by David Cygielman Just a few years ago, being innovative was key to a new organization’s success. But, as time has gone on, debate has hatched over what can truly be defined as innovative and unfortunately, it has become clear that even with initial funding, it is difficult to keep an “innovative” program afloat. There have been a huge variety of conversations and articles dedicated to the conversation of innovation, both sharing its importance and questioning its long-term impact. However, recently much of the innovation buzz and discussion has dissipated, but fear not, it is has been replaced by our new friend, organizational sustainability! So, what is sustainability? I grew up thinking that sustainability referred to recycling and using products over and over again. In the Jewish … Continue Reading
Can Birthright Israel Alone Reverse Young Adults’ Declining Support of Local Jewish Communities?
by Joel Frankel In my experience, it is rare to hear someone say something negative about Taglit-Birthright Israel (“Birthright”). How could they? It is an amazing program that sends hundreds of thousands of Jewish young adults to Israel each year for free. More importantly, beyond just physically sending people to visit Israel, the trips they fund have a significant psychological impact on the participants. Studies have found that almost 75% of all Birthright participants call their trip a life changing experience!(1) Around for just over a decade, Birthright is shaping an entire generation’s relationship with the State of Israel. Our parents’ generation has an inherently emotional connection to the State of Israel. After our grandparents witnessed the creation of a Jewish state as a … Continue Reading
Moishe House Rocks Demystifies Jewish Ritual in Cartoon Videos
[This is the first in a series of follow-up posts describing the projects of the 2011-2012 Jewish New Media Innovation Fund Award Recipients.] by Abigail Pickus When David Cygielman co-founded Moishe House, he was responding to a very real and pressing need: the glaring absence of community young Jews feel once they graduate from college. So in 2006, he launched the first Moishe House - a communal place for young post-college Jews to live and create community. There are now 38 Moishe Houses in 14 countries, including in Beijing, Warsaw and Capetown - with new houses set to open in the former Soviet Union, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. “I see Moishe House more as a vehicle than an organization,” said Cygielman from its Oakland, California, headquarters. “It’s a way to … Continue Reading
Moishe House Expanding to ‘Mecca for Young Adults,’ Bolstering its International Framework
by Michele Alperin JointMedia News Service A phenomenon rapidly expanding from its California roots, Moishe House - which provides rent and programming subsidies to Jewish 20-and 30-somethings whose homes and apartments become community hubs for their peers - will soon open its first houses in New York City and a London-based support and training office for international residences. Four New York locations will bring the program, now in its sixth year, to a total of 40 houses in 14 countries. “In many ways New York is, certainly in the U.S., a center of Jewish life and also a mecca for young adults to move there after college,” says Moishe House Founder David Cygielman, who was in New York this week meeting with applicants. “They are hoping to have a Jewish life and Moishe House … Continue Reading
Is it Better to Try and Solve Existing Problems or Create New Possibilities?
by David Cygielman Over the past couple of weeks, I have had the good fortune of spending time with two of our board members thinking about the direction of Moishe House as well as meeting with several of our major funding partners. I noticed after the first day that a lot of the conversation revolved around how Moishe House is solving “problems” in the Jewish community, which is not the first time I have engaged in this type of conversation. For example, what are we doing to solve the “problems” of Synagogue membership, Federation involvement, Jewish families and lack of Jewish knowledge and/or leadership for young adults in their 20’s? I have to admit that, through these conversations, I get caught thinking in these terms … what are we doing to solve the problems that the … Continue Reading
Volunteering + Values: Connecting the Dots
by Jon Rosenberg and Lisa Eisen Opportunities to shift fundamentally the Jewish communal landscape and deepen our collective impact on the world do not arise every day. But as it happens, one has been making headlines within and beyond our community over the past few weeks. With the release of Volunteering + Values: A Repair the World Report on Jewish Young Adults, we received a roadmap for helping young Jews bring Jewish identity and values into the forefront of their efforts to serve the common good. Why is this important? Because today we are blessed with a generation of young Jews who believe deeply that they can - and should - have a positive impact on the world. They are volunteering in droves and are full of passion, especially about eradicating poverty and illiteracy and preserving … Continue Reading
S.F. Jewish Community Federation Unveils New Model For Grant-Making
Effort being funded by $1,000,000 allocation from the Jewish Community Federation Endowment Fund One year after taking the helm as leader of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties (JCF), CEO Jennifer Gorovitz has unveiled the implementation of a new and innovative approach to 21st century philanthropy known as the Impact Grants Initiative (IGI). “I am proud to report in the course of just one year, we have made great strides in not only stabilizing the organization, but transforming it to more effectively fulfill its role as a philanthropic catalyst and community resource,” she said. IGI is an engaged and empowered approach to grant making, modeled after the highly successful concept known as social venture philanthropy. “IGI provides a … Continue Reading
The Schustermans: Making Change in the World Possible
by Andre Oboler Last week 150 of the Jewish world’s leading social entrepreneurs were in Jerusalem for the sixth ROI Summit. The summit, the key annual event of the ROI Community, is made possible by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. This year they added 120 new members (first time summit participants) to the ROI community, as well as bringing 30 alumni to the summit to help create links cross the various summits cohorts. As someone attending ROI for the third time, this was truly the best summit yet. From technical innovators to artists, from those strengthening community, to those expanding our diversity, every angle was not only covered, but working in harmony. This alone is a colossal achievement. The significant financial investment in bringing 150 people from all … Continue Reading
Moishe House Rocks: Jewish Holidays, Karaoke-style!
[This is the sixth in a nine-part series describing the projects of the 2011-2012 Jewish New Media Innovation Fund Award Recipients.] When I first learned that the Jewish New Media Innovation Fund was offering up to $500,000 in grant support for its first ever round of funding, there was good news and bad news. The good news was that it was a partnership between the Charles and Lynn Schusterman, Jim Joseph and Righteous Persons foundations, all of which have been incredibly generous partners of Moishe House. The bad news was when I learned the selection process would be completely separate from them. Lucky for us, we were not alone in our application. When hearing that we had the opportunity to apply for a media grant, the first idea that popped into our head was to figure out a way to engage … Continue Reading
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