Dear Friends of DJCF,
If you know or love a Swiftie (the name Taylor Swift fans give themselves), you’ve probably heard phrases like “I protect the family” or “that’s the life of a showgirl, babe” floating around since her latest album dropped a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, in Jewish day schools and synagogues, we’ve been making our way through the Book of Genesis, reliving stories of creation, complex relationships, survival, faith, and renewal. At first glance, biblical figures and Taylor Swift might seem like an unlikely pairing, but this month I’m going to do my best to identify some unexpected correlations. Let’s dive in:
Creation and Reinvention
Genesis begins with the creation of the world. As I learned in a recent Hebrew school class (yes, I’m a rising Bat Mitzvah—save the date for May 23, 2026!), at the end of each day, after bringing order from chaos, God says, “it is good”—not “it is perfect.” That’s a beautiful reminder that perfection isn’t the goal. Swift’s album is her own creation story. She’s building a new persona, redefining herself with each era of her life as a performer. Many listeners to the album criticized the lyricism and saying that in finding love and contentment, she’s lost her inspiration for the poetry and wit her songwriting is typically known for. But her response was a testament to standing behind your own efforts, saying “When I’m making my music, I know what I made. I know I adore it.”
Survival and Renewal
Inspired by Shakespeare’s Ophelia, Swift reimagines her not as a tragic figure but as someone saved from drowning, symbolizing Swift’s survival through public scrutiny and her journey toward personal love and contentment. In Genesis, Noah builds an ark to survive the flood, whereas Swift builds a stage persona to survive fame. After the flood, God makes a covenant with Noah, symbolized by a rainbow, promising never to destroy the earth again. Swift’s Ophelia rewrites a tragic ending into one of empowerment. Both are storytellers navigating storms. One with wood and pitch, the other with lyrics and a spotlight.
Rivalry and Identity
Swift often explores complex relationships in her music, including rivalries, betrayals, and the tension between her public and private self. These echo a biblical struggle for recognition and validation: Cain and Abel. Their sibling conflict rooted in jealousy is the first recorded social relationship that ends in tragedy, reminding us of the dangers of unchecked anger and the importance of offering our best to God and to each other.
Community Storytelling
The Jewish and Black History of South Dallas and the Forest Theater
The Forest Theater in South Dallas stands as a symbol of the overlapping histories of Black and Jewish communities in the area. Built in 1949, the theater originally served a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, reflecting the vibrant Jewish presence in South Dallas during the early 20th century. Jewish families owned businesses, established synagogues, and contributed significantly to the cultural and economic life of the area. However, as demographic shifts occurred — accelerated by redlining, highway construction, and broader patterns of suburbanization — Jewish families moved farther north, and Black families became the dominant population in South Dallas. The Forest Theater transitioned from a venue that once held High Holiday services to one that catered to Black audiences, hosting legendary performers like B.B. King, Tina Turner, and Prince.
This transition marked not just a change in audience but a deeper cultural handoff, where the theater became a shared legacy between two communities that had both faced exclusion and marginalization. Today, the Forest Theater is undergoing a dramatic revitalization led by Forest Forward, a nonprofit organization that now owns the theater and is bringing new life both to the building and to its surrounding neighborhood. This effort is both restoring a historic venue and honoring its layered past. In 2024, Forest Forward, DJCF, and Temple Emanu-El joined forces to facilitate a dialogue between Jewish leader Rosie Stromberg and African-American activist Willie Mae Coleman. In 2025, the dialogue evolved to “South Dallas Stories: A Conversation Across Generations,” a panel discussion featuring Mary Brashear, Larry Golman, Dr. Peter Johnson, and Rabbi David Stern and moderated by Robert Wilonsky. DJCF aims to tell and elevate the stories of its nonprofit partners and friends, and the shared history of the Black and Jewish communities makes the story of South Dallas and the Forest Theater an especially important one to relate. As the Forest Forward slogan has it, the future is bright in sunny South Dallas.
The DJCF Endowments Strengthening the Aaron Family JCC
L’dor v’dor, from generation to generation. This ancient concept means we have a responsibility to pass on teachings to future generations. JCC of Dallas is the essence of L’dor v’dor. Who else has intergenerational and joyful connections that occur each and every day?
Recently the senior adults department hosted a presentation about the partnership between the J and Dallas Jewish Community Foundation and shared the wide array of legacy gifts and endowment funds. Each fund is unique, just like each donor. The common denominator is the donor choose the purpose, and the foundation helped make it permanent. Each fund has a story and each fundholder a different passion. The results are funds that benefit early childhood and camp to general operations support and senior membership scholarships. Each fundholder has found their way to be remembered, and the foundation is proud to support the work of the J by carrying out the intentions of these funds. One takeaway from the program was that legacy gifts are not just financial—they’re emotional. They tell your story and preserve your values.
The Impact of Non-cash Gifts on Local Charities an afternoon with Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association
For many years now the Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association has teamed up with the DJCF to offer a program during October, National Financial Planning Month. This is a time to focus on reviewing and improving your financial strategies. A timely exercise as the holiday season approaches along with year-end as an ideal time to get finances in order. This year the focus was on non-cash assets. Stocks and securities are always at the top of the list, but many don’t realize other assets can be donated. In fact, anything that can be appraised and sold can be presented to our gift acceptance committee. Homes or properties, automobiles, insurance, privately held stock or business interests; even certain collectibles can be one of these unique assets used. This not only allows you to support a cause, it also provides tax advantages like avoiding capital gains tax along with reducing your overall tax liability—not just income tax, but capital gains tax and even potential estate tax exposure for your heirs. The benefit of working with the DJCF is that the foundation is equipped to accept and liquidate these assets, as many agencies do not have the expertise or bandwidth necessary to do so. We are proud to partner with agencies and our fundholders to ensure they have a lasting impact on the nonprofits they love.
The Common Thread
Dallas continues to grow and evolve, but our Jewish community remains rooted in L’dor v’dor and Tikkun Olam. We honor the legacy of those who came before us and find hope in renewing our connections—with each other and with our neighbors. If you’ve made it this far, I’ll share my favorite tracks: “Opalite,” “Father Figure,” “Life of a Showgirl,” and “The Fate of Ophelia.” (Still not sure why Noah let mosquitoes on the ark…)
Who Are The Marcuses? Screening in Dallas
We are proud to partner with Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU) for a special screening of Who Are The Marcuses?
The Legacy Midtown Park
8240 Manderville Ln | Dallas, TX 75231
Sunday, November 9, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Israel Now Forum
Join us for a comprehensive program designed to inspire and educate the greater Dallas Ft. Worth community about the State of Israel.
DJCF/SWCF 2025 Annual Meeting
The Foundation invites you to a special evening honoring our fundholders, celebrating community leadership and the spirit of generosity.
Why Attend?
- Welcome our incoming trustees and celebrate the strength of our community
- Reflect on the powerful impact we’ve made together in the past year
- Be inspired by our distinguished guest speaker, Mark Gerson – acclaimed entrepreneur, philanthropist, and author
Mark will share transformative insights from Chapter 27 of his latest book, God Was Right, exploring the Torah’s wisdom and the science behind charitable giving, including how generosity can lead to abundance. This promises to be a meaningful and thought-provoking evening. We hope you’ll join us.
Temple Emanu-El
8500 Hillcrest Rd | Dallas, TX 75225
Thursday, December 9, 2025
Program at 5:30 PM
Reception at 6:30 PM
Employee Spotlight: Lisa Wile
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