News From the Greater Miami Jewish Federation

Jewish American Heritage Month wraps up today, and as we are witnessing an unprecedented global rise in antisemitism and hate, it is especially important to highlight the diversity and vibrancy of our Jewish community, including here in Miami-Dade County.

The Greater Miami Jewish Federation installed new volunteer leadership at the 86th Annual Meeting, chaired by Debbie and David Mendal on May 30, and changes in professional leadership were announced. Lily Serviansky was installed as Chair of the Board, Mojdeh Khaghan Danial was appointed General Campaign Chair and Federation installed our 2024-2025 Officers, Board of Directors, Life Trustee and Council of Jewish Organization members.

LGBTQ+ Israelis struggling with trauma following the atrocities of October 7 are receiving vital support from the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and our partners on the ground through the collective Jewish Federations of North America Israel Emergency Fund.

Come together with your community to celebrate Pride Month this June. In partnership with BeWell Miami, the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education, Keshet, Miami Jewish Film Festival, The Hub at Temple Beth Am and other local Jewish organizations, Federation is convening our community to bring attention to Jewish LGBTQ+ identity in conjunction with mental health awareness through a screening of The Holy Closet.

As the Israel-Hamas war approaches its eighth month, Federation is continuing to provide financial support to meet a variety of needs on the ground in Israel. Thanks to hundreds of generous donors from our community and beyond, our Israel Emergency Fund (IEF) has raised nearly $30 million.

“It’s different than anything you’ve seen in the news,” said Suzette Diamond of The Moment Music Stood Still, an immersive installation memorializing the Tribe of Nova Music Festival massacre perpetrated by Hamas on October 7. Diamond chaired the Women’s Philanthropy (WP) trip to New York, which brought 17 women together for an exclusive tour of the exhibit — on display there for only four weeks.

With all that is happening on today’s college campuses, coming together as a Jewish community is more important than ever — and Hillel International provides a home away from home for more than 170,000 Jewish college students on nearly 1,000 campuses.

Since the atrocities of October 7, Israelis are facing indescribable trauma and uncertainty, which is why Federation overseas partner the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s (JDC) “quiet room” initiative in evacuees’ hotels is so helpful.

Federation, in collaboration with local and prominent voices, has been publishing stories on social media that celebrate the strength and breadth of our community and values. Partners created individual reels discussing their Jewish journeys, how their Jewish values and belief systems shaped their lives and influential Jewish leaders they admire.

Pain. Fortitude. Resilience. Participants in the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s eighth and most recent Solidarity Mission to Israel returned time and again to these themes as they visited with Israelis during the week of Yom Ha’Zikaron (Memorial Day) and Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Independence Day).

Time is running out to join our Jewish community for the 86th Annual Meeting on May 30 at 5:30 p.m., when the 2024-2025 Greater Miami Jewish Federation Board of Directors will be installed during a very special program.

As our global Jewish community faces historic antisemitism, now is the time to come together and stand strong as one united people at Federation’s 86th Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 30 at 5:30 p.m. at the Jungle Island Ballroom.

Passing on our most precious values is part of Jewish tradition and those who support the needs of the Jewish community now have another way to do just that. The new Lion Behind the Pin project, offered by Women’s Philanthropy and The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, includes an easy-to-use kit that helps a Lion of Judah — a philanthropic woman donating $5,000 or more yearly to the Annual Greater Miami Jewish Federation/UJA Campaign — to designate her Lion pin to an individual who will, preferably, become a Lion of Judah someday and wear the pin with pride.

The Greater Miami Jewish Federation continues to prioritize the support of women and girls in the aftermath of the October 7 terrorist attacks, this time, in partnership with other nonprofit organizations through the Jewish Women’s Collective Response Fund.

Yesterday, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) released a statement regarding the Biden Administration’s threat to withhold certain Congressionally approved military aid to Israel.

Yom Ha’Zikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, which honors Israel’s fallen soldiers, and Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, take on an even greater meaning this year.

As we approach Yom Ha’Zikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, it is critical to recognize that grief has touched nearly every home in Israel since October 7. In response, Federation has significantly increased funding for services that support bereaved families, through both our Annual Federation/UJA Campaign and our Israel Emergency Fund, which has raised more than $29 million to date.

Bear witness to the systematic and horrific accounts of sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas during their October 7 terrorist attacks at a special screening of Screams Before Silence, the new documentary by Jewish philanthropist and activist Sheryl Sandberg.