Federation Board Chair Dave Sufrin and I traveled to New York on Monday to be part of a small group of Federation leaders to meet with Naftali Bennett, the Prime Minister of Israel. It was exciting to be in the room with the Prime Minister for his first presentation to an American audience in this role. I share with you an excellent article about the meeting and the Prime Minister’s message to North American Jewry: www.timesofisrael.com/bennett-focuses-on-jewish-israeli-unity-in-address-to-us-jewish-leaders.

Now, I want to share programs that might interest you or someone you know:

It’s not too late for you to virtually be part of an international gathering of caring and invested Jewish leaders. The General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America is Sunday at 2 pm. Join me and the thousands of others already registered. For information about the speakers and to register (at no cost), click here: generalassembly.org.

These next two programs are funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh:

• The Samuel L. Goldston Teen Philanthropy Project brings together a cohort of 9-12 graders to learn about philanthropy and social justice within a Jewish context. It is a fabulous program that has trained wonderful young leaders for our Jewish world. More information can be found here: jccpgh.org/children-teens-family/teens/teen-philanthropy.

• Honeymoon Israel (HMI) engages 20 couples from Pittsburgh on a trip to Israel. HMI is intended for Pittsburgh couples that are a little less Jewishly connected and married or in serious relationships for less than five years. You can check out the details here: jewishpgh.org/honeymoon-israel.

The reason I write about these two programs is because you may be the person who can open a door to someone else in our community for a powerful, life-changing experience. You can serve as an important link.

Part of the “secret sauce” of these programs goes beyond the high level content. Each builds micro-communities: a community of teens learning how to make a difference in this world and a community of young adults exploring what it means to build a Jewish home. Past cohorts of HMI have stuck together celebrating Jewish holidays and lifecycle events back in Pittsburgh. Those micro communities amplify the impact of these programs. Please share this information with anyone you think might be interested.

Shabbat Shalom and Go Steelers!