Gary Rosenblatt writing in The Jewish Week: Can Silverman Fix UJC? Despite the attempts of close friends and colleagues to dissuade him from taking the UJC post, Silverman said he remains enthusiastic, though open-eyed to the problems, including a shrinking budget, low morale after large-scale staff reductions, resistance among federations to paying dues many believe to be excessive and a widespread perception that a decade after it came into being the organization still lacks a clearly defined mission. But he believes in the potential for UJC to grow and thrive, and in his own quiet way, is confident about his ability to turn things around, primarily based on his past experience. Silverman sees the key to forging a positive environment in “taking the time to really listen and be … Continue Reading
Two Opinions: The Jewish Future
Dr. Jonathan Sarna in The London Jewish Chronicle: Communal life after the recession We need new ideas - and ideals - to meet radical change in the Jewish world So, what does the future hold? One week, we hear that intermarriage is going through the roof, and the next that new Jewish day schools are bursting at the seams. Will the Jewish community be able to identify a mission compelling enough for young Jews to become passionate about? Certainly, one emergent trend is that of “sweat equity” - young, creative, technologically savvy Jews giving time to causes that inspire them. Expect to see more of this in the months ahead. But the great causes that once energised contemporary Jewry - immigrant absorption; saving European, Soviet, Arab and Ethiopian Jewry; creating and sustaining … Continue Reading
Surviving in Tough Times: Do-It-Yourself Lobbying
In the worst U.S. economy since the 1930s, most human service organizations are facing a very tough time as private sources of funding, including individuals and foundations, have cut back on giving. In the Jewish community, it’s been a disaster, compounded by the Madoff fraud scandal. Jewish organizations have had to contend with monthly projections of income and expenses that are soaked in red ink, while their endowments have been ravaged. In this environment, the question arises: How can you access the resources being made available by the public sector, specifically the federal government? One way is to pay high-priced Washington-based lobbyists who are eagerly steering much of the national economic recovery stimulus money, as well as other federal funds in appropriations bills, to their … Continue Reading
PresenTense is Coming to Beantown
by Tali Minsberg Starting in January 2010, the PresenTense social entrepreneurial fellows experience will not be limited to Jerusalem and people who can give six weeks of their summer. Working with the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, PresenTense is launching its first states-side fellowship program, hoping to channel the Jerusalem-based Institute's energy and achievements into New England environs. Taking the fellowship out of Jerusalem will not be easy. Entering the Jerusalem Institute brings on a rush; you feel the energy as soon as you walk in the door. And its not from the espresso that runs freely throughout the building. PresenTense's Zion Hub, in the heart of Jerusalem, is the center of a community dedicated to growing and equipping the next generation of pioneers in … Continue Reading
Meet the Future Today: MediaMidrash
The intersection of technology and education is a hot subject in the Jewish world. It manifests itself on blogs, at conferences and seminars, in curricula and research and in new innovation. One of the lessons we've learned from these endeavors is that by harnessing new technologies, creative 21st century educational tools can impact Jewish values, make our historic traditions accessible to learners and ensure relevancy for the future. And in building new infrastructure, innovators are continually bridging the gaps between past and present, Israel and the Diaspora. One such newly launched endeavor is MediaMidrash - developed by a pair of young, innovative New York based Jewish educators, Charlie Schwartz and Russel Neiss. Designed to raise the quality of Jewish education by offering … Continue Reading
2009 Survey of Leadership and American Jewish Life
American Jewish leaders have been changing - but we don’t exactly know how. We think that leaders in their 20s and 30s are different from those in their 50s and 60s. And we imagine that the Boomers today differ from the Boomers two or three decades ago. Leaders may vary in their hopes and fears; in the issues that capture their interest, and that drive them to act; and in the ways in which they see Jews, Judaism, and the world. They may differ in terms of their life experiences that have led them to be who they are today. But, with all this said, we’re not sure of the extent of differences; and we certainly know little about the diverse views and interests of Jewish leaders across America. To explore these issues, concerns that are critical to policy makers, philanthropists, and the … Continue Reading
Donors File Suit Against Brandeis
from BostonHerald.com Top benefactors sue Brandeis over museum closure Three top Rose Art Museum benefactors are suing to stop Brandeis University from closing the Waltham cultural site and selling off more than $200 million of art. “We’re trying to say: ‘Look, Brandeis, (the museum’s artwork) is not yours to sell. It belongs to future generations of students and the public,’ ” said Jonathan Lee, one of three donors who today sued Brandeis. … Continue Reading
Funding for Success
As many readers and those who have heard me speak and teach about grantmaking know, one of my mantras is that funders should “fund for success.” My intention in this formulation was to challenge the tendency of many funders to ask how little they need to give for a project. They often assume that a grant request is padded and the grantseeker has built in an expectation of a discounted grant amount. Funders are not unreasonable in thinking this way. It is certainly true that there is a long history of grantseekers assuming that they will never get all that they ask for so they pad. It is also true that funders want their money to go further so they choose to give less, but to more recipients. Reasonable. What is also true is a more challenging cultural reality. Let’s be honest. Most … Continue Reading
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