By Amy Pollokoff

As we approach Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, we are invited to pause and reflect. As we gather with family and friends, listen to the sound of the shofar and taste apples dipped in honey, we think about the year behind us and the future that lies ahead.

This year, my thoughts kept returning to a simple question. What kind of Jewish community will we leave our children and grandchildren?

This question takes me back to when I was growing up, and Jewish life in America was flourishing. A few decades from the Holocaust, “Never Again” was more than a phrase; it was a commitment repeated around the world.

I remember being openly proud to show my Jewish identity. How joyful it was to join family and friends and share our culture and traditions. That sense of pride also was reflected on a larger scale when we gathered in support of Soviet Jewry in Washington, D.C., along with so many allies, knowing that we were a public force for change.

Those memories stay with me because they reflect a time when Jewish identity was often expressed with optimism.

Unfortunately, none of us can escape the fact that today’s world feels different.

The rise in antisemitism has forced Jewish communities across the country to confront realities few of us imagined. While I still proudly wear my Jewish identity around my neck, many of us, including our children, are afraid to publicly show our identity.

As a result, security has become an unavoidable priority. Here in Baltimore, The Associated is slated to spend more than $2 million this year to safeguard our institutions. That’s triple what we spent 10 years ago.

These investments are essential. But every dollar spent on security is a dollar that The Associated cannot spend elsewhere on the many programs that strengthen our community.

It is a dollar that could have helped more older adults remain independent through programs that provide transportation to doctors’ appointments, safety modifications in the home or affordable living opportunities.

An additional dollar to support the one in four individuals who are struggling financially, according to the Baltimore Community Pulse Survey, by providing emergency financial assistance or job training for a family struggling with rising food, utility and housing costs.

A dollar that could have helped someone access counseling for someone facing anxiety, depression or other mental health challenges.

A dollar that could have made more children feel connected to their Jewish identity through Jewish camp, teen programs or enrollment in Jewish day school.

And a dollar that could help our friends in Ashkelon, Israel or Odesa, Ukraine, with trauma support after years of conflict.
Unfortunately, these needs have not disappeared. In many cases, they have grown; as have the costs to fund them.

That is why I said yes when asked to serve as campaign chair for The Associated’s Annual Campaign.

For more than a century, The Associated has been the heartbeat of Jewish Baltimore. It is the organization that collectively understands the needs and priorities of the entire Jewish community. By bringing together resources, expertise and partners across the community, it can direct funding where it will have the greatest impact, helping people today while strengthening Jewish life for the future.

Many of us have benefited from the work of The Associated, whether we realize it or not. It may be a parent finding friendship, purpose and support through a program at Myerberg. A family receiving services that help a child with disabilities reach their full potential.

It may be a child learning about Shabbat in a preschool classroom, a camper discovering lifelong friendships at Jewish camp or a teen finding a safe place to connect with other Jewish young people and feel proud of who they are.

That is why I believe there is no more important time in our Jewish world for each of us to step up — to stretch beyond what we typically do and recognize the extraordinary needs of our community.

As we enter this new year, I ask you to consider making a gift to The Associated. This is a moment for each of us to step up, to give what we can and to recognize that we are not only helping others. We are investing in the Jewish future we want for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren.

Rosh Hashanah reminds us that reflection is a call to a shared responsibility for our community. It is our chance to reflect on where we have been and where we hope to go.

There is no more important work when we join together to build a stronger Jewish community for today and for the next generation.

Shana Tova. May you have a sweet and healthy new year.

Amy Pollokoff is chair of the annual campaign for The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore.