Sensitivity & Passion

After a traumatizing attack like what we experienced on October 27, 2018, donors may have many questions. Here are some ways to answer these questions with both sensitivity and passion.

How can you ask me for money when I’m still in shock from the attack?

I completely understand.  I’m still in shock, too. And yet, this is the proudest I have ever been to ask for your support. The Jewish community needs your help more than ever. All of the needs that existed on October 26, the day before the attack, still exist. We also know these murders have created many more needs in our community that can only be funded through the Community Campaign.

Why do you need my money after all of the money people gave to the Fund for Victims of Terror?

We have the same needs as last year, and the attack created a whole new set of needs, some of which continue to reveal themselves. The Fund for Victims of Terror was distributed in accordance with the mission statement that was on the web site where the funds were collected. Every dollar was distributed by a completely independent committee, the “Relief Fund Committee,” that the Jewish Federation chartered to function completely independently of the Federation. Your Community Campaign contribution will serve the needs that existed in our community and new needs that have emerged in the aftermath of the attack.

What did the Jewish Federation do after the attack?

The Jewish Federation focused on three goals: helping the families of victims, those who were injured, and the many people traumatized by the attack; bringing the community together to mourn and to begin the healing process; and making sure we remain safe and secure. The Federation worked hand-in-hand with our partner agencies—helping families of victims and those injured deal with immediate needs, counseling rabbis, creating community solidarity events, connecting people with help, arranging for and paying for armed guards at any Jewish community institution who requested it for four weeks, providing dozens of security briefings and more. The Jewish Federation is also assessing critical needs that emerged from the attack.

Why can’t I just give to the organizations that are helping directly?

It’s great to give to individual organizations. Giving through the Jewish Federation makes the entire community stronger. For example, the only reason the Jewish Federation was there to lead the response on October 27 was because your support kept the Federation open on October 26 and for more than 100 years before that. Past support for the Jewish Federation was the primary reason that we could mount a seamless community reaction to the attack. Without an organization like the Jewish Federation taking care of collective impact, our community would not have responded as effectively.

I just don’t know if it’s the right time to give.

There is no better time to give. This remains our moment to stand up and be counted—the time to show the people who hate that we will not live in fear. Rather, we will rise up as one, hand in hand, to help the most vulnerable people in our community in their time of greatest need. The Jewish community needs you now more than ever.