It’s difficult to overstate the gravity of the challenges facing North American Jewry at the current time. Antisemitism has exploded with a ferocity not seen in decades; Jews have been pulled into a difficult and consequential shift within domestic politics; and the two-year war between Israel and Hamas has fundamentally and profoundly reshaped the landscape.
If there was ever a fitting time for the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly to convene, it is now.
“The General Assembly has been a centerpiece in the annual calendar of the Jewish community in North America for nearly 100 years,” says Jewish Federations of North America Executive Vice President Shira Hutt. “In the shadow of the momentous events of the past two years, this year’s General Assembly, with dozens of sessions, jammed-packed main-stage events, networking, and critical conversations, will be among the most consequential we’ve had.”
With 141 federations in its system, and over a century of advocacy on behalf of the Jewish people, the Jewish Federations are well-equipped to tackle the issues that matter most to the community.
When they gather from November 16-18 in Washington, DC, the 2,000 attendees from across the Federation system – as well as civic leaders, Hillel students, interfaith partners, leaders from other major Jewish organizers, political players, and many others – will delve deeply into three core topics: rebuilding Israel; community security; and driving Jewish engagement. The promotional literature for the event accurately states that “this is a defining moment for the Jewish people.”
In the year since the last General Assembly, Jewish Federations have made important strides in aiding Israel through its multi-front war, addressing the security concerns of the Jewish community, and harnessing the surge in Jewish engagement. At this year’s conference, the plenaries and sessions will pivot to where each of these three themes currently stands: moving from an emergency Israel campaign to rebuilding Israel; focusing on security beyond the physical; and preventing the surge from backsliding.
“As our world continues to rapidly evolve, it’s more important than ever for the Jewish community to gather at forums such as the General Assembly that provide opportunities to engage with our most pressing issues,” said General Assembly co-chairs Joan Lubar and John Crouch of Milwaukee.
We look forward to welcoming nearly 2,000 of our community members as we work to build our collective future around the values we all hold dear.”
The dozens of speakers slated to share their insights represent the diverse backgrounds and experience necessary to provide a blueprint for Jewish Federations to chart the future. From political pundits to diplomats, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and educators, attendees will be well equipped to face the community’s challenges head-on.
Addressing antisemitism is a critical aspect of the conference’s first theme: securing our communities. To kick off the General Assembly, Fox News’s Jessica Tarlov, co-host of The Five, will moderate a conversation between CNN political contributor Scott Jennings and Rahm Emanuel (former US ambassador to Japan and Chicago mayor) about the Jewish community in today’s political environment.
All three are thought leaders within their respective parties, with Emanuel considered a potential 2028 presidential candidate. In addition to having strong ties to the Jewish community, their political expertise will lay the groundwork for an engaging discussion about the fraught current political moment.
The Free Press’s Olivia Reingold will shed light on media bias and misinformation. Having used her platform to promote nuance when covering sensitive and complicated topics, she will bring an important perspective to the General Assembly stage.
Another component of securing Jewish communities is enhancing physical security, especially amid an evolving threat landscape. Hutt notes that the 2018 terror attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in which 11 people were killed and six wounded, was a “wake-up call to the North American Jewish community.”
In its aftermath, the system did something only Jewish Federations have the capacity to do: build up an entirely new security infrastructure for the Jewish community. As part of that effort, the number of professionally operated community security initiatives increased dramatically, from just over a dozen in 2018 to more than 130 today.
“There’s more to do to maintain those and to continue to adapt to technologies, to the threat environment, but that is a major accomplishment that has been made possible through the leadership of Federations. Those community security initiatives take responsibility not only for the security of the Federation building but also for all institutions of Jewish life in the respective communities,” she says.
Hutt adds that Jewish Federations of North America are addressing antisemitism by educating community members and building relationships with civic leaders across society, including leaders of other faiths, government officials, the media, and the business community.
“Jewish Federations are on the frontlines of confronting antisemitism every single day,” she states.
ALSO VITAL to the work of Jewish Federations, and a second theme of this year’s General Assembly, is supporting Israel.
