The Nathan Cummings Foundation and the Morningstar Foundation have awarded the Green Hevra, a new network of U.S.-based Jewish environmental organizations, $65,000 in seed funding. With these funds the group will lay the groundwork for strategic collaboration across the Jewish environmental movement in 2012. This is the first time the Jewish environmental movement has received shared funds for collaboration and strategy. “We believe that the global sustainability challenge is analogous to the civil-rights campaigns of an earlier time,” said Sybil Sanchez, director of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, the organization charged with administering the group. “Just as the Jewish community joined with others to provide leadership in that time, today we’re mobilizing the Jewish … Continue Reading
Limmud FSU Receives Jerusalem Post Award
Just two months ago, readers of The Jerusalem Post voted a story published in the paper by Gil Shefler on Limmud FSU's St. Petersburg Conference as the “Leading Story of the Jewish World in 2011.” The award was presented Sunday at the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference in New York to Matthew Bronfman - Limmud FSU Inetrnational Steering Committee Chair and Dr. Nona Kuchina and Moshe Shneerson (Israel) of Dr. Nona International - the Deputy Chairs of Limmud FSU's steering committee. In remarks, Steve Linde - the Post's eiditor-in-chief said, "Limmud FSU started just six years ago, founded by Chaim Chesler of Israel and Sandra Cahn of New York, whom we are delighted to see here with us today, together with Michael Chlenov, President of the Federation of Jewish Organizations and Communities of … Continue Reading
ROI Community Gets Set to Rock and Roll in Jerusalem
Jerusalem, April 30, 2012 - The ROI Community of Jewish innovators will gather 150 dynamic young Jews from across the globe for its annual five-day ROI Summit in Jerusalem, including first-timers from Bolivia, Iceland, Peru and Uganda. This gathering provides these future Jewish leaders with tools, support and the space they need to turn their ideas into innovative work that will change the face of Jewish life. One hundred twenty new members were carefully selected from over 500 applicants, and hail from 26 countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Israel, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, Ukraine, USA and Uruguay. The newest ROIers represent a diverse cohort … Continue Reading
Study Released: American Jewish Giving to Israeli Organizations
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (Brandeis University) has released a new report examining an important facet of the American Jewish community's relationship to Israel, philanthropy. The New Philanthropy: American Jewish Giving to Israeli Organizations was developed by Eric Fleisch and Ted Sasson and analyzes the growth in philanthropic support for Israeli non-profits over the past decade and a half. This is the first research of its kind to provide a comprehensive account (within the limits of the available data) of American Jewish giving in Israel. from the introduction: In recent years, scholars of the American Jewish community have noted declining contributions to the federations and declining transfers by federations to overseas causes including Israel. Some observers have … Continue Reading
Paideia Takes a Look at Itself
Meyers-JDC Brookdale Institute has released a new research report, The Paideia European-Jewish Leadership Program: Graduate Views of Program Contributions and Impacts. from the executive summary: Paideia - the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden was created in 2000 through grants from the Swedish government and the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation as an academic and applied institute of excellence, with the mandate of working for the rebuilding of Jewish life and culture in Europe, and educating for active minority citizenship. It does this through offering an intensive one-year educational program in Jewish Studies directed at future leaders of Jewish life and inter-cultural work. Each year 20-25 participants attend the program, from both Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds … Continue Reading
Yo Picard, Where’s the Beef?
from Bloomberg: Madoff Costs Surpass Victim Pay-Offs as Strategy Lies in Ruins Irving Picard, who said last year he hoped to pay investors in Bernard Madoff’s defunct firm as much as $65 billion, has only put his hands on about $2.6 billion to actually give back to customers. More than three years after Madoff’s epic swindle collapsed, Picard, the trustee responsible for liquidating the firm, has paid investors back about $330 million, while holding about $2.3 billion in customer accounts. About $6.4 billion that Picard has won in settlements with former Madoff investors is being challenged in court and is unavailable for disbursement. So far, winding down the Madoff estate has cost more than Picard has sent to customers, with total administrative spending as of March 31 at about … Continue Reading
Catholic Charities Honors UJA Federation NY
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York has bestowed the “Good Neighbor Award” to UJA-Federation New York in recognition for its long-term friendship and legacy of service to all those in need and its outstanding work over many years as a “good New York neighbor”. “The UJA-Federation has been an extraordinarily generous and dedicated good neighbor to so many in need in New York,” stated Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan. “In addition, UJA-Federation has been a good neighbor to Catholic Charities in collaborating on critically important projects and services to make New York more compassionate and just. We are most appreciative of this partnership in the past and the present. We look forward to our partnership … Continue Reading
Two New Groups Join UpStart Bay Area
UpStart, which cultivates the most promising ideas of Jewish social entrepreneurs, recently accepted two new UpStarters to its cohort of Jewish innovators - Ketuv.com, which provides couples with a fine art option in ketubahs, and creates an opportunity for artists, with dynamic careers outside of the commercial and Judaica spheres, to create fresh, quality ketubah art, and Edah, an after-school program with spring and summer-camp options that offers experiential, cutting-edge Jewish learning opportunities for children. They join current UpStarters Amir, A Wider Bridge, Fair Trade Judaica, G-dCast, Kevah, Moishe House, The Kitchen, Urban Adamah, and Wilderness Torah. UpStart helps these new organizations develop and implement their vision, business focus, content, and capacity to innovate so that … Continue Reading
Kars4Kids Group’s Tax-exempt Claim Draws Scrutiny
from The Wall Street Journal: Charity in Taxes Tussle A town in upstate New York is bracing for a fight after its largest private taxpayer - the group behind the car-donation program Kars 4 Kids - applied to be exempted from real-estate taxes on the grounds it is a charity. Oorah Inc., which derives most of its income from Kars 4 Kids, has told officials that it wants to stop paying $306,000 a year in county, town and school taxes on two camps it owns in Schoharie County in the Catskill Mountains. ... Based in Lakewood, N.J., Oorah describes itself in tax filings as an outreach organization imparting Orthodox Jewish education, values and traditions. It operates Kars 4 Kids in states nationwide through an associated entity called J O Y For Our Youth, according to tax filings. ... … Continue Reading
Nine Artists Reimagine Tzedakah Box for 21st Century
American Jewish World Service (AJWS) has announced the nine finalists for its design competition focused on philanthropy and social change. Where Do You Give? challenged artists to create a 21st century icon inspired by the values and imagery of the traditional Jewish tzedakah box. In March, AJWS invited the general public to vote on 70 Where Do You Give? submissions. The organization collected over 8,500 votes online and announced the three “People’s Choice” winners on its website earlier this month. Following the public voting process, a panel of judges from the arts, design and Jewish communities met to select the six remaining finalists. Each of the nine finalists will receive a $250 prize and will be featured in a national mobile tour hosted in galleries, synagogues and various … Continue Reading
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