by Joshua Avedon Rededication - the act of restoring something to holiness - is a defining element of Jewish life. More often than not, Jews lose the first round with an adversary, only to persevere and ultimately thrive. Not long ago, the Jewish narrative in Europe was one of vanishing communities, crumbling buildings and decreasing relevance. But in recent years, a new story has become visible, illuminated by hundreds of Jewish startups reaching hundreds of thousands of people. The tiny lights of Jewish rededication are burning brightly across the continent. The emerging organizations and communities in Europe are intimate and authentic expressions of Jewish values as lived in a modern European context. Most are focused on learning, the arts, or community - they embrace the most permeable … Continue Reading
UK Family Foundation Giving Up 40 percent
The UK’s top 100 family foundations have defied the economic downturn by giving £1.4 billion to charitable causes in 2008/2009, according to the third annual Family Foundation Giving Trends 2010 report produced by the ESRC Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy at Cass Business School, City University London with Pears Foundation. The report challenges the UK’s wealthiest individuals to follow the example of family foundations by providing a long term commitment to tackling some of the challenges faced by society in the current climate of austerity. It paints a vivid picture of the commitment, drive and diversity of approach to giving amongst family foundations in the UK, highlighting many thoughtful and imaginative initiatives. The key findings of the report are: The largest … Continue Reading
The 2010 Survey of New Jewish Initiatives in Europe
Over the past fifteen years, a revival of Jewish life has spread across Europe, one that is rooted in its 2,000-year heritage, reflects the diversity of contemporary Jewish thought and experience, and reflects the hope for a promising future. Quietly, and in small pockets across the continent, Jewish social entrepreneurs have been experimenting with new forms of communities and organizations designed to engage a new generation of Jews, their partners and friends in meaningful Jewish experiences. Conventional discussions of Europe often emphasise antisemitism, Jewish continuity, and anti-Israel activism. While we do not dismiss or diminish those concerns, we know that these are only part of the story. The European Jewry we know is confident, vibrant, and growing. from the Overview: As the … Continue Reading
Paideia Launches 5th Project-Incubator
Twenty-seven innovators and social entrepreneurs from twelve European countries and Israel are being welcomed today by Paideia for its 5th annual Project-Incubator, a two-week intensive boot camp for projects dedicated to advancing European Jewish culture in action. Since 2006, the Project-Incubator has empowered and educated leaders of more than 80 projects in 26 European countries and Israel, from cultural centers to kindergartens, from theatrical productions to environmental campaigns. 2010 resident initiatives include “Traces of Messiah,” a traveling musical and dramatic production at Poland’s Midrash Theatre led by Agata Nowak and Rabbi Tanya Segal; Jeneration, which facilitates experimentation and personal growth for UK Jews in their 20s and 30s, led by Jude Williams; a Moderne … Continue Reading
British Jewry Honors Volunteers
The Jewish Volunteering Network, in partnership with HW Fisher and Company, has announced the winners of its first ever Jewish Volunteering Awards. The ceremony, which was held Wednesday at the London Jewish Cultural Centre and was hosted by newsreader Martyn Lewis, attracted around 130 people to see a £1,000 prize granted to the Jewish Volunteering Awards Winners. With many nominations for just eight awards, the judges were faced with the difficult task of deciding which of the nominees should have their volunteering efforts recognized by a Jewish Volunteering Award. Amy Philip, Deputy Director of the Pears Foundation and one of the judges, said, “The nominations demonstrated an enormous level of dedication and commitment among the Jewish volunteering community. The range of organizations … Continue Reading
Embracing The Maybe: The Case For Risk-Taking
A recent article in the Business section of the Sunday New York Times, entitled “6 Months, $90,000, and (Maybe) a Great Idea,” described the phenomenon of the “Entrepreneur in Residence”(EIR). In Silicon Valley, there is a growing trend amongst venture capital firms to give business entrepreneurs, many of whom have successfully started and sold companies in the past, the opportunity to use their office space, benefit from a generous stipend, and put on their thinking hats. The hope is that they will come up with the next Google or Facebook. Michael Bauer is one such entrepreneur the article highlights: “While the expectations are high for his ideas, Mr. Bauer maintains that the E.I.R. programs work precisely because failure is allowed in Silicon Valley. ... In other parts of the world, … Continue Reading
Expanded Survey of New Jewish Initiatives Launched
Filed under In the Media, Media Release / Official Publication, The American Jewish Scene, The World
2010 Survey of New Jewish Initiatives Focuses on Startup Leaders, Expands to Europe Jumpstart, The Natan Fund, and The Samuel Bronfman Foundation announced the launch of the 2010 Survey of New Jewish Initiatives. The survey builds on the successes of the ground-breaking partnership that produced the 2008 Survey of New Jewish Organizations and The Innovation Ecosystem: Emergence of a New Jewish Landscape. This year, it will include a special focus on the leaders of Jewish startups. Also, for the first time, the survey will be conducted in Canada and Europe as well as the United States. "New initiatives, whether they are independent startups or intrepreneurial ventures at established institutions, are the building blocks for 21st-century Judaism," said Shawn Landres, co-founder and CEO of … Continue Reading
New Ideas from the Old World
Lisa Capelouto, Director of JHub - a London-based incubator that focuses on Jewish social action and innovation - presents a European perspective to the conversation about innovation, and looks at how the old world is learning from the new (and sometimes the other way around). For Jews in North America, Europe is often seen as repository of memory rather than a source of exciting innovative ideas. On the other hand we Europeans tend to look longingly at the landscape of innovative startups “across the pond” and wonder why our communities lack that creativity and energy, and how we can encourage that level of innovation in Europe. Does the reality on the ground reflect this conventional wisdom? The 30 young people from 16 countries due to attend this week’s ROI/Paideia gathering of … Continue Reading
2010 Survey of New Jewish Initiatives Will Expand to Europe
New Transatlantic Partnership Links the Pears Foundation, Jumpstart, and the ROI Community of Young Jewish Innovators The Pears Foundation, Jumpstart, and the ROI Community of Young Jewish Innovators today announced that the 2010 Survey of New Jewish Initiatives will include the first-ever census of innovative and entrepreneurial Jewish ventures in Europe. "Europe is recovering its historic place as a source of new Jewish ideas," said Amy Phillip, deputy director of the Pears Foundation. "Our survey aims to demonstrate the range and scope of the exciting new European projects that are transforming contemporary Jewish life." In the past decade, training programs such as the Paideia Project-Incubator, the ROI Global Summit for Young Jewish Innovators, PresenTense, and the Ariane de Rothschild … Continue Reading
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