Archive for November, 2008
Reflections on Mumbai
from a letter by Hershey Novak, Chabad Campus Rabbi, Washington University St. Louis; a friend, classmate and colleague of Rabbi Gabi Holtzberg:
While the attack was on a Chabad center and a family of Chabad representatives were murdered, the loss is not limited to the Chabad movement. Gabi and Rivky were not targeted because they represented Chabad; Gabi and Rivky were killed for being Jewish. I would go even further to say that this was not only an attack on the Jewish people, but on anyone who values peace, goodness, and kindness.
Read more from Chabad On Campus.
and an opinion piece by Tim Rutten, The Los Angeles Times:
There are many facts remaining to be discovered about the atrocities in Mumbai this week, but we already know what we really need to know.
The physical institutions targeted and the individuals singled out for particular attention by the killers — Americans, Britons and Jews — are signatures of the fanatic Islamists we’ve come to know as jihadis. The sites of their attacks may vary — New York, London, Madrid, Nairobi, Mumbai — but the object of their quarrel with history remains the same: modernity…
Finally, there’s the particular tragedy incorporated in the murder of the young American rabbi, Gavriel Holtzberg, his Israeli wife, Rivka, and four others, including a rabbinical colleague. Because we are a people of both faith — peacefully expressed in many creeds — and the future, there is something in the American conscience that recoils with a special horror when violence is done to clergy and the young.
Terror in Mumbai; the Aftermath
Two excellent articles following the murderous siege of Mumbai. From David Abitbol of Jewlicious,
As soon as Shabbat was over in Jerusalem, I rushed to my computer to see what the updates were from Mumbai. It didn’t take long for me to realize that my prayers over Shabbat had not been answered and that Rabbi Holtzberg and his wife Rivka were already dead. I didn’t know them personally but I’ve known others like them - in Montreal and Park Slope, in Toronto, Thailand, New Orleans, Los Angeles - pretty much anywhere I have ever traveled, there was a Chabad Shaliach, doors open, friendly and hospitable, never asking or anything in return and representing the very best of what Judaism is all about. Sure, we’ve all poked fun at these guys. I mean they are Hassidic Jews after all, with their funny hats and beards, and their odd ideas about the Messiah. We’d take advantage of their hospitality and kindness while always asserting “I am not a Chabadnik.”
and a poignant on-the-scene report from Haaretz’s Anshel Pfeffer:
Only after Shabbat was Rivka Holtzberg’s family told of Chabad house deaths
Yehudit and Shimon Rosenberg arrived in Mumbai on Friday morning on a special flight arranged by the ZAKA organization several hours after learning that the terrorists rampaging through Mumbai had also struck Chabad House. Their daughter, Rivka, established the center in the city along with her husband, Gavriel Holtzberg, a Chabad emissary, five years ago.
On arrival, they were reunited with their grandson, Moshe, who was delivered safely from the attack in the arms of his caretaker, Sandra Samuel. After arriving, the couple was housed in the apartment of a staff member of the Israeli consulate in the city, and did not leave the residence all Friday and Saturday.
Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg Killed in Mumbai Terror Attack
as posted on Haaretz:
Chabad: Rabbi and wife among five dead at Mumbai Jewish center
The Chabad-Lubavitch movement confirmed on Friday evening that a New York rabbi and his wife were among the dead in the Mumbai terrorist attack.
“Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, the beloved directors of Chabad-Lubavitch of Mumbai, were killed during one of the worst terrorist attacks to strike India in recent memory,” the Chabad’s New York headquarters said in a statement.
The couple ran the Chabad’s local headquarters, which was one of 10 sites attacked. Their toddler son, Moshe, was smuggled out of the center by an employee, and is now with his grandparents. Representatives from the Israeli embassy and ZAKA rescue service personnel began the process of identifying the victims of the terrorist attack on the Chabad center in Mumbai.
May their memory be a blessing.
update: Israel: 8 Israelis killed in Mumbai terror attacks
A Foreign Ministry statement issued Saturday announced that eight Israelis in all had been killed in a wave of terror attacks that rocked the Indian city of Mumbai, leaving at least 195 people dead and hundreds wounded.
Haaretz correspondent in Mumbai Ashel Pfeffer reported Saturday that the bodies of six of the eight hostages found at the Chabad center had been positively identified. He added that Israel may have to fly crime lab analysts to India for positive identification before the bodies can be flown back to Israel for burial.
U.K. Magazine Covers IT Use by Charities
A guide to free and discounted IT equipment and advice, ten top tips to choosing a new database, and a case study about a dedicated software system are just three of the articles featured in the launch issue of Plaza Publishing’s new magazine, Civil Society IT.
Through news, in-depth articles and expert opinion, it will highlight innovation in the sector, examine new ideas, and share best practice.
Civil Society IT is being launched today at Plaza Publishing’s Charity IT Conference and online.
New Book Examines Philanthropic Legacies
What does an Auschwitz survivor have in common with the widow of cartoonist Charles Schultz, the daughter of entertainer Lawrence Welk, and the winners of a $141 million lottery? Theirs are just a few of the compelling stories that are featured in a new book called The Grandparent Legacy Project – an initiative boldly proclaiming that a philanthropic legacy is about much more than money. The over-riding theme is legacies comprised of stories, values, and life lessons are the most valuable gifts that grandparents can pass on to future generations.
