Shabbat Shalom, Jewish St. Louis,
As we prepare to enter this Shabbat, I want to take a moment to wish each of you peace, rest and meaningful connection with loved ones. This weekend, we also look ahead to Mother’s Day—a time to honor the extraordinary women in our lives. As Proverbs teaches us, “A woman of valor, who can find? Her worth is far beyond rubies.” May we celebrate the strength, compassion and enduring spirit of the mothers, grandmothers, daughters and mentors who help shape our families and our community.
It’s hard to believe it’s already been 60 days since I began my journey as President & CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. We are truly off and running! I’ve deeply enjoyed meeting so many of you at community events and Shabbat services across our city. Each conversation and encounter has reaffirmed my excitement and optimism for the path we are on together. I look forward to continuing to get to know more of you in the weeks and months ahead.
In these first two months, we’ve begun laying important groundwork for our shared future. Among our team’s efforts:
- We are organizing a standing committee focused on the continued safety and security of our community. This committee will build on the strong structure already in place, led by the Federation in partnership with many others.
- We are assembling a new task force dedicated to excellence in Jewish Day School education to help ensure the long-term success of these essential community assets.
- Another emerging task force will assess our community’s kosher food offerings to better serve all who rely on them.
Each of these efforts will bring together the expertise of both professional and lay leaders, and I will continue to share updates as we move forward. We are also working to deliver more dollars to the community through a soon-to-be-announced agile grantmaking process, which will supplement our annual allocations to our partners.
We’ve also made a key addition to our leadership structure by naming Michael Lourie as our new Vice President of Public Affairs and Chief of Staff. Michael has served as Interim Chief of Staff since December and has quickly become an invaluable part of our organization — bringing clarity, strategy and alignment to many of our key initiatives, including my transition, strategic plan implementation, and Board coordination. This new combined role is a strategic investment in the future of our organization and our community. As outlined in our Strategic Plan, communications is a core pillar in how we will continue to drive impact across our many stakeholders. It is essential to strengthening our collective voice in the fight against antisemitism, building broader support for Israel and engaging with diverse audiences across Greater St. Louis to nurture a vibrant Jewish community. Michael’s deep commitment to Jewish communal life and keen communications insight will help Federation continue to be a trusted and essential voice — not only within our own community, but beyond.
This month, we will also launch our Annual Campaign, and I am thrilled that it will be chaired by two phenomenal mothers and community leaders—Galia Movitz and Janie Roodman Weiss. Their dedication to our community is inspiring, and I can think of no better way to mark Mother’s Day weekend than by highlighting their leadership.
As it is written in Pirkei Avot, “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” Thank you for being part of this sacred work. Together, we are building a stronger, more vibrant Jewish future here in St. Louis.
Wishing you a peaceful Shabbat and a joyful Mother’s Day,
Danny
Danny Cohn
President & CEO
Jewish Federation of St. Louis