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Dear Russ,
It’s hard to believe that 2023 is now behind us and I’m greeting you in a new year — one that finds us entering the fourth month of Israel’s war against Hamas. In many ways, our lives have necessarily carried on since those first horrifying weeks: we celebrated Hanukkah with our families; the kids are back in school. However, the pain of Hamas’s terrorist attacks on October 7 still feels fresh, and our community remains steadfast in its support of Israel and every man, woman, and child who is still held hostage.
Three weeks after October 7, I traveled to Israel with Federation President David Waren, where we joined delegates from Federations across the United States. We were there to show that American Jewish communities see Israel’s suffering and are committed in their support — emotionally, spiritually, and financially. We heard from survivors of Kfar Aza, met with families of hostages, saw civil society come together to help the evacuees, stood in solidarity around a Shabbat table vigil to the 240 then-captive hostages in Tel Aviv, and delivered letters from our Connecticut friends to members of the Israeli Defense Force. We saw first-hand Israel’s immediate needs and learned from our agencies what they’re planning for in the long-term. Their needs are immense — and Federation’s Israel Emergency Campaign provides one way that we can show our support. To date, our community has raised more than $7 million, with 100% of the funds going to those most affected by the attack and its aftermath. Together, Federations across the United States have raised more than $700 million for this critical effort.
I have seen the power of Jewish women coming together in response to Israel’s needs — however, the need is not in Israel alone. At one point in our trip to Israel, we experienced a rocket attack that forced us to run for shelter. At that very moment, I got a call from my son’s school, where a possible threat had been made against the university’s Hillel. Anti-Israel meets antisemitism. Israelis recognize this. In fact, they shared their concern over the rising antisemitism we’re experiencing in the United States, especially on college campuses. Can you imagine? In the wake of that country’s trauma, they are as worried about us as we are about them. But in both instances, I know this: we will prevail, and in no small part because Jewish women stand up.
Jill Dulitsky, current Chair of the Federation board, recently reminded us that Federation is like a firehouse: we build it up in good times, so it is there for us when tragedy strikes, as it did on October 7. Please consider supporting our shared work through a gift to Federation’s annual campaign — and just as importantly — by getting involved. This month’s Woman of Impact, Leesa Wallace, sets a remarkable example of what one person can do when they see a need and make a step towards addressing it. Be sure to read her inspiring profile below!
If you’d like to get more involved but aren’t sure where your skills would be most useful, please be in touch with Laurie Mandell or myself. Our highest and best use is to rally our community when we’re needed most — and in that respect, the time is now.
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Evi Shekhman
2024 Women's Philanthropy Chair
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Our Woman of Impact profile features a local woman making a notable impact in our community. For this issue, we spoke with Leesa Wallace, a Greater Hartford resident since 1986. Leesa holds a master’s degree in adult education with a concentration in management. Professionally, she has led leadership development functions for more than 35 years and is the founder and principal of The Performance Architect. Leesa is a recent addition to the board of Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, and a founding member of Yaysh, a nonprofit organization connecting Jewish women throughout Greater Hartford. She and her husband, Bruce, live in Avon and have three adult daughters: Hannah, Olivia, and Elena.
What role does Jewishness play in your life, both as an individual and as a mother?
It’s central to everything. I came to Judaism much later in my life, following a Momentum trip to Israel in 2016. Since that time, there isn’t a day that goes by where I’m not touched by Judaism in some way, whether that’s a quick prayer in the morning, lighting candles on Shabbat, or studying Torah when I can. It’s the lens through which I look at all things, including my own behavior: Is this how I want to show up? Am I judging favorably? These core beliefs guide my actions daily — often hourly — and I’m better at it on some days than others, that’s for sure.
