By Richard Friedman, Executive Director -The Birmingham Jewish Federation

I wrote a piece for Update recently on the number of Christians in Alabama. I noted there are only about 10,000 Jews in Alabama, roughly half of whom live in Birmingham.

As I later pondered this statistic, I realized that Jews make up less than one quarter of one percent of our state's population of 4,600,000. I've always known we are small in number, but being reminded that we are just a fraction of a percentage point made me even prouder of Alabama's Jewish community.

For more than 100 years, Alabama's small Jewish community has had an extraordinary positive impact on the lives of all Alabamians. In Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville and Mobile, as well as smaller cities, such as Anniston, Florence and Jasper, just to name three, Jews have been at the forefront of bettering life for all.

Jews have been among the state's foremost business, civic, cultural and philanthropic leaders. Jewish physicians have been involved in important medical breakthroughs and have helped provide superb medical care. Jews have have been involved in sports, in building our state's colleges and universities and have been elected to public office at the local, state and national level.

Our impact is such that people who live in Alabama who aren't Jewish are often surprised to find out how few in number we really are.

TWIN COMMITMENT

Embedded deep within the Jews of Alabama is a twin commitment, which animates our lives at many levels. We're passionately devoted to our fellow Jews, at home and abroad, and we're passionately devoted to our fellow Alabamians.

The Birmingham Jewish Federation, I am proud to say, is an institution that reflects this. We are committed to sustaining Jewish life at home and abroad, building a better Alabama for all of us and helping all people in need in times of distress.

In the Update article mentioned above, I wrote, "I wish there were more Jews in Alabama. More Jews would strengthen our Jewish community and enrich our city and state in general."

Continuing to grow our Jewish community is one of the goals of a historic initiative we've undertaken called Our Next 100 Years. Our Next 100 Years already has created two important and successful projects to grow our Jewish population: You Belong in Birmingham, which is designed to encourage young Jews to live in Birmingham, and our effort to strengthen Jewish life on Alabama's college campuses and attract more Jewish students.

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

In addition to growing our Jewish population, Our Next 100 Years contains seven other strategic initiatives. (See link below.) One of the goals of Our Next 100 Years is to raise money; to enhance Jewish life today and to provide our community with a secure financial future for generations to come.

"Our Next 100 Years is the most important effort our Jewish community has ever undertaken," Birmingham Jewish Federation president Jimmy Filler has said repeatedly. Jimmy, in addition to being BJF president, is fundraising chair for Our Next 100 Years. More than $20,000,000 has been raised already.

Our Next 100 Years will touch every facet of Jewish life. At the top of the list, however, is making sure that we are here -- that there is a strong, vibrant and growing Jewish community present in Alabama for generations to come.

By doing so, we not only will sustain our faith, heritage and peoplehood, but we will continue to benefit our state and enrich the quality of life for all Alabamians. What could be better; what could be more holy?