Untitled - Jewish Federation of San Diego County

Dear friends and San Diego Jewish community members,
We are living in challenging and unsettling times. Throughout this period of
financial instability, I am proud that UJF has continued to be a source of assistance,
encouragement and hope for the Jewish community. With your unwavering support
and generosity, we continue to provide help for those in need and change lives at
home, in Israel and around the world.
Andrea Oster
Board Chair
United Jewish
Federation of
San Diego County
I’d like to publicly acknowledge our staff, board and donors, whose commitment and devotion to the
Jewish people and tzedakah have been the backbone of this organization over the past year. Even
with limited resources and staff at the lowest level since 2004, our team continued to shine.
Thanks to the tremendous support of our community and the hundreds of volunteers who donated
their time and energy, UJF raised $6,350,000 for the 2009 Annual Campaign. While this was down
from previous years, we take great pride that even in times of extraordinary economic stress,
individuals have evaluated their priorities and remained committed to supporting the Jewish
community. We thank each and every one of you who have made this possible.
This has been a time of transition in leadership at UJF. We recently underwent an extensive search for
a new CEO who could help us realize our full philanthropic and community potential and lead us as
we continue our commitment to support the local, national and global Jewish community.
We were thrilled with the appointment of Steven J. Morris as our new Chief Executive Officer
and welcome him to our community. We are extremely grateful to Search Committee Chairs Rich
Effress and Marty Klitzner, who worked in collaboration with the UJC Mandel Center for Leadership
Excellence on this national search.
The new leadership in San Diego mirrors the latest focus and approach taking place nationally at the
Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). This is an exciting time for our Federation and we look
forward to a vibrant decade ahead.
Dear members of the San Diego Jewish community,
In my short time here, I’ve seen what this community can accomplish and the power
and passion of those involved. I want to thank our local community and overseas
partners for the extraordinary work they do to sustain the vibrancy of our community
and the Jewish people worldwide.
Steve Morris
CEO
United Jewish
Federation of
San Diego County
I especially applaud the extraordinary collaboration with the Jewish Community Foundation that
resulted in the Jewish Community Economic Recovery Fund. I am also proud of the fact that 26 of our
most committed women invested their time and money to participate in our recent Women’s Mission
to Israel.
Federations nationwide play a critical role in bringing people together to support the causes and
community we care about. Locally, we need to position ourselves in new ways to be stronger, more
responsible and more accountable. We will build relationships, create collaborations and alliances,
and develop new models for connecting and serving our Jewish community. We will be guided by
our Jewish values in everything we do.
I look forward to moving forward in new and innovative ways. We are ready for change – for bold
concepts and ideas that will ignite and unite the community. We will look at things through a new
lens that can inspire and create a new vision for Federation.
I am confident in the direction we are heading. We are committed to addressing our challenges
and delivering on our mission to building a vibrant and inclusive local Jewish community, and to
enhancing the well-being of Jews in San Diego, Israel, and throughout the world.
UJF will strive to be a catalyst for creating a different future for the Jewish community. We encourage
you to be part of it. be UJF.