My two oldest children were out of the house and my youngest was 16 when I embarked on this journey. They all identified as Jewish culturally, but we didn’t have regular conversations about what Judaism is philosophically or religiously when they were growing up. That might be a blessing in disguise, though, because I feel that, as an adult, I can speak about my beliefs in a way that’s much more resonant and relevant to them. For example, I’ll talk about tzedakah, or the Jewish value of righteous giving and connect it to a Jimi Hendrix quote. Values like tzedakah then become much more meaningful to them — and I can approach our conversations with more maturity now.
You say you came to Judaism later in life; can you tell us a little more about your journey?
When I was around eight years old, my family moved from a suburb of Milwaukee, where I attended Hebrew school at a reform temple, to the middle-of-nowhere Wisconsin. The nearest synagogue was almost 40 minutes away and there were no other Jews in the town where we lived. We eventually moved to a town with a larger Jewish community, and I asked my parents if we were going to start going back to Hebrew school. My father said no, because the synagogue had burned down. Well, the synagogue hadn’t burned down — there was this group called the Posse Comitatus, who are basically the northern Midwest’s version of the Ku Klux Klan. They didn’t like the government or taxes — and they most definitely didn’t like Jews. The synagogue in town was small, and they’d made death threats against the rabbi. Rather than tell me at eleven years old about the death threats, my parents just said the synagogue burned down. One day, I came home from school and told my mom that a classmate had called me a “dirty Jew,” and she told me I didn’t need to tell anyone we were Jewish. If there are Christmas carols being sung in school, I should just go along with it. If anyone talks about putting up a Hanukkah bush, I didn’t tell them that, as a Jewish person, it really wasn’t a “thing.” I know she and my father were trying to protect us, but in effect, my Jewish education stopped at that point.
Fast forward to 2016. This wonderful woman, Mindy Glickman, decided to take a group of moms raising Jewish kids on a trip to Israel through Momentum. At the time, I didn’t even know what Shabbat was — but I decided to apply, and that trip sparked so much curiosity for me. It filled a gap that I’d felt for years and connected me to something I needed both spiritually and intellectually.
To read our full interview with Lessa, click here. To nominate someone as a Woman of Impact, contact Laurie Mandell.
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Welcome to Our Newest Giving Society Members | Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford is delighted to welcome our newest women's giving society members! To learn more about women's giving societies at Federation, click here or contact Laurie Mandell. | |
Lions of Judah
$5,000+ annual gift
Emerald ($25,000+)
Beth Fox
Diamond ($5,000+)
Debbie Kritzman
Leesa Wallace
Julie Wolfe
Pomegranate Society
$1,800 to $4,999 annual gift
Vida Barron
Brooke Elefant
Lori Flaks
Pearl Society
$180 to $1,799 annual gift
Sheryl Braun
Fern Darling
Sharon Freilich
Zoe Golub-Sass
Cynthia Hoffman
Juri Kotowitz
Miriam Kramer
Laura Miller
Sharon Miller
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ElyseRyan Jewelry, founded by local Lion of Judah Elise Rosenstock, responded to the horrific attack on Israel with a new — and beautiful — way for Jewish women and men to show solidarity and make a positive impact. Driven to help those affected by the atrocities of October 7, Elise launched the “Stand with Israel - Star of David Bracelet” nationwide, with 100% of net proceeds benefiting Federation’s Israel Emergency Campaign. “Connection is everything right now, and I wanted to create something that helped unite us,” said Elise. “With so many of us wearing these bracelets now, it helps to create dialogue, boost awareness, and raise money at the same time.”
Following the launch of ElyseRyan’s Star of David bracelets in the Greater Hartford community, social-media users across the United States began promoting the effort, including influencers Tanya Zuckerbrot, Lizzy Savetsky, and Gayle Perry. They helped amplify a nationwide show of solidarity, and with the support of the Jewish community, ElyseRyan has raised nearly $40,000 for Israel to date — with plans to grow that number in the weeks and months to come. “This is what we do as Jewish people,” said Elise. “We may shed tears together, but we’re also responsive when there’s need. I’m very thankful for everyone’s support; it truly takes a village.” The handmade ElyseRyan bracelets are available in gold, silver, lapis, and matte black, and feature a Star of David that signals the wearer’s support of Israel. Click here to learn more!
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Thanks to your generosity, Federation’s annual campaign helps secure our synagogues and Jewish agencies, support our Jewish schools and Hillels, build tomorrow’s Jewish leaders, and fight antisemitism wherever it takes root. This year, we set a campaign goal of $5 million, with an additional goal of raising 80% in the first months of our campaign. By meeting our fundraising goal early, we can spend the year focused on what matters most: making an impact in our community.
We’re thrilled to report that so many of you responded to our call, allowing us to reach just over $3,850,000 by the end of December. In fact, Women’s Philanthropy alone has raised nearly $1.4 million, representing a 63% increase over this time last year. Through this support, we will continue to build a thriving Jewish community here in Greater Hartford — and that is just the beginning. We cannot thank you enough for your ongoing generosity — but the work is not done yet. If you haven’t yet donated to our annual campaign, could you do so today? If you have made a donation, THANK YOU! We are more focused than ever on keeping Jewish life vibrant and thriving here in Greater Hartford — and that work depends on all of us. Thank you for all that you do to support our community!
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More than 260 from Greater Hartford’s Jewish community traveled to Washington, D.C. on November 14 to join a historic show of support for Israel on the National Mall. Delegates from Greater Hartford made the trip in four buses, with many more traveling on their own. Together, we joined 290,000 people from around the country, with another 250,000 watching online. The March for Israel marked the largest pro-Israel gathering in history. Following the march Jill Dulitsky, Chair of the Board for Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, joined several others from the Greater Hartford community in lobbying members of congress to support emergency aid to Israel and combat antisemitism on college campuses. Carolyn Gitlin, immediate past Chair of National Women’s Philanthropy, traveled to the United Nations (UN) on December 4 for a presentation entitled “Hear Our Voices: Sexual and gender-based violence by Hamas during the October 7 terror attacks.” The presentation included comments from Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg and Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan. Click here or the thumbnail below to watch the March for Israel program in its entirety. | |
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Jewish Leadership Academy in partnership with Women’s Philanthropy will hold an important security training to benefit you, your family, and our community at large, on Monday, February 26 at 7 p.m. This training is rescheduled from an earlier date. Federation’s Security Director, John Colangelo, will empower us with a newly developed public-safety awareness training, helping us to develop a security-based mindset, become more empowered, and learn actionable techniques to keep you and the children in your life safe. This event is appropriate whether you’re single, a concerned mother, or a woman interested in doing what you can to protect those you love. Jodie Sadowsky and Traci Friedman will serve as event co-chairs. The training will be held at the Mark Twain House and Museum, 351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford. An $18 couvert will include dessert, coffee, and soft drinks. Click here to RSVP.
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Come together with your fellow Pearl Society members as we have fun and do good by assembling Dignity Grows totes on Tuesday, March 12 at 5:30 p.m. Dignity Grows, which first launched here in Greater Hartford by Jessica Zachs, is the national leader in addressing period poverty and hygiene inequity. This event will serve those in need — and raise awareness of the challenge many in our community face. Our Dignity Grows Packing Party will be held at Warehouse 635, 635 New Park Avenue, #2F, West Hartford. Complimentary apps, desserts, and drinks will be available. Join us in this volunteer work, along with a $10 donation to provide a Dignity Grows tote. Please RSVP by Tuesday, March 5 by emailing Laurie Mandell at lmandell@jewishhartford.org. Feel free to contact Laurie with any questions.
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May 21: Save the Date — Living with Intention | |
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“Living with Intention” is always a highlight for Women’s Philanthropy — and this year will be no exception. Each year, this program inspires women to live a more meaningful life and features a guest speaker not to be missed. This year’s speaker and event details will soon be announced, but please mark your calendars now for an evening event to be held on Tuesday, May 21 for an evening event — and stay tuned for more information!
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