The Jewish Federation Bay Area celebrated reaching its $250 million Centennial Campaign endowment fundraising goal with a special appearance by world-acclaimed violinist Itzhak Perlman and a performance by the Israel Philharmonic’s flute quartet.
More than 350 longtime donors, community leaders and partners gathered for the event at Laura and Gary Lauder’s home in Atherton on March 4. The $250 million endowment is aimed at securing long-term support for Jewish organizations locally, in Israel and around the world, a Federation spokesperson told J.
The event was held in collaboration with the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, which raises funds to support Israel’s national orchestra as cultural ambassadors for Israel. Perlman is its honorary co-chair.
Perlman, who was in town to conduct the San Francisco Symphony on March 5, joined the gathering for a conversation rather than a performance. The award-winning violinist was interviewed by members of the visiting ensemble and shared reflections on his career, mentors and experiences in music. Attendees described the conversation as humorous and candid, and said it offered a personal glimpse into Perlman’s storied life.
“It was a really neat opportunity to get to kind of know this person who is really renowned, who is sort of on a pedestal as a maestro,” said attendee Carol Weitz, who is a past president of J.’s board.
Following the conversation, the flute quartet performed a program featuring works by Mozart, along with the American and Israeli national anthems.
During the concert, the musicians briefly paused after their phones began buzzing simultaneously with emergency alerts from Israel. The messages informed them that missile strikes had been reported near Tel Aviv and that their families had taken shelter in bomb shelters. The performers shared the news with the audience before continuing the concert, acknowledging the emotional challenge of performing abroad while events unfolded at home.
“That was heart-tugging for all of us,” Weitz said.
Weitz described an evening of “gratitude and celebration” that was “the best reconnecting of community” the group had in a long time. “The warmth of the evening and the engagement of the cross-section of the community was really impactful,” she said.
The Centennial Campaign began in 2010 as the Federation marked its 100th anniversary, initially setting a fundraising goal of $100 million for its endowment. Strong community support allowed the campaign to surpass that benchmark in 2015, prompting leaders to raise the target to $200 million. Continued momentum ultimately pushed the campaign to a stretch goal of $250 million, which was reached in December.
“The Federation’s endowment not only fuels the steady, sustained investments for vital organizations strengthening Jewish life, caring for people in need, combating antisemitism, and promoting justice and inclusion, but in our ability to move quickly when it matters most — whether that’s responding to an emergency in Israel or an opportunity to do something transformational here at home,” Joy Sisisky, Federation president and CEO, told J. in a statement.
The completion of the campaign brings the organization’s total endowment to more than $400 million. Unlike annual campaigns, endowment funds generate ongoing support, helping ensure stability for the hundreds of programs and organizations the Federation funds, according to the Federation.