This Shabbat, we will be reading from parshat Yitro. After observing Moshe lead the people and probably exhibiting the earliest Biblical example of on-the-job burnout, Moshe’s father-in-law Yitro suggests to him that an effective leader can’t do everything without help. This important lesson has carried us forward to modern times, indicating that there must be local organizations to assist the larger Jewish community, and its leaders, in functioning well and effectively.

The challenges facing the Jewish community are an ever-changing reality and life is very complex. Leaders of our shuls, day schools and agencies try every day to do the best they can to serve us as a community. But they can’t know everything, and from time to time, leaders turn back to the community to ask important questions.

To effectively gauge community priorities, Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey and The Russell Berrie Foundation have partnered in funding a survey that will help inform strategic plans for the community. They hired an outside consulting firm, Rosov Consulting, who will be collecting the data through the survey and then analyzing the results. The survey is called “The Conversation” and is available for the entire month of January. Most of our day schools and shuls have sent out the survey, so you should have multiple requests to participate. Scan the QR code in the ad on page 29 or just visit theconversation2022.org. When you complete the survey, you can also choose to be entered into a drawing for three $1,000 Amazon gift cards.

Together, we can help inform the priorities of the Jewish Federation. Results will be made available to the community as well, for our own organizational planning purposes.