Fed5: Belonging Begins Here
Our hearts are with the families and communities in Texas as they face the unimaginable pain of missing children. As a Jewish community, we believe in the sacred value of pikuach nefesh, the protection of life, and we stand in solidarity with all those affected. May the children be found safe, and may those searching be guided with strength and clarity. We are holding Texas in our prayers.
July 1 marked more than a new fiscal year—it launched a powerful new chapter for Jewish Atlanta. With urgent needs emerging locally and globally, early support from donors like you is critical.
When you give now, you help us respond faster—to crises, to rising needs, and to new opportunities. Your early generosity fuels care, safety, connection, and Jewish life through our five impact areas. Click each impact area to learn more:
This year, giving is simpler and stronger than ever through our new One Gift Model—one gift powering impact across all five areas.
As our CEO Renee Kutner says, “This is your opportunity to be part of something bigger—a movement of resilience, pride, and purpose.”
Give now. Respond faster. Lead boldly.
Give As One.
Make your 2026 Campaign gift today so we can continue to meet urgent needs. 
Now More Than Ever, Israel Needs Us
In recent weeks, Israel has faced unrelenting crisis—missiles from Iran, lives lost, hostages still in Gaza, and families devastated. Amid the heartbreak, one thing is clear: support can’t wait.
Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s five impact areas (as mentioned in story 1) prioritize Israel & Jews Worldwide and Safety and Security. With these impact areas front and center, Federation was called to allocate $250,000 in emergency relief through our partners on the ground in Israel. These funds are already delivering vital aid:
- $100,000 to JAFI’s Emergency Fund: Direct support for families who’ve lost loved ones, homes, and safety. Grants are helping with trauma recovery, mental health, and basic needs in under-resourced communities like Tamra.
- $100,000 to JDC’s Crisis Campaign: Emergency rescue equipment, support for the elderly and people with disabilities, mental health resources for 200,000+ Israelis, and care for children without access to safe spaces.
- $12,500 to critical partners
These aren’t future plans—they’re lifesaving actions happening now.
In moments like this, your support powers our ability to respond—swiftly, compassionately, and effectively.
When Candy and Steve Berman endowed the Jacobson Leadership Institute (JLI) through the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, their vision was rooted in honoring their mentors, Betty Ann and Harvey Jacobson. “They were leaders in the Atlanta community and were welcoming to others,” the Bermans shared. “They loved to encourage new people to take leadership roles. They inspired us as leaders and our hope is that JLI will fill the void of leadership in the Jewish ecosystem…young leaders, organization leaders, or synagogue leaders. The focus should be everchanging to meet the needs in the community.”
This year, that vision came to life in a new way. Under the leadership of Becca Langfelder, Director of Federation’s Young Leadership Division, the Jacobson Leadership Institute was reimagined to focus on rising young adult leaders ages 22–40. The six-month cohort brought together 16 participants, nominated by local organizations, to explore what it means to lead within Atlanta’s vibrant Jewish community.
“This wasn’t about preparing leaders for Federation alone,” said Becca. “As the convener of Jewish Atlanta, we know we need strong leaders across our entire ecosystem — in synagogues, agencies, day schools, and volunteer spaces.”
Through sessions over five months, participants explored personal values, community needs, and nonprofit board dynamics. They learned from senior Federation leaders, participated in a mock giving circle, and engaged deeply with Jewish values like tzedakah (charitable giving), tikkun olam (repairing the world), and hineni (here I am).
For many, the impact was transformative.
“I had an incredible experience with JLI,” said participant Mark Kaplan. “It was inspiring to be in a room filled with like-minded, aspiring community leaders. The program offered thoughtful opportunities for us to reflect on our current efforts and design a trajectory for the kind of impact we want to have in Jewish Atlanta.”
One memorable session brought participants into conversation with Federation’s outgoing Board Chair Beth Arogeti and CEO Renee Kutner. “Hearing them speak candidly about their accomplishments, challenges, and vision for the future gave us a real-time example of leadership in action,” Mark noted.
