When I speak to people from out of town or who have recently moved to Austin, they are in awe of the beautiful 40-acre Dell Jewish Community Campus. A beautiful urban oasis in the heart of Austin and Northwest Hills, the Dell Jewish Community Campus has become a hub of vibrant Jewish life that is a model for communities across the continent.    

It’s hard to believe that the campus opened 25 years ago, inspiring a renaissance of Jewish life that has impacted multiple generations of individuals and families. As you will read in this issue, this community came together in the early 90s to develop a vision of an ecosystem that would house multiple expressions of Jewish life on one campus.  

Thanks to the pioneers who made this dream a reality, we are living through one of the most exciting times in Austin Jewish history in one of the most dynamic Jewish communities in North America, if not in the world outside of Israel. We receive calls on a regular basis from other communities inquiring about the campus and soliciting advice on how to build something similar in their own communities.    

Thanks to the innovative spirit of this community’s pioneers, we have an invaluable asset that we can call home. I pray that we continue to invest in our campus ecosystem to ensure we can inspire more and more Jewish journeys.  

We look forward to Mosaic on Thursday, March 27 where we celebrate the remarkable power of women and their commitment to ensure our Jewish community continues to thrive. We expect well over 1,000 attendees. We will honor Robyn Sperling as this year’s Marilyn Stahl Woman of Valor and Mayim Bialik is our keynote speaker. A special thank you to Marci Dell and Susan Zane for co-chairing this important event.    

Wishing everyone a happy and meaningful Purim and Passover! 

Rabbi Daniel A. Septimus