fbpx

Mobilizing Local Efforts

Barely three hours after the massive acts of terrorism began unspooling in the East on Sept. 11, officials at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles representing an array of affiliated departments, agencies and partners assembled to discuss emergency strategies to help those affected by the rapidly unfolding events.
[additional-authors]
September 13, 2001

Barely three hours after the massive acts of terrorism began unspooling inthe East on Sept. 11, officials at the Jewish Federation of Greater LosAngeles representing an array of affiliated departments, agencies andpartners assembled to discuss emergency strategies to help those affectedby the rapidly unfolding events.

An impromptu meeting of high level executives of the Jewish Federation andits network of beneficiary agencies and departments was convened earlyTuesday morning at the 11th floor executive offices of the Federation’sWilshire Boulevard headquarters "to go over with all the agencies how todisseminate the information to the community," said Michele Kleinert,speaking for The Federation. "The primary focus and concern is our staffand community."

John Fishel, the Jewish Federation’s president, met with a group thatincluded William Bernstein, Financial Resource Development executive vicepresident; Mark Diamond, Board of Rabbis of Southern California executivevice president; Nina Lieberman Giladi, Jewish Community Centers of GreaterLos Angeles’ (JCCGLA) executive vice president; Bureau of Jewish Education(BJE)’s Gil Graff, director, and David Ackerman, director of educationalservices; Paul Castro, Jewish Family Service executive director; and theJewish Community Relations Committee’s Michael Hirschfeld, executivedirector, and Elaine Albert, assistant director.

The members regrouped at 3 that afternoon to touch base on efforts tocoordinate various services, such as blood drives and psychological andspiritual counseling, and organize resources at agencies, day schools andcommunity centers. Many synagogues also scheduled community vigils by day’send.

"Everybody was here; people were concerned," Fishel said. "They were helpfulon thinking through the issues. Everyone feels how fortunate it didn’t occurin L.A., but our service system is ready to go."

Except for key internal staff, the 6505 Wilshire Blvd. building, on theadvice of law enforcement and fire department officials, was closed for theday. Federation officials said this constituted a general suggestion formajor buildings in the city and was not because of its Jewish link. Themajority of the Federation’s 400 hundred employees were sent home Sept. 11,and returned to work Sept. 12.

"Right now, the community is trying to bring its available resourcestogether," Graff said. "The BJE is in the process of contacting its schoolsto advise them of the availability of the Jewish Family Service and otheragencies that can provide support."

Ackerman cited the need for "curricular support; how do you curricularize atragedy such as this?"

On Wed., Sept. 12, the Federation convened a meeting of top local lawenforcement officials, rabbis and other Jewish institutional leaders todiscuss security surrounding the upcoming High Holy Days (see story, page12). In the afternoon, the interfaith Council of Religious Leaders met at6505 Wilshire. The Council includes Board of Rabbi executive directorDiamond, Rabbi Alan Henkin of Union of American Hebrew Congregations, theRev. Samuel Chetti of American Baptist Churches of Los Angeles, Bishop MaryAnn Swenson of United Methodist Church, and American Orthodox Church DioceseVatche Housepian, among others.

"We are meeting to express our sorrow, our sadness, our shock and ouroutrage as the religious leaders of the major faith communities," Diamondtold The Journal. "We condemn the perpetrators of these horrific crimes andlend our support to President Bush and elected officials to bring thoseresponsible for these terrorist attacks to justice. As religious leaders,our thoughts and prayers go out to victims, families, and all those whoselives were shattered, as of yesterday."

The Board of Rabbis leader called on "all the citizens of Los Angeles tojoin together in prayer, reflection and solidarity. We want our community tojoin us in turning away from dangerous rhetoric and hateful stereotypes andturn toward the tasks that face our nation in this dark hour."In the meantime, the Federation’s parent organization, United JewishCommunities (UJC), announced it was cancelling the Sept. 23 New Yorksolidarity rally for Israel.

At press time, with very few victims identified and little informationavailable, it was too early for The Federation to help Angelenos withspecific connections to victims at the sites of destruction or aboard theL.A.-bound planes involved. But Federation officials said they will be readyto assist when this inevitable grim task arrives in the coming days.

"There’s no information at this point," Fishel said. "So it will probably bewithin 24 to 48 hours before we have clarity."

For now, Federation officials were as stunned and saddened as the rest ofus, and reacting as parents and community members, speaking from the heart."I have a teenager she’s very scared this morning," Fishel said."This is a terrible tragedy for the United States of America," Bernsteinsaid.

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

More news and opinions than at a
Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.