How is this Passover different from all other Passovers?

Pittsburgh isn’t a city known for slowing down. Yet, as my family and I prepare to gather around our Seder table, there’s no denying things feel different. Fewer place settings, less matzo-ball-soup, and yes – less people. In singing the Ma Nishtanah this year and asking, “why is this night different from all other nights”, perhaps we will also ask, “how is this Passover different from all other Passovers?” While all four sons in the Haggadah could answer the latter, the question we should be asking is “how isn’t this Passover different from all other Passovers.”

With so much changing in our world and in Pittsburgh’s Jewish community, there remains at least one constant that has been in our lives since 1901 – and it’s called Jewish National Fund (JNF).

A few weeks before the majority of the world's major economies went into lockdown, we were already working with the organizations we support in Israel to help them adapt to this new paradigm. In Israel's north, specifically the Galilee region, we worked with Western Galilee Now, small businesses, and local artisans to establish our Online Mitzvah Marketplace: Shop Israeli Goods – an online store and ‘home-shopping-network’ style platform enabling Israeli businesses to sell their products to U.S. consumers and helping them mitigate the fact that they no longer had customers entering their physical stores. Admittedly, this initiative won’t solve all of Israel’s challenges, however, it is just one example in the broader framework of initiatives we’re supporting to help our mishpucha (family) in Israel get through the current crisis and prepare for the inevitable economic rebound.

A week earlier, we saw the window to bring students from Pittsburgh (and other cities) back from JNF’s High School in Israel closing rapidly as governments around the world tightened travel restrictions. I’m thankful we have a world-class JNF operations team that immediately swung into action and within 24 hours, secured an entire El Al Boeing 787 Dreamliner to bring our students home. While the parents of the children are relieved to have their children home, this was an emotional time for many of our teens. Imagine being asked to leave an experience of a lifetime at like High School in Israel, where you were forming lifelong friendships with other Jewish teens; where you were fully immersed in thousands of years of Jewish history – your history; and where you were just beginning to truly feel connected to the land and people of Israel. Make no mistake, their story does not end here. Rather, this is only the beginning of Jewish National Fund’s lifelong journey with these teens as they become part of our Israel Continuum, an initiative that empowers our community’s youth to become change makers and community leaders. If you have a teen or college student interested in participating in one of our programs, please visit jnf.org/college.

Today, we are being told to self-isolate, yet, this also means we must become closer than ever before (virtually, at least). Let’s remember that many of our older community members may be feeling especially disconnected from their family and friends right now. Feeling isolated, whether you are young or old, isn’t good for your soul, spirit or mental health. To provide some degree of respite, Jewish National Fund has launched a suite of inspiring and elevating on-demand and interactive content to keep Pittsburgh's Jewish community engaged while they stay at home. Whether you’re interested in hearing from everyone’s favorite Jewish actor, Hal Linden, learning how to bake challah with Jewish National Fund ‘First Lady’, Lauren Lizerbram, or connecting with global water expert, Seth Siegel, there’s something for everyone at jnf.org/ondemand.

In addition to our virtual offerings, the Jewish National Fund team has been making phone calls to our older partners – our donors – to see how they’re doing and to find out if there’s anything we can do for them. In Israel, our affiliates like MAKOM have been responding to the needs of the elderly, those at-risk, and children with disabilities by providing food, support, and a friendly face to speak to – albeit from a safe distance. MAKOM, like many of our other affiliate organizations have additional needs now. Jewish National Fund has been working with them to identify their immediate needs and to understand how we can continue to help. As such, we put together a list which can be found at jnf.org/immediateneeds.

Although we are in uncharted waters, something remarkable is happening. We are all taking a moment to pause and realizing what truly matters. Many of us are spending more quality time with our immediate family. Others are picking up the phone or messaging friends and family who they haven’t spoken to in a while. In truth, when so much of the noise in our lives is removed, we gain a new perspective and a greater sense of clarity. As people take stock of their world, so many seek to renew their connection to the land and people of Israel. At Jewish National Fund, we are innovating in ways to help our community connect. When I see hundreds of JNFuture supporters (our fastest growing demographic) from across the country come together via Zoom to light candles just before Shabbat, I know that our Israel Continuum remains strong, our supporters remain committed, and that a new and even brighter chapter for Jewish National Fund in Pittsburgh is right around the corner.

Steven Schwartz is President of Jewish National Fund in Western PA.

For more information about Jewish National Fund in Western PA, contact Jeffrey Koch, Director, Western Pennsylvania at 412.521.3200 x770 or jkoch@jnf.org.