Created by 21/64 and the Association of Small Foundations, The Grandparent Legacy Project is a resource aimed at helping families communicate legacy — stories, values, and life lessons — across generations. The book examines legacy through a philanthropic lens, and includes the personal stories from fifteen prominent philanthropic grandparents.
Steve Gunderson, President and CEO, Council On Foundations:
“The Grandparent Legacy Project shows us that the truly successful family foundations are grounded by a legacy of values and experiences, passed on from generation to generation. Even as grantmaking priorities evolve, there needs to be a unifying thread that honors the principles upon which the foundation was created. This book is an invaluable resource for families and family foundations that want their philanthropic past to inform their future.”
The Best Kept Fundraising Secret in the World
eJewish Philanthropy welcomes a guest post by Katya Andresen, author of Katya’s Non-profit Marketing Blog:
Right about now, most of us are panicking. We’re watching our 401Ks disintegrate before our eyes. Major financial companies are crumbling. And fundraising has never looked so tough.
Stop. Take a deep breath and consider this.
Over and over, research tells us the same thing about why people stop giving. And it’s got nothing to do with the Dow Jones.
PEOPLE STOP GIVING BECAUSE THEY ARE FED UP BY HOW THEY WERE TREATED BY THE CHARITIES THEY SUPPORT. Running out of money is far down the list of reasons people stop giving.
Look, it’s reasonable to expect this won’t be a banner year for giving. People are hurting financially. But worrying about their wallets is not going to do you much good. You can’t control the economy.
You CAN control how you treat your donors.
Two International Fellowship Announcements
We’ve posted recently on several fellowship programs that are now accepting applications. Here are two more: The Shapiro Family Fellowship and The StandWithUs Israel Fellowship.
Who Is Eligible for Birthright Israel
Try as they may, religion and politics have often played into Birthright Israel’s trips in ways not consistent with the organization’s vision. Birthright, like many other programs, has had to deal with the “who is a Jew” question to determine program eligibility. Now the question of Messianic Jews participating has become front-page news.
In a statement issued by Taglit-Birthright’s CEO, Gidi Mark, “…certain acts categorically separate individuals from what are agreed-upon parameters of Jewishness in this age.”
Good for them.
from Birthright Israel’s Website:
Eligible individuals are those recognized as Jewish by the Jewish community or by one of the recognized denominations of Judaism; or if either parent is Jewish AND the applicant does not actively practice another religion.
from The Jerusalem Post:
Birthright screening out Messianic Jews
Trip organizers for Birthright have begun screening American candidates interested in free trips to Israel to prevent Messianic Jews from participating.
A questionnaire of a Birthright (Taglit) trip organizer that was obtained by The Jerusalem Post includes a question regarding applicants’ religious faith.
Under a category entitled “eligibility rules,” applicants are asked to declare that they are Jewish.
They are also asked to declare that “I do not subscribe to any beliefs or follow any practices which may be in any way associated with Messianic Judaism, Jews for Jesus or Hebrew Christians.”
Prepare Now and Think Creatively
from the Nonprofit Technology Network:
How Will Your Nonprofit Raise Money in 2012?
With the global financial crisis at its peak and a recession looming, many nonprofit managers are probably asking themselves, “How will my nonprofit raise money next year?” I suspect fewer fundraisers are asking themselves, “How will my nonprofit raise the money it needs four years from now?”…
Raising money in 2012 will require creativity and foresight. Micro-philanthropy — that ambiguous term that refers to all things socially networked, small-scale, and charitable — will have matured…
Over the next four years, innovative organizations will use technology to transfer to individuals the reins on everything from program work and evaluation to fundraising and communications. Raising money in a micro-philanthropic environment will come naturally to these groups.
What Is a Jewish Foundation
We speak about Jewish philanthropy, Jewish giving and often about Jewish foundations. But what is a Jewish foundation? Can we really discuss what Jewish philanthropy is and will become without a core definition of its evolution. How have family foundations changed the American philanthropic world and what is in store, especially for the UJC/Federation system, with the significant transfer of generational wealth taking place in the early parts of the 21st century.
Some food for thought from Jewish Foundations by Jeffrey Solomon (published 2008 by the The Center for the Study of Philanthropy in Israel):
“Because there are serious definitional problems in creating a taxonomy for Jewish foundations, there is a paucity of reliable data as to numbers, dollar values, and impact of these foundations. Among these issues are those having to do with the definition of a Jewish foundation. Is it a foundation whose principal is/are Jewish? Whose board is primarily Jewish? Whose historic giving patterns were primarily to the Jewish community? Exclusively? Somewhat? Must its charter specify a Jewish purpose? Is a foundation Jewish if founded be a Jewish principal whose distributions throughout the first generation were for the benefit of Jewish causes but today is governed by the heirs who are no longer Jewish and who no longer support Jewish causes? What if that foundation gives exclusively to Israel causes? What if those Israel causes support the 18 percent of the Israeli population who are Arab?
Organizational definition problems also create a barrier to full understanding. Should we consider as Jewish foundations those donor-advised funds that sit either at federations, federation supported community foundations? These donor-advised funds are no longer the assets of an entity controlled by the donor, but rather are the assets of the community foundation. However, the foundation has indicated that it would generally follow the advisor role given to the donor or his or her designees. With federation related foundation assets exceeding $4 billion, the relevance of these questions becomes clear.”
image: UJF Pittsburgh
