, our planned giving arm, which awarded nearly $20,000 in mini-grants across 11 local organizations. Those dollars brought programs like Hebrew is Magic, The Art of Forgiveness, Four Roads to Freedom, Shabbat in Song from Around the World, October 7 commemorations, Yom Ha'atzmaut celebrations, and Spread Cheese Not Hate to life.

 

Additional unrestricted grants supported hands-on learning through B'Yachad's trip to New York, Lander-Grinspoon Academy's B'Yadenu program, Congregation B'nai Israel's Happy Valley Midrash, the Jewish Community of Amherst's Prizmah teacher training, and Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy's CTeen Shabbaton. JEF scholarships also helped students pursue higher education and transformative learning experiences in Israel.

 

When I step back and look at the full picture, from toddlers taking their first steps into Jewish learning to college students finding Jewish community on campus, to Yeshiva education in Israel, I see one continuous journey. And I see something else as well: none of it happens by accident.

 

It happens because this community believes that Jewish education is worth protecting. It happens because you believe that every child deserves the chance to know who they are, where they come from, and why that matters.

 

Thank you for making that possible.

 

Your support of the Annual Community Campaign doesn't simply fund programs. It opens classroom doors, creates meaningful Jewish experiences, and helps ensure that the next generation carries our story forward with knowledge, confidence, and pride.