Jewish Life is Built Together

Dear friends,

San Diego’s Jewish community has shaped my life in profound ways, and I am honored and excited to step into the role of Jewish Federation of San Diego’s Chief Development Officer to deepen our collective impact through philanthropy. I have spent my career building Jewish communities – leading organizations, mentoring leaders, and mobilizing philanthropy to ensure a thriving Jewish future. While my work has taken me across the country, San Diego has always been the community where I have felt most at home.

I left my hometown of Cincinnati to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder and then spent a year volunteering in Israel before moving to San Diego for my first professional job – at Hillel of San Diego working with students at UCSD. After pursuing my career outside San Diego, I returned in 2012 to lead Hillel of San Diego through a period of rapid growth.

For the past eight years, I worked for Hillel International, helping campus Hillels across the West Coast strengthen their leadership, fundraising, and impact. And since October 7, 2023, that work took on new urgency as I helped Hillels navigate and confront the surge of antisemitism on college campuses.

Through it all, my heart has remained here, in the community where I raised my two daughters with my late wife, Naomi (z”l), who served as a senior leader at the Leichtag Foundation. This is where my family built our home, where my children grew up surrounded by the richness of Jewish life, and where I have long felt a deep commitment to helping ensure a strong, vibrant Jewish future.

On the CommUNITY Trip to Israel in May 2023, I saw firsthand how Federation was undergoing a bold transformation – emerging as a true catalyst for Jewish resilience, leadership, and connection. Since October 7, Federation’s transformation has only accelerated, working tirelessly to meet this moment under Heidi’s visionary leadership.

This is why I felt so moved to join San Diego’s Federation: to help secure and strengthen the Jewish community that has given so much to me and my family, and to ensure that our philanthropic strategy continues to fuel growth – expanding the resources needed to secure our institutions, deepen engagement, support our global Jewish family, and ensure that every Jewish San Diegan has a place to belong.

This week’s Torah portion, Vayakhel, captures a foundational truth about community: Jewish life is built together.

When the Israelites set out to build the Mishkan (tabernacle), Moses did not demand a fixed amount from each person. Instead, he called on the people to contribute from the heart – their gold, their talents, their time – each according to their means. It was an act of collective generosity, and the result was something far greater than any single person could have built alone.

This is the essence of what Federation does: we bring people together to build something meaningful and lasting. And just as the Mishkan wasn’t built by a single hand, securing our Jewish future depends on all of us.

On the CommUNITY trip, I also saw firsthand the strength of our 26-year partnership with Sha’ar HaNegev. In the wake of October 7, our friends there need more than rebuilt homes and schools – they need security, resilience, and hope. San Diego’s support is more than financial; it’s a testament to our unbreakable bond. As we help them heal, we also pray for the safe return of the hostages still held in Gaza, standing in solidarity with their families and all of Israel.

I am eager to reconnect with old friends and build new relationships in the weeks and months ahead. Together, we have the opportunity to shape something extraordinary for Jewish San Diego – ensuring that our community remains strong, resilient, and united for generations to come.

Shabbat Shalom,

Michael Rabkin, Chief Development Officer
Jewish Federation of San Diego