October 2026 Newsletter

It’s hard for me to believe that I’ve been writing these monthly newsletters for four years now. I celebrated my work anniversary in mid-September, and as a first-time CEO and newcomer to the nonprofit sector, these letters have become a treasured space for me to process my own experiences, share what I’m learning, celebrate our community’s successes, and grieve alongside you through some incredibly painful moments. Thank you for growing and evolving alongside me.

The most formative moment in my Jewish communal leadership came just one year after I stepped into this role: October 7, 2023.

Only days later, I stood before the Dallas City Council, trying to piece together a few coherent words about what this horrific attack meant to the Dallas Jewish community. It was there that I experienced my first direct brush with antisemitism. I still struggle to comprehend the hateful global response, which surpasses anything Orwell could have imagined in its depravity. Yet in the three years since, while I have lost a few “friends,” I have also gained relationships that feel as close as family, bonds that bridge generational, geographic, political, and faith divides.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Hersh, became a global symbol of the hostage families and their quest to save their loved ones. Speaking in October 2025 at Jerusalem’s Hostage Square, following a ceasefire agreement that would secure the release of 48 hostages from Hamas captivity, she masterfully captured the complexity of their emotions:

“It [the book of Kohelet in the Bible] says there is a time to be born and a time to die, and we have to do both right now. It says there is a time to weep and a time to laugh, and we have to do both right now. It says there is a time to tear and to heal, and we have to do both right now. It says there is a time to sob, and there is a time to dance, and we have to do both right now.”

She continued:

“How do we hold these paradoxical and yet appropriate sensations at the same time? Please, dear God, let us do it with delicate tenderness and holiness toward each other.”

And she concluded:

“May the joy of our people shower compassion and grace upon those not getting the ending for which everyone had hoped and prayed. And may the suffering among our people feel comforted and held by those who are feeling joy.”

When I first arrived at DJCF in the fall of 2022, I felt an overwhelming urgency about our work that I couldn’t fully explain. The reality was that for much of the Foundation’s history, things moved slowly, and meaningful change often took years to implement. I was inspired by the vision outlined in our strategic plan and buoyed by the support of our incredible staff and Board of Trustees, but I was relentlessly focused on modernizing, streamlining, and updating every corner of our organization and our relationships with our community partners. We evolved more in nine months than we had in the previous nine years combined.

When well-meaning leaders encouraged me to heed the advice of legendary musical therapist (Billy Joel) “slow down, you crazy child” – I simply couldn’t listen. Then came the fall of 2023, and suddenly that mishigas (craziness) felt divinely inspired.

Within three days of the attack on Israel, DJCF launched a centralized resource directing charitable dollars where they could make the greatest impact. You responded immediately. Through that platform, our community distributed more than $3 million to Israel relief and rebuilding efforts.

A few months later, the Foundation partnered with Dallas Hebrew Free Loan to make a loan to Ogen, Israel’s Free Loan Association. We expect 50% of that loan to be repaid this December. Because we invested in the people, systems, resources, tools, and relationships necessary to act quickly, we were able to accelerate your philanthropy and ensure support reached those who needed it most, even running multiple grantmaking cycles each week during a time of profound crisis.

Over the past three years, there has been a constant stream of community members bringing their talents, connections, and resources to bear. Our neighbors in Dallas created space in schools for Hebrew speaking students. You opened your homes to those displaced or unable to face the devastation of their bordering community. We welcomed families whose lives had been completely upended. Dallasites flew to Israel to bear witness, participate in rebuilding efforts, and defend against the ensuing attacks against our Homeland in the years that followed. You walked through neighborhoods carrying Israeli flags and Hostage posters, you sent supplies to provide critical resources for IDF soldiers, you made t-shirts and wore pins on your lapel for years.

Did we get a little worn out? Yes.

Did we struggle to hold what Rachel Goldberg-Polin described as “paradoxical and appropriate sensations” with “delicate tenderness and holiness” toward one another? Also, yes.

I remember how difficult it became for local nonprofits to ask for support for mission-driven work that did not have a direct connection to Israel. How painful it was when allies didn’t show up in the way we’d hoped they would. Suddenly, we were raising millions to secure our schools, houses of worship, and community institutions against those who wish us harm. We were defending ourselves in every forum online, in print, and on the streets. And as more horrifying details emerge about the trauma our loved ones endured, and continue to endure, our hearts break all over again.

