Mark your calendars for the Community Campaign Kick-Off on September 5 at 7 PM in Sandy Springs! With this year’s theme being ‘Better Together’, the event promises an evening of celebration, connection, and excitement as we launch the 2025 Community Campaign.
This event marks the Federation’s first community Kick-Off since 2020. We will focus on celebrating our community’s resilience and perseverance through challenging times, offering a valuable opportunity for community members to reconnect, strengthen bonds, and stand in unity as Jewish ATL.
Stacey Fisher, Federation’s 2025 Campaign Chair, is especially enthusiastic about the event. “The theme of this year’s Community Campaign is ‘Better Together’, because we know that as a community, we are all stronger when we support one another and come together as one,” said Stacey. “This year, we are focusing on building, strengthening, and securing our community, and we can only do that as one united Jewish ATL. We hope you’ll join us at the 2025 Community Kick-Off on September 5th so we can jump into the new campaign year together!”
Eliad Eliyahu Ben Shushan, our Federation’s Representative in Israel and Partnership Director for Yokneam Meggido, will also be in attendance and speaking at the event.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the 2025 Community Campaign Kick-off event co-chairs, Ryan Silberman and Karen Shulman, for their dedication and support of our Federation and the Atlanta Jewish community.
Let’s make this Kick-Off a memorable start to the 2025 campaign—because we are truly Better Together!
Be sure to register early to secure your spot!
(Due to capacity limits, registration is essential for security purposes. The deadline to register is August 29.)
The impact of the 2024 Hunger Walk is in!
The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta just received the most updated impact report from this year’s Atlanta Community Food Bank Hunger Walk, highlighting our incredible commitment and impact on this initiative.
On March 10th, 3,859 participants came together to raise money to end hunger in Metro Atlanta. Thanks to the incredible efforts of Carla Birnbaum, Federation’s Relational Engagement Manager, there were 44 Federation teams – double the number of teams from the previous year!
“This year, through the Hunger Walk, we’ve had the privilege of supporting 12 Atlanta-based hunger relief organizations whose work is vital to our community,” Carla said. “Our dedicated team captains demonstrate unwavering commitment, prioritizing local hunger relief as a steadfast mission. Their dedication ensures we uplift and support Atlanta’s most vulnerable citizens, inspiring us all to make a tangible and lasting difference.”
The Federation teams raised an impressive $72,683 for hunger relief, contributing to a combined $219,000 across all participating teams. In total, the 2024 Hunger Walk raised $1,034,000, providing over 3.1 million meals to those in need.
Federation is deeply grateful to everyone who participated and made this event a success. We look forward to next year when metro Atlanta can once again come together to #EndHunger in the community!
Make a Will Month is a nationwide initiative encouraging individuals to create or update their wills, ensuring their wishes are honored and their legacies preserved. This initiative spans across the professional advising landscape, urging everyone to take action in planning their estates.
For the Jewish community, Make a Will Month represents an important opportunity to underscore the significance of leaving a lasting legacy. Through the LIFE & LEGACY® program, Federation highlights various ways our community members can support Jewish institutions and causes they care about, ensuring that these values and traditions are carried forward.
Including the Jewish community in a will allows individuals to contribute to the ongoing support and development of organizations that are meaningful to them.
Mike Leven, Founder of Jewish Future Promise, shared his reflections at the Atlanta Jewish Foundation’s 2024 Grow a Legacy event: “This is what I grew up with; when I had pennies in my pocket, I put them in this [Tzedakah] box. Every Friday afternoon, around three o’clock, someone would come to our door with a sack, collect the box, and give us a new one. But the truth is, we’re all doing this, even without the box. The people in this room are all committed Jewish individuals. We need to continue this practice and ensure our future generations carry it on.”
The LIFE & LEGACY program simplifies the process by allowing anyone to make commitments to multiple organizations in one place, eliminating the need to approach each one individually. This can include synagogues, schools, community service agencies, or any Jewish institutions that have made a significant impact.
