86,400 Seconds

By Leah Berry
THE ASSOCIATED

As we enter 2012, I want to share something that I recently received. It came in the form of an email forward, but its message is very relevant to the work that we do here at THE ASSOCIATED:

Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest:
Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400.00 in your private account for your use.

However, this prize has rules, just as any game has certain rules.

The first set of rules would be:
Everything that you didn’t spend during each day would be taken away from you.

You may not simply transfer money into some other account.
You may only spend it.

Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400.00 for that day.

The second set of rules:
The bank can end the game without warning; at any  time it can say, It’s over, the game is over!

It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What would you personally do?
You would buy anything and everything you wanted, right?
Not only for yourself, but for all people you love, right?

Even for people you don’t know, because you couldn’t possibly spend it all on yourself, right?
You would try to spend every cent, and use it all, right?

ACTUALLY, this GAME is REALITY!

Each of us is in possession of such a magical bank.  We just  can’t seem to see it.

The MAGICAL BANK is TIME!

Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift  of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time  is NOT credited to us.  

What we haven’t lived up that day is forever lost.

Yesterday is forever gone.

Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can  dissolve your account at any time….WITHOUT WARNING.

SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?

Aren’t they worth so much more than the same amount in dollars?

Think about that, and always think of this:
Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by  so much quicker than you think.

So take care of yourself, be Happy, Love Deeply and enjoy life!

Here’s wishing you a wonderfully beautiful New Year.

What does this have to do with the work of THE ASSOCIATED? In Jewish Baltimore, there are two types of philanthropy – philanthropy of time and philanthropy of money. Both are critical and needed to make our community the special place that is known for throughout North America. The gift of time is a priceless gift.

GET INVOLVED>>

Related Article: Meet Harriet>>

Super Heroes

By Marc B. Terrill

As we spend this Chanukah Sunday with our families, many of us will think about the heroism demonstrated by the Maccabees, a small band of Jews who stood up for their beliefs against the Greeks and the Syrians. Fighting off an army is an act that most of us will never experience, but, as part of this community and our global Jewish family, we, nonetheless, have the power to perform acts of heroism every day.

Thanks to THE ASSOCIATED’s Annual Campaign, a centralized fund which makes possible the vital programs and services offered through our system of local agencies and our overseas partners, the vulnerable have heroes to turn to in their hours of need.

• Those heroes might be the social workers and counselors at Jewish Community Services who help a mother coping with joblessness and mounting bills find work and feed her family.
• Those heroes might be young adult volunteers serving potato latkes to adults with special needs at a Chanukah gathering at the Jewish Community Center.
• Those heroes might be the youth counselors working with Israeli students holed up in bomb shelters during rocket fire in our sister city, Ashkelon.
• Those heroes might be organizational coaches and teachers providing a child with learning differences the tools needed to be successful in the class room through Shemesh.
• Those heroes might be the team at Weinberg Village who keep the older adult residents engaged, happy and safe in their homes.
• Those heroes might be the therapists providing counseling to survivors of domestic violence and trauma through CHANA and the Shofar Coalition.
• Those heroes might be the dedicated donors and volunteers whose selfless contributions to our community make all of this, and much more, possible.

In Baltimore, we are blessed to have a system of heroes who work together to ensure that daily needs are met with compassion and speed and that future generations are nurtured and guided toward a vibrant tomorrow. The beauty of our community is that, at any given time, any one of us has the power to be a hero, to be that spark of light in someone else’s life. Ask any one of the thousands of volunteers who find their place in THE ASSOCIATED system each year and they will likely tell you that serving that role, fulfilling that mitzvah, fills them with more joy and reward than the effort they put forth.

If you have not yet taken the opportunity to be a hero in our community, to be the person whose gift of talent, time and resources touches countless lives, I invite you to get involved today and feel the warmth that comes from making a difference in our world. You can make your contribution at www.associated.org/donatenow or volunteer your time through Jewish Volunteer Connection, www.jvcbaltimore.org. (Giving your gift before December 31 will enable you to enjoy a tax benefit for 2011.)

And if you are among the heroes in our community – either a professional in our system or a volunteer or donor to THE ASSOCIATED –  I thank you for the work you do on behalf of all the people in Baltimore, Israel and in Jewish communities around the globe who cannot thank you themselves. You are all my heroes and I am so proud that we are part of the same team. Happy Chanukah.

Are We Really Fostering Jewish Leadership?

This is a question that most synagogues, youth groups and Jewish non-profits ask themselves on a regular basis. Many of these groups tout “leadership development” programs and activities to inspire and prepare the next generation to take the lead. But do they work? Two experts, Hal Lewis, Spertus Institute President and CEO and Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies in Chicago, and Dr. Erica Brown, noted writer, educator and Scholar-in-Residence for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, question many of these programs’ effectiveness. From two sides of the coin, the articles demonstrate that there is more to leadership development that cultivating a rising star up the ladder or even offering an educational seminar on the way the Jewish system works.

