Securing the Community. Fighting Antisemitism.

NOVEMBER 14, 2025 

Another pillar of our mission at the Jewish Federation of San Antonio (JFSA) is Securing the Community, Fighting Antisemitism. In a world where antisemitism is on the rise, JFSA remains unwavering in our commitment to protecting the community and telling our truth.  

Our Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is often our first line of defense—speaking up when antisemitism shows up, proactively educating government and school leaders, building coalitions with allies, and making sure our community’s safety and dignity are never an afterthought.

Our Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio is another cornerstone of this work. It educates thousands of students and adults each year, combatting hate through Holocaust education and remembrance. In today’s climate, teaching the dangers of indifference and the consequences of hatred has never been more vital. 

These two departments were selected by the Texas Holocaust Genocide and Antisemitism Advisory Commission to implement an innovative program where they introduce Jewish values and culture to schoolchildren through partnerships with teachers, schools, parents, and public libraries. See their new resource page and their inaugural Hanukkah program. 

The JFSA team also worked to secure $500,000 grant from the Jewish Federations of North America, to hire a full-time Community Security Coordinator. This new role will dramatically expand our ability to proactively protect synagogues, schools, agencies, and community events across San Antonio. 

Securing our Jewish future in San Antonio requires vigilance—and investment. Your gift to the Annual Campaign helps us protect what matters most. Join us in standing strong, standing proud, and standing together. 

Craig Berkowitch

Interim CEO, Jewish Federation of San Antonio

Let me know what you think. Email me at CEO@jfsatx.org

Mobilizing to Meet Needs Across Israel

NOVEMBER 7, 2025

As the war in Gaza begins to wane, the long road to recovery across Israel has only just begun. The trauma of October 7, the intense impact of two long years of war, the ongoing threat of terrorism, and the massive internal displacement of Israeli families—especially in the North—will require years of physical and emotional healing. 

The Jewish Federation of San Antonio, through the generosity of our community, raised over $2.7 million in emergency funds for non-profits in Israel. These dollars were swiftly deployed to more than 40 partner organizations providing trauma support, emergency care, housing, and counseling. This includes investments in the Galilee Medical Center’s trauma room, mental health hotlines like Eran and Sahar, and grassroots organizations helping Nova festival victims and displaced families. 

We are especially proud of our long-standing Partnership2Gether relationship with the Western Galilee, where many of these programs are based—offering counseling, scholarships, job retraining, and medical support. In fact, a San Antonio delegation of community members attended the Partnership’s Hatikva Summit just last week to assess the current needs on-the-ground to help this special community recover.   

Your past gifts have already changed lives. As we pivot from emergency response to long-term recovery, your continued support is vital. Please consider making a gift to our Annual Campaign to sustain this sacred work—here, in Israel, always. 

Craig Berkowitch

Interim CEO, Jewish Federation of San Antonio

Let me know what you think. Email me at CEO@jfsatx.org

Caring for Jews and Others in Need 

OCTOBER 31, 2025

One of the core pillars of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio is Caring for Jews and Others in Need. Since stepping into this role, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing firsthand what that care looks like in action — and it's deeply moving. 

I’ve met volunteers who hand-deliver Shabbat challah to seniors living alone through SAJSS. I’ve heard the stories of case managers at Jewish Family Service who walk alongside aging clients with dignity and compassion, often for the rest of their lives. I’ve seen children with disabilities fully included in JCC camps, thanks to targeted support from the Federation. 

Because of your generosity, we help older adults access medical care, provide interest-free loans through the Hebrew Free Loan Association, and award scholarships to deserving students preparing for college and seminary. We uphold sacred tradition by supporting our community’s Chevra Kadisha to care for loved ones at life’s end. 

This isn’t charity. It’s chesed. It’s tzedek. It’s the fabric of Jewish communal life. 

If you’ve ever wondered whether your gift makes a difference — it does. Please consider making your contribution to our Annual Campaign today. 

Together, we care. 

Craig Berkowitch

Interim CEO, Jewish Federation of San Antonio

Let me know what you think. Email me at CEO@jfsatx.org

Amplifying Joyful Jewish Life

OCTOBER 24, 2025

If you were at Monday night’s Commemoration for the Hostages, you witnessed something profoundly Jewish — dancing. Even in the shadow of pain, we danced. A day later, we gathered again for the Women of Valor Luncheon, honoring 12 extraordinary women whose leadership and compassion light our community with pride. And this weekend, the Holocaust Memorial Museum will host its first-ever Family Reunion Weekend honoring survivors and four generations of their families. These moments remind us that joy and resilience are inseparable parts of Jewish life. 

At the Jewish Federation of San Antonio, Amplifying Joyful Jewish Life is one of our four foundational pillars. It’s how we nurture Jewish identity and connection — from our youngest through PJ Library, to summer camps and the Starr Jewish Day School, to Chai High, Hillel, the Young Adult Division, J-LEV, and Birthright. We support families through the JCC, and our seniors through San Antonio Jewish Senior Services. 

Our support extends across every expression of Judaism — from keeping kosher through the Vaad Ha’Kashruth to communitywide programs like Yom Limmud that bring Jews of every background together. 

Our work depends on one simple truth: when we give, we grow. Your support of the Annual Campaign ensures that Jewish life in San Antonio remains vibrant, inclusive, and strong — today and for generations to come. 

Join us in keeping Jewish joy alive. We are Stronger Together. 

Craig Berkowitch

Interim CEO, Jewish Federation of San Antonio

Let me know what you think. Email me at CEO@jfsatx.org

Introducing the Four Pillars of JFSA

OCTOBER 17, 2025

In these first months as Interim CEO, I’ve been energized by conversations across our community —listening, learning, and sharing what the Jewish Federation of San Antonio does best. One of the clearest ways to describe our work is through our four pillars. These pillars represent both our mission and our impact, and you’ll begin to see them featured consistently in our communications moving forward.

Amplifying Joyful Jewish Life

We bring together San Antonio Jews of all ages, backgrounds, and traditions—celebrating, learning, and strengthening Jewish programs like Yom Limmud, Young Adult Division (YAD), Vaad Ha’Kashruth, and PJ Library embody this pillar.

Securing the Community & Fighting Antisemitism

Through the important work of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) and Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio (HMMSA), we provide education and awareness to combat antisemitism, ensure a safer, more resilient community, and build productive relationships with our elected and law enforcement officials.

Caring for Jews and Others in Need

Scholarships, senior services, mental health support, and camp inclusion programs reflect our Jewish responsibility to care for the community’s vulnerable.

Mobilizing to Meet Needs Across Israel

We stand in partnership with Israel and Jewish communities around the world, providing relief, rebuilding support, and solidarity.

These four pillars are the supports that uphold and strengthen our mission in San Antonio. It’s what the JFSA Team does every day—ensuring that the Federation’s work, the Community’s work, remains steady, resilient, and impactful for generations to come.

Which one resonates most deeply with you?

You can support our work by contributing to our annual campaign. The 2025 Campaign ends on December 31, 2025. Your donation, whatever the size, ensures San Antonio’s Jewish Community remains vibrant and thriving. Just click on the link below. Thank you.

Craig Berkowitch

Interim CEO, Jewish Federation of San Antonio

Let me know what you think. Email me at CEO@jfsatx.org

Sweet and Bitter: Sukkot, Hostages, and Hope

OCTOBER 10, 2025

The Jewish Federation of San Antonio is horrified by the antisemitic terrorist attack on the Manchester synagogue during Yom Kippur—the holiest day of our year. Once again, we are confronted with violence against Jews, simply for gathering in prayer. We mourn the victims, pray for the healing of the injured, and join with the global Jewish community in saying: this hate must stop.

Moments like this underscore why security is central to our mission. Here in San Antonio, JFSA has made “Securing the Community and Fighting Antisemitism” one of our four pillars. We are proud to share that this week, we were awarded a $500,000 Live Secure Grant by Jewish Federations of North America to fund a Community Security Coordinator who will work with every synagogue, school, and agency to keep our Jewish community safe. This is in addition to the $100,000 Tepper Family Grant secured by JFSA to protect programming for Jewish young children. After the Manchester attack, we also received messages of support from Mayor Ortiz Jones and the FBI, demonstrating the strong relationships we’ve developed with the broader community through the Jewish Community Relations Council.

We grieve with our brothers and sisters in Manchester—and we recommit ourselves to building a Jewish future in San Antonio that is both secure and strong.

Craig Berkowitch

Interim CEO, Jewish Federation of San Antonio

Let me know what you think. Email me at CEO@jfsatx.org

We grieve with our brothers and sisters in Manchester.

