This is my favorite time of year. The crisp fall air reminds us that the holidays are upon us. Once again we all hope for a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. There is much to do as we prepare to join the community as we experience the holidays this year.
This year is bittersweet for me. For the past 2-1/2 years, I have talked about how special Louisville has become to me. I feel a part of the community and could live here forever. However, some things have changed.
I have recently accepted a new and exciting position in a community slightly north of Cincinnati. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to have a different type of impact with an organization related to the Jewish community but serving mostly our senior population. As I look forward to beginning this new chapter in my life as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur approach, I find myself reflecting on my time in Louisville.
My passion for this community grew stronger each day I was here; my passion for Louisville and especially my passion for Jewish Louisville. I hoped to have an impact here to assure the future of what I learned has always been a strong and dedicated community.
I worked to find additional sources of revenue to enhance existing programs and services and provide new and exciting opportunities. More grant revenue has certainly helped us achieve some new projects and successes in others. Additional sponsors and hosts for our Uniquely Jewish Event series have certainly helped the bottom line. This series allowed us to provide a different perspective on Jewish life and provide some though-provoking and educational opportunities. This is not your father’s Federation and cannot be that again.
My goal was also to show the community the Federation’s desire and vision to pull the community back together and move forward as a whole. We need to provide for the next generation and the one to follow them as we leave a legacy of a Jewish community worthy of their support. We need to help them realize the Louisville is a place where Jewish families wish to raise their children.
I know we have made headway here and I am sure the leadership will continue to evaluate and provide direction to create a bright Jewish future here in Louisville. A strong Jewish Louisville makes for a stronger Greater Louisville community.
I wish this community much success and prosperity moving forward and hope we can remember what brought us to this point and understand its value. The community must look forward and have a positive impact on the future. That is the Louisville I’ve learned about, the Louisville I fell in love with, and the future of the Jewish Louisville I hope to watch flourish and grow.
Shana Tova, Stew Bromberg
