Johannesburg - February 6, 2012 - At a time when South Africa is emerging as a regional economic powerhouse that continues to gain global visibility as a center of new ideas and energy, the first South African Young Jewish Innovators Gathering will bring together 50 trailblazing social entrepreneurs, business pacesetters, activists and thought leaders to create a strategic network that will deepen their impact on their communities, the Jewish world and beyond. The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and South Africa’s Sasfin Bank Limited are partnering to shine a spotlight on these dynamic young innovators and help them connect with each other and, where possible, create partnerships that will engage large numbers of young Jews in Jewish life. The invitation-only event will open at … Continue Reading
Around My Jewish Table
by Evelyn Goldfinger I was born into a Jewish family in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I had the privilege of attending a Jewish school through high school where much of my Jewish identity was transmitted. My parents reinforced this with a Jewish education in the home, which was enhanced by what my sisters and I learned at school. I also went to Camp Ramah Argentina and became a counselor and Rosh madricha (head counselor). But before all that, before learning the Parasha (Torah portion) for my Bat Mitzvah, before my first encounter with a Tanach and even my first activity as a camper, there were our Shabbat dinners. See, one of my greatest blessings was that my parents decided, together with another three families, to make Shabbos dinner every Friday night. We would light the candles, go to shul … Continue Reading
Network-Weaving with Smadar Bar-Akiva
Deborah Fishman sits with Smadar Bar-Akiva. This interview is part of the Network-Weaver Series. [Smadar Bar-Akiva is the Executive Director of the World Confederation of Jewish Community Centers (WCJCC) and an occasional contributor to eJewish Philanthropy.] Tell me about your network. I direct an umbrella organization that represents more than 1,100 Jewish Community Centers around the world - we’re a network of networks. We have a 70-member board with representation from all the JCC networks and sponsor organizations. The purpose of our organization is to enrich Jewish lives and strengthen Jewish communities by connecting JCCs as institutions that open their doors to large number of Jews on a regular basis. What role does network-weaving play in your work? Though I sit in … Continue Reading
Apply Now for the PresenTense Summer Institute
The PresenTense 6th Global Summer Institute in Jerusalem is looking for the best and the brightest Jewish Social entrepreneurs who are passionate about one thing, changing the world. The PresenTense Summer Institute brings together 16 of the most ambitious and talented entrepreneurs from across the globe and provides them with what they need to launch their ventures. Over the six week intensive fellowship in Jerusalem our fellows are given access to leading Jewish and entrepreneurial professionals, paired up with top-notch mentors and coaches and provided with a comprehensive tool kit. Do you think you have what it takes to be a PresenTense Global Summer Fellow? Apply here. Applications close January 28, 2012. You can read more about what it means to be a PresenTense Global fellow … Continue Reading
Tapestry of Jewish Life: Jerusalem Welcomes New, Niche-Driven Yeshivot
by Abigail Pickus Ariel Levinson looked around his native Jerusalem and wondered with sadness whether there would be any secular youth left. With ultra-Orthodoxy tightening its hold over the city, and brighter, more attractive lights beckoning from cities like Tel Aviv or abroad, what could this ancient and holy city Levinson loved so much offer its non-religious youth to convince them to stay and make it their own? “We decided to create a new group to lead this change,” said Levinson, a lecturer and PhD candidate in Modern Hebrew Literature at Hebrew University. So Levinson and two other educators created the Jerusalem Secular Yeshiva, a cultural center where young Israelis can re-connect to their Jewish heritage and tradition. More than a center, Levinson sees this new endeavor as an … Continue Reading
Start Playing Around
by Daniel Bloom and Ariel Beery The movie Moneyball sets a scene that could be easily adapted for a gathering of educators in the teacher’s lounge. Around a paper-packed table, older, more experienced individuals are trying to dissuade a new up-and-coming manager that his approach using technology to determine what the right composition of the baseball team was not going to work. “We’ve been doing this a long time,” one of the more wizened coaches told Billy Beane, played by Brad Pitt. But Billy pushes back, “You don’t even understand the problem.” What Billy realized is that his experienced advisers were looking at the world as it was yesterday, as opposed to what it could be tomorrow. Experience, in times of rapid change, can bring as many challenges as it brings solutions. New … Continue Reading
Apply Today for a Local PresenTense Fellowship
Too many great ideas never leave the back of the napkin. Don't throw yours away! Turn your passionate idea into a venture that engages and inspires the Jewish Community to make your city a better place. Apply today to be a fellow at one of PresenTense’s 10 Local Fellowships where you will learn the tools, practice the skills, and connect with the community that will help you launch the venture that keeps you up brainstorming late at night. Choose your city below to learn more and apply! Application deadlines are coming up this week, so don’t delay in sending yours in! Boston CJP Fellowship: Nov 21 Chicago Fellowship: Nov 16 Cleveland Fellowship: Nov 20 Jerusalem Fellowship: Nov 20 Kaet Moscow Fellowship: Dec 4 NYC Fellowship: Dec 11 Tel Aviv Fellowship: TBA Threshold … Continue Reading
Back to the (Jewish) Future
Back to the (Jewish) Future: The Six Demands of the Next Generation of Lay Leadership by Ben Wiener [Earlier this month, I was named one of the two winners of the 2011 Jewish Futures Competition, sponsored by the Jewish Education Project and JESNA's Lippman Kanfer Institute. As part of the competition, my winning video was shown at the Jewish Futures Conference held at the GA in Denver this past week, and I also presented my venture (tenpartners.org) and my view of the Jewish Future. Here are my remarks.] I’ve been asked to give my view of the Jewish Future. Now I’m not a prophet but it seems to me that at least with regard to young lay leadership the Jewish Future does not look good. You know as well as I do that the numbers are headed in the wrong direction. The Federation had a … Continue Reading
The Power of Network Development
by Deborah Fishman After being a part of the ROI conference for Jewish innovators last June, David Brown, Social Action Coordinator at JHub in London, came home inspired - and filled with questions. How do these young Jews and the initiatives they represent relate to the establishment? And what is “Jewish” about Jewish innovation, anyway? There are many approaches David could have taken to seek answers. Ultimately, I encouraged him to conduct a SurveyMonkey.com survey of around 70 innovators he was in contact with, the results of which he distilled for PresenTense Magazine. By utilizing the power of his network, David learned what his peers were thinking about the issues on his mind - resulting in a new consciousness of the “why” behind what he does that will inform his sense of … Continue Reading
A Full Clip for the Jewish Future
by Naomi Korb Weiss and Shelby Zitelman For a moment, imagine yourself a shareholder of a multinational corporation that has been in a state of gradual but perpetual decline. Over the past two decades, the customer base has been cut by half. Revenue hasn't declined significantly but it is generated by increased sales to customers who are quickly aging out of the market. New customer acquisition strategies have centered on advertising and marketing, but the conversion rate is lower than replacement value. Despite an investment in ongoing training and development, your executive class is aging out almost as quickly as your customer base, and at the moment it is pretty clear that there isn't a succession plan in place for the majority of company divisions. If you were a shareholder of this … Continue Reading
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