Each night of Chanukah, we add another candle to the menorah, and with each successive flame, we brighten our homes and our spirits, while reminding ourselves that even in the darkest of times, we have the power to bring light into the lives of those who need it most. And more. This year, the light each one of us brings serves to expose antisemitism and diminish it.

Will you shine your light?

Today, social media and a culture of misinformation continue to dangerously amplify the voices of hate. As Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said in an interview, “the level of public animosity towards Jews is higher than it’s been in recent memory,”
And as we’ve repeatedly seen, animosity can have devastating consequences. Your contribution to the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven will help us shine a beacon powerful enough to penetrate even the darkest shadows of antisemitism and decrease its influence. With your gift, you’ll power education, amplify the voice of truth, and inspire people of all faiths to recognize and respond to antisemitism in any and every form it appears.

Your light generates security.

With the memory of the violent anti-Semitic attacks in Pittsburgh, Poway, Monsey, and Colleyville, Texas still fresh, we’re seeing a new rise in anti-Semitic incidents – spreading fear throughout our communities and threatening the freedom to engage openly in Jewish
life. We cannot allow that to happen. And we need your support.

Your gift to the Jewish Federation of Greater New will help provide the training, tools, and resources needed to protect those inside our community centers, synagogues, schools, summer camps, and other centers of Jewish life.

With your contribution today, you also kindle the flames of Jewish identity.

Your generosity becomes a light that ignites our children’s thirst for Jewish education and culture. You strengthen connections to Jewish community and help build connections to Israel for our younger generations through Federation-supported programs like Birthright Israel, Masa Israel Journeys, and more.

Your gift generates warmth and light in the lives that need them the most.

Here in the greater New Haven community, in Israel, and in over 70 countries around the world, you help ensure that our most vulnerable populations receive the critical support they so desperately need. Your help can make this Festival of Lights one that brings relief to those living in fear, sustenance to those living with hunger, comfort to those who are alone, and hope and support to millions of Ukrainians who have fled or been displaced by the war waging in their country.

So this year, as you light the Chanukah menorah and watch the flames grow brighter each evening, may it remind you of the light you provide with your gift to the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven and the impact you make on the lives of your extended global family.

Thank you in advance for your compassion and generosity. We wish you and your family a happy, safe, and meaningful Chanukah.