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April 30, 1999/14 Iyar 5759, Vol. 51, No.31
Reluctant choice yields satisfaction - and dollars
MARTY LATZ
Special to Jewish News
I picked up the phone with some trepidation. I didn't know the name of the person on the 4-by-6 pink card on top of the stack. I'd never met him.
I didn't know his family's financial status, nor did I really want to know. It was the dinner hour, a time I traditionally avoid for phone calls.
Yet, I picked up the phone, dialed the number, spoke to a total stranger, and asked for his money. And he gave it. Several hundred dollars, no less.
Dialing for dollars. A time-honored tradition used by our community and many others to raise money for organizations or causes in which we believe. In this case, I was calling on behalf of the Hillel Advisory Council at Arizona State University, whose Annual Spring Benefit is Sunday, May 2.
Along with other Hillel board members, I spent the next few hours tying up the phone lines at a local law office asking, in most cases, total strangers for money.
We did it for several reasons. Firstly, we all share a commitment to help Hillel fulfill its mission to promote Jewish identity in the University community, and to ensure the perpetuation of Jewish values.
Hillel performs a crucial role. It provides a place for Jewish students to come together and helps those students - many away from home for the first time - to identify positively as Jews.
Hillel also provides connections to the larger Jewish community through outreach programs such as its Kivel Campus of Care internship, pairing college students with residents of the geriatric care center.
And secondly, we hit the phones because of Shelley Cohn, who will be honored Sunday night for her leadership at Hillel and in the arts community; Cohn is the director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, enriching the arts scene for all Arizonans.
Despite my initial reluctance to pick up the phone, it became easier as the evening went on. And, somewhat unexpectedly, I had fun. In between phone calls, my fellow callers and I would joke about some of the responses we'd received. Or we'd just socialize and enjoy the camaraderie.
In fact, before I knew it, our session had ended. But we'll be dialing on other nights, too. And others will be dialing for other causes. In the next few weeks, State of Israel Bonds is honoring Sheldon Roth, and the Anti-Defamation League is honoring Susan Goldwater, Earl J. Baker, Joe Garagiola Jr., Larry S. Lazarus and Daniel R. Ortega Jr.
It seems there's an unlimited need for help in the form of dollars and time. The humanitarian crisis in Kosovo. Keeping Israel strong. A Jewish Community Center. Hillel. Kivel. ADL. The American Jewish Committee. Our synagogues.
The list goes on and on. And so do the needs. This year, the Jewish Federation received more than 90 applications for program grants from member agencies and others - almost twice as many as in previous years.
Unfortunately, we can't fund everything, and we have limited time to reach out to garner support. Yet, we want to help. So we prioritize and make choices. Some focus on Jewish non-profits while others focus on our greater community. Still others contribute in other ways.
I'm scheduled to make more fund-raising calls for Hillel this week. I'm sure I'll pick up the phone - again - with trepidation. I'm not used to it, and I'm not sure I ever will be. But it's a choice I've consciously made. Because it's worth it. For the students. For Shelley Cohn. And for our community.
Marty Latz is a Valley attorney and negotiation specialist. Send comments to mlatz@negot.com.
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