Helping to Shape the Jewish Community and the World
The Bronfman Youth Fellowships alumni community congratulates the 18 projects funded through the BYFI Alumni Venture Fund in 2008.
Adashot – A print publication and web-based resource that engages those who have little or no prior knowledge of Jewish texts by using a Talmudic layout to explain commentaries on traditional texts with insight from modern thinkers and secular materials.
Borei Hoshech – An online non-denominational Jewish learning blog exploring depression by analyzing weekday morning prayers and Jewish classical
sources.
Boulder Stepping Stones – A program that provides Jewish education and experiences to interfaith and unaffiliated families with a database of over 1,000 people from across Colorado. Stepping Stones focuses on Friday night Shabbat rituals as a time to strengthen Jewish family and community.
The Current – Columbia University’s undergraduate journal of politics, culture, and Jewish affairs.
Faith Vote Columbus – A coalition of 30 churches, synagogues, neighborhood associations and labor unions that are committed to increasing voter turnout in low-income areas.
Fiat Lux – Yale’s undergraduate, non-sectarian journal of religion.
Home Front Hearts – A virtual point of contact providing support and resources to the families of deployed service members. The organization works to increase public awareness of the struggles and sacrifices of military families and engages individuals and businesses in building a military-friendly community.
The Jerusalem Bayit – alumni of the Bronfman Youth Fellowships spend a year post high school living in Israel with Israeli peers. Together, the group volunteers at a school for underprivileged students and engages in Jewish learning and immersion in Israeli culture.
Just Vision – A nonprofit organization that informs local and international audiences about under-documented Palestinian and Israeli joint civilian efforts. Using media and educational tools, Just Vision raises awareness in order to encourage civic participation in grassroots peace building.
Keshet: Hineini Education Project – An initiative that provides training, support and education resources to educators and leaders to work towards the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Jews in Jewish life.
Minyan Na’aleh – An independent minyan in Denver. Their annual Shavuoaton in the Colorado Rockies provides opportunities for Jewish learning, meaningful prayer and community building.
National Havurah Committee (NHC) – For nearly 30 years, the NHC has helped Jews across North America envision a joyful grassroots Judaism, and has provided the tools to help people create empowered Jewish lives and communities.
The Righteous Indignation Project – Seeks to mobilize progressive Jews to voice social justice and environmental issues as religious and moral priorities in the 2008 election season and beyond.
Shomer Achi – Fosters sustainable and community based connections between American and Israeli college students through parallel community service initiatives, dialogue, and leadership training.
Street Sights – Street Sights is Providence’s street newspaper. It serves as a forum for advocates, homeless and formerly homeless individuals, students, state officials and the general public to share accurate and honest information about homelessness issues.
Tikkun Leil Shabbat – D.C. based independent minyan featuring songful, soulful, Sabbath services that include a teaching about a social justice issue and a potluck vegetarian dinner.
Urban Next Summit – A conference held in New Orleans this past July hosted by The New Orleans Young Urban Rebuilding Professionals Initiative (NOLA YURP). The initiative aims to build a support and resource network to connect, retain and attract young professionals from diverse backgrounds for a sustainable New Orleans.
Voices of Rwanda – Voices of Rwanda is dedicated to recording and preserving testimonies of Rwandans and to ensuring that their stories inform the world about genocide and inspire a global sense of responsibility to prevent human rights atrocities.
about: The BYFI Alumni Venture Fund enables alumni of The Bronfman Youth Fellowships to support their peers’ cutting-edge initiatives with funding and technical assistance. Since launching our fundraising campaign in 2005, donations from alumni and their families have enabled us to distribute $79,850 in small grants to projects that seek to promote BYFI’s core values of Jewish learning, pluralism, engagement with Israel, and social responsibility.