(Courtesy of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore)
At its annual meeting, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore showcased its progress over the past year and goals for 2024.
Over the course of the hour-long event, which took place on Wednesday, June 21, Associated board members and staff discussed the success of their programs and new agencies from mid-2022 through 2023.
The annual event also featured special guest speaker Mark Wilf, a Jewish philanthropist who is also the owner of the Minnesota Vikings football team. During the annual meeting, his speech focused on his experiences as the son of Holocaust survivors, as the chair of the board of governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel and as former chair of the board of trustees of The Jewish Federations of North America. He spoke at length about Baltimore’s role in the larger Jewish Federations, as well as the work he does with Israeli Jews.
“It’s not surprising that Baltimore would produce so many leaders in a community that leads with its heart and by its example,” Wilf said. “Not only is Baltimore one of [The Jewish Federation system’s] most generous core supporters, but they have punched above their weight, as we like to say, in all areas of support for Israel and the Jewish people.”
Held at Beth Tfiloh Congregation, the meeting was preceded by an exclusive pre-reception meant to honor specific members of Associated leadership. Jason A. Blavatt, chair of development, and Jill Gansler, chair of the Women’s Campaign, were both recognized for their contributions, as well as several of The Associated’s most dedicated members.
The main meeting focused on the organization as a whole and the community members who have helped contribute to its ongoing efforts. The event was specifically themed around “celebrating the power of community.”
“Our community has faced immense challenges over the last few years,” said Yehuda Neuberger, The Associated’s chair of the board. “This progress we’ve made is a testament to this community’s perseverance.”
During the meeting, Linda Elman, a director-at-large for the 2022 fiscal year, highlighted the three new agencies that The Associated launched last year. These include the Macks Center for Jewish Connections, Jewish Educational Services and the Jewish Library of Baltimore. All of these new additions aim to benefit the local Jewish community by providing accessible educational services and volunteer opportunities.
Much of the meeting also focused on The Associated’s efforts to aid senior citizens in need, as well as children and adults with disabilities.
Associated President Marc Terrill spoke about The Associated’s Centennial Campaign, held in honor of the group’s 100th anniversary. Terrill revealed that the campaign raised $200 million, surpassing its initial goal of $118 million over its three-year-long duration.
“The campaign has brought many to understand that they have the opportunity to leave a legacy as an imprint on this community by making an annual contribution,” Terrill said. “What we’re doing is preparing the landscape and the community for a position of strength for our next generation.”
Israel’s 75th anniversary also influenced much of the organization’s programming from this past year, with Wilf describing its impact on the Jewish community in his address.
“We have to double down on our core mission to assure that every single Jew feels a deep connection to Israel and to each other,” he said. “My parents gave me and my siblings a precious gift: a deep love of Israel. But they gave us something even more important: a sense of responsibility to the Jewish people.”
While this has been a special year for the local Jewish community, it has not been an easy one. Terrill said that 2022 and 2023 featured a noticeable rise in antisemitic sentiment and outright hate crimes against the Jewish people. Early 2022 also saw Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with The Associated making a concerted effort to aid Ukrainian Jews in the months since.
Terrill, who announced last year that he would be stepping down from his position at The Associated in 2024, said that these hardships should only embolden The Associated’s efforts to help others.
“When we have people who are dealing with uncertain stresses of the economy and troubling world events, we see through our agency system how they hit not not the people that are indigent or are vulnerable, but who have never asked anybody for any help. And they are now turning to our agencies, because they need that help,” Terrill said.
Wilf echoed this sentiment, emphasizing Baltimore’s role in Jewish activism and community services and that they play an important role.
“None of what I have outlined happens without each and every one of you and your extraordinarily generous commitment,” he said. “Baltimore has always been a leader in generous commitment to Israel and overseas and in particular to the Jewish Agency, no matter the challenges, as we always have.”
