Julie Platt is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and immediate past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and serves as Chair of the Foundation for Jewish Camp.
Earlier this week, I was privileged to lead my first board meeting as chair of the Board of Trustees of The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)—an event I was well prepared for thanks to the work of my predecessor Richard Sandler (Los Angeles). Nearly 200 Jewish leaders from across …
When getting up from shiva, it is traditional to literally get up and walk around the block. It serves the purpose of reentry into daily life, though still feeling the pain of loss. In a sense, it is a declaration of one’s choice of life over despair; to remain active and engaged with the …
He was a healer, and lost his life rushing to help the wounded. She was everyone’s bubby, a mainstay of the community. They were the gentle souls who greeted everyone with a book and a smile. It is hard to summarize the magnitude of what each person meant to so many. Eleven loved ones, wre…
Exactly two years ago, I stood beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and opposition leader Member of Knesset Isaac Herzog, at Israel’s first celebration of American Jewish contributions to the state of Israel. A full day of events sponsored by the Ruderman Foundation and hosted…
The Hebrew month of Elul marks a period of deep introspection leading up to the High Holidays known as cheshbon hanefesh, an “accounting of one’s soul” and actions during the previous year. It is not meant to be merely an intellectual exercise; positive, corrective action is required in…
