Hineni. I am here. What brought me here?
My Jewish journey started with my family: Shabbat dinners every Friday, synagogue on Saturday, Passover seders with our cousins. I grew up in Madison benefitting from the many Jewish programs it offered. They included Sunday School; summers as a camper and counselor at Camp Shalom; and graduating from Midrasha, Madison’s Hebrew high school.
During fifth grade, my parents told me that I would be going to Camp Interlaken JCC. I didn’t want to go, but I got on the bus with five other Madison kids. When the bus returned three weeks later, I didn’t want to get off.
This experience opened a new world to me. I discovered we Jews are part of a larger community. Many aspects of our religion and culture connect us. Whether celebrating Jewish holidays, repairing the world, or giving tzedakah, everything has meaning. And participating in these activities with others gives them greater meaning. We are part of a larger larger Jewish community that is all tied together.
After college, participating in Young Jewish Professionals of Atlanta allowed me to interact and work with Jewish people from all over the world. After graduate school in California, I returned to Madison to work at the JFM as program director.
I never thought I would devote my career to Jewish communal work when I was in college or graduate school, but this is where my journey has taken me and it has been an amazing experience. Currently, I am honored and privileged to be the JFM executive director.
The common denominator throughout my Jewish journey has been and continues to be community. My passion for what this community is and can be is unending. There is one Jewish world, and we put our values into action as we work to repair and strengthen our community here and around the world. We are part of a caring, engaged collective, and our success is based on the ability to act together.
I look forward to continuing our work together toward building a strong, dynamic and unified Jewish community. Hineni.
Dina Weinbach is executive director of the Jewish Federation of Madison.
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