Since Oct. 7, Jewish Federations have raised over $900 million in emergency funds for the Jewish state. Hutt explains that in light of the situation, Federations are changing their focus from emergency support to rebuilding efforts in Israel. One example that she cites is a fund established by the Jewish Agency and Jewish Federations of North America, which will be leveraged to offer $130 million in subsidized loans to reservists through Bank Leumi.
The newly established fund will provide families of reservists – customers of any bank – with the opportunity to receive a loan from Bank Leumi at a subsidized, fixed interest rate of 2% to help them cope with economic challenges or other needs during this difficult period.
At the General Assembly, former IDF spokesperson (R.-Adm.) Daniel Hagari, who led the military’s strategic communications following the Oct. 7 attacks; Micah Goodman of the Shalom Hartman Institute; and author and podcast host Dan Senor will provide their unique perspectives on what’s next for Israel and how the North American Jewish community should adapt its strategy to help.
“This is a moment when having the opportunity to come together as a North American Jewish community, alongside our partners and stakeholders from Israel and beyond, is essential,” says Hutt. “We have big things to discuss.”
Expanding upon the theme of rebuilding Israel, the gathering will also mark the 30-year anniversary of the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin with reflections by Rabin’s granddaughter Noa Rothman and a debate about the future of the two-state solution three decades after Rabin’s death.
The discussion, which will be presented in partnership with the SAPIR journal, will feature Israel Policy Forum chief policy officer Michael Koplow and Commentary magazine editor John Podhoretz, moderated by Tamar Ish-Shalom, former news anchor for Israel’s Channel 13 News.
Increasing and encouraging Jewish engagement is the third pillar of this year’s General Assembly. After the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7, the increase in Jewish engagement, or the “Surge,” as Jewish Federations have dubbed it, was estimated at 40%. While this number has declined a bit in recent months, there has undoubtedly been a tremendous increase among members of the Jewish community who are seeking to increase their participation in Jewish life.
“We are living through a unique moment where we have this tremendous opportunity – I might even call it a responsibility – to respond to the surge in Jewish life,” says Hutt, “where the data that our team has conducted on behalf of the Jewish community is showing that there is an openness to engage in Jewish life in unprecedented ways.”
To that end, Jewish Federations are working closely with a range of organizations that support Jewish life, from Hillel to the Jewish camping world, Jewish community centers, Chabad, and beyond.
“We’re also looking for initiatives that we can really focus on, including volunteering in Israel,” says Hutt. She adds that Jewish Federations recently launched a partnership with Birthright Israel, which will bring 10,000 volunteers to Israel to aid in rebuilding efforts, while also increasing connections between Israel and members of the North American Jewish community.
“We know that the ripples of Oct. 7 have created more challenges here in North America, what it means to stand with Israel, and what it means to protect our communities here,” Hutt says.
“There’s a lot to understand and to do. Another ripple of Oct. 7 has been the surge in Jewish life. While it may have come out of a dark moment, it poses an unprecedented opportunity to provide even more pathways for North American Jews to connect to Jewish life.”
In addition, the GA will feature close to 40 sessions on topics of importance to the Jewish community, such as “Stemming the Tide of Antisemitism in K-12 Schools”;
“Expanding Access: Strengthening Jewish Education from Preschool through Day School”; and “Addressing the Root Cause: The Need for Systemic Change on College Campuses.”
“I would argue that many of these featured sessions would be important enough to be on the main stage if we had the time. They are vital topics,” says Hutt.
Lending her rabbinic and spiritual experience to the proceedings as the featured scholar-in-residence is Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, author of the forthcoming book Heart of a Stranger. She is the senior rabbi at Central Synagogue in New York City and the first woman to lead the congregation in its 180-year history.
She will also participate in a session devoted to cultivating belonging during the age of the Surge, alongside data and inclusion experts, to ensure that the upward trajectory of Jewish engagement continues “beyond the buzzwords.”
“If you look at these past two years,” Hutt concludes, “we’ve navigated one of the most complicated times for the Jewish people in Israel and in the lifetime of the people that will be at this conference – and the challenges and opportunities have never been greater.”
This article was written in cooperation with the Jewish Federations of North America.