Campaign Update: With Gratitude

With 2 months to go in our 2024 Annual Campaign, I have been reflecting on my first seven months here at Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville. It has been humbling seeing the generosity of our donors all around the community. Donors who have given for years are increasing their pledges and we have had more new donors join our philanthropic efforts than the last several years combined.  We are helping folks new to Nashville everyday find their Jewish home while supporting our institutions here and around the world, and that feels really good.   
 
This has been a really, really challenging year for our work at home, but also with our work overseas. It has been amazing seeing the great work that my colleagues have been doing all around the organization. I am so thankful for the team I get to work with every day. Their passion and dedication to our community inspires me every single day and I’d like to take a moment to recognize them. 
 
The indomitable Lynn Fleischer maintains our archives and tirelessly catalogs the wealth of documents, photos, and memorabilia the organization has catalogued over the years. And she can tell the most amazing stories about our vibrant community. Barbara Schwarcz, who also has an ocean of knowledge about our community does an incredible job setting up events that always deliver. I am so thankful for her attention to detail and for keeping us on track. Leeron Resnick has been an amazing asset to our team, not only teaching young people to be philanthropists through our B’nei Tzedek program, but also helping to organize special events like our October 7th Commemoration.  Ziv Shemesh just recently joined us as our community Schlicha and has already begun building bridges in her work as our emissary from Israel. 

Norma Shirk has been an incredible gift to our organization. Through her work with our Life and Legacy program, she has ensured that our partner agencies will be receiving gifts of millions of dollars over the coming years, sustaining Jewish Nashville for generations to come. Becky Gunn, who recently was named CFO of the year, and Tania Bukengolts make sure that our finances are in order and assist with the bookkeeping of some of our partner agencies, like Akiva School and Congregation Sherith Israel to name a few. Michal Eskenazi Becker not only manages our grants process, but she also supports our emerging community groups and is growing the next generation of community leaders through the Leadership 615 program that launched last year.   
 
Over the last year, we had two wonderful new additions to our team, Emma Canter and Joelye Davis. Emma helps to manage our communications and has done a fantastic job with our digital Observer, and Joelye has taken our social media to a level we didn’t know existed. Heath Hinson tirelessly works behind the scenes handling our HR administration needs and Allen Cummings handles our IT needs, along with the needs of the JCC and our partner agencies; both have been supporting our community for decades. Eitan Snyder is everywhere and does everything, from helping to shepherd our NowGen program for young adults, to managing our relationships with our overseas partners through our Partnership2Gether programs – we are so lucky to have him. 
 
Barbara Dab is not only the editor of this paper, but she is also in charge of our communications team and a media force of nature. When she calls a reporter, they listen, and she is constantly on the hunt to find stories about our unique community. Carrie Mills helps us keep the advertising going to support the paper and makes the JCC look wonderful with her art exhibits.  Deborah Oleshansky does the work of three people, managing our relationships with the community from politicians, to schools, to the police, and has continued the tradition of the lovely JCRC Seder – and she is a fierce authority combatting antisemitism of all forms.  And of course, all of us are supported by our many, many community volunteers that are always there when we need them. 
 
So please, help our team continue to be the voice of Jewish Nashville. Support our community through your generous gift to our annual campaign. You may not have been asked to pledge yet, but that doesn’t mean that our needs are not greater than they ever have been. We are grateful for the support that has been shown for so many years and with your help, we will continue that work through the future.