We’ve all been there. A week after a big event, you run into someone at Big Y, at Starbucks, or after services, and they start raving about a speaker they heard or a performance they saw. You realize you missed something special, and you find yourself saying, "I didn’t realize that was happening," or "I just got too busy."

 

But honestly? We only get so many chances to experience something truly world-class without having to drive to Boston or New York or spend the season in South Florida. To have three global voices—Guy Mintus in Springfield, Aviva Klompas in Northampton, and Ambassador Michael Oren in Amherst, all in the same week is, frankly, unheard of. It’s a rare alignment of talent that we shouldn't let pass us by.

 

At the Federation, one of our goals is to support and reflect a Jewish community that is educated, connected, and engaged with the world. But that doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens when we show up. It happens when we sit in the same room, hear the same music, and grapple with the same big ideas. There’s a certain kind of energy—a "shared experience"—that you just can’t get from watching a clip on YouTube or reading a summary later.

 

These three nights are designed to be accessible to all of us. We’re moving from Springfield on the 28th, to Northampton on the 29th, and finishing in Amherst on the 30th. These are distinct communities, but they’re only minutes apart. It’s an invitation to step outside our usual bubbles and see our neighbors while we learn something new (Registration links for each program are below).

 

Whether you can make it to one night or you’re ready to clear your schedule for all three, We’re asking you to make the time. Don’t let "getting busy" be the reason you miss out on a world-class piano rhapsody or firsthand accounts of global diplomacy.

 

Let’s not be the community that says "we should have gone." Let’s be the community that fills the seats, asks the hard questions, and enjoys the music together. We really hope to see you there.