Facing 500 community members who had come to honor him as he ends his 12-year tenure as head of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Jay Sanderson found himself in an unusual position: speechless. He stumbled to find the right words to express his infinite gratitude for the opportunity to have served a community he loves.
Gratitude was an appropriate theme for the evening.
In the midst of a lingering pandemic that has kept many of us isolated, the communal gathering itself was cause for gratitude. It felt like a giant family reunion, with everyone eager to reconnect. Thanks to a jumbo green smoothie I inhaled before leaving my house, I was able to forego the food buffets that were scattered throughout the glittering outdoor setting at Stephen Wise Temple, and focus on the great Jewish art of cocktail schmoozing.
In the midst of a lingering pandemic that has kept many of us isolated, the communal gathering itself was cause for gratitude. It felt like a giant family reunion, with everyone eager to reconnect.
Because some people wore masks (as we were instructed to do; we also had to provide proof of vaccination), the schmoozing was not as smooth as usual, for the obvious reason that masked faces are not instantly recognizable. But that didn’t stop the over-caffeinated mingling. We were like 500 human bumper cars, delighted to keep bumping into friends and colleagues we hadn’t seen since those ancient days pre-COVID.
The breezy word “schmooze,” however, doesn’t do justice to some of the deeper conversations. After a few seconds of small talk, Richard Sandler, David Renzer and I jumped into the epic issue of why Jews are good at being divided, but not so good at being united (with some wonderful exceptions). We didn’t have time to go over solutions.
I lucked out when I bumped into the incoming head of the Federation, Rabbi Noah Farkas, and we efficiently used our schmooze time for important stuff like his future gig (“I will spend much of the first year doing a lot of listening”), his insightful commentary on Parsha Noah, “Constrained Creativity,” (which we published in the Journal) and my recent visit to the holy Israeli city of Tsfat.
In normal times, the event would have been held at a large hall in a fancy hotel. But these are not normal times. In the pandemic era, people prefer the safety of outdoors, whether for praying, eating or partying. After the outdoor cocktails, we all entered a large space with an open feel for the formal part of the evening.
It was fitting that the setting symbolized a time of transition. The pandemic has disrupted lives and communities in ways we can’t yet fully grasp. As much as the Jewish community has shown tremendous resilience, a feeling of uncertainty prevails. When so many people are so reluctant to enter any indoor space, and have plenty of safer alternatives, it is bound to trigger anxiety among communities that have long relied on in-person gatherings inside valuable real estate. That is just one source of anxiety; there are plenty of others, from loneliness to chronic health concerns to loss of livelihoods.
Sanderson, who is the subject of our cover story this week, spoke about the Federation’s continuing efforts to support the community during the pandemic. He didn’t need to elaborate on his other accomplishments. A well-crafted video highlighted the multiple programs he initiated during his tenure to help fulfill the Federation’s evolving mission.
In handing the torch to his successor, Sanderson reassured Farkas that he will take over an operation with a great staff and plenty of assets. What is Sanderson’s greatest asset? I’ve known Jay for a long time. He is a strategic thinker who works hard and knows how to get things done. But if I had to name one asset, I would say simply: He cares. He cares deeply about every member of our community. That comes naturally to him.
Jay has never been big on empty promises. While he knew it was impossible to please everyone, he embraced every segment of the incredible kaleidoscope that is Jewish Los Angeles—and found new and innovative ways to assist them.
Jay has never been big on empty promises. While he knew it was impossible to please everyone, he embraced every segment of the incredible kaleidoscope that is Jewish Los Angeles—and found new and innovative ways to assist them.
That kaleidoscope of Jewish LA came to honor him at Stephen Wise Temple. Of the many things Jay was grateful for, I’m sure he also was grateful that he enabled this long overdue community reunion, under the stars in a city we love.
On this night of gratitude, you could feel that sentiment everywhere you looked.
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