An Interview with Jamie Eliahu & Amy Bush
Left to Right: Phil Brodsky, Jamie Eliahu, and Amy Bush
We are excited to be welcoming our new Board of Directors in November! Our Executive Director, Phil Brodsky, sat down to talk with current Board President Jamie Eliahu and incoming Board President Amy Bush about the past, present, and future of the Greater Raleigh Jewish community.
From your perspective as two of our main leaders on the Jewish Federation Board of Trustees, what is one thing that you would like people to know about our Jewish community that they might not already know?
Jamie: Our Jewish Community is one of the most welcoming places you can come. Our staff and volunteers are happy to meet you, find out about your passions, help you get connected in the ways you want and more. Even though the community has grown so much over the years, we are still a very close knit community, and always looking to meet new people.
So many people have moved to Raleigh recently (or are in the process of moving here now), but each of you grew up here. What was it like growing up Jewish in Raleigh, and how has the Jewish community here shaped your lives?
Jamie: Compared to most people moving here today, I am unique as a second-generation Raleigh Jew. My dad was born in Durham, and my grandparents moved to Raleigh in 1957. My family was active in the Jewish community and members at Beth Meyer, where my family still goes today. That Raleigh was different overall than the Raleigh of today within both the Jewish and secular communities. Everything was smaller. At that time, my family knew most of the jews in the area and many across the state as well.
Growing up with a small Jewish community instilled a strong Jewish identity in me as I had to work hard to be Jewish. It wasn’t around me everywhere like it would have been growing up in a more heavily populated jewish area. The small Jewish community is what pushed me to become a leader starting in Kadima in middle school, USY in high school, Hillel in college, and ultimately led me to the role as President of our Jewish Federation.
Amy: When I grew up in Raleigh there were only two shuls, Reform and Conservative. The Jewish population was small and the shuls rarely socialized. At the time, jewish camps or social groups did not exist. Non-jews had little knowledge about Jewish holidays and everything centered around a Christian way of life. Tests were regularly given on Jewish holidays and prayers said in school. Very much the outsider, we just tried to blend in. Being a small Jewish community, we needed to be proactive to make change. I watched my parents take on jewish leadership roles which influenced my attitude of service. We were a grassroots community then and we still are. It is exciting and empowering to know that we can all make a difference.
How has the Jewish community here changed over the last several years? What trends are you seeing and how is the Jewish Federation responding?
Jamie: The Jewish community here is growing by leaps and bounds along with the rest of the area. As we all hear constantly, the Greater Raleigh area is one of the top places to live in the country. What was once a Jewish community living mostly in North Raleigh has now grown beyond Wake County with many people choosing to live further out. As a Realtor, I see these people every day who can live anywhere in the country and they are choosing to live here. The Federation is responding by growing in every area possible.
What many people don’t realize is that our federation is only around 30 years old, so the federation is growing along with the rest of the community and listening to the needs of the community. When there were needs in New Bern, our Jewish Family Services was there to help, when COVID hit and children were not able to do their usual activities, Camp JCC went above and beyond to ensure a safe place, and when there were antisemetic events happening in our area, JCRC responded by working with law enforcement across the city and county to help. Our Federation is everywhere that the community needs us, and we are always looking to do more!
Amy: Raleigh was a very transient community back in the heyday of IBM and widespread corporate relocations. Due to this phenomenon, Raleigh has not had a long history of philanthropic giving like our sister city, Greensboro. However, all that has changed now and Raleigh has become the home to multi-generational transplants. We have become much more diverse and have seen an exponential demand for increased services. In order to provide services and a high quality of Jewish life that everyone deserves, we need to be laser focused on building Jewish Philanthropy.
Jamie, What was your experience like serving as President of the Board of Trustees? What accomplishments are you most proud of from your time in the role?
I truly am honored to have been able to serve our community as President of the Board of Trustees. The Jewish community here is vibrant and strong. Throughout the last two years, we have seen that through and through. At that time we had just held the grand opening for our David R. Kahn Campus. We had lots of growth on the horizon! Little did we know that just 5 months into my presidency we would be living in a Global Pandemic. Everything shifted within the organization and the staff along with our board of trustees worked together to stay on top of what was going on in the world around us. By the end of my first year in 2020, our federation made a huge impact on the community working together with area synagogues to figure out plans for high holidays; helping people in our community who needed help with therapy, meals, and emergency financial assistance; organizing virtual fundraisers to help us continue to do the work the community so greatly needed from us and more.
Additionally, one of the biggest accomplishments I feel that we made during my time as president was hiring Phil Brodsky as our Executive Director. Phil has brought a fresh perspective, and I am excited to watch and be a part of the growth of the organization for many years to come.
The COVID Pandemic has disrupted our lives in ways too many to count. How have the changes of the last two years impacted the Jewish Federation and our community? How do you feel about the ways the Federation responded?
Amy: I think that the Jewish Federation had to reinvent the wheel. People became isolated and did not have tools or knowledge to effectively communicate with each other. School and Camp JCC were cancelled and parents had to work from home. People suddenly lost jobs, income and suffered from food insecurity. The health risks COVID presented brought new challenges that we could have never imagined. I am so proud of The Federation staff and volunteers for collectively rising to the occasion to help in so many ways. It is an honor and a privilege to work alongside this group of heroes.
Jamie: As I have already mentioned, COVID has had a strong impact on how the organization operates. There are many things we used to do like having large gala events that we haven’t been able to do in two years. Our response to not having these large fundraising events in person was to move our fundraising online like we did for 2020’s Powered By You Campaign. The federation has received lots of praise over the last two years for being the community connector in a time when people were not able to connect like they always had. The federation hosted various online events and activities to keep people engaged. Our David R. Kahn campus has remained open for much of this time due to our ability to have outdoor activities.
Additionally, the federation was able to pivot whenever needed. Right before COVID began, JFS was to begin working with holocaust survivors on the Kesher Project. Instead of meeting in person, the program went virtual and the group was able to come together in a really meaningful way. Also, the amount of need during COVID has gone up exponentially, and JFS consistently gave out more and more food to people in need in the community. For our programs and Camp JCC, we needed advice and the COVID Task Force was formed bringing together doctors and scientists in order to make sure every decision that was made was well informed to keep the community safe.
What do you learn about the Federation during the pandemic? What are the implications for us moving forward into a world where COVID may be something that we will have to deal with regularly?
Amy: I learned that the Federation Staff had to be very creative, make due with less, and pivot on a moment’s notice. I think going forward we will always need a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C, need hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Jamie: The Federation is Resilient, the community is vibrant, and we can make a difference. Moving forward, we need to think about our programs and events differently. Large gatherings may not be possible for some time, but we have shown that zoom gatherings can be just as meaningful, and we can do many things outside on our beautiful 30 acre David R. Kahn Community Campus.
Amy, As we begin to move forward, and as our incoming president, what are your priorities coming in? How do you hope to move our community? Are there causes near and dear to your heart?
I have three priorities for my upcoming presidency.
Engaging and Connection. We need to engage people wherever they are and help them feel connected to our community. This can be accomplished in many ways, including strong programming, providing support services, reaching out one on one, providing mentorship and communicating effectively in multimedia.
Clearly Define and Educate about Federation. We need to consistently educate the Community about the Vision, Mission and Impact of the Jewish Federation. We want people to understand who we are , what we do and the financial resources needed to run a strong Federation. This is critical to our goal of serving as the “Central Hub” of Jewish Life in Greater Raleigh.
Growing Jewish Philanthropy. We need to start new traditions of giving by growing our donor base and challenging our supporters to increase giving levels. We are at a critical crossroads for building and sustaining a vibrant Jewish Community. We need to take action now.
You both have put so much time, effort and resources into the Jewish community. What motivates you to lead? Why do you think the Jewish Federation and its mission are so important?
Amy: Growing up, our community lacked the Jewish vitality I always yearned for. Wanting something better is what motivated me to be a Jewish leader in high school and college.
As an adult, I wanted my kids to have the Jewish experiences I missed. The Jewish Federation is the perfect conduit for building Jewish Community. My goal is to help build a vibrant Jewish community, where people’s children and grandchildren would choose to live.
Jamie: I do this to build a better community for all and set a great example for my children about giving back.
My first connection to our Federation was as a counselor at Camp JCC twenty years ago. My kids now attend Camp and it is truly their happy place; almost like Disney World. I want that excitement for all children in our area to be able to connect locally with Jewish Children from all over the Greater Raleigh area. This is just the beginning of what we can do here, and hopefully one day when I have grandchildren living here, my children will be leaders putting forth that same great example to help grow and connect our community!
The Federation is growing all the time. For anyone reading this who may be looking to be involved for the first time, who is thinking about reengaging, or someone who is looking to find a new way to engage, what do you recommend as good places to start?
Amy: We have many paths of entry to connect Jewishly. Families with young children can engage thru PJ Library. We have a host of volunteer opportunities and programming at the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family Services and Jewish Community Relations Council. Professionals can network through one of the Medical, Legal, Real Estate, Business Owners and Artist Affinity Groups. Senior Programming is available to our Jewish Seniors. Women can join our dynamic Women’s Philanthropy Group, dedicated to Jewish enrichment of women and their community. The Federation website is an excellent guide to get someone started on their Jewish journey!
Jamie: The Jewish Federation is truly a place for everyone. No matter your interest or how you want to get involved, we would love to meet you and welcome you in!
We offer a full life cycle of programming. From PJ Library programs for babies and their families starting at 6 months old, to PJ Our Way for kids ages 9 +, Camp JCC starting with rising kindergarteners, J Sports for all ages, BBYO for 8th-12th grade, Women’s Philanthropy, Israel Programming, Affinity groups for professionals in many fields, a Mahjong game, volunteering your time delivering meals to homebound adults, spending time making calls to new people moving to the community, Programming for Seniors including senior lunches, and more.
Besides volunteering with us, how can you help us?
Jamie: Spread the word about Federation. Talk to your friends, neighbors, family members and tell them about an event you attended through Federation. Tell your friends why it’s important for you to give to this organization. If you meet someone new, let us know so that we can welcome them too! We are all a part of this community together!