OCTOBER 3, 2025

The Jewish Federation of San Antonio is horrified by the antisemitic terrorist attack on the Manchester synagogue during Yom Kippur—the holiest day of our year. Once again, we are confronted with violence against Jews, simply for gathering in prayer. We mourn the victims, pray for the healing of the injured, and join with the global Jewish community in saying: this hate must stop.

Moments like this underscore why security is central to our mission. Here in San Antonio, JFSA has made “Securing the Community and Fighting Antisemitism” one of our four pillars. We are proud to share that this week, we were awarded a $500,000 Live Secure Grant by Jewish Federations of North America to fund a Community Security Coordinator who will work with every synagogue, school, and agency to keep our Jewish community safe. This is in addition to the $100,000 Tepper Family Grant secured by JFSA to protect programming for Jewish young children. After the Manchester attack, we also received messages of support from Mayor Ortiz Jones and the FBI, demonstrating the strong relationships we’ve developed with the broader community through the Jewish Community Relations Council.

We grieve with our brothers and sisters in Manchester—and we recommit ourselves to building a Jewish future in San Antonio that is both secure and strong.

Craig Berkowitch

Interim CEO, Jewish Federation of San Antonio

Let me know what you think. Email me at CEO@jfsatx.org

We Remember. We Refuse to Forget.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2025

Two years ago, on October 7th, our hearts were shattered. The grief is still raw. The wounds are still open. And the silence surrounding those still held hostage in Gaza is deafening. Their names, their faces, their stories—still waiting to be told, still waiting to come home.

This week, we invite you to stand with us—not just in remembrance, but in resolve. The Barshop JCC, with the support of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio, is hosting "Humans of October 7th", a photo exhibit that gives voice to the lives behind the headlines. These are not statistics. They are mothers, fathers, children, friends. They are us.

The exhibit will run from September 28 to October 10 in the Holzman Auditorium on the Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community. Come. Bring a friend. Witness. Feel. Let these images stir your heart and strengthen your commitment to never forget—and to never stop demanding justice and peace.

We remember. We mourn. We hope. And we will not stop until every hostage is home.

Craig Berkowitch

Interim CEO, Jewish Federation of San Antonio

Let me know what you think. Email me at CEO@jfsatx.org

Choosing Unity This New Year

SEPTEMBER 19, 2025

Over the years, some in our community have stepped back from the Federation - citing politics (“too left,” “too right”), feeling unappreciated, or simply experiencing donor fatigue. I understand those frustrations; I’ve heard them firsthand while visiting with community members across San Antonio these past months.

Yet in every conversation, one theme rises above the rest: a yearning for unity and vibrant Jewish life. People long for the days when San Antonio Jews of every background, denomination, and perspective came together to celebrate Jewish pride and purpose. That was the San Antonio Jewish community my family joined nearly 25 years ago. I’ve come to see that longing for connection runs deep - especially now, as we approach the two-year anniversary of October 7, polarization at home and abroad hardens, and concerns about antisemitism and security continue to grow.

Division weakens us precisely when communal strength is most needed.

With Rosh Hashanah upon us - a season of reflection and renewal - let’s practice teshuvah not only as individuals, but collectively as a community. By turning back toward one another, we safeguard our future and honor our shared heritage. Together, we can rekindle a spirit of connection and ensure that Jewish San Antonio remains strong, welcoming, and proud for generations to come.

L'shanah Tovah U'Metukah - a Good and Sweet Year,

Craig Berkowitch Interim CEO, Jewish Federation of San Antonio

Let me know what you think. Email me at CEO@jfsatx.org

Yom Limmud 2025: A Day of Learning, Joy, and Rekindled Connection

Last Sunday, more than 200 participants of every age filled the Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community for Yom Limmud, and the response was extraordinary. One hundred percent of survey respondents rated the day 4 or 5 stars, with 70% giving it a perfect 5. Comments poured in: "Fabulous," "Excellent event," "Such a pleasure to spend the day with such wonderful people."

This local success reflects a broader trend. National studies show that since October 7, 31% of American Jews report being more engaged in Jewish life than before the attacks, with many seeking deeper connection and learning. Yom Limmud proves that San Antonio is part of this remarkable surge in Jewish belonging.

My heartfelt thanks to every staff member, volunteer, teacher, and participant who made this day possible. Now we look ahead: help us take Yom Limmud to the next level. Join the planning team and help shape the future of Jewish learning and unity in our city.

- Craig Berkowitch
Interim CEO, Jewish Federation of San Antonio