Our Two Shekels

My Two Shekels: A Community is Too Heavy to Carry Alone


In the aftermath of the horrific attack on Chabad of Poway on April 27, our entire Jewish community mobilized to respond and support those impacted as they began the long process of recovery and healing. We know from our own biblical text that, a community is too heavy to carry alone (Deut…

My Two Shekels: The Secret Sauce


Our work is made possible by the exceptionally dedicated, compassionate and devoted stakeholders in our community.  Among those stakeholders are our own Federation staff.  These impressive and caring professionals work with donors, community members, families, and institutions day in and …

My Two Shekels: Check Your Assumptions at the Door


In 2004, I graduated with two Masters Degrees, one from the USC School of Social Work and one from Hebrew Union College (HUC) Zelikow School of Nonprofit Management (formerly School of Jewish Communal Service). Those 2 years of studying solidified that I was on the right path to serve the J…

Yom Hazikaron


This week was a week of more ups and downs for the Jewish people. As our community began picking up the pieces from the devastating attack on Chabad of Poway, our brothers and sisters in Israel went through yet another series of traumatic attacks from terrorists in Gaza. With over 700 rocke…

Remembering Lori Kaye z”l

Six months ago, the world was devastated by the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, when 11 Jewish souls were ripped from the arms of a tight knit and loving Jewish community.  Since then, incidents against other worshipers from churches in Sri Lanka to mosques in New Zeal…