High Energy Mom’s Reflections, Insights and Proactive Plan from the JFNAGA 2018

We assembled.

The young and old

The students and teachers

The women and men

The Reform and Orthodox

The Israelis and international guests

Our instructions were clear.

Written on a bright yellow sign outside the entrance.

We assembled.

Ready! Set! Talk!

The Jewish Federation of North America’s General Assembly summoned us with a clear mission.

To talk.

To listen.

To share.

To communicate.

To dream.

To love.

How do you envision the global Jewish community in the year 2028?

Ready! Set! Talk!

How do I envision the global Jewish community in the year 2028?

Inspiring. Thoughtful.  Hopeful.

Insights, cultivated from Jewish luminaries, such as Stanley Weinstein, Avi Dickstein, Yossi Kedem, Rachel Azaria, MK Yehuda Glick, Andrea Kaufman, Joan Levin, and many other leaders, motivated me to begin contemplating our future.

Slowly, a proactive plan for our Jewish communal future began to emerge.

High Energy Mom’s Vision and Plan of Action

The global Jewish Community of 2028 resembles your (read: my) Shabbat family dinner.

Sweet and Bitter

Harmonious and Cacophonous

Laughs and Tears

Agreements and Arguments

Concord and Conflict

Truces and Brawls

Hugs and Shoves

Are we really going to do this again, next week?

Yes.

Next week

Next year

Next generation

Our global Jewish family will gather around the Shabbat table.

Sanctifying the day.

Recognizing our Creator.  

Feeling grateful for our abundant blessings.

Expressing joy for our sisters.

Empathizing the pain of our brothers.

Together, we will communicate.

Together, we will dream.

Together, we will speculate.

Am Echad, B’Lev Echad. One nation. One heart.

Hand in hand, building a colorful future.

Ready! Set! Talk!

Today.

Tomorrow.

Next week.

Next year.

At home. At school. At work. At camp. At shul. At city hall. At the airport. At the supermarket. At the gym. At the beach. At a concert.

In Miami. In Tel Aviv. In Jacksonville. In Brazil. In New Mexico. In London. In Efrat. In New York. In Canada. In Modi’in. In Alabama.

In Jerusalem.

You Need to Talk

Here is your #highenergychallenge.

Take out a piece of paper.

Or open the Notes app on your phone.

Make a list.

List 3 people that you really, really do not want to be on the same room with, much less speak with.

Next, write down the name of the most idealistic person you know.

The dreamer.

Call. Talk. Listen. Believe. Collaborate.

Seriously, today!

Who knows?

You might be having coffee, with the next, Gene Greenzweig a”h, visionary founder of the International March of the Living.

Let’s Talk!

Yocheved Pianko Feinerman is the High Energy Mom!