Second Life Israel was launched Sunday, enabling SL users from around the world to visit Israel’s beaches and historic sites. The virtual state, preceded by a whole Jewish neighborhood in Second Life, is a work in progress, meant to, “present Israel to a global audience beyond the traditional media,” according to co-founder Chaim Landau. "This is a concept of Israel as a fun, entertaining, thriving and diverse community for Jews and non-Jews, and a home for Israelis on Second Life." The creation of Second Life Israel marks the beginning of a new chapter in digital Jewish society. Focusing on a range of areas, from the holy sites of Jerusalem as well as the modern life and tourist attractions known around the ...

Great video from the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley about how their funds are allocated. The inspiration came from a group of young lay-leaders who were frustrated with how to explain and promote the Federation’s mission in an appealing and positive way.

"No gift touches more lives, including you own"

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zb_51995i4&feature=user[/youtube]

Animation by David Hollin Music by The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band Inspiration by Jacob Orrin and Tomer Kagan. Viral marketing by Oyster

tip of the hat to: facebook group

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 ...

In a step that marks a major change in gender roles within modern Orthodoxy, women will be ordained as Orthodox rabbis. Jerusalem's Shalom Hartman Institute, founded by Rabbi David Hartman, himself a modern Orthodox rabbi, will open a four-year program next year to prepare women and men of all denominations - Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist and also Orthodox - for rabbinic ordination. Ordination will be provided within the framework of a teacher-training program that prepares graduates to serve in Jewish high schools in North America. Why would an institute that runs an Orthodox middle school and high school for boys, and that will open an Orthodox girls' school next year, decide to provide rabbinic ordination to women despite the controversy it will ...

Wednesday Is the Best Day to E-Mail

The debate has raged for as long as e-mail marketing has existed: When is the best time to mail? As both marketing tactics have shifted and consumer behavior has evolved, the answers have varied. According to the “2007 Q3 Email Marketing” study from eROI, the latest “best day” to mail is Wednesday. The study found that the average open rate on Wednesdays was 25.4% with an average click-through rate of 3.9%. The numbers did vary from industry to industry. Creative execution, quality of mailing lists and offers also have a great deal to do with results. (source: eMarketer) and from Guidestar...

Is Your Organization Ready for ...

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 ...

As we prepare to usher in 2008, just a few "tidbits from Dan" to keep in mind while we set the stage to execute our organizations', and our own, plans for the year. Mark your calendar for the end of December '08 and come back and check these four little sentences out and see how you performed. If you follow them, you should have a year of success. eJewish Philanthropy will have a great deal to say about all four over the next several months.

• Focus on what you're good at.
• Big will no longer beat small; rather it will be fast beating slow.
• Some secrets are more valuable when shared.
• You need to tell stories.

Make your project ideas real this summer in Jerualem

Are you an entrepreneur who cares deeply about the future of the Jewish People? A hacker, programmer, educator, social activist--a rapper, a painter or a biotech visionary who wants to make an impact on the world? Then come learn more about how you can launch your project or scale up your current venture in a special session of the PresenTense Institute for Creative Zionism, a six-week intensive summer program in Jerusalem for socially-minded entrepreneurs. This past summer we hosted 18 young entrepreneurs in Jerusalem for six weeks from the fields of hi-tech, business, social action, education and the arts -- providing them time, support and training as they took their ideas ...

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!