Farewell to Jewish Long Beach

Farewell to Jewish Long Beach

Deborah K.Goldfarb |Jewish Long Beach

After having worked in the Jewish Communal Service world for over thirty years it is now time for me to bid Jewish Long Beach “farewell” as I move onto the next phase of my retirement at the end of May. After having served Jewish Federations and JCCs in El Paso, Texas, Detroit, Michigan, and Columbus, Ohio, I first arrived in Long Beach in 2005, just twenty years ago, and served as the Executive Director and then CEO of the Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Foundation through 2019, after which I became a consultant to the newly formed Jewish Long Beach

Subsequently, I was honored to be asked to serve as the Interim Executive Director of the Alpert Jewish Community Center for 2 years, and then to serve as the Interim CEO of the newly integrated Alpert Jewish Community Center and Jewish Long Beach

This journey has been fulfilling and interesting, as I have been privileged to help shape the future of these various communities throughout a time of change in the Jewish World. Having had the opportunity to work with many communities directly in Israel and to develop programs in the United States to address changing Jewish environments has been immensely fulfilling to me. I chose this line of work because I believe that the world would suffer a tremendous loss without the influence of the Jewish Community and because the Jewish Community deserves to be respected for the ethical values we have modeled throughout history.

As Pirke Avot (Ethics of Our Fathers) tells us:

“The work is not yours to finish, but neither are you free to take no part in it.”

I believe I have given myself unabashedly to this cause of passing on the work I have believed in, and I cannot thank all of those who have given so freely of themselves over these many years to work in partnership alongside me to preserve and further Jewish heritage, values, and commitment to community One of the richest parts of my life has been the deep relationships I have built with presidents, board members, staff, donors and community members. Thank you to each and every one of you. May we all continue to live our Jewish values in a way that furthers our community and the Jewish People, along with our relationships with the broader community.

Let ours not be only farewell, but L’hitraot we will meet again in love, friendship and community solidarity.