ShaBot 6000, the continuing cartoon saga of a pious Jew who purchases a robot to work as the Shabbos Goy for his household. The inquisitive robot, ShaBot, decides that he is Jewish, and is therefore unable to fulfill his duties as servant. ShaBot spends his days asking questions about Judaism, trying to find logic in a religion that sometimes just DOES NOT COMPUTE. ShaBot 6000 a comic strip for the 21st century.

“Out of Line”

Shavuah Tov.

for more Shabbat 6000, check out “The Next Level”

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Habitus, A Diaspora Journal, issue #3: part of a new breed of Jewish magazines being created by young Jews defining Judaism and their involvement on their own terms. With funding from the Dorot Foundation and focusing on Diaspora literature and culture, the editors tell us

“Habitus is not simply a magazine about Jews–it is a Jewish magazine about the world. Habitus takes its shape from the elusive concept known as the Diaspora – that untidy mix of longing and belonging, past and place.” With the first two issues focusing on European cities, Budapest and Sarajevo, and now the third on Buenos Aries, the magazine speaks to contemporary readers “who wrestle with what it means to be truly at home.”

from the editor’s notes:

“It’s winter in Buenos Aires, one of the coldest ever. This is a port city in the southern hemisphere—low and humid—and the winds here have a raw, sudden sting. People look restless. If they are outdoors, their heads are down. Most activity has been driven inside. All the life that usually takes place on the street has been corralled into narrow spaces. Noise floods out through the openings in every border or barrier.

The city is always moving, almost compulsively, but it’s also breathlessly studying its own reflection, taking its own pulse. The very existence of the city seems to depend on the psychic exertion—urgent, anxious, and loving—of the people who live here. As if the whole metropolis might vanish if their attention flagged, even briefly. The city has to be conjured anew every day through sheer resolve.

Trying to understand Buenos Aires feels like trying to master the human heart. This is not a place that can be learned in the usual ways: it’s too fragile, too volatile, cobbled together from too many unlike parts. The journalist Jacobo Timerman writes, “Argentina…does not yet exist. It must be created.” Over the generations, Argentines have shaped the city out of desire and discomfort, and these heavy emotions seem as real as all the towers and avenues and parks.”

Some highlights from the issue: interviews with the composer Osvaldo Golijov and the photographer Marcelo Brodsky, fiction from Rodrigo Fresan, Anna Maria Shua, and Marcelo Birmajer, poetry from Alejandra Pizarnik, Tal Nitzan, and Mirta Rosenberg…and a very rare interview with Jorge Luis Borges.

Habitus 03:Buenos Aires is available now.

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem.

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Those who know me, know all the various reasons why I am a firm supporter of the Jewish camping experience. Now comes news of a new joint endeavor by the Jim Joseph Foundation and the Foundation for Jewish Camping:

According to the JTA, “Two foundations are joining forces to launch a groundbreaking incubator program to create a new breed of Jewish summer camp.

The Jim Joseph Foundation has allocated $8.4 million to the Foundation for Jewish Camping to start the Specialty Camp Incubator, which will develop and launch four camps. The camps will combine a Jewish curriculum with a specific concentration in a skill area such as sports, computer science or the arts.

Leaders of both foundations say they are attempting to tap into a market, specialty camps, with few Jewish-themed options by using a business model that has been widely adopted by the philanthropic world in the past several years.

The Jim Joseph gift is the second significant allocation made by the $900 million San Francisco-based foundation to the camping foundation since it started making grants last year.

Leaders of the Jim Joseph foundation estimate that eventually it will give more than $25 million per year to Jewish causes. Last year it gave $11.2 million to the camping foundation, to be spent over the next four years, to provide significant stipends to first-time campers between the ages of 11 and 13 at Jewish camps on the West Coast.”

Read the rest of the article here

If you are interested in Jewish camping and the work of the Foundation for Jewish Camping, be sure to check out the Leader’s Assembly scheduled for next month in New Jersey and consider supporting the work of the Foundation.

The Assembly will stimulate the field of Jewish camp, building energy around the efforts of 150 camp directors and Jewish summer camps across North America. Nearly 70,000 children attend Jewish summer camp annually but that is not enough. In just the last few years, the century-old institution of Jewish summer camp has begun to receive the recognition, attention, and resources it so surely deserves and needs to keep doing its powerful and vital work. But more remains to be done.

And while you are at it, Brandeis University’s Hornstein Program is still accepting applications for Fall ‘08 for their new camping tract and the Bildner Fellowship for Jewish camping.

All the Hornstein programs are still accepting applications for Fall, 2008. But, time is running out. For information on their newest dual degree program, click here

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Imagine working passionately and tirelessly in the uphill trek towards fulfilling your life’s mission, only to have someone say to you, “I am going to fast-forward your career 20 years.”

That is what Harold Grinspoon, known as one of the most innovative Jewish social entrepreneurs in America, said to 32-year-old Rabbi Ethan Tucker of New York City, as he granted him $100,000 per year for two years, with his inaugural Grinspoon Jewish Social Entrepreneur Fellowship.

