Today's The Jewish Week carries an excellent editorial on the bitter, and now public, disagreement between the University of Chicago Hillel's recently fired director and advisory board and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Hillel's owner. As eJP understands the dispute, the paper's analysis is correct. Several issues have come together to make this much more than just a local Chicago issue. First is the ownership model where all Hillel's in Illinois are owned by the Federation, a situation we believe to be unique in the U.S. Whether or not this is the best possible model for UC Hillel is an important question that no one seems to be addressing. Also, as far as we have been able to ascertain, the firing of Hillel's advisory board by the Federation represents the first time not only … Continue Reading
A Message in A Bottle: The Four Donors
by Steven L. Meyers, Ph.D. I like to think about The Four Donors as if it were a forgotten fragment of a lost hagaddah, written by a philanthropist long ago, translated for our day. Whether you are a philanthropist or a fundraiser, it's a message in a bottle, which resonates for people seeking to understand their charitable impulse. The Four Children offers a lesson on meeting people where they are and appreciating them for what they are. The Four Donors helps translate the charitable inclination into action through personalized philanthropy: finding just the right gift for the right person at just the right time. This message in a bottle seems relevant all year long, not just at Passover. Four Donor Personalities (from a lost haggadah) 1. The Wise Donor: This is the wise and loyal annual … Continue Reading
How Do We Talk to Our Children About Israel?
by Robbie Gringras My wonderful daughter had her Bat Mitzvah recently. She sang beautifully from the Torah, built an amazing model of her “Personal Tabernacle” inspired by the portion, and took part in a lovely service she had helped to shape. I am overjoyed that my daughter’s experience of Judaism has been of a wise and deep tradition, fantastic stories, warm Friday nights, and inclusivity for both genders. It wasn’t until we went with her to an exhibition on Jewish Feminist art at Ein Harod Museum that we came across a different aspect of Judaism. We walked around an exhibition created by furious female artists. Laws of niddah, modesty, and exclusion were beautifully screamed at, ridiculed, and mourned through video, photography, installation, sculpture and embroidery. From the … Continue Reading
Exporting Knowledge: Israel Sci-Tech Curriculum Making Impact at U.S. Jewish Day Schools
by H. Glenn Rosenkrantz April 15, 2012 - Hartsdale, NY - He’s 15, in ninth grade, and already thinking about a sci- tech career. “The idea of being involved in science and technology is very appealing to me right now,” said Greg Robinov, a student at Solomon Schechter School of Westchester, north of New York. “Dealing hands-on with hypotheses and ideas that are truly applicable to how the real world works is something I really want to be part of.” Robinov is one of 35 students at this Jewish day school enrolled in a science and technology program designed by Israel Sci-Tech Schools Network (ISTSN) and exported to the United States for the first time this academic year. The program is based on curricula and teaching models that are the hallmarks of ISTSN, which is spearheading … Continue Reading
#12NTCJews Talk Networks and Nonprofits
by Deborah Fishman I must admit that I don’t go to very many conferences that aren’t “Jewish.” But [in the days just prior to Passover] I was excited to attend the Nonprofit Technology Conference of NTEN (#12NTC). I went to speak at a session in collaboration with the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation, Jim Joseph Foundation, and Darim Online, on networks, technology, and their application to non-profits – and yes, we were speaking about it particularly in a Jewish context. The truth is, with the attendance of over 70 non-profit professionals who are Jewish and/or working for Jewish nonprofits, this session and the social hour that followed had as much as or even more of the usual dose of Jewish geography, schmoozing/networking, and certainly the spirit of Jewish pride. Why … Continue Reading
The Emergence of the North American Sabra
According to The Reut Institute's most recent report, The Israeli Diaspora as a Catalyst for Jewish Peoplehood: An Emerging Opportunity within the Changing Relationship between Israel and the Jewish world, "The Israeli Diaspora presents an emerging opportunity for strengthening the relationship between Israel and world Jewry." The report continues, "By leveraging their unique hybrid identity, the Israeli Diaspora can play a critical role in catalyzing Jewish Peoplehood." from the executive summary: Our research identified the following emerging trends both within and outside of the Israeli community itself: From aliyah/yerida to ‘life of fluid movement' - The dichotomous relationship between aliyah and yerida is changing: an increasing number of Israelis are choosing to build a life in … Continue Reading
Israeli Charity Officials Arrested for Fraud
from The Jerusalem Post: 'Suspects stole donations for Holocaust survivors' Police arrested the head of Jerusalem-based humanitarian aid network Hazon Yeshaya, a charity that provides thousands of hot meals each day to people in need, and nine of the organization’s employees Sunday on suspicion of pocketing millions of dollars from donors abroad for poor people, including Holocaust victims. According to suspicions, the suspects cheated donors out of the funds after making them believe the money would be used for purchasing food for the needy, when in fact the money was used to purchase food that was sold to buyers in the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community, police suspect. The deception of donors allegedly included the listing of made-up food distribution centers. ... In addition to … Continue Reading
A National Opportunity to Transform Local Communities
by Dr. Hal M. Lewis In “The Case for National Jewish Philanthropy” (eJewishPhilanthropy, March 28, 2012), Yossi Prager thoughtfully delineates “a few examples of functions ... best addressed nationally for the benefit of local institutions.” In response to his invitation for further discussion, I would add to that list a single item: the training and development of Jewish communal leaders. For years North American Jewish organizations and institutions have dabbled in what purports to be leadership training for both professionals and the laity. We have done so without a continental mandate or an overarching vision. Leadership programs vary from city to city, from agency to agency. With striking consistency, we have ignored best practices, often conflating Jewish literacy or the teaching … Continue Reading
Philanthropy Nation?
by Suzanne Last Stone It seems an opportune time to reflect on the attitudes of the Israeli and American Jewish communities toward philanthropy, given both the recent release of Forbes Magazine’s list of the world’s billionaires, 13 of whom are Israeli, and the appearance [last] week of Dame Stephanie ‘Steve’ Shirley - UK’s former Ambassador of Philanthropy and a Kindertransport refugee - at two [local] conferences, one the Amuta 21C conference on nonprofits in Israel, which face an uncertain future, and, the other, the annual meeting of the United States-based Jewish Funders Network, the largest network of Jewish philanthropists in the world. The Forbes list is merely the latest confirmation of the remarkable economic flourishing of Israel. This development is poised to alter the … Continue Reading
What Is The State of the Job Market for Jewish Development Professionals?
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin An improving U.S. economy and an upturn in charitable giving should expand the market for Jewish fundraising professionals. Is this happening ... and what are the projections for the next 18 months? “Historically, the job market for development positions is the first to see improvement after layoffs occur,” we learned from David Edell, president and cofounder of national firm DRG Executive Search Consultants, where he has been actively engaged for 25 years of search efforts with nonprofit organizations, especially Jewish organizations looking to fill higher executive positions. “We are certainly seeing a hiring rebound, especially during the last 18 months, in three specific areas of the Jewish nonprofit arena.” “Nonprofits are looking to … Continue Reading
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