- Michael Balaban is the president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
By many measures, Jewish communal life is functioning.
Institutions are operating. Programs are being delivered. Calendars are full.
But activity is not the same as impact.
Our community is facing a period of rapid change. Antisemitism is rising. Loneliness is deepening. Families are under strain. A generation of young Jews is searching not for more programming, but for meaning, belonging and purpose.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote that religion begins with the awareness that something more is demanded of us. Not comfort. Not routine. Something more.
That demand is now being placed on all of us. Not only clergy or professionals, but also lay leaders, parents, educators and community members.
Incremental change will not meet this moment. We need something bolder.
We need a community moonshot.
A moonshot is a shared effort that aligns a community around a clear goal and measurable outcomes. It is not about one program or one institution. It is about building momentum across an entire ecosystem.
A true moonshot has four characteristics. It is collective in vision. It produces a measurable impact. It tests multiple approaches rather than relying on a single solution. And it aligns institutions that too often operate in silos.
Most importantly, it forces a fundamental question. What must become normal in Jewish life if we want a strong future?
Some answers are already clear.
Jewish life must extend beyond services. Education must be reimagined. Peer communities must expand. Synagogues must evolve. Israel must remain central and accessible. Giving must be taught and modeled. Collaboration must replace competition.
Children and families do not experience Jewish life in organizational silos. They experience it as a whole, or not at all.
What could a moonshot look like in practice?
It might mean every Jewish household experiencing a meaningful Shabbat at home. It might mean universal access to Israel experiences for teens. It might mean ensuring that no one in our community faces isolation alone. It might mean making Jewish camp or peer community accessible to every child who wants it.
This work cannot be left to professionals alone. The future of Jewish life must be built with the community, not for it.
The most important ideas will come from lived experience. From people who see what is missing and imagine what could be better.
Financial resources are essential, but they are not enough. Vision, courage and partnership are what create lasting change.
This is collective work. One person reaching another to strengthen a third.
We should pursue a moonshot not because it is easy, but because it matters.
Not because it guarantees comfort, but because it creates purpose.
An Invitation to Create the Future
So the invitation is simple. Share with us your innovative Jewish community Moonshot ideas.
On June 23rd, the leaders of the Jewish Community of Greater Philadelphia will convene at a Jewish Community Moonshot Summit to learn about potential “Moonshot Ideas” that have the power to transform our Jewish community. The ideas to be reviewed will come from our Jewish agencies, congregations and community members. Selected ideas will be introduced to donors for funding. For more information and to learn how you can submit your Jewish community Moonshot Idea, visit jewishphilly.org/moonshot.
The future of the community will not happen by accident.
It will happen because we choose to build it together.