Annual Meeting celebrated goals exceeded

There was much celebrated at the Annual Meeting, including a use of available federal funds, which freed up philanthropic dollars for other needs.  

The Milwaukee Jewish Federation Annual Meeting was held Aug. 16, 2023, at Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun, River Hills. Mark Goldstein and Andi Zimmerman were the Annual Meeting co-chairs. 

Board Chair Joan Lubar raised the Federation’s “clear and profound” mission: To care for the needs of the Jewish people and to build a vibrant Jewish future, in Milwaukee, in Israel and around the world. She spoke on the Federation serving the community, planning for the future, and engaging in crisis response. 

“We are rooted in the principles of collective responsibility and Jewish peoplehood,” she said.  

On federal funding, she noted that Federation efforts brought more than $37 million in public funding to community needs. Some of the funding was used for security, often with more dollars coming into serving needs in Jewish Wisconsin than in other communities.  

Miryam Rosenzweig, president and CEO of Milwaukee Jewish Federation, also spoke on the Federation’s mission, noting that it must be accomplished collectively. “You can’t do it alone,” she said. “Our strength lies in our collective impact.”  

Max Rasansky spoke on the Annual Campaign, which exceeded the goal for the year, hitting $7 million. He celebrated that the average age of the Federation donor in this campaign dropped from 72 to 67. 

Mark Goldstein interviewed two Jewish leaders on stage: Adam Teitelbaum, executive director of the Israel Action Network and the associate vice president for public affairs at The Jewish Federations of North America, and Greg Steinberger, president and CEO, Madison Hillel.  

“This environment is ripe for conspiracy theories to flourish,” Teitelbaum said. The work of Jewish Federations is an antidote to conspiracy theories and antisemitism, he said.  

Steinberger spoke on changing culture: “We are at the forefront of talking about, what does welcoming mean, what does inclusion mean?” he said. “There is an adaptive moment here.” 

He said Federation is needed for this work: “We can’t go it alone.” 

Rabbi Jessica Barolsky, spiritual leader of CEEBJ, spoke on the Torah portion. She quoted the famous line: “Justice, justice, shall you pursue.”  

“What we do as Jews, what brings us together, is working for the greater good,” she said. “The Jewish community is a place of justice and a place where everyone is equal before God.”   

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Board Chair Joan Lubar raised the Federation’s “clear and profound” mission: To care for the needs of the Jewish people and to build a vibrant Jewish future, in Milwaukee, in Israel and around the world.