The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee Celebrates 60 Years of Community Action

The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee will celebrate 60 years of its service to the community on February 24. The public is invited to join the anniversary festivities, which includes a musical performance by The Booker Dimension, a group of talented students from Booker High School’s Visual & Performing Arts program. The event will also offer a look back at the 60 years—and unveil plans for an exciting new campus designed to meet the needs of the growing Jewish community into the next 60 years. The event takes place at 4 p.m. at the Beatrice Friedman Theater on the Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life, 582 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. This event is free, but seating is limited so register early. Register online at www.jfedsrq.org/events. For more information, contact Lisa Feinman at lfeinman@jfedsrq.org or call 941-706-0034.

The Federation started life in 1959 as the Sarasota Jewish Community Council when the 2,100 Jews in the area became concerned with the needs of their brothers and sisters around the world, particularly in Israel, and decided it was time to have a central organization to coordinate the activities of the community. By 1980, the Jewish population had grown to 6,000. There are now approximately 25,000 Jews in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Under its current name, adopted in 2009, The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee provides support to local synagogues and social service organizations, provides immersive Israel experiences for youth and adults, awards scholarships, hosts educational and community building programming for individuals, families, and the community, and grants funding to overseas organizations serving Jews in need.

“As we begin our seventh decade of service to the Sarasota-Manatee community, we are humbled knowing that our Federation has helped hundreds of thousands of people, developed meaningful partnerships with other organizations and institutions throughout the community, and fostered an understanding of Jewish history, religion, and culture for so many within our region,” says Howard Tevlowitz, executive director. “What began as an initiative to serve our Jewish community when there were only 2,100 Jews living here has blossomed into a $7 million organization today, helping not only the roughly 25,000 Jews living in Sarasota and Manatee counties, but also supporting the regional non-profit community, and thousands more people and organizations around the world, including in Israel. Here’s to many more decades of community to come!”