How Data is Influencing Jewish Silicon Valley's FY25 Priorities
With the launch of the 2024 Santa Clara County Community Study funded by Chai House, Inc., commissioned by Jewish Silicon Valley, and conducted by Rosov Consulting - Jewish Silicon Valley isn’t quickly acting to focus on the issues that matter most to the Jewish community.
The study found seven critical topics that are top of mind for the Jewish Community including: Safety and Security, Human Service Needs, Community Funding and Programming Priorities, Barriers to Connection and Participation, Leadership Pipeline, Jewish Organizations, and Israel.
Additionally, the study identified seven specific groups of particular interest to community members, including: Children and Teenagers, Young Adults, Older Adults, Newcomers to Santa Clara County, Diverse Identity Groups, Immigrants, and the Economically Vulnerable.
The study revealed several opportunities to address challenges such as:
- Creating a centralized online information portal to address the difficulty in finding information about communal services, programs, activities, and events.
- Nurturing a leadership pipeline by engaging young adults around their needs and interests.
- Creating safe spaces and facilitating conversations about feelings toward, concerns about,connections to, and perspectives on Israel.
- Helping with older adult services, including independent living facilities, assisted living facilities, and services to prevent social isolation as well as Offsite and satellite programming.
“Funders and organizations should feel empowered to use the study’s robust range of data and findings as a foundation for helping to determine funding priorities, as well as for informing their current practice and strategic planning,” said Rabbi Hugh Seid-Valencia, Chief Community Officer for jewish Silicon Valley.
Key Priority Areas for Jewish Silicon Valley for FY25
As part of Jewish Silicon Valley’s long-term strategic plan (insert link), several of these areas are already underway…but the data gives Jewish Silicon Valley a more clear direction to focus their resources and collaboration efforts.
Enhanced digital resource platforms, including an improved online community calendar experience and website.
Supporting the LGBTQ+ community in both on and off campus initiatives.
Fighting the precipitous rise in antisemitism and the fear and sadness facing many in our community since (and even before) October 7th in several distinct ways:
- Joyful, robust, unapologetic Jewish celebration.
- Bringing people, meaningful face-to-face dialogue with those inside and outside our community.
- Elevating Jewish voices and testimonies.
- Creating welcoming, safe, and supportive spaces for newcomers, teens, and our older adult communities.
Additionally, Rabbi Hugh hopes to conduct as many briefings as he can with organizations interested in collaborating to solve these issues, and/or to review the information so that it might inform Jewish organizations to better serve the needs of their communities.
Phase 2: This is Just the Beginning
Rooted in a new way of collaborating and thinking about addressing the needs of the Jewish community, Jewish Silicon Valley is extending its collaboration with Rosov Consulting on a second phase of the community study.
During this second phase, community members will work through a structured and professionally facilitated framework with the goal of creating and implementing a collective set of initiatives addressing the noted opportunities from the study.
