In September, M² shared the findings of its first-ever “Hope Study,” which indicated that only 24% of Jewish communal professionals “often” or “very often” feel hopeful about the future.

Just two weeks prior to the Hope Study coverage, we hosted our third annual Growing Hope Concert, headlined by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, where more than 2,000 people gathered for an experience grounded in acceptance, understanding, kindness and hope. Our social media wall featuring messages of hope by concert goers went viral, reaching more than 1 million people through the #GrowHopeNow hashtag during the concert and over 3 million people in the three weeks that followed.

Courtesy/JCC Chicago

From the 2025 Growing Hope Concert at Gallagher Way in Chicago on Sept. 7, 2025.

In 2023, JCC Chicago launched Growing Hope; an outgrowth of the Violins of Hope Chicago, it is a movement focused on positivity, kindness and desire for a better world. Growing Hope has since evolved into a statewide platform encompassing education programs, storytelling, exhibits and performances that forge community bonds, offer joy-filled experiences and build bridges. 

Beyond the annual concert, we reach school children with Growing Hope programming, including a youth curriculum focused on grit, resilience and hopeful habits. Teen cohort programs in partnership with non-Jewish organizations, including YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, Youth Guidance and the All Stars Project, connect kids from diverse backgrounds to learn from and inspire one another. Hope Gardens are cultivated across JCC campuses and Seeds of Hope are given out to staff and community members so they can plant their own gardens.

The JCC Chicago Film Fest and ReelAbilities Chicago present films aligned with the themes of Growing Hope to advance understanding and encourage dialogue. Our Holding Hope exhibit honored the Oct. 7 hostages and highlighted our ongoing connection to Israel. Staff proudly wear Growing Hope regalia and embody its core objectives of growing good kids, building bridges and supporting Jewish peoplehood. Through Growing Hope, JCC Chicago creates a pathway for our partners, for our community and for our staff to find light in what can feel like endless darkness.

Growing Hope is 100% funded by philanthropy — individuals and foundations investing in a need to make hope a movement. And their investment is paying off: according to surveys of participants in Growing Hope programming, 95% of respondents report being inspired with messages of hope and anti-hate; 78% of respondents are inspired to learn more about historical events; and 68% of respondents report being more empathetic.

We live in a world heavily shaped by transactional technology and defined by the trauma of 9/11, mass shootings, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Oct. 7 attacks. Growing Hope aims to shift the focus from the panic and fear of news headlines and social media feeds to positivity, connectivity and an authentic understanding of shared humanity. Instead of amplifying worry and crisis, how can we help hope radiate from our screens? If 1 million people were reached with messages of hope in just two hours, imagine the impact of a generation (or two, or three) or people engaged in Growing Hope.

JCC Chicago is committed to not just repairing the world but reinspiring it. We are in the business of bringing light to our communities, and as Hanukkah approaches we call on our sister JCCs and the entire Jewish communal landscape to be there with us. To the 76% of Jewish communal professionals who are not feeling hopeful, we see you and we invite you to pick up a piece of Growing Hope and join our expanding movement. Our work is hard, but we all have the opportunity to focus on nurturing and growing hope within it. 

Addie Goodman is the president and CEO of JCC Chicago.

Melissa Chapman is the inaugural chief impact officer of JCC Chicago and will oversee the expansion of the Growing Hope initiative. She spent the previous six years as the CEO of the JCC East Bay in Berkeley, Calif.