Rabbi Tucker, one of the co-founders and leaders of the national independent minyanim movement, is developing curricula for and expanding Mechon Hadar, which he co-founded in 2001. Based in New York City,

Mechon Hadar is a unique, non-denominational institute whose mission is to revitalize communal life - animated by prayer, study and social action - among young Jews in America offering their community members an opportunity to deepen their learning, broaden their skills, and intensify their experiences on the road to enhancing their Jewish lives and building stronger Jewish communities.

Named by Slingshot as one of North America’s 50 most creative and effective Jewish organizations (2007-08), Mechon Hadar was one of the early initiatives developed at Bikkurim. Their central projects include Yeshivat Hadar, the only full-time, co-ed, non-denominational yeshiva in North America, and The Minyan Project, providing education, consulting and networking for independent prayer communities.

The Grinspoon Fellowship will also assist Rabbi Tucker and Mechon Hadar as they develop the ultimate online Jewish Law Think-Tank, utilizing the best and latest technology tools including blogs and wikis for stimulating worldwide involvement in Jewish Law.

note: Mechon Hadar came into our sights about eighteen months ago as eJewish Philanthropy was being conceptualized. We were particularly impressed with not only their vision and the traction developed in a few short years, but their nourishment and development through Bikkurim as they
took an idea, turned it into a cutting edge endeavor and worked towards sustainability. They are one of a handful of organizations referred to in our vision statement as a model of what this generation is creating.

tip to PresenTense Magazine, “New York’s Rabbi Ethan Tucker Receives Inaugural Jewish Social Entrepreneur Fellowship”

also recommended, The Harold Grinspoon Foundation
and Think spiritually, act strategically

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We’ve had two recent posts (here and here) concerning the impact an economic downturn will have on our Jewish communal world. Today, comes an article from the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Bracing for Tough Times, speaking about how many charities feel vulnerable as the economy slips.

“The faltering economy is starting to affect a growing number of charities and the people they serve. In recent weeks, nonprofit organizations have heard from donors who are putting off big gifts, and some groups that rely mostly on small donations have also seen a falloff.

Many social-service charities — especially those in states like California, Florida, Michigan, and Ohio, which economists believe have already entered a recession — are facing increased demand and such a severe budget crunch they may have to lay off workers. Rising gas and construction prices are adding to the challenge of financing services and expansion plans that numerous charities have under way.

“This is scary to me,” says Michael Seltzer, a philanthropy expert, consultant, and author of Securing Your Organization’s Future, a book about how nonprofit groups can survive hard times. “It’s going to have a dramatic impact on individual giving, foundation giving, corporate giving, government giving. We’re coming off a period of incredible accumulation of capital that led to major philanthropic gifts. We hope [a recession] won’t deter that.”

If past recessions are a guide, many charities can expect donations to tumble. According to figures released last week by Indiana University’s Center on Philanthropy, giving dropped an average of 1.3 percent — after adjusting for inflation — during the five national recessions since 1973. (Giving during non-recession years rose 4.3 percent.)

to continue reading, click here

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An invitation to a presentation and discussion ,
“Best Practices for Non-profits in Second Life”
DATE / TIME: Friday, February 8, 2008, 8:30-9:30AM PST

LOCATION: Main Amphitheater, Plush Nonprofit Commons sim
(teleport SLURL )

The year 2007 was a remarkable year for charitable and civil society activity in Second Life — from the launch of the 32-office Plush Nonprofit Commons to the record US$100,000 raised by the SL Relay for Life. On Friday, February 8, from 8:30-9:30AM PST, there will be a presentation and discussion, “Best Practices for Non-profits in Second Life.” Based on a report prepared by Global Kids organizer Rik Panganiban, the program will explore some of the lessons non-profits have learned from their first forays into the virtual world.

The forum is particularly relevant for non-profit managers, activists, funders, and community organizers trying to decide if Second Life can help their organizations. During the open discussion, groups will be encouraged to share their own experiences (both positive and negative) with working in SL. The event will conclude with ideas for next steps in building up civil society spaces in Second Life, and beyond.

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Despite what some of our professionals and board members may prefer not to admit, the Internet is here to stay. After a full decade of public use, the web has become an integrated part of every business and every non-profit. Even if you are ignoring your organizations’ web presence, others are not. You may be losing donations to a competing group because they are (more) actively using the Internet. Or you are losing out because potential donors, volunteers, board members, or funders are evaluating your non-profit based on your web presence, or lack thereof.

Just some of the ways the web impacts your every day ability to fulfill your mission:

• Educating the public
• Enhancing your organization’s reputation among the press, civic leaders, foundations and corporations
• The attraction and cultivation of donors, especially younger donors (duh…)
• The development of monthly donors, major donors, and planned giving donors
• Delivery of services to your constituents
• Increasing and supporting your volunteer base

How does your non-profit stack up; are you using the web effectively?

