Message from the New Federation President PJ Library/ PJOW Hanukkah Highlights

Message from Federation’s New President

BY MARGIE BRYEN

This past month at the combined Annual Meeting of the Buffalo Jewish Federation and the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies, I was voted in as the 53rd President of the Buffalo Jewish Federation. I wanted to share my reflections that provide a bit of background on my engagement in Jewish Buffalo and what my hopes are for Federation in 2023 and beyond.

Thank you for supporting me as the next President of the Buffalo Jewish Federation. I am honored and humbled to step into shoes worn by so many great leaders over the years. First and foremost, I’d like to thank Shelly Yellen for his strong and steady leadership over the past two years as we navigated our way through the pandemic. We presented Shelly with a gift, prior to this meeting, to show our appreciation for his leadership: a signed and numbered print from Gregory Kohelet entitled “Jerusalem.”

As an organization and a community, we have so much to be proud of: from welcoming new refugees to Western New York, to another transformative Buffalo Israel Experience (BIE) trip for more than fifty community members. From beautifying our cemeteries, to the integration and growth of Holocaust Resource Center (HRC), to ongoing new programming within LiNK and so much more. I’m pleased that we are continuing this new tradition of combining the annual meetings of the Foundation and Federation into one event. We are fortunate in this community to see the value of Better Together.

For those who don’t know my story, I grew up in Williamsville, attending Temple Beth El, participating in United Synagogue Youth (USY) and BBYO and watching my parents Lenore and Bill Godin, z”l, play various leadership roles in the Buffalo community. I moved away for college and grad school and ended up raising a family with my husband Eric, and building a career in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area. Fast forward 30 years and I found myself back in Buffalo to help my dad, and to manage his hospital crib manufacturing business, Hard Manufacturing. That was at the end of 2013. I made a second home here, took over the business and my father’s care, and began a wonderful 9 years, thanks in large part to the Buffalo Jewish Federation. Today I am the president/owner of the business on the East Side of Buffalo, making critical care cribs for hospitals in the U.S. and across the world. friendships, and made me even more interested in supporting the great work that Federation does.

I have been on the Board of Governors for the past several years and served as a Vice President (under Leslie Shuman Kramer) and Treasurer (under Shelly Yellen). I helped transition our allocation process to a partner grant system working closely with the agencies that receive funding through our campaign. But I guess my claim to fame thus far is making financial reports interesting and understandable to my fellow Board members! As president I plan to build upon the great work done by Federation staff and volunteer leaders to date, positioning us as leaders in Buffalo, with Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and with our partners abroad.

We look forward this year to more immersive experiences, including trips to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and to Israel, including one for Civic Leaders spearheaded by our Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) which you can read about on page 4, and a conference focused on antisemitism. In addition, we will have a strong focus on educational programs for all ages through both LiNK and Holocaust Resource Center, as well as with several of our community partners. We’ll partner closely with the community to ensure the impact areas we focus on are consistent with the needs of Jewish Buffalo. And finally, my focus will be on leadership development of Federation’s extraordinary leaders – both professional and volunteer - to ensure that the organization maintains its strength for years to come.

The Federation leadership team is already busy working on several exciting programs for 2023 and beyond. I want to thank the exceptional volunteer and staff leaders, in advance, for their help and support as we embark on great things to come for Jewish Buffalo.

Leslie Shuman Kramer, z”l, was a childhood friend, and immediately drew me back into the Federation orbit once my father passed away. I was president of Hillel and ran the campus UJA campaign while at Duke University (with thanks to Judy Kantor, the former Campaign Director of Federation who encouraged me to take on this role), but hadn’t been actively involved in Jewish communal life since moving to Detroit. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I got back engaged here in Buffalo.

I was fortunate, in 2017, to establish and lead the Federation’s Made in Buffalo (MIB) speaker series in honor of my parents. Made in Buffalo showcases interesting and successful individuals that originally “cut their teeth” in Buffalo. We have had tremendous response for the three events thus far: Seth Godin (who initiated the series), Cheryl Stern and Gary Ginsberg. We’ve just begun planning the next MIB event now – stay tuned for more information on that to come.

I participated in the first Buffalo Israel Experience in 2018 and it renewed my connection with Israel, built new

Margie Bryen with Shelly Yellen, immediate past president

Get Your Hanukkah On!

Here are scenes capturing the spirit of LiNK Jewish Buffalo’s annual Hanukkah Gathering for families with young children on December 11. Get Your Hanukkah On welcomed over 450 people including many friends of other faiths who were a part of an effort to shine a light on antisemitism through relationships and understanding. New families were welcomed (including the Jewish Ukrainian family who recently settled in Buffalo) and dozens of connections were facilitated. For more information on LiNK’s family programming, contact Robin Kurss (robin@ buffalojewishfederation.org.)