By Rob Grosser, Co-President
A dollar goes a long way when the world is your backyard. Consider this: you have the power to feed a hungry child in Minsk, celebrate Jewish holidays with an isolated Holocaust survivor, and help a teen in Jerusalem find her path to a productive future.

As a united community, we make a difference in the lives of countless people. Federation works to repair the world and to keep Jewish life thriving, and we could not do it without support from people like you. Together we do extraordinary things, so I ask you to please make your gift to our 2015 Annual Campaign.

We are the community’s safety net
Federation is always on call to fulfill our responsibility to care for the needy and the vulnerable, from the very young to the very old, from the unemployed to the disabled. Any individual or family in our community can turn to us and our agencies to get help, including cash assistance, job training, legal services, crisis intervention, family therapy and kosher food.

Need knows no borders
Need knows no borders, which is why donations to Federation provide care for Jews in 70 countries. Through our partner agencies we help hundreds of thousands of destitute Jewish elderly and families in Europe, the former Soviet Union, and many other places where these dwindling communities are often in desperate need for the lifeline we provide.

Israel’s success, in so many areas of innovation, is a source of pride to all of us. Nonetheless, as is often the case, economic gains are not distributed equally to any population. Through our partners, we offer support to families and the elderly, and help provide job training and intervention programs for new Israelis and at-risk youth so they can lead productive lives. We also help meet the needs of Holocaust survivors who are struggling below the poverty line – no matter where they live – so they can enjoy security and dignity in their final years.

We build global peoplehood and nurture Jewish life
In addition to caring for those in need, we nurture Jewish life today and strengthen it for the future. Because we believe that cost should not be a barrier to Jewish identity, we fund schools, camps, synagogues, preschool programs, Israel trips like Birthright and MASA, international service experiences and Jewish leadership programs. Your gift helps support these programs that strengthen our common tradition and build global Jewish peoplehood.

Since transitioning to a compelling needs allocation model five years ago, Federation has distributed over one million dollars to support local needs and initiatives. As part of our compelling needs initiative, we are committed to playing a leadership role in insuring the long term fiscal health of the Jewish Community Campus. The campus is the central address for Jewish life in Rockland. Federation’s matching gift campaign in support of the Campuses capital campaign is targeting a contribution of $250,000 towards debt reduction.

We mobilize in the face of emergencies
Federation is able to respond quickly and effectively when disaster strikes. In recent years we provided critical humanitarian aid after Hurricane Sandy, the Oklahoma City tornadoes, Haiti’s earthquake and the rocket attacks on southern Israel from Gaza, to name a few.

As the Passover holiday approaches, we are reminded of the Jewish struggle from slavery to freedom and pray that in the year ahead, Jews everywhere – in our backyard and beyond – can live a free, meaningful and secure Jewish life. Together, let’s put into action our shared values of tzedakah, generosity and compassion. Together, we do extraordinary things!

— Rob Grosser, Co-President
     Jewish Federation of Rockland County

Please make your 2015 Annual Campaign gift here.