By Michael Segal, Campaign Chair

“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” - President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Collectively, the Akron Jewish community has made significant strides in getting our agencies and synagogues to this point in time.  But where do we go from here?

Engagement is a keyword for our community.  How do we translate our precious resources–which are everyone one of us–to undertake the task of securing our Jewish future?  A partial answer is to plan for our future and tactically to engage individuals, families, and agencies to plot out a map to reach and exceed our collective strategic objectives.

That is why initiatives such as Re-Imagine Jewish Akron are key to our potential success in helping to create that map.

This year our campaign goal is $1.3 million.  Many individuals simply say, “put me down for what I pledged last year.” I want to remind everyone about the effects of inflation. According to the Consumer Price Index published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, if someone gave a $1,000 to the campaign back in 1984, that same $1,000 has only $440 worth of buying power in 2014.  

When our campaign begins in October, I implore you to raise your financial and volunteer commitment to our great Akron Jewish community.  Our future is tied to the collective sum of all of our resources sharing the load to exceed our goals and make the Akron Jewish community a viable and attractive community for generations to come.