Read Lewis’ article>>
Read Browns’ article>>

Meet Ken: Career Services

A real estate developer, Ken has graduate degrees in architecture and business. He and his wife live in a beautiful home with their two teenage sons and a yellow Lab named Tikva. For two decades, Ken climbed the corporate ladder relentlessly. “It’s been a busy 20 years,” he laughs.

However, in 2009, his situation changed. “I was sitting on top of the corporate world, and then, overnight, I found myself unemployed,” he recounts. “You go from running to meetings day-in and day-out, to suddenly spending your weekdays walking your dog and picking kids up at school. It’s a humbling experience and somewhat disorienting.”

Ken turned to his local Federation. His family had always donated to the Annual Campaign, and he had never imagined that he would one day be on the receiving end of Federation services. “While one frequently sees people struggling around them, you unfortunately only develop a true sense of empathy once you find yourself in similar shoes.  You quickly realize that there are other Jewish families such as yours experiencing similar trials and tribulations.”

With some trepidation, Ken began attending Federation programs designed for unemployed businesspeople like himself. He soon shed his fears, though, and the programs formed a new foundation for his life. “It reorients you,” he says. “You realize that you’re in good company with other very smart, accomplished, successful businesspeople who have simply found themselves out of luck during hard times.”

Ken speaks about his situation cheerfully. “I’m in real estate development, so I have to always have a positive outlook,” he says. Being less busy has given him a chance to spend more time with his family. “I was one of the few fathers who did not miss a single one of my son’s junior varsity basketball games at school last season,” he brags. “That will be remembered more by my son in years to come than me building just another building.”  It has also allowed him to explore his Jewish roots.

Indeed, Ken has come to view his business setbacks as the force that brought him closer to his Judaism. “When everything is going smoothly, the depth of your spirituality isn’t necessarily at the level that it could be,” he says. “Whenever I look back upon hard times, I always appreciate them because I grew as an individual and sometimes came closer to my faith as a result.”

Ken and his wife make an effort to raise their sons with the lessons of their father’s struggle. “As parents, it’s our duty to expose them to environments and people that are less fortunate than themselves,” he says emphatically. “We have to give them a sense of empathy for others who are in need. One never knows when it might be themselves, friends, or loved ones who find themselves in a tough situation.”

They encourage their children to focus on interpersonal relationships and building a strong Jewish character base. “While it’s very important to have high goals to work towards, you don’t want to achieve them at the expense of connecting with people and being out of touch with your Jewish faith.”

Ken believes that he will soon be back at work, but when he returns, he will maintain the connections he made during his months of unemployment. “Federation has kept me connected with other positive, like-minded, spiritual Jews who offer their support and encouragement,” he says. “It just makes you feel like you’re not alone. With a little faith and with good company, we will come out of these difficult times with a new appreciation for community and Jewish Federation.”

Being ASSOCIATED is feeling like you are not alone. DONATE NOW to THE ASSOCIATED Annual Campaign>>

Knowing and Using our Rich Jewish Tradition

By Cindy Goldstein, Executive Director
The Darrell D. Friedman Institute for Professional Development

The visionaries of 45 years ago in both the social work and Jewish communal field, such as Daniel Thursz, brought together secular learning with Jewish learning. Whether the technique was to learn them in distinct settings or integrate one with the other, either way, they recognized then that Jewish communal professionals needed Jewish learning to inform their work in the Jewish community. After all, what would be the difference between a Jewish nonprofit and any other nonprofit organization? Jewish tradition, text and values inform our work and make it holy.

All of us working or volunteering in the Jewish community are doing holy work.  We are making a difference in people’s lives within a Jewish context. In order to do that, we should not be afraid of learning, but let the values and the teachings of the past give us the foundation to be strong leaders. This foundation helps us make decisions, teaches us how we treat others reminds us of the importance of tzedakah and, most of all, inspires us as leaders.

As leaders, both professional and lay, we are the emissaries. If we are knowledgeable about text, tradition, ritual, values, and Israel – and can then in turn teach others around us -  what a blessing. Looking to the past inspires us and helps us to innovate. The Bible, Talmud and related texts have determined meaning and identity for the Jews for centuries. Dr. Erica Brown, scholar and educator, uses text to show us what inspired Biblical leaders to take on a mission or act on a calling and then to look into our own psyche. She teaches us that “inspiration does not just help us recharge our batteries but it is critical in expanding the membership of our organizations, retaining those who are burning out and keeping active members joined to an institution’s core values.”

