We read yesterday that the Internet is one factor that has contributed to “the flattening of the Earth”. That's what writer Thomas Friedman says about the new global reality of the twenty-first century; where innovation is no longer held back by national borders and with changes constantly taking place as lightning-swift advances in technology and communications put people all over the globe in touch as never before. Well, brand new innovation has come to Israel! The first international technology summer camp in Israel has announced it will be opening its doors this summer. eCamp, designed to bring enterprising young people from around the world together for a unique interactive experience, ...

Brandeis University's Women’s Studies Research Center and International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life present an exhibition about the healing power of art in South Africa

Photographs by Brandeis U. fine arts major and Haifa native Naomi Safran-Hon will be part of an exhibition opening Wednesday, January 16th. As a 2006 International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life student fellow, Naomi worked with AIDS orphans at the Art Therapy Centre in Johannesburg. “Healing, Community and Transformation: Student Visions from Johannesburg” will explore how art can be a means of healing and a powerful tool for change. The exhibition, presented by the Women’s Studies Research Center and the International Center for ...

Ten days changed their lives. Now what? One year ago this month, at the age of 26, I visited Israel for the first time. I did not go with my family, as I had long imagined, but in the company of 34 complete strangers. We arrived at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport a motley crew of Americans: Uri was a ba'al teshuva from California who liked to pontificate on the subtleties of Jewish observance, while Jaime was a sun-kissed sorority girl who knew no other Jews on her University of New Hampshire campus. Aaron, a bespectacled Los Angeles hipster, never had a bar mitzvah, while Russia-born Mike was once shomer negiah. As for me, I grew up ...

About seven years ago, through an initiative funded by Star Synaplex, I was introduced one Shabbat to an incredible musical ensemble who identified themselves as Shabbat Unplugged. Populated by a group of RRC students and educators, their mantra is to Experience Shabbat Like Never Before.

They have developed a "joyful, prayerful, song-filled, rocking, jumping, moving, grooving, spiritually-soothing, funky, folksy, fun Shabbat worship experience for young adults...". Since then, as both a group, and individually, they have produced several successful albums while their original music has helped shape and influence Shabbat worship throughout the United States.

One of the original ...

The business card he handed me a few weeks back was sleek, creative, different and expensive to produce. Just like the ultra-hip and glitzy premises I had been given a tour of earlier. He neither introduced himself as Rabbi; nor does his business card indicate such. The organization is identified as the Gaon Club; the tagline: where young Jews converge. And the web address lands you on the home page of Friends of Lubavitch UK. The name on the card, Mendy Vogel. You can imagine my surprise yesterday to come across a recent ruling by the London Beth Din: "Two Lubavitch rabbis in London have been banned from using the name of the organization in their activities and ...

LONDON (AP) -- Britain's 81-year-old Queen Elizabeth II, considered an icon of traditionalism, launched her own special Royal Channel on YouTube Sunday. (source: NYTimes) You might ask what this has to do with Jewish philanthropy? The answer is everything; when such a conservative establishment as Britain's Royal family turns to YouTube to deliver the Queen's Christmas message, it begs the question:

how will you organization best reach its' target audience in 2008?

Perhaps the answer is the old stand-by of direct mail with a bit of e-mail tossed in (to allow your audience to think you are with it). But more and more we are seeing the need to expand into new horizons to maintain current donors and attract ...

We need your input. By popular request, ejewishphilanthropy.com is adding a new feature to our site, the J-innovation calendar (tm). We'll tell you about events, programs, conferences and seminars worldwide of interest to activists, innovators, communal professionals and also those just plain interested in what's happening in our J-world. Please send listings to ejewishphilanthropy [at] gmail.com or through our contact us page. With everyone's help, this can be an absolutely incredible resource!

With 80% of the world Jewish population living in either Israel or the U.S., we sometimes forget our community not only exists, but thrives, in places other than Jerusalem, L.A. and N.Y.C. One distant outpost is London. Here, just a few short weeks before 2008 begins, I encountered both new and exciting initiatives (by and for a new generation of U.K. Jewry) taking root. Here is just one. On a quiet tree lined street in Willesden Green, almost at the end of the Jubilee Line, sits an unassuming brick home. From the outside, it blends with all the others on the street. Yet inside, on the 2nd night of Chanukah, I was welcomed to a space overflowing with energy, friendship, many ...