By Jean Bloch Rosensaft “It is one thing to talk about the relationship between Israel and North America. It is another to do something about that relationship,” says Rabbi Michael Marmur, Ph.D., Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Provost at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). Rising to the challenge is the Golden Family Hanassi Fellows Program, now in its fifth year, which is designed to forge stronger links of commitment and identification between North American Reform Jews and congregations and the people and State of Israel. Established by Suzanne and John Golden, Vice Chair of the HUC-JIR Board of Governors, and the Golden Family Foundation, this innovative program links HUC-JIR/Jerusalem’s Israel Rabbinical Program and North American communities by placing Israeli … [Read more...]
Adapting to Change Through Action
By Bob Goldfarb In a recent essay, Rabbi Hayim Herring and Dr. Steven Windmueller give a clear-eyed assessment of Jewish communal life in America today. They recognize a fundamental shift in values, as well as our consequent “post-peoplehood condition.” At the same time, their essay envisions renewed cooperation across a variety of Jewish interests. That’s what Samuel Johnson called the triumph of hope over experience. The writers acknowledge that there is disagreement even about who is a Jew and who is part of the Jewish community. They see that the great causes of the past - Israel, Soviet Jewry - have been replaced by a welter of smaller issues. They know that the old institutions have lost ground to much smaller, more specialized groups. Yet they still foresee a wider, inclusive community, … [Read more...]
An Innovative Effort to Move the Needle on Religious Pluralism in Israel
Challenge Accepted, Mr. Dayan By Shep Englander If you want to create policy change in Israel, you have to work the politics in Israel. If you want to expand freedom of religious expression in Israel, you have to work to build support by changing public opinion. This “get tough” message came from Israel’s Consul General Ambassador Dani Dayan during a recent trip to Cincinnati. Many in our community were deeply troubled in early July when the Israeli government reneged on the agreement it had sponsored and signed a couple years earlier. They were also upset that on the same July day, the government announced support for a bill that would officially enshrine the monopoly that Israel’s Orthodox Chief Rabbi has over conversions. Dayan surprised the audience. He did not defend his own … [Read more...]
A New Year’s Resolution: Embrace Change
By Lior Krinsky and Dina Rabhan Rosh Hashana is an auspicious time for renewal, reinvention and committing to doing things better than before. To remain relevant and current, nonprofits need to adopt this disposition all year round. To successfully compete for attention and funding, reflection and innovation can’t be relegated to only a New Year’s resolution. At Jerusalem U, we’ve undergone a process of reflection and change for more than a year. It has been hard work and has required commitment, passion, and a willingness to turn a bright light on the inner workings of our organization. We’ve asked ourselves tough questions about our mission, our target market, our goals, and our strategy. We had to reflect on our effectiveness, review budgets, programs, and partner relationships. Everything … [Read more...]
Born and Raised in Jerusalem
By Aliza Gershon Of all the dates in the Hebrew calendar, it looks as if the Fast of Gedaliah is the one that gets the least attention. In schools, children are busy preparing greetings cards for Rosh Hashanah and immediately afterwards they then start planning for Yom Kippur, making decorations for the Succah, and before you turn around, the month of Tishrei is over. But this year, we actually have good reason to take a closer look at this historical event and to weigh our point of you regarding fanaticism, radicalism, and extremism. Ishmael ben Netanya, regarded himself as the representative of God’s law, acting in the service of righteousness, murdered Gedaliah ben Achikam, less than two months after he was appointed to serve as the representative of the Jews on behalf of the Babylonians. … [Read more...]
Neither Fact nor Fallacy
By Leonard Saxe and Fern Chertok The Conservative movement is in the midst of an intense debate about whether its clergy should be allowed to officiate at the wedding of a Jew to a non-Jew. Are the rabbis who advocate participation in the wedding ceremonies of intermarried couples simply enabling assimilation or does their involvement encourage participation in Jewish life? … [Read more...]
Creating Jewish Leadership in Social Impact Investing
LAVAN Announces First Fellowship Cohort By Avi Deutsch From large financial institutions to the world’s most influential philanthropic foundations, impact investing has emerged as powerful tool for social change, and a decisive point of attraction for the next generation. Building on this momentum, LAVAN’s newly launched Impact Investor Fellowship brings together a select group of 28 Jewish leaders committed to aligning their individual and communal assets with their values. Demonstrating the broad relevance of impact investing for the Jewish community, the Fellowship has drawn leaders from fields spanning government, philanthropy, social change, tech, entertainment, and finance. These individuals are seeking to make a positive impact using not only their own assets, but also those of the … [Read more...]
Learning is Not a Priority. Or is it?
By Yelena Kutikova A little over a year ago, I started my role at the Wiener Center for Leadership and Learning at UJA-Federation of New York as director of learning and development. I became a professional in the Jewish nonprofit sector after spending more than 10 years in corporate America working in human resources, with a specific focus on learning and development. I decided to switch gears and join the Jewish nonprofit sector to give back to the community that gave me so much. Since I made the switch, I couldn’t be happier to be in this meaningful role and to have an opportunity to make a real impact. During my time here so far, I’ve talked to many people, including executives, learning program participants, and even people who chose not to be part of the programs. I made a few observations … [Read more...]
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