March, April, and May have been very busy months at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, and I hope you’ve had the opportunity to participate in one or many of our exciting events.
Among the highlights was the visit from two IDF soldiers, who shared their personal stories with our community in such beautiful and moving ways. During their week-long stay, they participated in our Lion of Judah luncheon, visited students at our local schools, and met privately with major donors, among many other activities. Although neither soldier had ever visited New Orleans before, I believe they left with many new friends and unforgettable experiences unique to our city, from French Quarter Festival to our wonderful WWII Museum—and of course, plenty of our delicious local cuisine.
On May 5, we once again participated in GiveNOLA Day, the region-wide day of giving. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our staff, volunteers, and supporters, the Jewish Federation for the very first time raised more money than any other participating nonprofit. As a result, we earned an additional $7,500 in prize funding to support our work. Congratulations—and thank you—to our entire community on this incredible achievement!
We also enjoyed an exceptional Major Donor Dinner with more than 70 participants in attendance. Many thanks to Rob and Pamela Steeg, as well as Sidney and Joyce Pulitzer, for graciously hosting such a meaningful evening.
Another recent highlight was the dazzling magic of Yarden Shalev, an Israeli magician from our Partnership2Gether sister city of Rosh HaAyin. Yarden delighted audiences of all ages and brought so much joy and laughter to our community across his performances, including shows at a local children’s hospital, at the day schools, and at Sunday’s public show. Special thanks to Ellen and Stan Kessler for generously sponsoring these events.
Looking ahead, June promises to be another month of meaningful connection in our community. JP NOLA will be offering several programs in celebration of Pride Month (learn more about them here!), as well as our upcoming Juneteenth Seder. Please stay tuned for additional details on these upcoming events.
June 30 marks the official close of our 2025–2026 Annual Campaign. If you have not yet made your pledge, or would like to increase your commitment, there is still time to do so. We are currently on track for a record-breaking year. Jackie Stern and Jon Schlackman have been outstanding campaign chairs, and we are deeply grateful for their leadership and dedication. At the same time, Gary Zoller and Tracey Dodd are already hard at work planning for the 2026–2027 campaign year.
With Memorial Day approaching, we are also entering the unofficial start of summer. Traditionally, this is a slightly quieter season at Federation, an opportunity to reflect on all we have accomplished together this year while also giving us time to prepare for a busy and exciting fall ahead.
Throughout the summer months, we will host several programs that give us a deeper understanding of Federation’s work and impact. Our financial officers will host a session on explaining how to read and better understand Federation’s financial reports. Our JCRC committee will lead a discussion about their work and why it is so important to our community. In addition, our various “J” programs, including JNOLA, JNEXT, JP NOLA, and others — will highlight the meaningful ways they serve and engage our community. These programs will be offered via Zoom, so please keep an eye out for upcoming announcements and schedules.
I wish all of you a wonderful, safe, and relaxing summer. And as the song says, “See you in September!”