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Rule #1: Don’t become invisible

If you build it, they won’t just come. Building an online brand is just as important and just as difficult as building an off-line brand.

Rule #2: It takes “know how” and vision
Your organization’s website is a marketing and fundraising tool. NOT A TECHNOLOGY TOOL. Fundraisers and marketers need to be driving the content, not the web developer.

Rule #3: It’s all about the donor
Put the Donor First! Know your contributors, let them get to know you.

Rule #4: Keep savvy donors; stay fresh & current
Make online giving enjoyable and easy. Give the donor options. Use the latest technology. Show your donor how their funds are being used.

Rule #5: Integrate into everything you do
Your website alone will do nothing. Every activity you have should drive traffic to your site.

Rule #6: Don’t trade your mission for a shopping mall
Many nonprofit websites fail to emphasize mission, instead turning themselves into online shopping malls, without even knowing why.

Rule #7: Ethics, privacy and security are not buzzwords
Many donors are just now deciding to make their first online contribution. They will expect that your organization maintains the highest standards of ethics, privacy and security.

Rule #8: It takes the Internet to build a community
Many nonprofits (particularly smaller ones) lack the resources to communicate effectively. The Internet offers the opportunity to cost effectively build a community of supporters.

Rule #9: Success online means being targeted
The website alone is not enough. You must target your audience and drive their attention to the wealth of information and services offered by your website. Permission must be sought before you begin direct communication via the Internet.

Rule #10: ePhilanthropy is more than just e-money
ePhilanthropy is a tool to be used in your fund raising strategy. IT SHOULD NOT be viewed as quick money. There are no short cuts to building effective relationships. But the Internet will enhance your efforts.

“The Ten Rules of ePhilanthropy Every Nonprofit Must Know”

Copyright and reprinted with permission from the
ePhilanthropy Foundation

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The phrase made famous during the 1992 Presidential campaign; perhaps it will take center stage again this Fall. In the meantime, the American economic climate appears cloudy. As those involved in the world of philanthropy, we know this could have a significant downward effect on both donations and investment income for our organizations. In an Op-Ed in last week’s Forward, Jeffrey Solomon, the creative and insightful President of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Phlanthropies, wrote ‘Agencies Must Gird themselves For A Recession‘ reflecting on the potential impacts of a “full-blown recession…on Jewish organizational life.”

“As Americans increasingly wonder whether the nation will fall into a full-blown recession, many of us are considering the deleterious effect such a development would have on Jewish organizational life. While the complex and caring American Jewish community has survived numerous economic cycles, this time around there are some significant differences.

First, non-profit organizations — which had traditionally been most conservative in their investment strategies — have increasingly in recent years looked toward alternative investments, believing that these can hedge against the volatility of the markets. This occurs as service pressures mount and fixed instruments are viewed as providing lower long-term return than do equities.”

click here to continue reading this must read column; for a related post see, Changing Strategy For A Downturn

(my thanks to R.Wexler for calling attention to Jeffrey Solomon’s post)

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Brandeis University has been in our news quite a bit recently. In December, we learned of a $22.5 million transformative gift from the Cleveland based Mandel Foundation for a new center to study and protect the humanities.

So far this year, we have been exposed to an exhibition on the Healing Power of Art at their Women’s Studies Research Center; heard about the five finalists for the new Bronfman Visiting Chair in Jewish Communal Innovation; and just a few days ago welcomed the Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy.

Now, comes official word of a brand new degree program to help train the next generation of Jewish leaders. I first heard of this addition during December, but all the pieces were not in place until a few days ago. Now, according to Dr. Jonathan Sarna…

I am writing with the exciting news that the Hornstein Program at Brandeis University has received approval to begin accepting applications for a new two-year dual degree program in Public Policy and Jewish Leadership.

Now Accepting Applications
Beginning in September, Hornstein students will be able to get a dual Masters of Public Policy (MPP), along with a Masters (MA) in Jewish Professional Leadership. Hornstein is collaborating with Brandeis’ renowned Heller School for Social Policy and Management to offer the new program. The program aims to prepare students for policy analysis positions in Jewish communal organizations and organizations concerned with social policy development.

The new program complements our two existing tracks: an MA/MBA in Management and Jewish Leadership (offered jointly with the Heller School) and a Double MA in Jewish Studies and Leadership offered jointly with the University’s distinguished Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies.

Full Scholarships Available
Our goal is to recruit top quality students for all of these programs. We seek exceptional applicants with strong academic records and demonstrated leadership potential. Full scholarships, as well as generous stipends, are available to talented applicants.

We have already begun accepting students into our program for next year, but have received the authorization to accept students into the new MPP/MA Program and to extend our application deadline for each of our three programs until the class for each program track is filled.

Students may apply through our website or by writing to us at Hornstein Program, MS 037, Brandeis University, P.O. Box 549110, Waltham, MA 02454.

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