Shabbat Shalom Rhode Island,

This week’s Torah portion is Ki Teitzei, “When You Go Out.” It contains commandments centered on personal responsibility, ethics, compassion, and justice. Many commentators interpret the portion as being about transition, our obligations to one another, and the steps we take to set ourselves and our communities up for success. That message resonates deeply with the work of the Alliance. 

At the Dwares JCC, this week marks the end of another successful Summer J-Camp season. Our new camp director, Jessica Wallace, has brought tremendous energy and creativity, and we are grateful for her leadership. We will miss the daily laughter and excitement that filled our halls, but we look forward to after-school enrichment programs and J-Cation days throughout the year. Thank you to the counselors, staff, and families who recognize Jewish summer camp as an important part of building Jewish community and continuity.

We are also preparing for a new school year at the David C. Isenberg Family Early Childhood Center. After a brief period of professional development, our dedicated teachers will welcome students with refreshed curriculum, engaging learning experiences, and a focus on the meaning and joy of Jewish holidays. We are grateful for the educators who help lay the foundation for the next generation of Jewish life.

For those of us a bit older and outside of the JCC building, this season of transition offers a similar opportunity for reflection. As school years begin, programs resume, and routines return, we can consider what role we each play in helping set ourselves, our families, and our community up for success in the year ahead. 

At the Alliance, we know that success does not happen by accident. It is built through decades of commitment and guided by generations of Jewish values, traditions, and arevut (mutual responsibility). 

Thank you to all who help strengthen our community and ensure a vibrant Jewish future for generations to come. 

Sincerely, 
Steven A. Baker 
President & CEO