Pujados ke no amenguados - may we be always growing and never diminishing, a sentiment I proudly shared with our entire community this past December at our incredible International Sephardic Community Gala in New York City. And Mashallah - we have seen this sentiment become reality, as our membership continues to grow nationally, we’ve continued to offer exciting Sephardic community programs, both in person and online, and announced an increase in direct material benefits for our members as of January 1, 2024.
As with many cultural, communal, and religious organizations, these are challenging times. Many other organizations target our time and attention. Growing up in the Jewish Community in Istanbul many years ago, we were privileged to have our Synagogue adjacent to our Jewish Youth Club, and we would spend our time blissfully between them. Today, we are spread across greater distances and are constantly interrupted and bombarded with social media and notifications on our phones. I believe it has become imperative to introduce meaningful programs and gatherings using technology and social media tools along with in-person events, for our Sephardic Community. That is why we have rapidly increased our in-person and virtual events and programming on a national scale, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, catering to the unique needs of our community as we continue to grow.
Our Community is on the cusp of entering a new Sephardic Golden Age. There is a hunger for our people to re-discover our great history, identity, and worldview; there is a greater awakening in the Jewish psyche; a more pronounced sense of belonging and sticking more closely to each other and our values. We want the Brotherhood to grow as a unifying institution, using our resources to work with partner organizations, affiliate congregations, and our members in order to invest in our collective future.
To accomplish this, we need your involvement, your commitment, and your support to get us to the finish line. Please get in touch with us to join a Community Committee or volunteer or help organize any of our upcoming events nationwide or through our online Sephardic Digital Academy.
I am also excited to announce our new Planned Giving Program, which will help ensure our vitality for many years to come. Anyone in our Community can ensure their legacy is secure by naming the Brotherhood as a beneficiary in their will or estate planning, giving gifts of stock, equities, bonds, or even different types of annuities such as a Roth IRA. This may not seem like much, but this can have a huge impact on our Sephardic Community for generations to come. If you’re interested in joining our planned giving program, please reach out to our Managing Director Ethan Marcus at ethan@sephardicbrotherhood.com.
As we celebrate the upcoming holiday of Pesah, known in Hebrew as Zeman Hirutanu - the Season of our Freedom, it is my wish that you not only know physical freedom and security in the face of the challenges the Jewish people face today, but spiritual freedom as well: freedom to take joy in our rich Sephardic traditions, freedom to share your love of your heritage with your children and grandchildren, and freedom to be proud Sephardic Jews no matter the circumstance.
On behalf of the entire Sephardic Brotherhood leadership team, I want to wish you a Pesah Alegre and Moadim LeSimha. Si Kere El Dio - with the help of God, to many more great things ahead!
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