Our tradition is rich. Look at the and how we use it to “bring the past into the now. In order to fully learn from and appreciate that which went before us, we must bring that past into the present and search for the relevance to our now,” comments Orlee Turitz, Director of the Jewish Leadership Institute of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

Professional skill sets and competencies in the Jewish communal field include Jewish literacy. This may entail teaching officers about Jewish history such as DFI’s current Jewish Heritage program , or bringing text study into an organization’s business, or teaching Judaism 101. Part of our responsibility as Jewish leaders, lay and staff, should be to increase our commitment to Jewish literacy.

To take it a step further, Hal Lewis, President and CEO of Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, contends that Jewish leadership is something different. Jewish literacy is not sufficient to guarantee Jewish leadership. True leadership development involves transmission of skills such as coping with change, visioning, motivating people, fostering teamwork, mentoring and risk taking. In teaching all of these skills there is much to be learned from our tradition and it is incumbent upon us to follow in the footsteps of a Daniel Thursz and continue to find ways to meld the “skill” with the “Jewish” and therefore to work “better.”. Our ancestors have so much to teach us, and only when we learn their lessons can we continue our holy work and perpetuate a strong Jewish community for centuries to come.

REGISTER NOW for DFI’s Jewish Heritage Series>>
Find other Jewish Learning opportunities>>

Meet P.J.: ASSOCIATED Business & Professionals Group

P.J. Pearlstone is from what one might call an ASSOCIATED dynasty. For four generations, his family has been involved with Jewish Baltimore. As a young adult, P.J. wasn’t sure how he would fit in to THE ASSOCIATED, but he says he always had aspirations of being involved. He started small, serving on the board of Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center and the AJC Real Estate Committee. Today, he is chairing THE ASSOCIATED Business and Professionals Group.

“As a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, I find being a part of the Business and Professionals group helps me advance my network while giving back to the community,” says P.J. “Our motto is ‘doing good is good for business,’ and I have personally seen that the group opens doors. It allows you to meet doctors, lawyers, people involved in real estate, Jewish female professionals, techies – people that could be your next colleagues, clients, partners or even bosses.”

However, P.J. knows that while business success is a priority for him and his family, it is equally as important that he set an example for his sons – Zach, 9, and Jordan, 5 – by giving tzedakah and involving himself in projects that he knows impact Jewish Baltimore and the global Jewish world.

Through Business and Professionals, says P.J., “I truly have an insider’s perspective on the scope of the work done by THE ASSOCIATED and its network of agencies. I am fortunate to have the means to give back and through involvement in THE ASSOCIATED, my philanthropy is more meaningful.”
THE ASSOCIATED Business and Professionals group offers large-group and niche programming for doctors, lawyers, techies and those involved in the real estate industry.

Says P.J.: “Business people can sometimes be very focused on business. By being ASSOCIATED, I think we can step back and see how important it is to help other people.”

BEING ASSOCIATED is being connected. DONATE NOW to THE ASSOCIATED Annual Campaign>>

Cutting the Cord

By Harel Turkel
Chair, Technology Division
THE ASSOCIATED’s Business & Professionals Group

Technology has advanced so much these days that it makes working from virtually anywhere  feasible.  The days of having to drive into the office during bad weather or cutting a vacation short due to an increasing workload have ceased to exist.  There are a number of tools at your disposal to make working remotely easy and effective. 

• Having a fax line that emails you your faxes is easily done through efax.
• Setting up video/phone conference calls can be done through Skype, GoToMeeting, or LiveMeeting.
• Accessing your computer desktop from anywhere in the world is managed through windows remote desktop, GoToMyPC.com or LogMeIn.com. 
• Having a local phone number that rings to an international phone is handled through Ring Central.

If this were 10 years ago, Internet connections would not have been fast enough to warrant this behavior, but now with wifi available throughout hotels, airports and restaurants, finding a high-speed connection isn’t the challenge it once was.  Toting around a wireless hotspot or usb 3g/4g card is also an option with speeds nearing that of most wireless networks. 

This virtual revolution has changed the way that business owners operate their firms and manage their workflow whilst traveling the world.  I personally ran my firm for three weeks while in Israel using VOIP iphone apps, remote desktop, efax, and GoToMeeting on several occasions!  This world has become a very small place indeed and the virtual office should be part of every business owner’s milieu.

Do you want to share best practices? Join us at one of our Tech Happy Hours or other events. Just subscribe to THE ASSOCIATED’s emails or visit the Community Calendar for Business & Professionals.

Harel Turkel is the CEO of SOS Tech Group.

ASSOCIATED gets into Grand Prix Excitement

By Tal Bloom
THE ASSOCIATED

It isn’t often that cities are presented with the opportunity to bring new attractions and with them, new tourists, media and an economic boost.  Baltimore is one of those fortunate cities and we have the Grand Prix to thank.

