Sometimes Federation’s work is highly visible; other times, it happens quietly in the background or focuses on issues that may not immediately capture the community’s attention.

One thing we hope everyone noticed this week is that Federation announced the distribution of $7.4 million in campaign and foundation allocations, approved by our Board of Directors. That is a significant investment in our community and the culmination of a year of thoughtful work by our volunteer funding committee leadership, who are tasked with making difficult and often complex decisions.

Among the most important allocations is an additional $150,000 investment in Federation’s security infrastructure. While not necessarily sexy, it is vitally important. Our security operation, now staffed by four dedicated professionals, is one of the most respected and highly regarded aspects of Jewish communal life in our region. As I often say (and cannot take credit for), the bad guys only have to be right once, while we have to be right all the time. Our partnership with the Secure Community Network provides an invaluable layer of intelligence and protection. Unfortunately, strong security has become a baseline requirement for Jewish life today, and we remain committed to ensuring that our community can gather, learn, worship and celebrate safely.

Another area of Federation’s work that often goes unnoticed is the extraordinary effort of one of our agencies, the Jewish Cemetery and Burial Association (JCBA).

On Monday, Board Chair Jan Levinson and I visited several Jewish cemeteries north of the city with JCBA leadership. Years ago, Federation undertook a planning process to address the long-term sustainability and care of Jewish cemeteries throughout Western Pennsylvania. With approximately 75 to 80 cemeteries across our region, we sought to build a communal approach to ensure that our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and generations before them are cared for with dignity and respect, regardless of whether we share their bloodline.

Our investment in consultants, studies and long-range planning has helped create a thriving JCBA that is now engaged, in one way or another, with approximately 50 of those cemeteries. Jan and I came away inspired by both the history and the stewardship we witnessed. Among the discoveries were the graves of the family from whom I purchased my home 28 years ago. As a native Bostonian, I was also delighted to find the grave of Moe Becker, a former Boston Celtics player. Most importantly, we were reminded of the sacred responsibility involved in preserving our community’s history and honoring those who came before us. Thank you to everyone involved with JCBA for the remarkable work you do.

I also found myself reflecting this week on a Federation initiative that is neither about fundraising nor grantmaking yet has likely saved our Jewish communal organizations tens of thousands of dollars—if not far more.

Our Jewish Community Health Plan (JCHP) was created to bring agencies and synagogues together to leverage our collective purchasing power and secure more affordable health insurance coverage for our employees. These are the people who work every day to make the impossible possible, and caring for their well-being is fundamental to who we are as a community.

This year, our negotiated health insurance increase will be 5.5%. While that may sound significant, it is remarkably low in today’s healthcare environment. Insurance premiums nationally have risen 26% over the five years ending in 2025 while we have averaged an increase of only 3.9% a year.

When health insurance premiums total millions of dollars annually—and those costs are shared by both employers and employees—the savings generated through JCHP become highly significant.

As a result of our work, we are able to provide quality healthcare coverage while minimizing costs for employees, agencies and synagogues alike. Every dollar saved is a dollar that can be redirected toward serving clients, educating students, strengthening congregations and supporting community members in need.

As our marketing slogan says: “That’s Federation!”

Whether you see it or not, Federation’s impact is all around us.

Thank you to our donors, volunteer leaders, agency partners and staff for making Fiscal Year 2026 such a successful one. Together, we continue to strengthen Jewish life, protect our community, honor our past and invest in our future.

Onward.

Shabbat Shalom,

Jeff Finkelstein