Mayerson Foundation announces conclusion of Access and Shalom Family initiatives

After nearly two decades of successfully working to attract and retain young families and young professionals through its Shalom Family and Access initiatives, The Mayerson Foundation is shifting its priorities to exploring other innovations to enliven Jewish life for more people.

“We started Access and Shalom Family as a bold experiment to enhance the Jewish experiences of young adults and young families, two demographics which are critically important to the future of our Jewish community,” says Dr. Neal H. Mayerson, president of The Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation. “With the advent of exciting new innovations to explore, and the expansion of community programming aimed at the young adult population, we are concluding operations of these two programs. We have exceeded our own expectations with these programs and are pleased with how they have strengthened our community.”

“For the past 17 years I have had the incredible fortune of getting to work not just for a Foundation, but for a family… a family whose heart and values show in all the good work they have done and continue to do,” said Pam Saeks, director of Jewish Innovation and Engagement at The Mayerson Foundation. “Their contribution to our community has been invaluable and I am honored to have been able to play even a small role in helping them carry out their mission.”

Saeks was hired as The Mayerson Foundation’s director of Jewish Giving in 2000 to assess community needs, identify gaps and make recommendations for how to best fill them. As a result, an operating foundation was formed, through which many critical programs were developed: The Jewish Information Network (JIN), a centralized community information service; Kesher, working for the inclusion of people with disabilities in Jewish life; Chatline, a telephone reassurance program and many others, helping to improve lives and make the Jewish community more accessible and welcoming to all.

Read the entire article, posted in The Israelite November 3, 2017, here.