Give2017: Reaching Our Goals and Sustaining Our Jewish Values
By Dana Rubin • Development Director
At Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis, serving people of all backgrounds is critical to our mission. We are proud to share this wherever and whenever possible, but we less often talk about why we serve all people. Quite simply, we are guided by the “J” in JFCS – because we are Jewish, we serve everyone. But what does this really mean?
At the beginning of each year, we roll up our sleeves and begin planning for and setting fundraising goals for the year ahead. We focus on increasing our donor base, raising more money than last year and ensuring that our efforts can provide the most unrestricted support for the nearly 40 programs and services provided by JFCS, and ultimately, the greatest impact on the lives of those we serve. We also take pause to reflect on our Jewish values around philanthropy, what this means to us as an agency and to our donors.
Tzedakah does not just mean giving aid or money to the poor. The true translation of the word is actually much broader than the definition of charity. Tzedakah, derived from the Hebrew language, means righteousness, fairness or justice. In Judaism, giving is literally the right thing to do. The motivation for this is to sustain the Jewish people and strengthen the Jewish community for today and the future. From an early age, Judaism teaches us that caring for other Jews in need is the right thing to do.
Additionally, the Jewish value of welcoming the stranger tells us to serve people of all backgrounds, beyond the Jewish community. JFCS takes Jewish values and ideals very seriously. We focus on sustaining all people, strengthening the community one person at a time, no matter their background, which in turn provides hope for the future for everyone.
Donations are critical to us in providing excellent service, treating people with boundless compassion and making our entire community stronger. When you give to the JFCS Annual Give2017 Campaign you are fulfilling the “J” in JFCS. Please join us in reaching our fundraising goals for this year and sustaining our Jewish value of welcoming the stranger. Because JFCS is here for all. Always.