Ask Mayim Anything!

Shabbat Message from CEO Ezra S. Shanken
 

This is it! The Annual Campaign kicked off yesterday and Opening Night is just around the corner. 
 
Amazing Happens...when your gift joins with us.  
 
The theme of this year’s campaign is bold and optimistic, just like our Federation. 
 
Together, we have weathered more than two years of the pandemic’s impact. We responded together, we faced incredible challenges, and we reached new heights. When we are empowered by you, Federation and our partners can make amazing happen! 
 
We are helping organizations operate more sustainably through a Jewish lens.  
 
It is great when a single organization takes steps to achieve greater sustainability. It is even better when we bring 13 of them together with Hazon, an international leader in Jewish sustainability. Through our partnership with Hazon, these organizations have formed green teams and are now working toward earning the Hazon seal of sustainability. It is a step in the right direction and a great example of how, through our convening role, we can turn a great idea into a bigger impact and take opportunities to the next level. 
 
We and our partners are helping families struggling with the worst inflation in 40 years. 
 
Many of us can absorb the higher costs of things like groceries and fuel. Others simply cannot.  

We are helping them and the partners they are turning to for help. Organizations have seen their operating costs soar, too, and they cannot pass those costs along to their clients. They all rely on the Annual Campaign and the reality is that the same budget no longer pays the same bills. The same gift doesn't stretch quite as far this year as it did last year either.
 
We are leading in food security thanks to the partnerships we have built with organizations like Jewish Family Services, Kehila Society of Richmond, Schara Tzedeck and Chabad Richmond which are the result of the joint community planning efforts we began years ago. Our collective effort can ensure that we all get this through this.  
 
We are bridging the mental health gap for children and their families.  
 
The statistics are startling.  

• 84,000 children and youth in BC have a diagnosed mental health disorder*  
• 58,000 are not receiving the treatment they need*  

Young people are among those most affected by mental health issues exacerbated by the pandemic, yet they are hesitant to ask for help. Here’s why: 

• 13% said feeling embarrassed** 
• 23% said not wanting my friends and family to find out I’m struggling** 

As part of our convening role, we met with partner organizations and community members who were being impacted directly. In response we established a child and youth mental health committee and hired a new mental health worker on our staff.  
 
We are am echad—one people.  
 
People in our partnership region in Israel are experiencing many of the same things that we are. We have always said they are our extended family and an extension of our community. During the pandemic, domestic abuse exploded as families were locked down with their abusers. We are investing in services, like a rape crisis centre, that provide a measure of relief.  
 
Throughout the pandemic and recovery, we have asked one central question: What is next? 
 
In the end, knowing exactly what to expect next turned out not to matter. Why? Because we have to be prepared to meet and overcome whatever challenge (or challenges) may come next. And we are. Because we are empowered by you. 
 
We have seen our community's true potential these past two years. There is a tremendous amount of work still to be done, but we know that when our community pulls together, we can make amazing happen. If you are usually canvassed by a community member, get ready to answer their call. If you usually receive a letter asking for your gift, it will arrive in the next few days. Either way, I hope you will stretch a bit, increase if you can, and join your gift with us to make amazing happen!
 
We are going to be making amazing happen at Opening Night next Thursday night.  
 
We had a great conversation this week with Mayim Bialik and Jonathan Cohen, co-hosts of the podcast, Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown. She was exactly as down to earth and open as you would expect, and they are keen to answer your questions about mental health.  
 
We will pick a handful of the submitted questions and pose those to them at the event. Click here to submit your question and here to buy tickets.  
 
We have a new addition to our lineup, too. Marsha Lederman, Western Arts Correspondent for The Globe and Mail, will be moderating the Q&A.
 
You probably know that we like to end on a happy note every Shabbat. Today, we are delighted to share that Anat Gogo has been appointed to the position of executive director at our partner, Tikva Housing Society! She has been a valued and admired colleague of ours for years and we wish her great success in her new role. 

Shabbat shalom.

Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver

*Canadian Medical Association 
**Blue Dove Foundation survey of Jewish teens in Atlanta