Building Bridges: The Transformative Impact of the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee’s Capital Campaign

By Hallie Peilet Young | June 2024

From Community Unity to Holocaust Education, how a Visionary Campus Is Shaping a Brighter Future

If you’ve driven down McIntosh Road past the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, you know from the construction that there is always something new and exciting in the works.

Much of the Jewish Federation buzz lately is about The Ora at the Joel and Gail Morganroth Event Center. While it is an elegant new event venue on the Jewish Federation Sarasota-Manatee campus, it’s is really about community.

“The Ora is essential to our mission”, says Jewish Federation Sarasota-Manatee CEO Shep Englander. “We chose to convene the Jewish community, welcome newcomers, and help people make friends and find their own unique path into the community.” 

That’s the work he says the Federation has been doing for all these years without a venue like The Ora.

“For over 15 years we’ve been presenting programs such as the Mort Skirboll Jewish Film Festival, the People of the Book series, and welcoming important thought leaders to connect people, which is at the forefront of our mission,” Englander said.

This mission of connection has always been important, but even more so after the heightened terrorism Israel has been facing since October 7.

“Now, we have a more inviting, more appropriate place, where people can come together, feel safe and make memories,” Englander said.

That’s what you support when you book an event at The Ora.

“Everyone was very excited about it before the pandemic, and then everything paused during the pandemic,” Englander said, but the organization’s fundraising efforts never truly stopped.

When they began the capital campaign in 2019, they hit the ground running, raising about $19 million in a mere eight months.  Englander came aboard in 2021 and shortly thereafter hired Chief Development Officer Hermione Gilpin so they wouldn’t lose momentum on raising the funds to grow Federation’s campus and deepen the organization’s impact.

“The campus vision was to respond to not just the Jewish community’s needs, but the entire community’s needs,” Englander said.

To date, the capital campaign has raised more than $31 million, which includes funding to build the Chaifetz Holocaust Memorial and Education Center, Camp Yonnie, a brand-new Jewish day camp, and The Ora. Englander and Gilpin give much credit to previous Federation community leaders—Tommy and Karen Bernstein, Stacy and Ben Hanan, and Patti and David Wertheimer as initial chairs of the capital campaign who raised the first $19 million, as well as Federation professionals — Howard Tevlowitz as CEO and Rich Bergman, Ilene Fox, and Gisele Pintchuck as Development Officers at the time the campaign was taking shape. Englander also credits Kim Adler, Chief Operating Officer, as being ‘instrumental’ to the success of the campus project from the start.   

Not knowing at the time how rampant antisemitism would become globally in 2024, JFSM had the foresight to build out their campus with several educational and commemorative pieces like this one.

“The Chaifetz Holocaust Memorial and Education Center certainly speaks to that issue and serves as a resource for not only school age children, but for teachers, and for people trying to make sense of what happened since October 7,” Englander said.

“It’s going to be a memorial to the Holocaust and the survivors, but it will also be an immersive outdoor exhibition space with sculpture and space to reflect. We hope people leave asking, ‘How do I become an upstander?’” Gilpin said. “How do I respond in the face of intense hate and prejudice and show up for my fellow humans?”

The Education Center will complement the extensive Holocaust education and teacher training that the Federation has been doing for 65 years because of its longstanding relationships with Sarasota and Manatee County schools.  Not only will it serve as a hub for educational field trips, but it will provide opportunities for community groups, locally and regionally, to visit and learn. 

Hadassah Strobel and her husband, Marty, donated to support the Chaifetz Holocaust Memorial.

“Marty’s mother lost her whole family in the Holocaust; she was the only survivor of her big family,” Strobel said. “My stepmother and her sister survived Auschwitz after

enduring heartbreaking loss of children, siblings, and parents. To honor their memory, we want to be sure to educate the next generations.”

Another project in the Federation’s capital campaign, opening this summer, is Camp Yonnie, made possible because of the incredible support of Ron and Geri Yonover and their family. The Jewish day camp will welcome campers entering grades K thru 5 from all faiths and backgrounds, while emphasizing traditional Jewish values, like giving back (Tzedakah), community (Kehillah), and diversity (Givun).

Federation donors Marcy and Michael Klein believed in the need for Camp Yonnie and supported the development of the primary indoor gathering space, The Lodge. 

“When the campus vision was first shared with us, the Jewish day camp immediately spoke to us because our families have beautiful memories of camp,” Klein said. “For us, it was bashert (Yiddish for ‘meant to be’) that not only could we support a project we care about, but that we could do so alongside some of our close friends.”

The Ora, Camp Yonnie and the Chaifetz Holocaust Memorial may seem like they round out the campus, but the Federation is just getting started.

“Everything we just described is the front 16 acres,” Gilpin said. “Before we start planning for the back 16 acres, we need to evaluate community needs. We know for sure that a pool is in our future and will not only serve the kids at Camp Yonnie, but will also help us to welcome the broader community to campus through swim lessons, water fitness, birthday parties and more”

Larry Greenspon, the donor who made the lead gift to kickstart the capital campaign, not only named the campus, but also has provided seed funding for the Greenspon Sports & Tennis Complex.

Englander and Gilpin emphasize that these buildings and campus infrastructure aren’t the Federation’s mission. They are all vehicles to continue spreading and fulfilling the mission. The Federation is a place where people can come together to have important conversations, a place where they feel both physically and emotionally safe.

“Next, our focus is to make sure that the programs, speakers, and conversations we present are at the same premier level as the campus that we’ve been able to build,” Englander said. “We’ve always had high quality speakers, films, and events. Now that we have a beautiful campus to have them on, we want to fine tune and upgrade what we offer, so that the whole experience will be inspiring.”

Personal relationships and connections within the community made the campus expansion possible. Judy Fox, Federation Board member, is one of those donors who has been a pillar of support over the years.

“My father, Jack Weintraub, was the Executive Director of the Federation during the first Capital Campaign to build the campus on McIntosh Road,” Fox said. “Through our campaign gift to the Greenspon Campus for Jewish Life, my husband Eric and I are able to continue the groundbreaking impact that my father started.”

“We’re grateful so many community supporters and donors shared in our vision for the Federation. While everyone has been anxious since 2019 to see progress, they never lost faith in our work and where we were going,” Englander said.

Amid antisemitic activity on college campuses around the country, many Jews fear for their safety and security. Englander says it makes the Federation’s work that much more important right now.

“We are grateful for the support we’ve received from civic leaders and the interfaith community. Our job is to continue to bring our community together and recognize that the past few months have been some of the most difficult of our lives. Now is the time to honor and celebrate our Jewish identity and stand strong in the face of those who would rather we remain silent,” Englander said.

Amid the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and so much other hatred in the world, Englander feels proud to be at the helm of a place of unity in our community. The new campus, still a work in progress, will allow the Federation to be an even better partner, he says, in all its pursuits.

“We have the opportunity to be a safe place for the general community to deal with the problems that we’re all dealing with, Jewish or non-Jewish, the toxic politics, the divisiveness,” Englander said. “We don’t take for granted the partnerships that allow us to help keep this region so special.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Jewish Federation Sarasota-Manatee, please visit jfedsrq.org.