Some days, our work together feels like trying to capture water in a rainstorm with a thimble. There is so much lacking. There is so much potential. So, in the spirit of resilience, and with the conviction that hope is the only way out of this hellscape, where do I believe the next transformational era for our community lies?

The accessibility of Jewish life.

The barriers to entry are astronomical. Current affordability estimates place the annual cost of “being Jewish” for a Dallas-based family of four between $45,000 and $96,500. That figure doesn’t include philanthropy. It reflects only the costs of synagogue membership, JCC membership, the premium for kosher food, two children attending Jewish day school, and summer camp.

For the average family, the price of belonging is simply too high. It becomes easier to opt out.

The Foundation is honored to help administer college scholarships that distribute hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to deserving students. We also award nearly 70 summer camp scholarships each year. Teen Tour and March of the Living scholarships provide young people with opportunities to connect with Israel and deepen their understanding of the Holocaust. We are equally grateful to another fund established for supporting tuition assistance at area Jewish preschools.

Eagle-eyed readers may notice one significant gap.

There is not a single scholarship fund for K-12 Jewish day school students at the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation.

And yet, research consistently indicates that many Jewish communal leaders are day school graduates. Day school alumni are highly engaged in Jewish life during college, active in advocacy and Israel-related initiatives, and often emerge with both a deep connection to their heritage and the intellectual foundation to sustain it.

Tragic events like October 7, and the trauma that followed, present an opportunity. We can transform pain into joy, pride, and purpose. By investing in our children and fostering a lifelong sense of belonging, we can change not only their futures, but the future of our beloved community.

Launching in January 2027, a new Federal Education Tax Credit creates a historic opportunity to expand access to Jewish day schools. Jewish organizations, including JFNA and many others, have united around a shared goal: maximizing scholarship dollars for current and future Jewish day school families.

Together, they created The Opportunity Fund for Jewish Education, an independent scholarship-granting organization serving Jewish day schools across denominations and communities. The goal is simple: help more families afford Jewish education and give more children the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive in Jewish day schools.

Learn more at The Opportunity Fund for Jewish Education.

At the same time, DJCF is partnering with area Jewish day schools and the Federation to launch a community-wide Jewish Day School Scholarship Fund. In the coming months, we will share more about how to participate in The Opportunity Fund for Jewish Education, support our local endowment efforts, and what we hope it will accomplish for future generations of Jewish Dallasites.

Four years into writing these letters, I am still learning that leadership often means holding competing truths at once. We can be exhausted and energized. Heartbroken and hopeful. Grieving what we’ve lost while imagining what is possible. Rachel Goldberg-Polin called on us to hold these paradoxes with “delicate tenderness and holiness.” I can’t think of a better description of the work ahead. The world remains uncertain, but investing in our children and their Jewish futures feels like one of the clearest acts of hope available to us.

We cannot control the hatred that exists in the world. We cannot undo the pain of October 7, nor can we erase the trauma that so many continue to carry. But we can decide what we build in response. We can invest in our schools. We can strengthen this community. We can build pathways to belonging. We can inspire a generation of Jewish children who know who they are, where they come from, and why their heritage matters.

Maybe that’s why I’m still moving so fast.

I wish I could say I’m finally listening to the wise counsel of Billy Joel in my favorite song, Vienna, but I’m still “so ambitious for a juvenile.” Because some opportunities are too important to wait for, and making Jewish life more accessible for the next generation is one of them.

SAVE THE DATE!
Annual Meeting: Generations of Giving

The Foundation invites you to a special evening honoring our fundholders, celebrating community leadership, and recognizing the spirit of generosity that strengthens our community. Join us as we welcome our incoming trustees, reflect on the meaningful impact we’ve made together over the past year, and celebrate the people and partnerships that help make our work possible.

3rd Annual DAF day

Today is DAF Day!

If you’re following our social media accounts, you may have seen the news of today’s 3rd Annual DAF Day! The Foundation is proud to have been a founding partner of this initiative, which now includes over 30 DAF providers and 4,400+ participating nonprofits. You may be hearing from several organizations you support, and your team at DJCF/SWCF hopes you’ll participate in this National Day of Generosity. Your impact accelerates our Jewish community, education, our environment, healthcare, the arts, and more – thank you for choosing us as your partner in philanthropy.

To participate in DAF Day 2026, please consider recommending a grant from your fund via the DJCF portal today! As always, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of our team if you’d like support in making a grant, identifying a cause to give to, or introducing a friend or family member to our work.