OSHMAN FAMILY JCC IMPACT 2024
Let's Keep Working Together
“In tough times, it’s important to be true to our values: we are welcoming, pioneering, collaborative and Jewish.”
Dear Friends:
This year we witnessed a dark and tragic chapter in our shared history. In such times, we need to come together with compassion, grace, and generosity towards each other. We need to feel together and fight together. We need to heal together and move forward together. At the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center, we also know from an old Jewish proverb that, “a little bit of light pushes away a lot of darkness.”
In tough times, it is important to be true to our values: we are welcoming, pioneering, collaborative, and Jewish. We care deeply about weaving our values throughout everything we do and sharing those values with you - our diverse and supportive community - to bring a little light in the darkness.
Welcoming means we must focus on our efforts to be the center for the entire community. We must work on being a place for everyone, keeping us together, ensuring our unity, not uniformity.
Pioneering means we strive for creativity, innovation, and audacious risk-taking in the development and execution of all of our endeavors.
Collaborative means we proudly work with all sorts of people and organizations, and feature voices of partners of all backgrounds, political persuasions, and personal points of view.
Jewish means our heritage informs everything we do, including our support for Israel. We will not waver on that. We will proudly stand up for the Jewish right to self-determination and Israel’s right to self-defense.
This past year, we have taken it on our shoulders to be here for this community. We have led the effort to be the convener, educator, and caregiver for each and every one of you without dropping any of the things we were doing before October 7th. To learn more about our impact, our accomplishments, and our deepened commitment to the vitality of this community, we invite you now to explore and digest our virtual Impact Report of our 2023-2024 Fiscal Year.
Thank YOU for standing with us through these trying times and showing your support for our community. As always, we invite you to share your feedback and stay in touch with us at info@paloaltojcc.org.
B’Shalom,
Zack Bodner, President and CEO | Adam Tachner, Board Chair | Tali Ronen, Immediate Past Chair
Since the attacks in Israel on October 7, the OFJCC has been even more dedicated to ensuring the needs of our community. Across generations, religious affiliation, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, the Oshman Family JCC continues to be a safe space for people to connect, heal, and support one another.
The OFJCC, with tremendous support from our community, has spearheaded, facilitated, and executed more than 100 programs, gatherings, art displays, rallies, memorials, forums, giving opportunities, and other cross-country outreach experiences to expand our connections and share the healing power of community. Below you’ll find just a handful of those meaningful moments and endeavors:
- We welcomed 2,000 community members for the South Peninsula community solidarity event on October 10th
- We created a pop-up camp for Israeli kids whose families were displaced
- We helped mobilize activists, train them, and plug them into other organizations
- We offered mental health sessions with trauma psychologists
- We hosted get-togethers for families whose children are serving in the IDF
- We established a “Bring Them Home” Shabbat table installation at the OFJCC in support of the hostages
- We launched the Bay Area Community Hub sf.jewishbay.org to serve as a clearinghouse for the previously fragmented sources to organize advocacy efforts, events, and giving opportunities
Thank you to our community for standing in solidarity and seeking the healing power of in-person connections at the OFJCC.
Every year, as part of a nationwide benchmarking initiative led by the JCC Association of North America, JCCs around the country survey members of their communities to assess their impact.
The results of the latest survey of the Oshman Family JCC community paints an incredible picture of impact, meaning and belonging across the board. Thanks to your support, our efforts are paying off!
Because of our JCC:
- 86% feel better connected to the whole Jewish community
- 84% of respondents believe the OFJCC contributes to the wellbeing of the local community as a whole
- 75% feel a deeper connection to their Jewish identity
- 75% feel a stronger connection to Israel and Jews around the world
- 60% have socialized with Jews of different backgrounds/beliefs
- 60% have made Jewish friends
- 65% of the community is now doing other Jewish things
- 55% use Jewish values/knowledge in their everyday life
To put it another way: three quarters of our community feel a deeper connection to their Jewish identity and to Israel because of us!
Source: Oshman Family JCC 2023 Member & User Survey Raw Data Report organized by the JCC Association Benchmarking Team.
1,800 Z3 Conference participants.
hosted from across the nation as part of the first American Zionist Youth Council summit.
partnered with us in making the Z3 Conference reflective of our community and beyond.
and an increased sense of peoplehood experienced during the conference.
of attendees said the event was excellent
The Z3 Project is an initiative of the OFJCC, bringing together prominent figures from various walks of life, to share their perspectives and to engage in discussions and debates. Our objective is to foster a fresh approach to Jewish engagement in the 21st century. Our mission remains as ambitious as ever – to provide a unique opportunity for people from all backgrounds to come together and contribute to the shaping of a stronger bond between the global Jewish community and Israel.
In November 2023, just weeks after the unimaginable tragedy on October 7, the Z3 program team fundamentally redesigned the plan for the 9th annual Z3 conference to meet the needs and mood of the community. Titled “Stronger Together”, the Z3 conference welcomed over 1,100 members of our community in person and over 700 online. We purposefully designed an event for our community to come together in this immense moment of grief to heal, learn, process, and move toward action, all while cultivating a sense of hope. Reminding all of us that we are “Stronger Together.”
We proudly share that:
- Over 90% of attendees said the event was excellent
- Over two-thirds of the participants reported feeling a moment of hope and an increased sense of peoplehood during the conference
- We welcomed over 90 Leadership Lab participants, including professionals from JCCs, youth movements, the Jewish Agency, and leaders from the Hakhel network
- We hosted 40 teens from across the nation as part of the first American Zionist Youth Council summit
- Impressions of our new social media channels and unique content grew 20-fold, expanding our reach and engagement exponentially
- 31 community organizations partnered with us in making the Z3 Conference reflective of our community and beyond
We are incredibly thankful to you, our supporters, for believing in this work—it's needed now more than ever. Am Yisrael Chai.
Save the Date for the 10th anniversary of the Z3 Conference on Sunday, November 17!
We are thrilled to share more about the launch of The Z3 Institute for Jewish Priorities. The Institute is a new research-based think tank that aims to transform the way the Jewish world talks about the next era in Zionism, Diaspora-Israel relations, and Jewish Peoplehood.
The Jewish people need new ideas — not just about terrorism, security, and antisemitism — but every aspect of Jewish life: rethinking Zionism and the Israel-Diaspora relationship, philanthropy and education, religious and political alliances, and more.
That’s what the Z3 Institute is here to do.
In an era marked by both a strong Jewish homeland and a vibrant Diaspora, the need for a new paradigm of engagement has never been more urgent. The Z3 Institute is here to provide the language, the ideas, and the frameworks necessary for productive conversations and meaningful connections between Israel and the Diaspora.
This year, we welcomed David Hazony, Director and Steinhardt Senior Fellow of the Z3 Institute for Jewish Priorities. David brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our mission. An award-winning editor, translator, and author, his work has been pivotal in shaping the discourse on Jewish thought and Zionism. His leadership promises to guide the Z3 Institute towards groundbreaking discoveries and solutions for our community.
The Z3 Leadership Lab program empowers Jewish professionals with the language, tools, and framework to implement Z3 initiatives worldwide.
This hands-on seminar combines conceptual discussions and practical applications, focusing on making Peoplehood and Zionism central in community education and discussions. Developed in collaboration with the Z3 Project and partners, this unique seminar opportunity fosters a stronger global Jewish identity.
The Leadership Lab equips professionals with skills and knowledge to implement a modern Zionism lens in their organizations. The Leadership Lab uses the Z3 approach for community building, creating Z3-inspired programs, defining regional challenges, and establishing a regional network. Each of the nine cohorts promotes and implements the Z3 approach and ensures that our training impacts a wide range of communities and sectors. Current cohorts include:
- JCC executives and senior program staff, reaching 29 communities
- Hakhel network leaders from 20 communities, in collaboration with the Varda Institute
- Professionals from 11 Zionist Youth Movements and 36 teens, in partnership with Young Judaea, AZM, and WZO.
- 26 Jewish Agency emissaries
- The M2 Peoplehood Pedagogies partnership, bringing together 12 international fellows
commemorated Israel Independence Day at our annual celebration of history and collective strength
gathered to support each other and show their resilience
pursued the Jewish value of tikkun olam (repair the world) through volunteer work on the US/Mexico border
making a sweet New Year at Rosh Hashanah in the Park
Kol Isha, the OFJCC's intensive women's leadership program, represents a micro-community that provides support during these uncertain times. Over the course of a year, a small group of local women builds community, engages in Jewish learning, and creates social impact projects. The 2023–2024 cohort focused on the global refugee crisis by volunteering at the US/Mexico border with Arizona Jews for Justice in early 2024.
The group was preparing for their trip when the events of October 7th traumatized global Jewry. In the words of one of the participants, “Like every Jew across the world, we were completely devastated. We were grieving for Israel and dealing with very real antisemitism in our schools and our cities. We started to question whether we would have the strength and capacity to focus on immigrants when so many in our own communities were suffering. We really did not know what to do.”
Facing this uncertainty, participant Linor Eylon, reached out to her son Adam, who serves in the IDF. Without hesitation, he said, “Now more than ever, we must be a light unto the nations. We must show up for others and stand proud of who we are as Jews and what we stand for.”
Inspired by his words, the women pursued the Jewish value of tikkun olam (repair the world) and continued with the trip as planned. As another participant stated “It can be overwhelming and disheartening to see so much pain and struggle in the world. But as Jews, if we can save or help one person, we are changing their world. And we should take comfort in doing that one thing for that one person—showing our humanity and knowing we made a difference.”
This year's OFJCC Chai Giving Circle focus area was “Solidarity.” For the first time since the Chai Giving Circle’s inception in 2016, the focus was solely on the Jewish community—supporting Israelis traumatized by the October 7th attacks and learning how antisemitism and misinformation impact our local community. Together, 30 community members learned about and supported our local Jewish community organizations that stepped up for our community since the October 7th attacks on Israel. We were delighted and proud to grant more than $54,000 in total funds to: American Jewish Committee, Hillel of Silicon Valley, Hillel at Stanford, Jewish Community Federation & Endowment, and Jewish Community Relations Council.
Together, the group learned, healed, and made an impact.
The 2023-24 year presented significant challenges for the Israeli community, which the Israeli Cultural Connection (ICC) department at the OFJCC actively addressed through various initiatives and support programs.
The ICC at OFJCC demonstrated adaptability and commitment to supporting the Israeli community through an extraordinarily challenging year. From organizing large-scale solidarity events to providing regular support groups, the department responded swiftly to both local and international events affecting the community. The ICC's fundraising efforts were particularly impactful, raising significant funds to support various causes in Israel and creating a lasting memorial with the named grove.
The ICC's involvement extended beyond local initiatives, as evidenced by their participation in the Pro-Israel Rally in San Francisco, showcasing their commitment to advocacy and solidarity on a broader scale. Moreover, the symbolic gestures such as the hostage table, the tree grove with yellow ribbons and photos of the hostages, and the ceramic flower memorial (Kalaniot Heb aka red crown anemone) served as powerful reminders of the community's losses and ongoing struggles, while also providing spaces for collective mourning and solidarity.
These diverse initiatives, ranging from local support to wider advocacy, ongoing community support and education efforts, played a crucial role in fostering resilience, unity, and hope during this difficult period. The ICC tried to support people so they would not be forgotten nor alone in their grief and challenges, while also amplifying the community's voice in larger forums.
Notable achievements this year include:
- $100,000 raised to benefit: Brothers and Sisters in Arms, southern border displaced communities, hostages and their families
- Raised sufficient funds for a named grove in Southern Israel
- Created public exhibits to share stories of courage, resilience, and hope
- Provided support to the Israeli community in response to antisemitism
- Organized large-scale events, such as the solidarity evening on October 10, 2023
- Offered weekly meetings for Israeli support groups
- Memorial displays (hostage table and ceramic flowers) provided focal points for community reflection and solidarity
- Participation in the Pro-Israel Rally extended the ICC's impact beyond the local community, showing support on a larger stage
Looking ahead, there is much work still to be done and we simply cannot do it without your support. Thank you.
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to join the JCC's Giving Circle. Not only did I learn about wonderful local non-profits doing good in the Peninsula, but I met a warm, caring, dynamic, and smart group of people, Jewish and non-Jewish, who all wanted to give back. I feel lucky to be part of a community so focused on Tikkun Olam, or "repairing the world."
I have been part of the JCC giving circle for over 5 years. It has been a great experience in terms of meeting other people that I would not have had a chance to meet and get to know, as well as learning about many different kinds of organizations that are in need of help. The other thing that has been most rewarding is the impact of making a larger gift to an organization. Typically this has allowed them to create a new program, or recruit more resources for the population they serve. This is a difference I could not make on my own.
“Being at the J is like being a kid at summer camp again. Thanks for everything you do to make this possible”- Matthew Passell
sang songs and played in the Leslie Family Preschool garden at camp
crafted, danced and bounced all summer long
honed their sport and leadership skills (10th anniversary)
With the generous support of Stephen (z"l) and Merry Astor, we celebrated the grand opening of The Jeff Center for Families. The center offers a dedicated space for families with children to come together, share information, and make new friends.
This center hosts Blossom Birth and Family as well as our Libi Programs in Hebrew and many other parent education programs that we already offer. In addition, the center is open for free play to all OFJCC visitors with small children.
Last fiscal year, we proudly hosted over 400 family visits during our free drop-in playtime and 15 unique programs including storytime, relevant speakers, and volunteer projects.
Come check it out!
In fiscal year 2023-24, we proudly disbursed $1.2M in total scholarship support across all of our program areas thanks to generous support from donors like you. Your gifts to the OFJCC Scholarship Fund provided support to XX preschool families last year. Thank you!
The OFJCC Scholarship Fund improves access and affordability for families across the socioeconomic spectrum.
“Thank you so much! I can hardly contain my excitement!! I am so incredibly grateful for my son being given this amazing opportunity. I know he will thrive here. We can’t wait to start school in the fall. Thank you again so so much!”
~ Alissa Kokin
J-Camp never fails to excite and delight! Last year, 473 J-Campers consumed 2,000 slices of pizza and traveled 196 miles on field trips across the Bay Area!
Access to J-Camp is made possible by donations from generous supporters like you. In summer 2023, we happily disbursed over $126,000 to 60 deserving campers who jumped, swam, crafted, and laughed their way through another fun-filled summer.
In the words of one happy parent:
“Today was Bella's last day at J-Camp. And she absolutely LOVED it. Thank you so much for providing such a caring, safe, and fun environment for the kids. As a parent, I also appreciate how flexible and accommodating you and all the teachers are when it comes to our requests - even the ones that come last minute. We will certainly sign Bella up for upcoming openings - she always enjoys her camp so much.”
Beged Kefet is a Hebrew language afterschool program for students in kindergarten through high school. It opened in September 2008 in response to the local community's need for their children to know Hebrew and Israeli culture and has been operating at the OFJCC and multiple other satellite locations since then. Beged Kefet is a community school that connects with the local community and encourages parent participation and feedback. We offer high school classes at multiple levels and teach more than 600 students across six campus locations on the Peninsula and in the East Bay.
Beged Kefet's purpose is to teach Hebrew fundamentals and improve the knowledge of Hebrew through the four language skills—reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension. In addition to teaching the language, we emphasize and incorporate learning about Jewish holidays and Israeli culture in our curriculum, as well as integrating family activities in the different grade levels. High school students are eligible for credit towards their high school foreign language requirement. Beged Kefet is accredited by WASC and recognized by the University of California A-G List, two accommodations that convey the highest degree of quality.
The majority of current students have been with the program for two or more years, and 80% of parents surveyed indicated their satisfaction with the overall quality of teaching. 95% of parents feel the campus is welcoming and safe, which we appreciate particularly during these trying times.
1,400+ participants of all ages attended Mitzvah Day
joined in over 16 excursions
celebrated Shabbat, toasted happy hour, played Mah Jongg and connected over shared Jewish identity
attended 4 Summer on the Square musical performances
A growing number of Jewish young adults are turning to ENGAJ as their preferred community for connection, support, and friendship amid the growing anti-Zionism and antisemitism being expressed across parts of the Bay Area.
It's clear from speaking to many Jewish young adults who are newly participating with ENGAJ that they feel the OFJCC is unique in offering a safe space for Jewish young adults to be unapologetically supportive of Israel.
While our events are focused on social connection and Jewish community building and are non-political, it's natural that the conversations people have at our events trickle into discussions about past trips to Israel, family members in Israel, and social media posts they're reading and watching about the Israel-Hamas war.
A young married couple in San Francisco with strong ties to Israel scheduled a Zoom chat with OFJCC ENGAJ lead, Emma Goss, to get involved with ENGAJ in November. They shared that they no longer felt a connection to their San Francisco Jewish community, and preferred to join events through ENGAJ, where they felt their pro-Israel views wouldn’t be out of the norm.
Before last fall, our monthly ENGAJ happy hours routinely brought in 15-22 participants on average. Post-October 7th, our monthly happy hours consistently exceeded 30 participants. Many of the newcomers shared that this was the first time they sought out a Jewish community. They said the rampant antisemitism on Instagram, TikTok, and other local media motivated them to seek out Jewish events and community, and in several cases, stand in solidarity with Israel.
Millennial Mah Jongg also drew new participants, some of them Israeli American, who said they joined because they felt misunderstood by Jewish and non-Jewish friends who don't support Israel and were in search of people who better understood their views, which brought them to ENGAJ.
A smaller group of ENGAJ participants joined Emma Goss for the OFJCC's 2,000+ person vigil immediately following October 7th, and a handful of others attended a Stanford Hillel event in November that brought a survivor of the Nova music festival massacre to speak.
On Sunday, January 14, 10 Jewish young adults participated in a Mitzvah Day program in partnership with JCRC, inviting young adults to engage in a conversation on how we are experiencing the Israel-Hamas war on social media. Participants shared triggering and hostile antisemitic and anti-Zionist messages they've viewed or received on social media, and JCRC's representative Jessica Trubowitch offered scenarios and advice on how to communicate effectively in certain situations. She also provided a guide to defining anti-Zionist rhetoric, explaining the true meaning behind many phrases being used to disparage Israel, and why they're inaccurate.
Through meaningful get-togethers, fun meetups, and Jewish holiday activities, ENGAJ is meeting young adults where they are and creating a safe space during these exceptionally challenging times.
At the OFJCC, we proudly offer vibrant daytime and senior programs, from afternoon musical performances to organized group trips to symphonies and ballets. Through the programming, participants have discovered not just fun-filled engagements, but also friendship and meaningful connections, according to Michelle Rosengaus, Senior Manager, Adult Programs.
“I feel (the trips) have impacted my life tremendously,” said Palo Alto resident Carol Tannenwald, who participates frequently. “It gets me out to see things I would not go to by myself. Recently we went to Alameda to see the aircraft carrier Hornet, stopping for lunch on our own at Jack London Square.”
Mitzvah Day has been running strong at the OFJCC for 15 years!
Through this day of service, 1,400+ participants of all ages came together for a purposeful and impactful event. For many families, this gathering has evolved into a cherished tradition.
This year, we were fortunate to collaborate with 43 local organizations including Youth Community Service (YCS), The City of Palo Alto, The City of East Palo Alto, Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, and over thirty local non-profits to offer 32 different hands-on volunteer projects including 200+ activity kits created for seniors and children.
Activities included:
- A well-attended blood drive at the OFJCC in collaboration with Stanford Blood Center
- Educational session with the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) aimed at combating online misinformation and disinformation
- Serving lunch at WeHOPE
- Fostering community at Life Moves’ San Mateo County Navigation Center
- Serving lunch to the homeless
- Creating garden spaces for preschools in low-income areas
- Crafting no-sew blankets and packed lunches for community members in need
- Environmental initiatives with Canopy and Grassroots Ecology
- Planting and delivering succulents to local Holocaust survivors
Notably, this year, in response to global events, we expanded our reach to include Jewish communities in Israel and around the world. Initiatives included creating activity kits for displaced seniors across Israel, crafting bracelets for Jewish children facing challenges in Diaspora communities worldwide, and preparing activity kits for children in Kibbutz Kissufim.
find wellness and community at the JCC
this year gave our members 79.8 extra years of life
splashed and smiled at Wet and Wild Day
of blood collected at JCC blood drives
The OFJCC Fitness & Wellness Center brings over 279,000 visits to campus each year. Members come for more than just a gym floor workout: they come to move better, sleep better, feel better, and make better connections.
The center offers a holistic approach to wellness, with personal training and corrective exercise, mind-body classes like yoga and NIA, a range of classes to enhance mobility and strength, advanced recovery and therapeutic equipment, special Wellness Wednesdays webinars, InBody scans for body composition analysis, nutrition coaching and more.
The OFJCC Fitness & Wellness Center also provides a vital lifeline for social connection. From evergreen programs for seniors to hosting parent-toddler programs, we are keeping people connected.
We are also actively building community. We create major family wellness events to share with the public, like our summer Wet & Wild Day, which this year brought in more than 1,700 people from around the South Peninsula, as well as special member events like the End-of-Summer Pool Party.
The Fitness & Wellness Center is also the center of important tikkun olam activities to improve our community and the world. Our blood drives provide vital aid to more than 330 people a year. We organize fundraiser events like the Pink Dance Party for cancer awareness and organize members to participate in community events like the Moonlight Run. And we coordinate food, toy, and clothing drives with partner organizations that are providing vital services to those in need around our community.
575 Donors
View Our Donor Scroll and Financial ReportsYOUR support makes our vibrant Jewish community a reality!
The philanthropy of the OFJCC community members has played a vital role in the success and growth of vibrant Jewish living on the Peninsula since before our 2009 grand opening on the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life. In fiscal year 2024, more than 570 of YOU - our supporters and champions - came together to show your commitment to Enrich Lives, Build Community and Inspire Jewish Journeys. With gratitude, Seth Leslie - Chief Development Officer
If you haven’t yet made a gift, please consider doing so today.
Donate Here
500 notes of love and gratitude
of distinct music across campus
our biggest Annual yet!
- 1800 tokens painstakingly numbered for Gan Ohr, the Garden of Light
- 950 registered guests—our biggest Annual yet
- 500 notes of love and gratitude
- 200+ folks in the live events industry earned a living by taking care of all of us throughout the evening (and many more behind the scenes)
- 150+ co-creators generated over 50 beautiful, unique experiences—your gifts of time and creativity, there are no words…
- 70 dedicated OFJCC staff made it all happen
- 10 pieces of original art
- 3 distinct music venues
- 1 bathroom takeover
Countless OFJCC reunions