We first met her at a special performance in Nashville during the GA. Now, Grammy Award-winning musician Miri Ben-Ari, the Israeli "hip hop violinist" who is best known for her collaborations with artists Kanye West and Jay Z, was awarded the first annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Israel Award for her work in bringing together African American and Jewish communities closer together through music. from the official press release... "This award seeks to bring attention, recognition and re­membrance of the dynamic relationship between African Americans and Jews, particularly highlighting the pinnacle of that friendship seen during the Civil Rights Movement in America under the leadership of Reverend King. It will be presented in honor ...

They're back! Ben Yehuda was filled with young crowds unseen since the summer. The buses parked on Yaffo told the story: large banners across the front grills sported the Taglit logo. Signs in the window... Hillels of Philadelphia, the University of Florida and more. It's winter break and Birthright has again descended upon Jerusalem. Towards the top of the midrachov, a group of Korean students were entertaining the Motzie Shabbat crowd with Christmas carols in their native tongue. Never mind that more than one young American college student wondered out loud why Christmas carols were being sung in Hebrew! Meanwhile, the shop keepers were happy (the Birthright crowd is known to be big spenders, especially of Michal Negin ...

Welcome to ejewishphilanthropy.com, a resource dedicated to educating and advancing the use of the Internet in the world of Jewish Philanthropy. Today marks a conclusion, but also a beginning and a continuation. A conclusion of almost a year, connecting and learning from many friends and colleagues on how best to proceed. Valuable suggestions have come from so many to bring us to where we are today, a beginning. As we look to the future, ejewishphilanthropy.com has ambitious plans; this will be our continuation. We invite you to visit us frequently as we share helpful tips on using the Internet to advance the causes we are all dedicated to. We also plan to keep you updated on ...

The Jewish Week got it. So did Gary Rosenblatt and Haviv Rettig. As Gary wrote, "Whether out of pragmatism, devotion or desperation — or a combination of all three — the leadership of UJC, the Jewish federation movement of North America, chose to feature the next generation at this GA, front and center." Judging from the multitude of comments heard over several days, this was the right decision. Because despite the anxiety of the baby boomer generation, this new generation wants and deserves an equal seat at the table. So, as we move away from the GA, some random and final comments picked up in various sessions and hallways in Nashville: "...great young talent here at the GA..." (Joe ...

The mantra of this Next Generation. A key plenary took front and center as we were presented with a group of dynamic young leaders who are finding new ways to build community and their version of Tikkun Olam. The common thread among these showcased young leaders and their projects is innovation and commitment. They are helping us enlarge the town square of Jewish life and we must encourage and support them. Both Esther Kustanowitz and Dan Sieradski were brilliant and on point concerning this demographic, their needs and what is necessary to attract and engage this group in the larger community. Esther spoke passionately about the new uses of technology and online communities being formed:...

A major theme of this GA was Jewish service; from a plenary to breakout sessions and cocktail receptions we heard how Jewish service is enjoying a moment in the Jewish sun, both changing lives and deepening commitment. The official program has this to say: "Engaging in Jewish service has great potential for strengthening Jewish identity, as well as demonstrating solidarity with people in need around the world." From everything said, it appears Jewish service has become the new rite of passage. This trend is not only apparent in North American but here in Israel. The directors of Ayalim describe these endeavors as "young people realizing dreams." ejewishphilanthropy.com is a strong supporter of the individuals and organizations who are dedicating ...

A name coined by the UJC. Yet, as was mentioned to rounding applause at one of the sessions, perhaps a poor choice. For using the word 'next' we are not concentrating on who they are but rather on who they will become. If this GA showed us anything at all, it is they already are. It did not matter where you turned during these few days. From the Academy Award winning film, West Bank Story to Ethos Water; from talented and accomplished Israelis like Miri Ben Ari to Pnina Gaday, this demographic is already leaving their mark. BTW, while Miri turned in a stellar performance Monday night at the GrandOleOpry, virtually nothing was said about ...

The official program lasted barely forty-eight hours. Beginning with a most unusual rendering of the Star Spangled Banner and concluding with inspiring words from Rabbi Jacob Schacter, 3500+ strong professional and lay leaders gathered in Nashville for this year's rendition of the GA. The official program offered something for everyone; and yet like these conferences always are, the real interaction occurred in the hallways, sitting areas and certainly behind closed doors. As can be expected, politics played a part; both American and Israeli. Governor Howard Dean spoke at the opening plenary with what several senior UJC staff members complained were blatant partisan comments. C'mon guys, what did you expect when you invited the ...

From the outskirts of Moscow to the shoreline on Lake Kinneret and now the Grand Ole Opry; by the hundreds and then thousands. Another packed Fall on our global Jewish calendar. Limmud (Russia) and Kol Dor have spectacularly concluded their events and the JAFI Board of Governors meeting even brought a bit of the unexpected. Come Motzei Shabbat, the largest annual worldwide gathering of Jewish leadership, the GA, previews in Music City, USA. We inaugurate ejewishphilanthropy.com from Nashville and (Internet access willing) will bring you highlights of the day's events along with links from many sessions. We plan to focus on the young Jewish leaders who will be attending but will ...