Benefits of Leaving a Legacy:
- Ensuring Future Support: Contributions help secure the necessary funding to sustain the Jewish community and its values for future generations.
- Promoting Jewish Values: Publicly committing to leaving a legacy encourages younger generations to embrace Tzedakah (charity) and community support.
- Personal Impact: Individuals have the flexibility to direct funding to organizations that matter most to them, whether it’s a synagogue, a Jewish camp, PJ Library, or another cherished cause.
By participating in Make a Will Month and including the Jewish community in a will, individuals help preserve and promote the rich traditions and values that define the Jewish community. Federation aims to ensure that future generations continue to thrive with the support of Jewish institutions.
Learn more about Jewish Future Promise or contact the Atlanta Jewish Foundation to get started.
Metro Atlanta families raising Jewish children will now have more opportunities to engage in Jewish life thanks to a recent $25,000 engagement grant awarded by PJ Library!
PJ Library, a flagship program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, provides free Jewish books and programming to families raising Jewish children worldwide.
This grant will support the Federation’s JBaby Expansion initiative in Intown Atlanta—a rapidly growing area within the Jewish community that currently has limited Jewish infrastructure. As families move to this area, they are seeking new Jewish experiences distinct from those available in more established Jewish neighborhoods. This expansion aims to fulfill that need by bringing the popular JBaby small groups and increased programming to Intown neighborhoods.
In the past three years the JBaby program, which is run under the PJ Library umbrella, has expanded to reach over 400 families. “The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta is honored to receive this grant and thrilled to be part of the global PJ Library community, which distributes books in seven languages to more than 650,000 children in over 40 countries every month,” said Pam Cohen, PJ Library Manager.
We are proud to be among the 29 PJ Library chapters from the United States and Canada selected to receive this grant through a competitive application process.
To learn more or get involved in JBaby, head here.
BeWellATL’s inaugural Teen Roundtable was a tremendous success! This program is inspiring more community members to get involved and support efforts in raising awareness and destigmatizing mental health.
BeWellATL is part of a broader Jewish Federation of North America national initiative that addresses mental health issues within the Jewish community and is coordinated locally by JF&CS. It collaborates with Atlanta community partners dedicated to promoting mental wellness while supporting young Jewish people ages 12-26. BeWellATL provides the community with essential tools, resources, and training to achieve these goals.
The first Teen Mental Health Roundtable, which is a proud grantee of Jumpspark and organized by JF&CS, began in January 2024 and includes a diverse group of nine Jewish teens. The group has already made significant progress, including the creation of “Tackling Tough Topics” cards. These cards are a crucial tool for fostering open and meaningful conversations about mental health and bridging the communication gap between generations, making it easier for parents, grandparents, and caregivers to engage with teens on these important issues.
A 16-year-old participant shared, “I did the cards with my dad and stepmom—it was amazing. I learned so much more about my family, tears were shed, hugs were given. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect. Even after we stopped using the cards, the conversation continued. Thanks for creating these!”
A BeWellATL parent noted, “The ‘Tackling Tough Topics’ cards have been an incredible resource for my family. They’ve sparked conversations we were previously too afraid to start. It’s heartening to see my teens engaging and expressing their feelings more openly.”
The “Tackling Tough Topics” cards have been widely distributed and are in high demand within the community, highlighting the urgent need for such resources.
“As mental health remains a critical topic of conversation, these cards provide a practical and approachable way to address and discuss tough topics,” said Jessica Sacks, JF&CS Community Outreach Coordinator.
The application process for the next cohort of the Teen Mental Health Roundtable is open for a few more weeks, offering new teens the chance to join this impactful initiative and participate in a community-wide event in Spring 2025.
Click here to see the BeWellATL flyer with detailed information about the program and upcoming events. You can also email BeWellATL@jfcsatl.org with additional questions.
