Shalom Austin

The 2025 legislative session represented a major turning point for Shalom Austin, ushering in its new Public Affairs department. Following the appointment of the organization’s first Public Affairs Director in May 2024, Shalom Austin significantly increased its efforts to build coalitions, advance legislative priorities, and strengthen ties with elected officials—yielding powerful outcomes for the community. We passed two bills, got $7 million allocated towards our security priorities, and engaged hundreds of Jewish Austinites in taking action. Read more about our work in the latest edition of The Jewish Outlook at: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/gd7TMijb Photo 1 - 200 Jewish Texans converged on the Texas State Capitol to advocate for security funding for houses of worship and non-profits at Jewish Communities Day at the State on Feb. 4, 2025. Photo 2 - We passed a bill establishing an Israel-Texas trade office in Jerusalem—connecting the tech hub of Austin directly with the startup nation. Photo 3 - HB 2391 establishes a standard definition of antisemitism in K-12 and public college campus student code of conduct violations. Photo 4 - As a result of our advocacy, we got a $7 million allocation from the state to the non-profit security grant program. Photo 5 – Jewish community leaders gather at the Texas State Capitol for Jewish American Heritage Month.

An Outpouring of Support and Ongoing Help All items donated to the Shalom Austin Jewish Family Service Food Pantry and Flood Recovery Drive have been sorted and delivered directly to volunteers supporting flood-affected families and recovery teams in Williamson/Travis County including Liberty Hill, Sandy Creek area, Leander, and Georgetown. Thanks to you, we have been able to provide this much-needed support to our neighbors facing unimaginable loss. Thanks to the incredible generosity of so many, we continue to raise critical funds for the Shalom Austin Flood Relief Campaign to provide relief and recovery assistance to those affected. To ensure that the funds you have so generously donated are used with care, we have established a volunteer-led Texas Flood Relief Campaign Allocations Task Force. This group includes leaders from our Greater Austin community and Federation representatives across Texas. Together, they will guide how relief funds are distributed—ensuring every decision is made with compassion, integrity, and responsibility—all rooted in Jewish values. If you are in need of support or if you're able to donate, please visit: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/gP_7kNdc

As we enter Shabbat, our hearts remain with all those impacted by the devastating floods in Texas. This week, we’ve witnessed both heartbreak and hope—heartbreak in the stories of loss, and hope in the incredible way our community has come together to respond with compassion and action. Please view this video from Shalom Austin CEO Rabbi Daniel A. Septimus.   As of this morning, we have raised nearly $400,000 from 2,322 donors in 43 states for the Shalom Austin Flood Relief Campaign, providing relief and recovery assistance to those affected. We also received 250 packages of food and hygiene supplies to the Shalom Austin Jewish Family Service Food Pantry. Thank you for this incredible generosity. To donate to the Shalom Austin Flood Relief Campaign, visit https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/gP_7kNdc

Thank you for continuing to show up with compassion, generosity and collective strength. If you haven’t already given, we invite you to donate to the Shalom Austin Flood Relief Campaign or to another trusted relief effort. Every gift will help provide urgent relief and recovery assistance to those affected. https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/gWqpechg If you need support during this time, JFS is here to help: Jewish Family Service is offering 1-2 free sessions to children and adults impacted by the floods. JFS Case Managers are also available to help support families and individuals physically impacted by the floods, including through emergency financial assistance to support emergency housing or to cover basic needs such as food, clothing or supplies. Contact JFS at jfs@shalomaustin.org. Hebrew Free Loan of Austin is offering interest-free emergency relief loans up to $10,000 to help those affected recover and rebuild. Please reach out to info@hfla.org or call (512) 677-4352.

As fellow Texans, we are delighted and amazed by the generosity of H-E-B, Inc., Shalom Austin corporate partner, and their incredible efforts toward those affected in Central Texas.

Incredible Generosity, Ongoing Need 💙 Amid heartbreaking devastation, our community has stepped up with remarkable generosity and compassion. We have received over $200,000 in donations to the Shalom Austin Flood Relief Campaign from more than 1,200 donors across 36 states as well as 200 donations to the Shalom Austin Jewish Family Service Food Pantry to help families impacted by the Texas floods — thank you! We are also grateful to Texas Jewish Federations, Jewish Federations of North America and Jewish institutional partners across Greater Austin, Central Texas and nationally for their support! Our deepest thoughts and prayers continue to be with Central Texans and all those impacted by this tragedy. If you or someone you know has been affected, or if you're able to donate, please visit our website for how you can help, support services and resources: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/gvGVmwVv

Shalom Austin Jewish Family Service is pleased to announce that Sarah Abrahams will be joining the team as the new Shalom Austin Executive Director of JFS on June 18, 2025. Sarah brings more than a decade of experience in nonprofit and social services work, with a strong background in program development, community engagement and organizational leadership. For many, Sarah is already a familiar face, as the Abrahams family have been active members of the Shalom Austin community for several years. Sarah says she is excited to continue contributing to Shalom Austin’s growth and impact.   She most recently served as the associate commissioner of Family Support Services at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission where she oversaw systems efforts and grant initiatives aimed at improving outcomes for Texas children and families. There, she worked within HHSC and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services managing cross-systems programs and policy coordination efforts, partnering across government agencies, engaging community leaders and coordinating with policy makers.    Before joining HHSC, Sarah was a systems improvement analyst with Casey Family Programs, a national operating foundation providing strategic planning, implementation support, technical assistance, and policy analysis targeting child welfare practices on national, state and local levels. She also worked for state and community-based nonprofits focused on parent education and support, women’s health and family economic wellness.    Sarah holds a Masters in Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.    As we welcome Abrahams to JFS, we also want to extend our deepest gratitude to Rabbi Amy B. Cohen who served as Shalom Austin Chief Social Services Officer and Jewish Family Service (JFS) Executive Director since 2020. Rabbi Cohen will be transitioning to a new position as Rabbinical Counselor at Shalom Austin where she will provide spiritual, pastoral, and clinical support to individuals and families, with a focus on care during times of illness, loss, and life transitions.

We're Hiring! Join the team at Shalom Austin! We're hiring a variety of full-time and part-time positions. Do you (or someone you know) want to be a part of a community-minded, inclusive organization and make a difference? Come work with us! All are welcome! For more information and to apply, visit shalomaustin.org/jobs today.

Mazel tov to our very own Michal Ilai, Shalom Austin Senior Israel Educator, on this incredible honor from Hadassah, one of the "18 American Zionist Women You Should Know!" We are so proud of Michal and the incredible work that she does for our community. Read more at www.hadassah.org/18women

We’re honored to be recognized as The Best Place for Working Parents, for the fourth year in a row, leading the way with family-friendly policies! At Shalom Austin, our goal is to support families—both in our community and in our workplace. We are grateful for this recognition!     To see our job opportunities, visit shalomaustin.org/jobs.