Rosh Hashanah Message: Terri Bonoff

Reach for the Stars

With feet firmly planted, I reach as tall as I can stretching and looking upwards to spot the star so very high. “Star light, star bright, wish I might get the wish I wish tonight.” I have recited this since my earliest memories.

This year’s prompt: “Reach for the Stars” is provocative, eliciting powerful memories and dreams for the future. Dreaming forward for a moment, … when reaching for the stars it’s important to reach for what’s meaningful and worth going after.

This must begin with a vision that is aligned with core values and beliefs. My essential core values are LOVE, GRATITUDE, and FORGIVENESS. If I were to define it, I’d say, “Appreciating G-D in each of us and with that brings acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude and love.”

Standing in these values, designing a life vision for my work, I put forward this,” My life’s work is to be in concert with others, bring transformative solutions to address the societal ills of our times.” Reach for the stars is a natural expression of living this vision.

Every day, linked arm in arm with my incredible colleagues at Jewish Family & Career Services we do all we can to bring transformative solutions to the challenges our community faces. It is a gift to be doing this work side by side with the JF&CS team, lay leaders, staff, donors, all stakeholders. Whether it is through Shalom Bayit, (Peace in the Home) which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, or Frances Bunzl Clinical Services with the newly expanded Horwitz-Zusman Child and Family Center, the Ben Massell Dental Clinic, Aviv Older Adult Services, or Zimmerman Horowitz Independent Living program, to name a few, the work of JF&CS aims for the stars. We see G-D in all who cross our doors and we are called to shine a light on the promise within.

Shana Tova!

Terri Bonoff is the CEO of Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta.