From Toronto to Sacramento, JFS Silicon Valley Brought Ideas and Advocacy

Susan Frazer with other NJHSA attendees participating in roundtable discussions.

May was a month for showing up. Thanks to the MOCA Foundation for funding our team's attendance at an influential national conference and a state-level advocacy event so we could share ideas, learn from other compassionate organizations, and speak up for the communities we serve. 

The Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA) conference takes place annually and this year it was in Toronto, Canada.  Our JFS Silicon Valley leadership was honored to attend this conference that includes two events:  

• ExecNet (May 3-4): a forum for executives and their senior staff to come together and learn from and with each other, with the goal to return to their communities with new tools and information and stronger relationships with colleagues to call on for support.

  
  

• PowerNet (May 4-7): a four-day event that brings together professionals from 180 organizations throughout the US, Canada and Israel who share innovations, best practices, build partnerships and navigate current challenges.

From Ideation at NJHSA to Advocacy with Jewish California

Panel discussion moderated by JFS President & CEO Susan Frazer at Jewish California Capitol Summit.

JFS Silicon Valley leadership and staff, along with board members Ruth Bareket and Bill Halper, headed to the Jewish California Capitol Summit in Sacramento (May 11-12). As Jewish California’s premier annual event, it included meetings with the state’s lawmakers and activists, lobbying, and networking with elected officials, Jewish organizational leaders, and lay leaders from across the state. A record 700 community members lobbied all 120 California lawmakers on bills to protect houses of worship, fund Jewish community programs, and strengthen protections for older adults. 

This influential event was covered by J Weekly, with JFS VP of  Community Engagement Debbie Michel interviewed on the pressing topic of assembly bills to protect MediCal coverage and California’s Food Assistance Program and to expand the budget for the state’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Read the full J Weekly news story here.

Susan Frazer with other NJHSA attendees participating in roundtable discussions.

Centered on problem-solving, activities like this idea collage are staples of PowerNet.

JFS staff L-R: Kim Jackman, Manager of Philanthropy and Community Giving, Kevin Krandel, Jewish Care & Connections Program Coordinator, and Belinda Glass-Lee, Director of Aging & Holocaust Survivor Services.

Team JFS was proud to join advocates and community partners in making our voices heard:  L-R Susan Frazer, President & CEO, Kevin Krandel, Jewish Care & Connections Program Coordinator, Monica Spitzer, Immigration Attorney, Debbie Michels, VP of Community Engagement.

JFS President & CEO Susan Frazer lobbies state legislators along with other Jewish California representatives.