New Year's wishes from the Jewish Federation

Shalom, Friends,

On behalf of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando, we want to express our best wishes to you and your family for a sweet New Year 5776. According to Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the world, and this is where our calendar begins. On this day, we are expected to conceive a plan, engage in a vision of the future, have ambition and desire to take an active part in the shaping of our future. And as we do on any birthday, we make wishes for the coming year.

Our first wish is to strengthen and bring together our Jewish community. We have been working hard so that our community's agencies, synagogues and organizations work together toward a shared vision and common goals. We just announced $50,000 in collaborative community grants that will enrich Jewish life in Orlando, and we plan to do more in this direction next year.

Our second wish is for a deeper connection with Israel and our extended Jewish family around the world. Your support of the Jewish Federation can transform lives across the globe, bringing Jewish experiences to people of all ages, taking care of poor, elderly Jews in Russia, and providing opportunity to at-risk children in Israel. One of our most cherished wishes is that whenever a Jew is in need, anywhere in the world, they can count on Federation to help.

Our next wish is for every member of our community to have an opportunity to participate in Jewish experiences. Federation's initiatives such as Our Jewish Orlando and Shalom Families give young people in our community these opportunities. Your gift to the Federation's 2016 Annual Campaign supports programs and institutions in Orlando that build Jewish identity and celebrate Jewish life.

Federation is the steward of our community's most valuable resource, the Maitland Jewish Community Campus that is the home to four flourishing agencies and a welcoming place for every community member. In the coming months, we will be kicking off an ambitious campaign that will make the campus debt-free for our children and grandchildren. We look forward to your support of this critical effort.

Our last and most ardent wish is for a true and lasting peace for Israel and the whole world.

Today, we celebrate this past year's achievements and look ahead with confidence and strength. This New Year, help us nurture and sustain our Jewish community. With every life we change, we are shaping the future.

L'Shana Tova UMetukah,

Rhonda Forest,

Chairwoman of the Board

Olga Yorish,

Executive Director