Do you have an idea for the Jewish community that you may want to develop into a project or an organization? Do you wonder if your idea is feasible? Should you form a non-profit or a for-profit corporation? What would it take to turn your idea into a reality? Bikkurim: An Incubator for New Jewish Ideas invites you to Idea Lab 2009. What you can expect: An introduction to Bikkurim's program and what it takes to write (and follow) a business plan. Additional free consulting on how to turn your idea into facts on the ground. With special guest Aharon Horwitz, co-founder of the PresenTense Group. Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 4:00 pm - 25 Broadway, 17th FL. New York; RSVP by March 11, 2009. For more information, contact nina@bikkurim.org. … Continue Reading
NewsBits: The Jewish Web
The following are items appearing on other Web sites of interest to our world of Jewish philanthropy. A correction: Could the economic downturn kill Jewish innovation? We first brought this link from the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle to you on October 8th. Since then we have been informed of an error in the story. Particularly since it deals with innovation and new funding in our community, we thought it important to update the story. From the article: “There may even be hope for those looking to start nonprofits, as the Joshua Venture — the incubator that helped launch this movement, but then went on hiatus in 2006 — has announced on its Web site that it is now seeking new applicants.” We received an email from Yoni Gordis, of the Center for Leadership Initiatives (one of the … Continue Reading
Links In A Chain
Over the past several years a handful of programs have graduated from the 'Jewish incubator world' as they have reached sustainability. One such organization is Sharsheret, an early incubated project at Bikkurim in New York City; an endeavor of love that deserves special note during this, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Founded by Rochelle Shoretz after she was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 28, Sharsheret (from the Hebrew “chain”) provides culturally sensitive support for young Jewish women facing breast cancer and those most closely affected by such a diagnosis. Situated at the forefront in raising awareness of the increased prevalence of a mutated BRCA gene in Ashkenazi Jewish women, Sharsheret has fielded more than 13,000 phone calls from those living with breast cancer, … Continue Reading
Jerusalem Innovation; Three for Three
Four incredible weeks of innovation, Jerusalem style. Two brand-new ventures, Amuta 2.0 and Tachlis 2 Point Oh!, premired to packed opening programs. Both in their own way focused on providing cutting edge resources to our communal world. Both with exciting programs taking shape over the coming year. And then last night, to an overflowing audience and live-streamed to their international community, The PresenTense organization formally opened their first permanent, year-round Institute. It was a who's who of the (mostly) young and forward thinking innovators shaping our world from Jerusalem. The energy was infectious and provided an excellent jumping off point as PresenTense moves from summer to year round programming here in Israel. BTW, this was all accomplished with none other than Paul … Continue Reading
lsrael’s 60th Anniversary Commemorated by the JBlogosphere: 60Bloggers.com is Live!
Well, after many emails and endless phone calls and the crunching of many, many pixels, 60Bloggers.com is up. What’s that site all about? Well, May 8th is the 60th anniversary of the founding of the modern State of Israel. You’ll notice lots of events happening in Israel and in communities around the world meant to commemorate this historic occasion. 60Bloggers.com is meant to do the same, but on the blogosphere. Consequently, we’ve put together a nice broad group of bloggers, some well-established, some relatively new, representing (I hope) ideological, religious and geographic diversity. Over the course of the next 60 days each will write one blog post on 60Bloggers.com where they will write something related to how they feel about Israel at this momentous juncture in time. We don’t plan … Continue Reading
How Would You Like Your Grandchildren Educated?
Most of our readers — and possibly you reading this — don’t have children, let alone grandchildren…and that means we have time, and obligation, to build the world we’d like them to live in. As such, PresenTense ran an amazing event last night in Jerusalem, focused on the future of education in the Jewish State. And you didn’t have to be in Jerusalem to participate (I’m in New York at the moment): all you had to have is a connection to the internet. Here’s one example of a remote-participant, Gabby Schoenfeld: (Gaby is an an informal Jewish educator who is trying to enable young Jews to have life-changing experiences through service and social justice programs in Israel and throughout the world.) "I want my grandchildren to know how to ask questions. I want them to have … Continue Reading
A Web 2.0 Educational Innovation
Herzl famously wrote, "If you will it, it is no fable." This quote, made into a cliche over the long century since it was uttered, succinctly expresses the fundamental credo of a pioneer: pioneers will the future into reality. The first course: Last night, the PresenTense organization sponsored an evening in Jerusalem with three special pioneers, visionaries, as they hosted a conversation around the future of Israeli Education. All three (Sarah Kass, Beverly Gribetz and David Moatty) have already led the way in willing dreams to become tangible facts on the ground. The visionaries have been asked: What is your vision; why is it transformative? Why this path rather than others? What will change if your vision becomes reality? What will it take to attain? What are the … Continue Reading
On Emerging Communities
Our community is thriving. And who you may ask is this community? from our 'about' section: To some, they represent the MTV generation; to others Millenials or Generation Y. To the UJC, they are simply NextGen. They number around 76 million Americans and will form the most technology savvy bulk of the adult population over the next twenty years. They have been inspired by the aspirations, hopes and financial freedom of their Baby Boomer parents; they are optimistic, idealistic and feel empowered. This funky young crowd, sporting their own definition of Judaism, is the harbinger of a new golden age of Jewish communal innovation. Some are visionaries, creating programs on a shoe-string, or armed with just an idea, giving birth to exciting, fresh and cutting edge endeavors. One, PresenTense … Continue Reading
First Jewish Social Entrepreneur Fellowship Awarded
Imagine working passionately and tirelessly in the uphill trek towards fulfilling your life's mission, only to have someone say to you, "I am going to fast-forward your career 20 years." That is what Harold Grinspoon, known as one of the most innovative Jewish social entrepreneurs in America, said to 32-year-old Rabbi Ethan Tucker of New York City, as he granted him $100,000 per year for two years, with his inaugural Grinspoon Jewish Social Entrepreneur Fellowship. Rabbi Tucker, one of the co-founders and leaders of the national independent minyanim movement, is developing curricula for and expanding Mechon Hadar, which he co-founded in 2001. Based in New York City, Mechon Hadar is a unique, non-denominational institute whose mission is to revitalize communal life - animated by prayer, … Continue Reading
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