The Baltimore Grand Prix will have an estimated economic impact on the local community of more than $60 million and as much as $100 million.  Part of this economic benefit is a result of the thousands of race participants – race team personnel, series staff, sponsors, etc. – who will spend a week in downtown Baltimore staying at local hotels and eating in local restaurants.  The local economy will also benefit from direct spending from the race organizers in constructing the track and organizing the event.  The largest impact will come from the many thousands of race fans from around the world who will spend a long weekend enjoying the sights and spending money in the area.  The Baltimore Grand Prix will also be a two hour “commercial” for the city of Baltimore, as the event will be broadcast live domestically and throughout the world.

The weekend of September 2-4, Labor Day weekend, will draw countless new faces to our city and give Baltimoreans a chance to showcase everything we have to offer.  Whether you work or live in the downtown area, you have been affected during the preparations.
See what our city will get in exchange for the closed roads and traffic delays we are all dealing with>>
Weekend details and to purchase tickets>>

As a supporter and community partner of the city of Baltimore, THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore has gotten in on the excitement.  The Business & Professionals Real Estate Division hosted a Lunch & Learn at the Science Center last spring as a learning opportunity for those interested in the race.  If you would like to attend future programs such as this or have an idea for a future program, contact me at tbloom@associated.org or 410-369-9261.

 

The Jewish world has radically shifted

“There are two ways of being creative. One can sing and dance. Or one can create an environment in which singers and dancers flourish.”
–Warren G. Bennis

By Cindy Goldstein
Executive Director
The Darrell Friedman Institute for Professional Development at the Weinberg Center

For decades, communal professionals have been searching for “best practices” to recruit, train and retain individuals with passion, excellence and vision to lead our Jewish communities into the future.

The Jewish world has radically shifted. No sooner do we begin to implement a new vision for our organizations, when we are asked to revision and set new long-term goals, due to the forever-changing landscape of the world around us. The same is true in professional development. No longer do we rely on the individual who is committed to lifelong service and is exclusively coming in with a “field of knowledge” from the traditional graduate school training in Jewish communal service. We have been challenged to adjust to this moving landscape, to recognize those coming into the field each with a different knowledge base, background or as a second career.  The Darrell Friedman Institute for Professional Development at the Weinberg Center has had to consider questions that we never had to before. We need to rely now more than ever on creative ways to ask people to “sing and dance,” allowing them to flourish and utilize new skills that we may not have asked of them in years prior.

Along with leaders of a handful of training programs throughout the country, The Darrell Friedman Institute for Professional Development at the Weinberg Center grapples with ever more relevant questions:

• Is there a “right” and “common” list of competencies we should all be offering to support our staff?
• Is there a field of knowledge, skills that everyone working in the Jewish community should have?
• How do we integrate the Jewish learning or context, the basis for all that we do in our work, toward communal sustainability and enhancement?
• Should we continue to offer “one-shot” leadership workshops as opposed to a more in-depth management series, which may have greater lasting impact?
• How is that impact measured?
• How do we know we are making a difference in someone’s career and in the effectiveness of the organization?
• How do we address the needs of staff who are at varying levels of experience and at diverse agencies, organizations, synagogues and schools, and bring them together in a meaningful way to network and collaborate?

All of these questions and so many more go into planning a professional development program for a community, particularly in this day and age when “keeping up” with our skills and knowledge should be an expectation. We are fortunate in Baltimore that the community of professionals and lay leaders believes in the importance of professional development, so much so that we have a separate program and staff providing such a service. Although there are cities with such a program, most communities admire that Baltimore professionals are supported by THE ASSOCIATED through DFI.  DFI even offers its Friedman Fellowship, pursuant to its goals to recruit, train and retain, for new staff to engage in professional development based on their own and their organization’s particular needs.

No matter what the nature of the change of our Jewish landscape, once in the field, all professionals, even more today, need to feel supported and recognized. A good supervisor, a mentor and encouragement to learn and grow both in one’s professional and Judaic competencies, inspiring leadership and vision in a changing world, makes all the difference in retaining that professional to work in the field and continue to build an even stronger Jewish community.

For an up-to-date listing of DFI’s professional development workshops, visit www.thedfi.org

Getting Linked with Linkedin

By Tal Bloom
THE ASSOCIATED

In the world of professional networking, social media is “king” these days.  New social media outlets are created every day and keeping up with them can be overwhelming and time consuming.  How do we know what really works and what isn’t worth the effort?  One site that has been growing in popularity amongst professionals and those looking to hire is Linkedin.  Not only can Linkedin be used to promote ones self, it can be used to promote our colleagues and to seek out new connections without much effort. 

Linkedin can also be used to find common ground between professionals in one’s own field or a related field.  Joining a common interest group can foster new relationships and keep members aware of current business trends, opportunities and upcoming business networking functions. 

Take a moment and join THE ASSOCIATED Business & Professionals Group on Linkedin>>

If you are interested in advancing your Linkedin skills, check out these great tips>>