By Dara Kaufman / Executive Director, Jewish Federation of the Berkshires

I recently took a day off and spent it at Kripalu. For those who may not be familiar, Kripalu is a retreat center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and a national leader in yoga- and mindfulness-based education.

I often say that a Federation year feels like a marathon. Slow and steady in some moments, a mad sprint in others, but always moving forward. Day after day, we do the work of building joyful community, strengthening Jewish identity, providing vital help to those in need, and ensuring the strength and security of Jewish life. Federation never stops, even when the path becomes winding and uneven, as it increasingly has over the past few years. We do this work together because it matters.

This year, however, that marathon stretched longer and further than usual. In addition to my Federation responsibilities, I served on the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism. The work required frequent travel to Boston and hearing some very heavy testimony about the realities of antisemitism across our Commonwealth. By the time I arrived at Kripalu, I was tired, weighed down, and in need of a moment simply to stop and breathe.

Appropriately, the word Kripalu means compassion. I spent the day practicing meditation and yoga, attending classes, and intentionally slowing down. I focused on creating space for self-compassion and reconnecting with the immense gratitude I feel every day, for my life, for this work, and for this community.

Gratitude can feel complicated in a world filled with uncertainty and struggle. Rising antisemitism, ongoing challenges in Israel, and the weight of daily headlines can feel overwhelming. And yet, we are surrounded every day by acts of generosity, courage, and hope that remind us that goodness persists even in difficult times.

Your generosity helped us raise a record-breaking $1,496,995 in our 2025 Annual Campaign. I am deeply grateful to our Super Tzedakah Chairs, Leslie and Roy Kozupsky, and our Major Donor Chairs, Judy and Mark Usow, whose partnership, devotion, and generosity continue to inspire me. I am also thankful for our dedicated staff and board, who lead with wisdom and heart. Above all, I am grateful to the many donors, at every level, who contributed. Each gift, large and small, is an investment in the Jewish future we want for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren.

This month, our Allocations Committee will meet to determine how to distribute funds from our annual campaign to organizations beyond Federation’s direct programs and services. Through this process, Federation will provide critical resources to educate our young people, support college students, and combat antisemitism and hate in our local public schools.

The committee will also grapple with how to help as many children as possible attend Jewish overnight camp, one of the most powerful tools we have to strengthen Jewish identity, build resilience, and instill the joy of being Jewish for a lifetime. With the average cost of a month at camp approaching $9,000, these decisions are complex and deeply meaningful.

The Talmud teaches us, Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, all of Israel is responsible for one another. Through Federation’s allocation process, we live out this sacred responsibility by supporting vulnerable Jews around the world, aiding in rebuilding efforts in Israel, and sustaining our partnership with the Afula-Gilboa region.

Gratitude has long been my centering force. It lifts me when I feel depleted and grounds me when things feel complicated. It helps me think clearly, lead with intention, and keep moving forward with vision.

While serving on the Massachusetts Special Commission may have made my personal marathon more demanding this year, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity and the experience. 

I was honored to be one of only two commissioners invited to join the co-chairs in personal conversations with Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Commissioner Martinez of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and the Boston Globe Editorial Board. In each of these meetings, I was intent on bringing forward the perspective and concerns of small Jewish communities and ensuring that voices like ours were heard.

My trips to Boston may be over, but the work is far from finished. The next phase includes advocating for the implementation of the commission’s recommendations. Locally, this means Federation working with our state legislators, engaging our large employers, and partnering with K–12 schools and institutions of higher education to help them turn these recommendations into meaningful action.

When I left Kripalu at the end of the day, I felt rested, but more importantly, I felt clear. Clear about why this work matters. Clear about the responsibility we carry. And clear about the strength, joy and resilience of this community.

I am incredibly proud of the work we do together, the impact we have, and the way we show up for one another in moments of celebration and in times of challenge.

This work is not always easy, and it is rarely quiet. But it is meaningful, it is critical, and it is sustained by people like you who care deeply. Thank you for walking this road with Federation, for believing in our shared responsibility, and for continuing to show up with generosity and heart. I am grateful.