Shelly and I both come from families that believe in the power, honor and responsibility of tzedakah and the federation’s role in perpetuating that value. The power of working together, as reflected in the federation, enables all of us to achieve higher, common purposes, and together, we enrich more lives than any one of us can be working alone. The honor comes from knowing that, by performing acts of loving kindness as part of a community, we follow a tradition that has been part of our sacred trust as a people for thousands of years. And the sense of responsibility comes from the knowledge that fulfilling the obligation of performing acts of tzedakah through the federation uniquely contributes to making the circle of Jewish life complete, and sets an example for generations to come.