Сет Уайз возглавил совет директоров Еврейской федерации округа Брауард

After finding success as a real estate developer and devoting years to his career, Seth Wise woke up one day with the realization that there must be more to life. His “more,” he quickly figured out, was philanthropy. The Davie resident reached out to Goodman Jewish Family Services (JFS) Broward County and discovered a family connection to the very organization he was trying to help. “When I told my mom that I was looking into working with JFS, she started to cry,” he said, recalling the moment he learned his mother had turned to JFS for support after his father left. “I had no idea, but it lit a fire under me.” Since then, Wise has chaired the board of directors for both JFS and Jewish Family Home Care, while also serving on the board of the David Posnack Jewish Day School, which his three sons attended. Now, he has stepped into his newest leadership role as board chair for the Jewish Federation of Broward County. We recently had the opportunity to speak with him to learn more about his passion for philanthropy, his family and what’s next. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: You are the newly appointed board chair for the Jewish Federation of Broward. What does this role mean to you? A: I joined the board and we decided it was time to make a change in leadership and fortunately found Audra Berg (president and CEO). What we really morphed into today is a very vibrant, impactful organization in Broward. It’s a remarkable difference in just a short four years in really getting the word out and growing the campaign and putting the federation back on the map in our community. Being witness to that, being campaign chair for the last 2 years and now the chair, I’m super-energized about the momentum we developed. Q: What is your focus or mission with this role? A: The desire to have an impact has been super-charged since Oct. 7, 2023. Obviously that was such a tragedy, but we now know that around the world, it ignited a spark in Jewish people to reconnect and want to be together. The federation, being the central address in our community, is uniquely positioned to help make that happen. We did a communitywide study called Ignite Broward and the overwhelming message we got is: We want more community, we want to connect. Almost half the people just didn’t know how. Jews are all different — our tent is big, so it encompasses anyone who says they want to connect in Jewish life. The federation’s mission is to give people the ability to connect with Jewish life in whatever format that means, and I’m excited to fulfill that mission. Q: You have been involved with the Jewish Federation of Broward County for five years. Why did you initially want to join the organization? A: I felt that JFS was in a good place. I had been on the board for a long time. We had terrific professional leadership in place with Randy Colman and a vibrant, engaged board. At that point, the natural place to go was to the federation. So I felt it was time to move on and maybe make bigger ripples. With a platform like the federation — which is larger and communitywide and touches all types of things from security to caring for those in need to supporting Israel — that was a place where I could have maybe a bigger impact because the platform was bigger. And that has proven to be correct. In partnership with a fabulous board just coming off Doug Berman as chair, who was a remarkable leader, and having Audra and the team that she has built and continues to build, I think it’s sort of a Goldilocks period for us. Q: In addition to the federation, you have also held board and chair positions at Jewish Family Services of Broward County and Jewish Family Home Care, among others. Why have you focused on Jewish organizations? A: For many years, I was involved in industry stuff, real estate-related organizations, and that was great and I enjoyed it, and it was good for business. But it never tugged at the heartstrings. And I have found that engaging in philanthropy related to the Jewish people tugs at the heartstrings. Honestly, it’s hard to explain why it’s so important, it just is. I’m not one of those people that sits on the sidelines and looks in. I tend to just jump in and that feels good to me. A lot of people are ringing their hands about antisemitism and the challenges we are facing, and my answer is to get in the ring — get in and make a difference. The more people involved, the more people feel connected, the more people want to help their community, and that’s the opportunity we have today. Q: You have raised your three sons to have a focus on service and community. Can you tell me more about them? A: My oldest graduated from The George Washington University a year ago and lives in Miami. He was president of Hillel there during the protests and he led through that in the most civilized, thoughtful way and was very successful in working with the administration, dealing with that problem, isolating the troublemakers and building a relationship with the admin that allowed him to work hand in hand to address those issues. My other two sons are very engaged in the issues, they are well-read, you can sit and have a conversation with them about these issues and they care deeply about the Jewish community and the future and their position in it. My youngest is headed to George Washington in the fall, and my middle child is at Northeastern University in Boston. My wife was a product of Jewish day school in Montreal, and it was really important to her that our kids went to Jewish day school. My thinking was, if I’m sending my kids to private school, then they’re going to the best private school there is. [Jewish day school] wasn’t on my list, I didn’t know any better. She indulged me, and it was the right decision. I am so grateful she pushed for the Jewish day schools because I think it has made all the difference in the world. They feel the issues deeply. They really care. I credit Jewish camp, Jewish day school and our home. Q: Why was it so important to instill a strong Jewish identity in your children? A: I’m a believer in the power of our history and what it means to be a Jew, and how many times they’ve tried to take us out and, somehow, we are always able to come back and come back stronger. I think we are blessed to be part of something very special. And it’s important to my wife and I that our kids recognize that, appreciate that and lean into it. It’s a warm blanket to be part of the Jewish community and really part of it, not on the outside looking in, but in. It’s as simple as when you go out to an event and you know so many people and it feels like a big family. I’ve grown to appreciate it more and more over time, and I want my kids to feel that warm blanket of the community. Q: What is next for you and your family? A: Obviously in a very Jewish way, I hope everybody continues to be healthy and, as my wife would say, meeting their milestones and progressing in their lives. And thank God that they are all doing that in spades. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about the future. I am very concerned about the trajectory of antisemitism in the world and the country. If someone had asked me five years ago if I was worried about it in the United States, I would say no way. The speed at which this has changed is head-spinning, and I’m not sure we’re all processing it yet. So, am I worried about the future for my kids? I am. But I’m also hopeful because, like I said, I think if we come together as a community and lean into that and get stronger, that’s the best way we can fight back. If we show up as generous, thoughtful and committed to each other, then I think that’s the best offense we can have. Q: What are your goals for the federation in the coming years? A: Giving the community what it’s asked for, which is more ways to engage. We’ve got a big geography — we’ve got Parkland, Deerfield, Hollywood. If you think about how large the geography is, we’ve got pockets of Jews all over the place, and we need to help bring community to those areas. I want to help as a board to commit to delivering that to the community. I’m excited about making that happen. That’s the virtuous circle — if we get more people engaged, and they commit more time and money, it allows us to do more and have more impact. Rather than wait for the phone to ring, we need to get out there and let people know what we’re doing and how we can help. Our job as a board is also to provide support to the professionals — Audra and her team — so they can successfully execute. We are not doing the day-to-day, they are. So we need to support their efforts and help them achieve the objectives they’ve set. One thing I want people to know is that I’m available. If people are looking to engage and are not sure how, and they want to have a conversation, I’m happy to do it. It’s been incredibly rewarding for me. When I got involved, I didn’t know anybody and now I do, and it’s a very warm and welcoming environment. I would encourage people to come to events and lean in and if they want to have a chat, I’m happy to.