From the Desk of John S. Ruskay
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Seeing the Promise to Ethiopian Jews Fulfilled
February 3, 2012
Dear Colleagues: This week, I accompanied 82 Falas Mora as they made their journey from Ethiopia home to Israel — bearing witness to the fulfillment of a promise made long ago. I was joined by 19 of our leaders, including UJA-Federation board chair … Read more
Unite Against Extremist Acts in Israel
January 3, 2012
Dear Colleagues: All of us who feel an abiding connection to the people and state of Israel are following with growing concern news reports of recent religious extremism and violence, including in Beit Shemesh. Though the verbal and physical abuse has bee… Read more
Helping the Neediest Among Us
December 22, 2011
Dear Colleagues: The year was 1955. I’d been reading the newspaper daily to follow my beloved Brooklyn Dodgers, when The New York Times Neediest Cases caught my eye. I read about people who seemed so desperate. So forgotten. So in need of the basics… Read more
Increasing the Light at Chanukah
December 16, 2011
Dear Colleagues: Chanukah arrives when the days are short and cold, when we yearn for more light and warmth. On Tuesday, the first night of Chanukah, we will begin with one candle and as we add one candle each evening, we increase the light. By the final … Read more
Argentina: A Success Story in Collective Responsibility
November 18, 2011
Dear Colleagues: Ten years ago, the Jewish world was consumed with Argentina, watching with dismay as its once-vibrant Jewish community struggled under the weight of economic collapse. It was Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who called on federa… Read more
Listening to Younger Voices at the GA
November 11, 2011
Dear Colleages: Many in Federation leadership spend considerable time focusing on what will most effectively engage the next generation. In today’s open society, how can we strengthen the likelihood that Jews will self-identify not because they have… Read more
Experiencing the Power of Community
November 4, 2011
Dear Colleagues: As some of you may know, my mother passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 93, having lived a long and vibrant life. I’ve been under the radar for some time now, first dealing with her final illness, then with her death and sittin… Read more
Remembering 9/11
September 19, 2011
Dear Colleagues: On 9/11, I was in Jerusalem. UJA-Federation’s leadership led a mission of 120 New Yorkers to stand in solidarity with the people of Israel as they responded to the growing terrorism of the intifada. None of us could have imagined th… Read more
Jewish Life Growing in Former Soviet Union
August 5, 2011
Dear Colleagues: The great American writer, Henry Miller, once observed about travel: “One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.” These words captured my mood when returning home last Friday from a rem… Read more
Standing Together When It Matters Most
July 15, 2011
Dear Colleagues: As I stood with Rabbi Haskel Lookstein on Monday evening, watching firefighters courageously extinguish the devastating fire at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, I was reminded again of how we come together in times of crisis. Whether Refor… Read more