The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona held a community discussion, Think Tank 2020, on May 2. Nearly 100 community members representing diverse ages and backgrounds met at the Tucson Jewish Community Center to begin framing the issues to be explored as part of the Federation’s strategic planning process.
The Think Tank discussion focused on the most critical issues the Federation and its partners must address over the next decade in three areas — leadership; outreach and engagement; and fund development, prioritization, allocations and partnerships
“Overwhelmingly, the Think Tank results illustrated an interconnectedness between the three topics,” says Terry Perl, JFSA strategic planning chair. A summary of the data shows themes related to broadening the JFSA’s reach and combating “community fatigue”; engaging youth and young adults; reaching the unaffiliated; geographic accessibility; developing a synergy of enhanced partnerships and collaborations, including those with local agencies and synagogues; and creating and expressing a clear, collective vision and understanding of the Federation goals.
“As we continue to review the data collected,” says Perl, “we must look at each of these components as part of the whole. The relevancy factor was identified as critical to our next phase in determining not how people engage but why people engage in our community. The overarching focus for our planning must answer the question: How can we best create a Jewish community for the future that will inspire and engage individuals of all generations?”
As the next step in the strategic planning process, says Perl, the Federation will convene focus groups and work groups “around the broad topic of engagement for youth and teens, college students, young adults, families, baby boomers and older adults across a wide spectrum of geography, identity, background, religious observance and involvement.”
For more information, contact Brenda Landau, JFSA vice president of community planning and Women’s Philanthropy, at 577-9393, ext. 134 or blandau@jfsa.org.
