by William Foster and Toby Rubin Over the past decade, according to a recent survey report by Jumpstart, the Natan Fund, and The Samuel Bronfman Foundation, the Jewish innovation sector has created more than 600 new organizations that seek to effect change in the world through a Jewish lens. Toby Rubin interviews William Foster about the obligations of both entrepreneurs and philanthropists to increase the impact of those organizations and determine if and how to provide next-stage funding and a crack at sustainability. Toby Rubin: What are three key trends in the philanthropic sector that inform our understanding of whether philanthropy in the social sector is positioned to step up? Please name them and discuss each in turn - ideally, with a “call to action” for philanthropists, social … Continue Reading
Increasing Supply, Not Only Demand
by Shawn Landres People sometimes ask me how Jumpstart balances what appear to be the competing dimensions of our work: global vs. local, research vs. advocacy, startups vs. the “establishment,” and, most fraught of all, funders vs. grantees. The thing is, we just don’t see our work that way. In our effort to help make Judaism & Jewish life vibrant and relevant, we know we gain strength and purpose by working together. Changemakers with shared visions shape the world with the tools they have available, whether those tools are financial or programmatic, operational or intellectual. I was struck by Yoni Gordis’s observation to a roundtable on innovation and philanthropy moderated by Seth Cohen, just published in the October 2011 issue of Sh’ma: “...We’ve done a great deal … Continue Reading
Building the Innovation Community
by Eric Levine Many of us have followed the dialogue about innovation with intense interest, especially discussion about insufficient funding and the demise of organizations in the Jewish innovation sector, such as J-Dub. Over and above this specific case, we should all lament the passing of innovation projects. I had an experience of my own many years ago (too many!) when I created a student-led organization providing social support and friendly visiting to homebound elderly Jewish adults in the South Bronx. Looking back, that start-up (and I) would have benefited tremendously had we been a Bikkurim resident project. As readers may know, Bikkurim is the model par excellence of a non-profit incubator for groups with new Jewish ideas, vision and entrepreneurial spirit, providing a physical home as … Continue Reading
European Social Innovators Connect to Create New Expressions of Jewish Life
Jerusalem, August 3, 2011: As Europe faces an acute identity crisis, 48 social justice activists, artists, environmentalists, media and tech gurus, educators, Israel advocates and intercultural dialoguers will gather for four days at JPropel in Sweden to address the challenges confronting the European Jewish renaissance and to enhance the role of up- and-coming Jewish leaders in shaping a Europe that embraces respect for all religions and cultures. JPropel is a joint initiative of JHub, Paideia and ROI Community to propel forward a new generation of European Jewish leaders. “In the shadow of the horrific massacre in Norway, JPropel shines a light on European Jewish initiatives which combat racism by reviving the spirit and culture of its victims,” said ROI Community Executive Director Justin … Continue Reading
Social Capital Keeps Jewish Startup Sector Forging Ahead
Despite the economic downturn and its effect on Jewish philanthropies and nonprofits, the number of new Jewish non-profit organizations continues to rise dramatically, today reaching more than 600 initiatives serving 630,000 people across North America. In addition to money - nearly $200 million per year flows to this startup sector each year - a robust portfolio of education, leadership and organizational development programs is powering the innovation sector and its leaders - and in turn, broadening the reach of their startup initiatives. These are the major findings of the 2010 Survey of New Jewish Initiatives in North America, a project of Jumpstart, The Natan Fund and The Samuel Bronfman Foundation. The survey is intended to help current and potential funders and nonprofit leaders make … Continue Reading
The Generation Gap
by Manny Waks In the article, Give Us the Tools to Define Our Involvement, Joshua Einstein cogently articulates the major challenges and obstacles inherent in the global predicament of Jewish continuity. The term “continuity” is ubiquitous in contemporary Jewish community discourse. Broadly, it defines the continuity of “Jewishness”, both as our collective identity and as a values framework. In his article, Mr Einstein rightly criticises the existing structures of the mainstream Jewish community. He states, “Rather than focusing on giving the younger generations the tools to define their involvement and their identity - empowerment and enfranchisement - the vast majority of the organized effort has been geared toward retention and replacement.” Mr Einstein refers to not only the … Continue Reading
Jewish Philanthropy in 2011: Some Thoughts
by Felicia Herman Jewish tradition warns us to stay away from prophesiers (Lev. 19:26; Dt. 18:10 and 18:14), which drove much of the collective Jewish skillset away from augury and into strategy. In that spirit, I offer not a list of predictions about what will happen in Jewish philanthropy in 2011, but rather some reflections on what I think needs to happen if the Jewish philanthropic world is going to expand and grow stronger in the coming years. Where you stand, of course, depends on where you sit. These reflections are the product of my having had the privilege to be involved with The Natan Fund for the past seven years, working together with the exceptional young philanthropists who make up Natan’s membership, with the groundbreaking emerging organizations around the Jewish world that … Continue Reading
European Jewish Resurgence Continues to Surprise
Gary Rosenblatt writing in The New York Jewish Week: Jewish Renaissance In Europe Presents A Surprising Challenge ... Such positive news presents a challenge to those of us (and I include myself, until recently) who essentially had written off European Jewry. We tend to think of that population as having a tragic past culminating in the Holocaust; an embattled present, with anti-Semitism fueled by Arab Muslims a reality; and the bleakest of futures, given an aging demographic threatened by intermarriage and assimilation. That’s basically how I saw it until I participated in two eye-opening experiences in Europe in the last six months. The first was a weeklong workshop in Stockholm in August sponsored by Paideia, the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden. There I met more than … Continue Reading
Start-Up Continent: European Jewish Innovation
Inspired by a unique survey conducted in 2010 of New Jewish Initiatives in Europe, Leadel created a montage of European Jewish start-ups in partnership with Jewish Jumpstart to bring the survey to life. Spanning across the continent of Europe from London to Kiev, come explore a continent that rich is Jewish culture, ideas, and entrepreneurship, through the eyes of the people and their projects. "Start-Up Continent" European Jewish Future People and projects included - in order of appearance: Amsterdam, Jewish Salons Lievanath Faber - Co Founder and Director Salon Amsterdam Sophia, Limmud Keshet Bulgaria Vienna, Muslim Jewish Conference Ilja Sichrovsky - Founder and Director London, Jewish Theatre Company Joel Stanley - Founder and Director Valencia, La Javura Alba Toscano - … Continue Reading
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