Participants also forged meaningful personal connections. Dylan Rice recalled a favorite activity early in the series: “We ranked and discussed our core values like courage, equity, and freedom—both individually and as a group. It helped me pause and reflect on what’s driving me at this stage in my life.”
By the end of the program, each participant created an individualized leadership plan. “When you know what matters most to you, you can make intentional choices about how to spend your time, energy, and resources — and that’s how we build a community of deeply committed leaders,” said Becca.
Some participants are already taking the next step: one is considering applying to rabbinical school; another hopes to study in Israel. Several joined Young Leadership Division’s immersive Cuba experience. “JLI connected me with the future leaders of Jewish Atlanta,” Dylan said. “It also gave me insight into how our community is structured and led.”
These outcomes reflect Federation’s core impact area of Jewish Engagement, while reinforcing its role as a leader, convener, planner, and funder of Jewish Atlanta. As Mark put it, “The Jacobson Leadership Institute offers the kind of transparency, intentionality, and depth that you rarely get in a leadership program.”
Thanks to the Bermans’ endowment—and an additional contribution to launch this new iteration—JLI’s future looks bright. “We believe there will be another,” Becca said. “We’re sharing outcomes with the Bermans now and planning what comes next.”
Because of visionary funders and thoughtful leadership, the Jacobson Leadership Institute is not just a leadership training—it’s a catalyst for lasting Jewish impact in Atlanta.
When a deep commitment to inclusion meets the power of Jewish leadership, change takes root. That’s exactly what’s happening in this new series from Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s JAccess.
Inclusive Futures: Jewish Roots, launching its first cohort this year, is a groundbreaking leadership and learning program for Jewish parents of children with disabilities. This program is designed to have a profound impact on Jewish ATL: to empower families to build inclusive Jewish spaces that welcome and support all — not as charity, but as a sacred obligation rooted in Jewish values.
“This program is the first of its kind,” says Leslie Lipson, civil rights attorney and co-facilitator. “While many initiatives focus on educating professionals or clergy, this one invests directly in the people we aim to serve — the parents. We’re building a cohort of leaders who will shape the future of Jewish Atlanta from the inside out.”
Federation’s impact area, Caring for Those in Need, finds powerful expression in this work. Children with disabilities are often sent home early from camps, excluded from Jewish day schools, or offered “segregated but unequal” experiences. “It’s not always malicious,” says Amy Murphy, Director of JAccess. “But the result is the same — isolation, exclusion, and heartbreak. We’re here to change that.”
JAccess isn’t just filling a gap — it’s reframing the conversation. The Inclusive Futures, Jewish Roots curriculum equips parents with the tools and mindset to advocate, not just for their own child, but for community-wide change. “When you design for the margins,” Leslie explains, “you lift the center. Inclusion benefits everyone.”
Families who join this cohort will gain community, confidence, and a lifelong advocacy toolkit. But the ripple effect will be even greater. “We hope that these parents will go on to serve on synagogue committees, engage in Federation giving circles, and shape policy and practice across Jewish Atlanta,” says Amy. “This is a culture change. And it starts with empowering people who have too often been asked to sit on the sidelines.”
JAccess is the convener, planner, and partner in this new initiative, and is a central part of Federation’s Caring for Those in Need impact area. “This is a smart, long-view investment in Jewish leadership and belonging,” says Leslie.
“The program reflects a deeper evolution of JAccess by recognizing disability as a natural part of the human experience,” says Amy. “Our work has shifted to partnering with entire systems — camps, schools, synagogues — to create environments that are accessible, neuro-affirming, and inclusive from the ground up.”
The logic is as compassionate as it is strategic: If families can advocate for inclusion at preschool, for example, that effort can cascade — through religious schools, youth groups, summer camps, Birthright, and beyond. “Disability touches all of us,” says Amy. “Whether it’s your child, your parent, your spouse, or yourself — access is a lifelong need.”
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Leslie says. “It will change the trajectory of families’ lives — and the life of our Jewish community. It’s not just about inclusion. It’s about joy, connection, and a richer, more complete Jewish world.”
For families longing for that kind of future — and for donors and community leaders wondering what true impact looks like — Inclusive Futures: Jewish Roots is more than a program.
