Local Jewish federation leaders have been all smiles and high-fives lately, as Super Sunday fundraising events held last weekend exceeded expectations. Both the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation and the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay claim sizable increases over last year’s tallies.
The JCF raised more than $2.6 million, with nearly $500,000 of that coming from its companion fundraiser held at Kehillah Jewish High School in Palo Alto. Nearly $169,000 was also raised for the federation’s Israel Emergency Campaign to help Israel rebuild after its devastating summer war.
“Everyone had a smile on their face,” recalled Rhona Edelbaum Sloan who, together with her husband, Steve Sloan, co-chaired Super Sunday for the JCF. “When you’re a volunteer there’s a different voice from a telemarketer. You’re not calling for yourself, but for something bigger than you are. It makes you feel good about asking.”
Added her husband, “What inspired me was seeing up to 1,000 volunteers so passionate and dedicated to the work of the federation. I was an opportunity to wave our Jewish flag high and proud.”
JCF campaign chair John Priztker was equally enthused. He spent Super Sunday pingponging between the federation’s two sites at the JCC in San Francisco and Kehillah in Palo Alto.
“The day was fantastic,” he said. “You’re getting to people you probably wouldn’t get to ordinarily. That sense of community is not just in the phone room, but the people at home feel part of it getting the call.”
Pritzker’s teenage son Sam worked the phones for a shift. In one call, a previous donor asked him what she had given last year. “He looked at the card,” related the senior Priztker, “and he told her ‘$40.’ She then said, ‘Make it $400.’ Sam asked her, ‘Did I hear you right?’ She said, ‘It’s really nice to hear a kid on the phone.'”
In Oakland, the lay and professional leadership of the East Bay federation is similarly breaking out the proverbial champagne. More than 600 donors contributed $590,523, far exceeding last year’s $400,000 take. That added up to 20 percent more donors and 48 percent more dollars over last year.
“There was more planning, better organization and better training by campaign staff than I had ever seen before,” said campaign chair Rob Ruby. “I was watching our dedicated Super Sunday chair Mark Moss at the end of the day with a beatific smile. He was dazed by the enthusiasm demonstrated by the volunteers.”
Volunteer Dan Haut shlepped all the way from Napa to serve as the East Bay federation’s Young Leadership Division Super Sunday co-chair (with Lisa Moskowitz). He and his colleagues manned the event’s last evening shift and had a very good night. In between M&Ms food fights, the team raked in more than $115,000 in pledges.
“There was great synergy,” said Haut. “The great thing about the East Bay is that family atmosphere. When you see [federation CEO Loren Basch] making calls, the accountability is contagious.”
Added Ruby, “My favorite part was to see a volunteer sit down to make a call according to a script, and by the third call really getting into it and becoming an impassioned advocate for our community’s interests.”