New Year's resolutions have long been a tradition in the general community. At the Jewish New Year also, it is customary to make resolutions.

One of our key resolutions at United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ is to be the most effective philanthropy possible.

The United Jewish Appeal touches more Jewish lives in more places than any other charity. Among the many thousands who have been helped are:

• Alema and Ora, Ethiopian Israelis who were overwhelmed -- emotionally, physically, and financially -- by the birth of triplets. By the time the children were two, the parents were exhausted, the children listless. Fortunately, they were reached by Operation Atzmaut, a special project empowering Ethiopian Israelis. Ora is preparing to become a teacher's assistant, Alema is training to be a plumber. Now in a stimulating pre-school program, the children are playful and energetic. The family has a hopeful future.
• Alicia, a young widow, supported herself and her two daughters as a professional nurse in Buenos Aires. Then she lost her job. Her small pension couldn't pay the rent, her savings evaporated when the economy collapsed. She wound up living in a dilapidated shack. Alicia and one of her daughters are diabetic. When she could no longer afford insulin, she sought help at a Jewish social services center. There, she immediately received medicine, food vouchers, and help in improving their housing. Life isn't easy for Alicia and her daughters, but it's getting better.
• Donna, a petite woman in our MetroWest community, was insulted, slapped, mentally abused. She had nowhere to go and tried to convince herself things really weren't so bad. And then, it got worse. Finally, a friend told Donna about the Rachel Coalition, a safe house and program run through Jewish Family Service and supported by UJA. Donna went. She is safe. Although she has to battle it out in divorce court, the fight ahead will not include fists, and she is not alone.

It's for Donna, Alicia, Alema, and Ora – and so many, many more – that we resolve to increase our effectiveness by improving our equipment, giving additional training to our staff, and fine tuning our operations. Last year, we raised $23.8 million, a new record. This year, we will raise more, so that we can provide more help, more hope, and more comfort wherever they are needed.