It’s a promise.
Learn more and register today for Inclusive Futures: Jewish Roots
The Innovative World of Tikkun Olam Makers
When Alex, a young concert pianist, lost the use of his dominant arm in a devastating accident, it felt like music had been taken from him. Though he relearned how to play with one hand, he struggled to achieve the same sound and expression without the use of piano pedals. But that changed when a group of students from Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM) stepped in. Working side by side with Alex, they developed a custom wireless bite switch that allowed him to control the pedals with his mouth. By the end of the TOM “Makeathon”, Alex could once again play like he used to. “Seeing the look on his face and the emotion in his family’s eyes was something I’ll never forget,” said Xavian Gordon, an Emory University student and TOM Fellow. “It was a powerful reminder of what TOM is all about—bringing people together to create solutions that change lives.”
This is the heart of TOM’s mission: to bring together communities of engineers, designers, and healthcare professionals to create affordable, open-source technology for people with disabilities. Every solution is designed in close collaboration with a “Need-Knower” – the person who will use it, always centering dignity, functionality, and choice.
This past month, the TOM Global community celebrated the final results of the 2025 Global Innovation Challenge, which brought together 470 participants from 33 university campuses in 13 countries – all working to design innovative solutions for real-world challenges. Some of the winning devices include a clamp for attaching the user’s wheelchair to a motorized scooter, a motion-tracking PlayStation accessory for physical rehabilitation, and a prosthetic monofin to enhance the swimming and diving experience for individuals with a limb difference. TOM also marked the successful conclusion of the 2024–25 Fellowship, their largest cohort to date – more than 80 Fellows from 57 campuses across 8 countries.
As the Israeli-turned-global organization prepares for the next fellowship orientation in Atlanta (August 2025), we sat down with Gail Reiss, TOM Chief Development Officer, and Arielle Kaye, US Program Manager to discuss their vision. “Our success in Atlanta is really thanks to the partnership and door-opening that the Jewish Federation and Foundation did and continues to do,” said Reiss. “this partnership allowed us to go from Georgia Tech and Emory to now building relationships with Kennesaw State, the Shepherd Center, and the Weber School, whose maker lab is absolutely state-of-the-art.”
Arielle emphasized that university campuses are the perfect environment for TOM’s work. “There’s research, there’s innovation, and there are bright students who want to make a difference in the world,” she said. “Many of them told me, ‘I didn’t see myself as a leader before. I didn’t have the confidence.’ But through TOM, they’ve grown into changemakers and global citizens.” What’s especially unique, she adds, is that while TOM is a Jewish organization, the majority of Fellows aren’t Jewish “This past year, we had fellows from Singapore and Japan and all over the United States. Being able to promote the universal value of tikkun olam, repairing the world, and the fact that it’s resonating with people, regardless of their background, regardless of their religion and identity – that just feels really special to me.”
Samantha Kurgan, VP of Community Engagement at Federation, echoed this sentiment: “It’s just a beautiful example of how the Jewish community supports the broader community. You don’t have to be Jewish to be a fellow, and you certainly don’t have to be Jewish to get an adaptive device. But we get to share the story of what Israel does. How they support other people all over the world”.
For Gail, seeing the impact firsthand is the most rewarding thing: “This is the best investment, and the return on investment is tenfold – to be able to help someone, to change a whole family’s life”. Georgia Tikkum Olam Makers Fellows recently built a toddler mobility device, which enables children with limited lower body function to move freely. Gail recalled how a young boy was placed in a trainer for the first time and instinctively began moving around. “For the first two years of his life, his mother had been carrying him everywhere,” she said. “Now he could move independently. It changed his life – and hers.” The mobility device has since been translated into multiple languages and replicated over a thousand times around the world.
In a time marked by division and darkness, TOM is a light. “Our work isn’t political,” Reiss noted. “It’s about technology, creativity, and dignity for people in need.” With growing momentum in Atlanta and over 150 communities globally, TOM proves that when we help one, we help many.
Support Tikkun Olam Makers here or through your Atlanta Jewish Foundation Donor Portal.