Greetings!

What is your Elijah moment?
 
Last week Rabbi Daniel Cohen, formerly of the Young Israel of West Hartford and now the leader of Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford, moderated a Federation program with Mark Shenkman, an extraordinary philanthropist who grew up in Greater Hartford. During their conversation, Rabbi Cohen told the following story:
 
A man came to a rabbi and asked to meet Elijah. The rabbi told him to go into the forest before Shabbat and bring food to the home of a particular woman and her children. There he would meet Elijah. He came to the rabbi after Shabbat, disappointed: he had followed every instruction but hadn’t met Elijah. The rabbi told him to return again the next Friday afternoon with food for Shabbat and that he would meet Elijah. The man did so, and as he approached the poor woman’s home, he heard one of her children cry out, “Mama, we have no food for Shabbat. What are we going to eat?” The woman replied, “Don’t worry; just as Elijah visited us last week, he will surely return today.”
 
In November of 2014, Rabbi Cohen started the Elijah campaign with his friend, Pastor Greg Doll of Noroton Presbyterian Church, to counteract increasing incivility and acts of violence by flooding the world with acts of kindness. They gave gifts to strangers with only one request: that the strangers consider paying it forward. The campaign and its impact are richly documented in the short video below.
Your support for Federation enables tens of thousands of Elijah moments in Greater Hartford and around the world every year. Each of us has the power to be an Elijah, to change lives and change the world.

Shabbat shalom!
David Waren
President & CEO
Destination Hartford Welcomes First New Residents
In the inaugural edition of Bright Spots, we announced the launch of Destination Hartford, Federation's new initiative to grow Greater Hartford's Jewish community. In this issue we're delighted to welcome our first clients to the region: Elliot Koenigsberg, a new BlumShapiro senior tax associate, and his wife, who recently relocated from New York. "Greater Hartford is an incredibly special place," he says. "It’s rare to find an inclusive Jewish community where you belong regardless of sect. We also love its affordability and centralized location.” Read more about Elliot and Destination Hartford here.
Educating Safely and Jewishly Amidst COVID-19
While the COVID-19 pandemic forced many public schools to shift from in-person to remote learning, emergency financial assistance from the Jewish Hartford Rapid Relief and Recovery Fund has allowed New England Jewish Academy and Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford to offer in-person learning this fall without interruption. The Fund, established by Federation and the Jewish Community Foundation and supported by contributions from hundreds of generous community members, has awarded $60,000 for need-based scholarships and allowed both schools to find new and creative ways to provide safe, continuous, personalized classroom learning. “Federation has been with us every step of the way through this extremely challenging time,” said Naty Katz, NEJA’s new Head of School. Schechter Head of School Andrea Kasper added, “Everyone in the Schechter community is incredibly grateful for the generous support.” Click here to read the full story.
Photos: At top, students in NEJA's Lower School learn in person with safe social distancing. At bottom, Schechter students learn about elections by running their own "elect a class pet" campaign. Photos courtesy of each school.
Rebuilding Israeli Children’s Lives after Trauma
When home isn't a safe place to be, Israeli children can rely on Emunah's Children's Centers to help them heal, grow, and learn the life skills that many of us take for granted. Your contributions to Federation's Annual Campaign support the Emunah Sarah Herzog Children’s Center in Afula, which provides safe, nurturing residential care for about 180 children who have been removed from their families by Israeli social services. Learn more about the Sarah Herzog center and how you are helping here.
Photo: Boys in Emunah's residential care program. Courtesy of World Emunah.