Alexander Jewish Family Service Friends – 

Today promises to be another eventful day in the ongoing transition of one presidential administration to another. Watching all of these events unfold it is easy to feel confused, angry and/or anxious about what lies ahead for our country. As I reflect on the current struggles we face, I am heartened by the words of Abraham Lincoln whos aid:

"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis.
The great point is to bring them the real facts."

I find it comforting to hear that with all that he faced in his lifetime and in his Presidency he still maintained his faith in the ultimate goodness and wisdom of the people of our country to meet and overcome any crisis that we confront.

John F. Kennedy expressed a sentiment that I think is particularly relevant for today:

"In a time of domestic crisis, men of goodwill and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics."

My hope for the coming days, weeks and months is that people of goodwill will find a way to unite in order to help our country confront the challenges that led to this crisis and begin the process of meaningful change and healing so that we can move forward.

Winston Churchill famously said:

“Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the rest.”

He was humorously pointing out that democracies are messy and hard and have their flaws but - in the end -he believed that democracy was superior to other forms of government. We are certainly experiencing a messy time right now where differences in ideology and values are clashing in dramatic ways. Hopefully, out of this conflict we will be able to clarify and agree on some shared values that will bridge some of the divide and help guide us forward.

I hope that as we navigate our way through these challenging times that we will find ways to join together with people of goodwill and generosity to confront the hard work of meaningful change and healing.  I find it comforting to be part of the Alexander JFS community at this time. Our commitment to our values – and the way that we put out values into action through our programming and services – is a source of comfort and inspiration for me every day.

Thank you for being part of a community that lives its values every day through service to our community.

‍

‍

Take care,

‍

Carl E. Josehart, MSW (he/him/his)

Chief Operating Officer

‍

‍