At the final plenary of the Jewish Agency's Board of Governors meetings, the 2012 budget was passed unanimously. The approved budget of just over $322m. represents a cut of approximately 2.5% from 2011. As approved, the budget contains a projected deficit of $4.6m. The Jewish Agency is required to have a balanced budget and within the next 60 days additional revenue, expenditure reductions, or a combination of the two must be identified. Of note, the Jewish federations (which earlier this summer had indicated to JAFI that 2012 would see a decline in income) is budgeted to provide $105m - the same as in 2011. Keren Hayesod $43m and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews $9m. Of the projected decline in income, $5m (of the approximately $8m) results from a U.S. Government grant … Continue Reading
Response and Responsibility in Jewish Philanthropy; Responding to Prof. Richard Marker
by Johanna Arbib-Perugia First, let me say that I welcome Prof. Richard Marker's response to my article 'Looking back to the Future of Jewish Philanthropy'. He brings to the fore many pivotal questions and issues, some of which I agree with and all of which are worthy of our attention. To begin with, I think there are few people who would argue with Prof. Marker's assertion that 'no one is obligated to give their personal money to any specific voluntary cause'. Secondly, as I have already clearly stated, I believe, as Prof. Marker does, that Tikun Olam reflects a basic Jewish value and should have a place in Jewish philanthropy. In my fairly broad experience of Jewish philanthropy, I haven't found either of these principles to be seriously challenged or grounds for hot (or even lukewarm) … Continue Reading
Heard Around Jerusalem, continued
The Week That Was Friday morning in Jerusalem; a time to complete Shabbat preparations, and reflect on the past week. And as senior leaders - both lay and professional - continue to stream into Israel, a day of rest sounds pretty good. With the upcoming Jewish Agency board meetings next week, the tension is so thick a plastic knife could cut through. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. After the high of multi-young leadership events the past few weeks, including the ROI Summit, the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship and the launch of the latest cohort of the PresenTense Global Fellowship, the Israeli Presidential Conference opened on Tuesday. And what began with such high hopes and expectations in 2008, at least as far as Jewish world programing, has become a disappointment for many. The most … Continue Reading
Looking Back to the Future of Jewish Philanthropy
by Johanna Arbib Perugia When we inquire about the future of Jewish philanthropy, we are really asking about the future of the Jewish people. This is due to the fact that since Biblical times, the two have been immutably interrelated. Then as now, philanthropy played an integral part in shaping Jewish life, values and society, it was not merely a question of helping the poor. One of the most beautiful expressions of this can be found in the tacit agreement between the tribes of Zevulun and Issachar, where one tribe would study while the other provided for their material needs. Though this relationship was not viewed as philanthropy, but rather more as a partnership or a means of dividing tasks to achieve a common goal, it is clearly rooted in the patently Jewish philosophy of … Continue Reading
Yuval Rabin Returns to his Grandfather’s Village
Today, in the small village of Sidorovichi in Western Ukraine, not far from Chernobyl, history came full circle. Yuval Rabin, son of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, unveiled a sculptured stone bas-relief plaque in the village where his grandfather Nehemia Rubichov was born in 1886 and emigrated from in 1905. The memorial is situated at the entrance to the Rabin Cultural Center in the village and depicts Nehemia and his two children, Yitzhak and Rachel (who lives on Kibbutz Manara.) Yuval Rabin said, “This event is very moving both for me and all the family. My grandfather would tell often tell us stories of his Ukrainian childhood and I am very grateful to Limmud FSU, Keren Haysod, the Jewish Agency and the Israel Cultural Center in Kiev who made possible this tangible tribute to the … Continue Reading
Families of Carmel Fire Victims to Receive Special Grants
The Jewish Agency, on behalf of Jewish communities around the world, will be giving a Passover gift to 44 families who lost loved ones in the Carmel fire. Each family of a person killed in the fire from the Prison Service, the police and the firefighters will receive a gift of $10,000 as recognition of service to the State of Israel. The Jewish Agency will also be organizing activities and trips during the Passover holiday for children and widows of those killed in the fire. The special assistance to these families was made possible by donations from the Jewish Federations of North America, Keren Hayesod and Jewish communities. In addition, the Jewish Agency will be giving five educational scholarships of $10,000 to young people who lost their parents in the fire. … Continue Reading
Choice to Head Ethiopian National Project is Controversial
from The Jerusalem Post: Ethiopian Israelis reject possible project head appointment The likely appointment of a new CEO to head one of the Ethiopian community’s flagship organizations for absorption and education has been sharply criticized by some community leaders, with one group seriously threatening to take legal action if the appointment comes to fruition, The Jerusalem Post has learned. Roni Akele, currently director of the non-profit Fidel Association for Education and Social Integration of Ethiopian Jews, was touted Monday evening at a board meeting of the Ethiopian National Project (ENP) to take over as director of the multi-million-shekel initiative set up in 2002 to tackle the needs of the 110,000-strong Ethiopian immigrant community here. However, over the past few weeks, … Continue Reading
Global Partnership in Practice at Kolenu 2012
Top leadership from 16 communities across the globe recently gathered in London, UK for an international conference that focused on creating a strategic plan for maintaining strong Jewish communities in the face of a changing world. Participants came from Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia and South Africa for five days of targeted seminars and workshops led by respected and renowned presenters, including Michael Strauss and Adi Strauss from Israel who led a session on Israeli philanthropy. The invitation only conference, which ran January 21st-25th and focused on both local and global issues facing today’s Jewish community, was open to top young leadership figures from large-sized communities, both professional and lay. The first of its kind, Kolenu 2011 not only brought together … Continue Reading
Bush Cancels Attending Keren Hayesod Geneva Event
Former US President George W. Bush has canceled a visit to Geneva, Switzerland, where he was to address a Keren Hayesod gala, due to the risk of legal action against him for alleged torture. Bush was to be the keynote speaker at the annual dinner on February 12th. However pressure has been building on the Swiss government to arrest him and open a criminal investigation if he enters the country. Keren Hayesod has said they were canceling Bush's participation for security reasons, not because of the possibility of criminal complaints. … Continue Reading
Jewish Agency Emergency Response for Carmel Fire Victims
On the ground, post Carmel fire, with the Jewish Agency. … Continue Reading
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