Hebrew College and Boston University’s Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership will launch a first-of-its-kind certificate program in organizational leadership for rabbinical students and rabbis. The program, supported with funding from The Samuel Bronfman Foundation, will provide students with a strong foundation in development, finance and marketing while also developing their reflective and strategic leadership skills. The program is unique in the Jewish world in bringing together a rabbinical school with a highly acclaimed leadership institute. Following an opening intensive seminar this spring, classes for the two-year, part-time program begin in the fall at Hebrew College in Newton Centre, Mass. Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, dean of Hebrew College’s rabbinical school, … Continue Reading
Limmud FSU Receives Jerusalem Post Award
Just two months ago, readers of The Jerusalem Post voted a story published in the paper by Gil Shefler on Limmud FSU's St. Petersburg Conference as the “Leading Story of the Jewish World in 2011.” The award was presented Sunday at the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference in New York to Matthew Bronfman - Limmud FSU Inetrnational Steering Committee Chair and Dr. Nona Kuchina and Moshe Shneerson (Israel) of Dr. Nona International - the Deputy Chairs of Limmud FSU's steering committee. In remarks, Steve Linde - the Post's eiditor-in-chief said, "Limmud FSU started just six years ago, founded by Chaim Chesler of Israel and Sandra Cahn of New York, whom we are delighted to see here with us today, together with Michael Chlenov, President of the Federation of Jewish Organizations and Communities of … Continue Reading
‘Second Stage’ For Startups
by Helen Chernikoff G-dcast.com is a poster child of the Jewish startup sector, the grass-roots movement that aims to reach the disinterested and unaffiliated by offering new ways - such as record labels, bike rides and online Shabbat services - to connect with Judaism. Over 3,000 educators around the world use G-dcast’s funky parsha-of-the-week videos, which have been viewed over a million times on the web, the group says. Why, then, is G-dcast about to find itself out on the street? “It’s not just my problem,” said Sarah Lefton, founder and director of G-dcast, which has doubled its budget and hired three part-time staff in the past year, but will soon struggle to make rent. “All of the young Jewish organizations in San Francisco have the same problem.” In fact, most young … Continue Reading
The Samuel Bronfman Foundation Second Stage Growth Fund
The Samuel Bronfman Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of a Second Stage Growth Fund. This fund will offer an opportunity for organizations in the post start-up phase of development to apply for general operating funding, which will help them successfully adapt their organizational structure to fit shifting and expanding needs. A recent report, generated by Bikkurim: An Incubator for New Jewish Ideas and supported in part by The Samuel Bronfman Foundation, notes that many innovative organizations that have injected new energy into Jewish life by offering alternative and relevant programming are now transitioning into a post start-up phase that requires, among other things, larger annual budgets and a greater investment in infrastructure. “Our mission is to create a Jewish … Continue Reading
Bikkurim Releases Pivotal Study That Identifies Unique Needs and Characteristics of Jewish Post-Start-Ups
New York, NY, March 14, 2012 - To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Bikkurim: An Incubator for New Jewish Ideas has released a pivotal study conducted by Wellspring Consulting that identifies characteristics of successful start-up organizations and highlights the unique needs and challenges that Jewish “post-start-up” organizations face. A cohort of post-start-up (also known as mezzanine or second-stage) organizations has grown over the past seven years, and has gained traction within the Jewish community as offering significant, new entry portals into Jewish life. They have secured initial funding, are growing rapidly, and are strong in transformational potential - but their success is far from assured. From First Fruits to Abundant Harvest: Maximizing the Potential of Innovative Jewish … Continue Reading
Defining Success at The Samuel Bronfman Foundation
by Dana Raucher All philanthropists seek in some way to use their gifts to bring lasting change to the world. What distinguishes one donor from another is the underlying motivation behind their giving: the unique inspiration behind the direction and mission of their philanthropic work. As professionals committed to inspiring the renaissance of a thriving, relevant Jewish community, we know that Jewish philanthropy should be identified by more than just the fact that those giving the money happen to be Jewish. Instead, our goal should be to bring underlying meaning and articulated intention to our giving, and to encourage others to do the same. At The Samuel Bronfman Foundation, we believe that if we can encourage a generation of Jews to feel a sense of ownership and commitment to their … Continue Reading
How Big? How Great?
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
The Curriculum Initiative Goes Local; Closes National Office
The Curriculum Initiative, an organization providing Jewish resources, student leadership opportunities and cultural programming on independent high school campuses, has closed their national offices and will now be operating out of local Jewish institutions. According to TCI's website, "The Curriculum Initiative (TCI) has operated in a unique space for the past fifteen years, straddling the Jewish community and the independent school community. TCI began as an educator-focused organization, and has transformed over the years to accommodate the changing needs of its students and educators. At this time, TCI is about to embark on a new chapter in its organizational evolution." With the beginning of the current school year, TCI’s work was officially welcomed as part of the Bureau of Jewish … Continue Reading
What Will the Jewish Community Do?
by Ruthie Warshenbrot I was surprised and disappointed to hear of the recent closing of one of the Jewish community’s darling innovative organizations, JDub. I have great respect for my colleague Aaron Bisman, and have enjoyed watching JDub’s growth and reach over the past almost-decade of its existence. This big news makes me wonder how the organized Jewish community will react. I suspect that JDub’s closing will result in a flurry of reactions via social media, articles, op-eds, and even obituaries, potentially touching on the following topics: Was arts & culture programming actually a good entry-point to Jewish life, especially for young adults? Many studies emerged just as JDub was gaining popularity that supported its mission, almost verbatim and JDub’s own numbers in its … Continue Reading
The Sanctity of Learning as an Escape from the Mundane
by Adam R. Bronfman I am Adonai, and I shall take you out from under the burdens of Egypt; I shall rescue you from their service; I shall redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgements. I shall take you to me for a people; and I shall be a God to you; and you shall know that I am Adonai your God., Exodus 6:6-7 The covenantal relationship declared above is deceptively simple. It promises a deep sense of belonging; both to a community and to an eternal relationship. But the truth is that being part of the Jewish people requires as much questioning and doubt as it requires belief and connection. The declaration, "you shall know," can seem hollow or foreign. Making space for questioning, the quest to find what we actually do know, is vital for a meaningful relationship with … Continue Reading
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