By Debra Kodish With more than two decades of investment banking experience under my belt, I developed a keen understanding of the impetus behind the act of investing, on both the personal and collective levels. In every case I encountered, the investors made it very clear - with their words, actions or both - that they were not investing in products or ideas but in the people who guided them through each exciting opportunity. … [Read more...]
The Power of Belonging: Creating a Culture of Connection in the Bay Area Jewish World
By Wendy Verba “In our generation, the struggle of whether we connect more, whether we achieve our biggest opportunities, comes down to this - your ability to build communities and create a world where every single person has a sense of purpose." - Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook Founder and CEO As it happens, our story begins with a Facebook post. Four years ago, “Natalya” arrived in San Francisco with her husband and two small children from Moscow via Tel Aviv. She knew nobody. Like many Russian-speaking Jews, she had grown up with no Jewish education and only the vaguest notion of her Jewish roots. But she was alone and anxious to connect, so she went on Facebook. There she found other local Russian-speaking Jewish moms, who all seemed to be going to a “Passover in the Desert” camping trip … [Read more...]
The Gap in Gap Year
By Rabbi Michael Unterberg The good news is: there is plenty of good news. Students are coming to their gap year in Israel with great enthusiasm and positivity. And that’s just the beginning. While here, they go on tours and hikes to learn about the land. More importantly, they learn sacred texts, travel, shop and wander on their own, giving them a much deeper connection to the land than tourists can achieve. There is no question that the gap year makes Israel a much more real place to them. This not only enriches their love for Israel, but connects them more deeply to Jewish peoplehood and heritage. And yet… When they arrive to campuses across the world, they will hear about how and why Israel is a truly terrible place. An oppressive, undemocratic apartheid regime, that inflicts human … [Read more...]
Embracing Israel’s Surge in Summer Interns
By Jacob Ner-David Last week, 221 of America’s brightest and most ambitious college students landed in Tel Aviv. During the school year, these students - and 1,500 of their peers - spend their free time participating in a program run by TAMID Group - working on consulting projects for Israeli startups or researching Israeli investments. And now, instead of high-paying opportunities on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley, they are spending the summer as interns in Israel’s high-tech sector. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this group is its diversity. TAMID runs its program at 41 campuses, with a group of students that runs the gamut - American and non-American, Jewish and non-Jewish, urban and rural. What unites them is their talent and their thirst to learn from Israeli … [Read more...]
Becoming a Sensitive Board Chair
By Sherwin Pomerantz Having been the chairperson of some Jewish community organization non-stop for the last 40 years the one fault that I find in most people who occupy that position is a lack of understanding of the basics of board leadership that differentiate the good lay leader from the outstanding lay leader. Particularly in today’s climate, as younger people come on to boards having matured in the era of Twitter and Facebook, there are discernible gaps in style that, while perhaps more widely known years ago, clearly now need to be mentioned in some detail. Four examples follow. Validating Others Human beings seem to want just one thing in life above all others, and that is to be validated. We validate each other by being active listeners, by responding to every communication whether … [Read more...]
Aggressively Addressing the Relationship Crisis between the Jewish Communities in Israel and North America
By Dan Segal For decades, the relationship between the Jewish communities in Israel and North America has been of critical importance. In the past few years, however, that relationship has seriously deteriorated; there may no longer exist consensus about even fundamental principles. Symptoms of the depth of the divide range from rabbis in America being so fearful of conflict that they refrain from speaking about Israel from the pulpit to the propensity of many college-aged students, viewing the strife, intentionally distancing themselves completely from any concerns about Israel. If not aggressively addressed, the relationship crisis risks reaching a point of no return. In spring 2016, a group of eleven North American and Israeli Wexner alumni - part of the first Wexner Summit ("Stronger … [Read more...]
The Power of FJC’s Cornerstone
By Mark Kachuck “Kol Yisrael Arevim Ze Bazeh,” translates to “all of Israel is responsible for one another.” This spoke to the theme of Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Cornerstone Fellowship 2017: “Get Invested,” which had a big impact on me. It resonated with my feelings towards the global Jewish community; together, we have the power to achieve great strength. This year was my fourth Cornerstone Seminar, where I've had the opportunity of being both a Fellow and Liaison for my camps cohort of attendees. Each year I find myself more inspired by the love and passion for Jewish programming at Jewish camp. I cannot think of another opportunity in which I would get to spend 5 days learning with and from young adults and professionals from all over North America, all with different camping … [Read more...]
“That was the most myself I’ve ever been” – Teens reflecting on new models of summer programming
By Alex Pomson and Melanie Schneider Some of the most powerful memories from childhood are associated with summer: the riotous sound of crickets at night; a first sighting of the Milky Way; the hot sensation of a campfire on one’s face; or for those not able to get out of town, the intrigue of long hours left to one’s own devices. These moments gain their special force from breaking with the chores and routines of the school year. For many Jewish adults, summer is associated with their childhood experiences of overnight camp. For six weeks or even longer, their foremost task as campers was to release the stress and constraints of school in the company of peers. Such programs might have recruited only a small portion of Jewish young people, but for many educators and parents they still … [Read more...]
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