From the Desk of Jeri Zimmerman

The monthly column of Jeri Zimmerman, executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

Jewish pride, purpose, and community

Summer is often a season of renewal, a chance to slow down, spend time with family and friends, enjoy vacation, and recharge. For our Jewish community in the Lehigh Valley, summer is also a season of preparation: a time to look ahead and ask how each of us will help strengthen Jewish life in…

Here for Good 2026

As we conclude the 2026 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs, I am grateful for the generosity, commitment, and vision of our community.

This year, our campaign theme, Here for Good, served as both a promise and a reminder. It reflects our long-term commitment to care for those in need, strengt…

From commemoration to celebrations

As spring unfolds across the Lehigh Valley, our community moved through the special events of remembrance, reflection, and celebration. During this Season of Independence, we honor our past, recognize sacrifice, celebrate resilience, and look ahead with hope.

We began with Yom HaShoah, a so…

Passover 2026

As spring returns and we gather around our seder tables, Passover 2026 offers a meaningful opportunity to reflect not only on our timeless story of liberation, but also on the enduring meaning of freedom in our own time.

As we know, Pesach commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, when the Israel…

The women who carry us

In every generation, Jewish women have been the quiet architects of continuity. They have shaped homes, built institutions, sustained traditions, and reimagined what leadership looks like. Here in the Lehigh Valley, that legacy is not abstract history; it is living, breathing, and evolving b…