Shabbat Reflections from a Busy Week

Dear friends,

Every Monday morning, our entire Federation staff sits down for a 30-minute “huddle.” We talk about what’s happening in the world, share joyful simchas and heartbreaking tragedies, reflect on the past week’s “wins,” and brief everyone on what’s coming in the week ahead.

My first huddles as CEO were during COVID, on Zoom. They were 20 minutes long, if that. Our team was smaller then, and we faced an entirely different set of issues. Programs were mostly online, or held outside in small groups, as many were still hesitant to gather with people they didn’t know. Jewish life was happening online, or at home with family.

We weren’t sure if we would ever return to large gatherings, to in-person programming, or to “working from work.” We asked ourselves what the future of Jewish life was going to look like. And then, slowly, things seemed to be returning to some semblance of normal. We started working from the office two, then three, then four days a week. Our huddles were again in person – sometimes with bagels! And we had so much more to talk about; more programs, more impact.

Then the world changed again. I will never forget our first huddle after October 7th. I had cut short a vacation in Europe, and arrived back in San Diego late the night before, my thumbs aching from non-stop phone-typing for what seemed like 48 hours straight. Everyone was there – silent. Waiting. We processed and grieved together, through tears, and then went on to discuss plans for a Solidarity Vigil that would bring 5,000 people to the field at the JCC, and about our newly launched Israel Emergency Campaign, which would ultimately raise more than $9 million to support urgent needs in Israel. And once again, we wondered if the world would ever go back to what it was before. I thought about all of this during this week’s huddle, which we had to extend to 40 minutes because we had so much to cover. Almost every day last week, we brought people together from across San Diego for programs that touch every aspect of Jewish life, and on Monday, we celebrated them all. Here’s just a glimpse:

We started last Sunday with a gathering of most of the more than 40 people traveling with us to Poland in a few weeks for our first Federation-organized March of the Living mission for adults in more than 20 years. After which, 15 of us will go on from Poland to Israel for our third Solidarity Mission. On Monday, San Diego Jewish agency executives gathered as part of our Courageous Leadership Initiative to connect and study Jewish texts to help confront some of what divides American society today.

Also on Monday, we launched our second annual Security Spring Training series, which trained more than 200 San Diego Jews and members of other faith-based communities in Stopping the Bleed, Countering the Active Threat, and general situational awareness.

Tuesday, I met with the thoughtful and engaged young couples who are part of our new Leading 2gether program. I shared my own Jewish journey and my path to leadership, and they shared both what keeps them up at night and what inspires them to live proud Jewish lives.

Thursday, we partnered with ADL to host our inaugural San Diego Educational Leaders Summit. Over 30 district administrators and educators from seven school districts and the County Office of Education came together to explore the myriad issues facing Jewish students, and to develop tools to ensure stronger, more inclusive support systems for our kids.

And Friday I had the joy of sitting down with the dynamic young people who make up the San Diego cohort of our new “Giborim” (heroes) program. This partnership with JPro San Diego is bringing together young professionals from 12 of San Diego’s Jewish organizations to grow their skills and Jewish knowledge and build meaningful relationships with one another and with their peers in our sister region of Sha’ar HaNegev. I left that retreat tremendously hopeful for our community’s future.

We ended this Monday’s huddle a bit stunned at just how much we had accomplished, and just how much was on deck for the week to come. And maybe, years ago, I might have thought, “Dayeinu!” – enough for a while – but not today. 

With your continued support, and your care and compassion for Jewish life in San Diego, we will continue to create new ways to strengthen and secure our community and deepen our connections to one another and to our global Jewish family.

It might mean longer Monday morning huddles, and I’m just fine with that. I’ll bring the bagels.

Shabbat Shalom,

Heidi Gantwerk, President & CEO
Jewish Federation of San Diego