 |
| Michael Polowin |
By Michael Polowin
Chair – Jewish Federation of Ottawa
Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe are a time when we at once look back
and forward. Our traditions of looking back include asking for forgiveness of
our fellow man, and of Hashem, for wrongs committed in the past year. We visit
our departed loved ones. Yet at the same time, we look forward. The formula for
the request we make of Hashem at Kol Nidre is expressed in terms of the future,
not the past.
New
years are like that. We look forward and back, at once. Indeed, in the secular
calendar, January is named for the Roman god Janus, whose two heads looked
forward and back.
In
the first few months of my term as chair of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, I
have spent some real time looking back. I have had meetings with a number of
our larger community agencies, to learn more about who they are and what great
work they do in our community. I have learned a great deal, and the esteem in
which I hold our agencies has grown as a result.
Yet
I have also spent time looking forward. Over the spring, we finalized our new
five-year strategic plan, which is looking forward in a significant way. We
have tried to envision what will truly enhance our community over that period,
and set our goals to achieve that enhancement. Truly, what our community needs
is more engagement. Engagement can be at the individual level, or in larger
groups.
Our
community is embarking on a range of exciting initiatives that will ensure the
future and make it better and better. Smaller initiatives like Jewish Jumpstart
and Federation Microgrants enhance Jewish engagement at the micro level. Larger
initiatives, like our largest-ever endowment to preserve and enhance Jewish
education in Ottawa, will increase engagement and benefit our community for
years to come.
All
of this, however, is built on the foundation given us by those who have come
before. Our community is a trust, given to us to hold for a time, and then
passed on, stronger than how we found it, to our children and grandchildren.
Our forebears, both actual and notional, were giants. They built a community
from nothing, often having not much themselves. Can we, who have personally
benefited from their labours, do anything less?
Community is our responsibility. We all must pitch in to
help. In a time where the pressures of the outside world seem to be growing;
where we are feeling the ancient wounds of antisemitism more and more, none of
us can stand idly by and not get involved. Involvement can take a variety of
forms. Attend community and agency events; get involved with our various
agencies and Federation as a volunteer; donate your time, and yes, your money,
to help others, and your community.
None
of us can stand to the side waiting for community to be given to us. It is the
responsibility of all of us to preserve, build and enhance. Get involved. Like
getting into the water, it can be intimidating at first, and then it’s just
wonderful. We have schools, shuls, camps, and social agencies that would love
to have you join the effort!
Melanie,
our children, and I wish you and those you love, a Shana Tova Umetukah, and
Gmar Chatimah Tova.
Michael Polowin is the chair of the
board of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa. He can be reached at chair@jewishottawa.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment