Why doesn the Federation present more programming?
Short answer: Money. But don’t worry, I can give a long answer, too. In most large Jewish communities in the United States, a Jewish Community Center, usually affiliated with the Federation, is the central focus for programming and the Jewish Federation is the focal point for fundraising. Sacramento had a JCC until about four years ago. At one point, a donor offered substantial matching funds to build a JCC campus, but the community did not raise the requisite money. At the same time, Sacramento shared in a national trend of decreasing contributions to our Annual Community Campaign. When the JCC disbanded, the Federation tried to provide programming. However, decreases in the campaign led to cuts in Federation staff. Our existing staff is stretched very thin. The Federation simply lacks the resources to present a full menu of programs. Our solution has been to actively seek out opportunities to act as a cosponsor of events, furnishing Federation resources. We are hopeful that a new JCC
