by Elaine Durbach
NJJN Bureau Chief/Central

January 17, 2008

Amy Kasson was on the phone with a reporter when her 20-month-old younger daughter Emma wanted to say hello. At her mother’s urging, a small voice came down the receiver. “Tzedaka,” it said.

Emma might not yet quite grasp the concept of charitable giving, but she was giving voice to her mother’s commitment as cochair of the annual Super Sunday fund-raising phonathon and its theme this year: “Be a Light Among the Generations.”

Kasson of Warren and her cochair, Scott Spector of Scotch Plains, intend to carry that theme throughout the event on Sunday, Jan. 27, the largest single-day campaign on the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey’s annual calendar.

That’s why about half a dozen teenagers have been involved in planning for the event, working with Kasson and Spector, their co-vice chairs Suzanne and Rob Tucker of Westfield, and the rest of the committee.

“The teens have been great,” Spector said. “We might not be able to act on all their suggestions, but they come in with new ideas and fresh energy, and they shed a whole new light on how to attract more people.”

Kasson sees this kind of early involvement as crucial to fostering a sense of connection with the Jewish community and with Israel’s central role in that identity. She said she also hopes it builds an appreciation of federation’s work and the fact — for those eager to help people in need — that its wide umbrella provides “a better bang for your buck.”

‘Fun and cool’

The teen have also been involved in recruiting the hundreds of volunteers of all ages for the event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the Wilf Jewish Community Campus in Scotch Plains. In addition to enjoying an array of different activities, the teens will join older volunteers in the day’s core task — calling potential donors to raise the funds needed for Jewish educational, cultural, and social service needs in the community, in Israel, and around the world.

Kasson is herself “a federation baby,” who grew up on Long Island with a mother who played a national role in women’s philanthropy and remains active both in New York and Florida. Philanthropy, her daughter said, “is in my blood — it’s just what you do.”

From the age of nine, she was making phone calls on Super Sunday. She continued her community volunteering in college and later went on to become a member of the Young Leadership Cabinet of United Jewish Communities, the umbrella organization of North American federations. She and her husband celebrated the birth of daughters Sophie and Emma with major donations to the federation’s annual campaign.

“Young people are idealistic; they want to make the world better,” she said. “If we can help them see that this can be fun and cool, it can help keep them involved when they go to college, so that they join a Hillel and maybe go on to teach their own children about helping the Jewish community.”

Her vision works the other way, too. “Even if their parents haven’t been involved, every parent supports what their kids do, and ideally this could get the adults involved as well,” she said.

Persuading adults to give is key to the day’s success — and to the federation’s. According to Debbie Rosenwein, the federation’s director of planning and allocations, the money raised by the Super Sunday phonathon usually totals around 10 percent of its annual campaign. Given that it comes from donors who give under $1,000, it takes a concerted effort. Last year, around $600,000 was raised. “This year, naturally, we’d like to top that,” she said.

While the money is vital, all those working on the event agree that just as important is the coming together of the community. Lay and professional leaders in the Central federation remember the blizzard that canceled the event two years ago. Though donors rallied to raise the targeted amount, they were still left with a sense of loss.

They are hoping that this year, with all age groups involved, the Wilf campus will be the place to be — to raise those crucially needed funds, but also to enjoy the company of friends and new acquaintances and to explore ways to get involved with federation projects.

“Community participation is what Super Sunday is all about,” Spector said. “As Amy and I have stressed with the teens, it’s about becoming aware of their –— and our — responsibility to support federation in its mission, to support its programs and the work of its agencies.”

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Super Sunday 2008

What: Day-long fund-raiser for the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey

Where: Wilf Jewish Community Campus, Scotch Plains

When: Sunday, Jan. 27, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

Special events: Showcase on youth programs, teen activities, music by the Shabbattones, blood drive, social action projects, and children’s arts and crafts

For more information, contact Debbie Rosenwein or Lillah Nussbaum or call 908-889-5335.