The Jewish Federation continues to monitor the news and the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel. Seventy-four percent of Israelis, including 60% of people who voted for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, support an agreement with Hamas that would release all the hostages at once in exchange for an end to the war. At the same time, we are watching the humanitarian challenges impacting the Palestinian people in Gaza.

I am sending this out earlier than usual to encourage you to join Jewish Federations from across North America at 9:00 am this morning for a special briefing on the humanitarian aid issues in Gaza. This timely session will offer an up-to-date look at the facts on the ground and the challenges facing aid distribution. Register here.

If you would like a recording of the program, please click here, and we will send to you when available.

Last year, I shared the multiple recommendations (based on data) from our Community Study. They were determined by a group of over 90 volunteer and professional leaders.

The Jewish Federation then created what we call the Catalyst Fund – a fundraising initiative to raise $1.5 million to fund those new initiatives for the next three years. The Zidell Family generously offered a $500,000 challenge grant if our community could raise $1 million over a three-year period. I am proud to say that in one short year we raised the full $1.5 million.

These funds are being used to implement all nine recommendations. I am enormously proud that every single one has already been implemented or started. Let me share them with you.

Community Shaliach (Start August 2025) -- Shiri Grinfeld will be our “emissary” from Israel for a three-year period to provide Israel programming (cultural, educational, fun) throughout the Greater Portland community. Portland has not had a community Shaliach in 35 years.

Israel Dialogue Groups (Completed all workshops March 2025) -- Understanding the challenges of the Hamas/Hezbollah/Iran-Israel war, we recognize there are multiple views in our community. We live in a world where people only want to talk with people they agree with. We partnered with the nationally recognized organization, Resetting the Table, to create multiple dialogue groups. These facilitated discussions brought people from diverse backgrounds and different views together to better understand how to listen and converse with one another on difficult topics.

Director of Jewish Life and Learning (Started November 2024) – To address “Jewish literacy as a barrier to Jewish involvement,” we hired Dr. Yosef Rosen as our inaugural Director of Jewish Life and Learning. He has already created “living room learning circles,” a program on Jewish magic, facilitated our Reset and Refresh program, and an introduction to Judaism course. More opportunities to come.

Teen Mental Health (Started October 2024) -- We have partnered with Jewish Family and Child Service and several Jewish schools to help teens suffering from mental health challenges. We are working with two nationally known Jewish organizations focused on this issue – Moving Traditions and BeWell – to provide multiple trainings and programs to support our teens.

Volunteer Coordinator (Started December 2024) -- Merit Pinker was hired as our Volunteer Coordinator to create a more coordinated central volunteer program for our community. In six months, we already had over 250 volunteers participate. Opportunities include: challah bake for Holocaust Survivors, Dignity Grows (feminine hygiene products) packs, a climate action Tu b’Shevat volunteer program, and coordinated Good Deeds Month in April.

Focus Groups for Community Interests and Needs (Completed November 2024) -- Worked with Panorama Strategies, a nationally known group that specializes in community study follow-up, to hold a series of 12 focus groups across the metro Portland area. Here is their final report, which was previously shared with all community organization stakeholders.

“Gather Grants” for neighborhood based, neighbor-led programs (Started January 2025) -- The Jewish Federation is providing grants of up to $120 for people to host others in their home or elsewhere for Jewish programming (Chanukah party, discussion group on Israel, Passover seder, etc.). In six months, we have already provided 120 gather grants and connected with over 1,400 people.

Mega Jewish Community Event (Summer 2026) – In summer 2026, we are planning a major event that shares the pride, culture, food, etc. of our Jewish community. It will be open to all.

Financial Literacy Empowerment Resources (Started January 2025) -- Coordinating with two local non-profit organizations who specialize in educating people about their finances to help reduce financial insecurity.

I am proud how quickly the Jewish Federation raised the funds and implemented these initiatives. This is community impact at its finest! We hope you will take advantage of these opportunities.

Something you should know about me -- I LOVE mail -- the kind you get in your mailbox. Nothing makes me happier than opening my mailbox and seeing something addressed to me. In fact, while in college (way before the internet and smartphones) I subscribed to USA Today so I would receive mail every Monday through Friday. I did the same for Jewish overnight summer camp – I loved hearing my name at "mail call" and my bunkmates appreciated the sports section.

Tomorrow marks the 250^th anniversary of the United States Postal Service. The first national postal agency was founded by the Second Continental Congress on July 26, 1775, at the beginning of the American Revolution. Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first Postmaster General. 

The Postal Service was officially established in 1792. Postage stamps started in 1847. Zip+4 (which represents between 6 and 20 delivery points) was invented in 1983. Self-adhesive stamps were introduced in 1992, And “Forever” stamps started in 2007 when they cost 29 cents. As of two weeks ago, a stamp costs 78 cents. I should have stocked up 18 years ago.

Here is a crazy story. On January 1, 1913, post offices began accepting parcels over four pounds, yet with no clear regulations. People immediately started testing the limits by mailing eggs, bricks, snakes, and other unusual “packages.”

In January 1913, one Ohio couple took advantage of the new parcel service to make a special delivery: their infant son. The Beagues paid 15 cents in stamps and an unknown amount to insure him for $50, then handed him over to the mail carrier, who dropped the boy off at his grandmother’s house about a mile away.

In the case of May Pierstorff, who was “mailed” to her grandparent’s house 73 miles away in 1914, the postal worker who took her by Railway Mail train was a relative. The Idaho family paid 53 cents for the stamps (which they put on the young girl's coat). After the Postmaster General heard about this incident he officially banned accepting humans as mail. However, a year later, a woman mailed her six-year-old daughter from her home in Florida to her father’s home in Virginia. At 720 miles, it was the longest postal trip of any child.

Can you imagine?

I still marvel at the postal service knowing that a letter dropped in a mailbox in one location will find its way to another.

Shabbat shalom and be kind to your postal carrier.