Despite the economic downturn and its effect on Jewish philanthropies and nonprofits, the number of new Jewish non-profit organizations continues to rise dramatically, today reaching more than 600 initiatives serving 630,000 people across North America. In addition to money - nearly $200 million per year flows to this startup sector each year - a robust portfolio of education, leadership and organizational development programs is powering the innovation sector and its leaders - and in turn, broadening the reach of their startup initiatives. These are the major findings of the 2010 Survey of New Jewish Initiatives in North America, a project of Jumpstart, The Natan Fund and The Samuel Bronfman Foundation. The survey is intended to help current and potential funders and nonprofit leaders make … Continue Reading
Jewish Philanthropy in 2011: Some Thoughts
by Felicia Herman Jewish tradition warns us to stay away from prophesiers (Lev. 19:26; Dt. 18:10 and 18:14), which drove much of the collective Jewish skillset away from augury and into strategy. In that spirit, I offer not a list of predictions about what will happen in Jewish philanthropy in 2011, but rather some reflections on what I think needs to happen if the Jewish philanthropic world is going to expand and grow stronger in the coming years. Where you stand, of course, depends on where you sit. These reflections are the product of my having had the privilege to be involved with The Natan Fund for the past seven years, working together with the exceptional young philanthropists who make up Natan’s membership, with the groundbreaking emerging organizations around the Jewish world that … Continue Reading
Edgar Bronfman: Opening Our Tent
by Edgar M. Bronfman Intermarriage has taken center stage this past year. The marriage of Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvkinsky spurred a national conversation about intermarriage. The Rotem bill roiled Israel-Diaspora relations, sparking considerable debate over conversion policy and the question of how to incorporate the hundreds of thousands of Israelis from intermarried families into the Jewish people. Even “The Simpsons” weighed in when Krusty the Clown married a non-Jew. Once upon a time, intermarriage usually meant shedding one’s Jewish identity. Thus, when the 1990 National Jewish Population Survey was released and reported an intermarriage rate of more than 50%, the immediate response was panic, with the Jewish community asking, “How do we keep our children Jewish?” What this … Continue Reading
Swimming Against the Current
by Chaim Chesler It is said that only dead fish flow with the current. On the other hand, living fish can swim against the current and in so doing can overcome obstacles, break through barriers, discover new frontiers. This is the way I feel about a project that has been created thanks to the work of hundreds of volunteers and donors, called Limmud FSU. This living fish, ceaselessly swimming upstream is embodied in an enterprise which provides an intellectual feast of educational events for thousand of young Russian-speaking Jews across the globe. If this metaphor seems like hyperbole, I make no excuse for it to describe the program which is now celebrating its fifth turbulent anniversary. Five years ago, after more than 25 years of working on behalf of Jews in the Former Soviet Union, I … Continue Reading
Engaging the Sacred
The Samuel Bronfman Foundation will convene its annual Why Be Jewish Gathering today and tomorrow in New York City on the topic “Engaging the Sacred.” The program will explore Judaism’s rich tradition of examining and struggling with the concept and value of sacred experiences, and seek to understand what such conversations might mean for the many today who are asking the question Why Be Jewish? This is the fourth year the gathering will take place, and will welcome a diverse group of Jewish thought leaders and professionals including Rabbi Andy Bachman, Congregation Beth Elohoim; Daniel Septimus, MyJewishLearning.com; Rabbi Joanna Samuels, Advancing Women Professionals; Rabbi Avi Weinstein, Hyman Hebrew Academy; Avital Hochstein, Mechon Hadar; Wayne Firestone, Hillel: The Foundation for … Continue Reading
Matthew Bronfman: A New Generation Philanthropist
Filed under In Case You Missed, Jewish Philanthropy, lnside Israel, The Blog, The Limmud Experience
"Thriving Jewish communities throughout the world can do nothing but strengthen the Jewish world." Matthew Bronfman, Moscow, April 16, 2010 Slowly, changes are a-foot on the American Jewish philanthropic landscape. The federation system - like several other organizations - has experienced a decreasing donor base even though an older core demographic is often giving more. In the foundation world, two highly visible foundations, Avi Chai North America and the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, are in "sunset" - winding down the affairs of the respective foundations in an orderly manner. Long-time philanthropic families are seeing new faces at their own table while more and more donors are developing personal relationships with organizations and are giving direct. And most important, there … 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
What Do We Need From Our Leaders?
This essay was written by Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld for the Samuel Bronfman Foundation “Why Be Jewish?” Conference, in May 2009. With the opening of the Federations of North America GA 2009 later today in Washington, D.C., and the introduction of the organizations' new CEO and the organizations' new incoming Board Chair, this essay is a reminder to all of us of not only what we need, and expect, from our leaders, but of the strength we as a community derive from those who lead us. What Do We Need from Our Leaders? Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld Let me begin by stating the obvious. When we speak of leaders, we are speaking about human beings. This is a self-evident but elusive fact of life; we know it and yet we consistently expect or imagine our leaders to be superhuman, and we are … Continue Reading
The Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel Announces 24th Application Season
The Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel (BYFI) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for its 24th summer program. The Bronfman Youth Fellowships sends 26 outstanding North American teenagers to Israel, for five weeks of intellectually engaging summer study during which they experience a shared sense of Jewish community. The program educates and inspires exceptional young Jews from diverse backgrounds to become active participants and leaders in Jewish culture throughout their lives, and to contribute their talents and vision to the Jewish community and to the world at large. The program was founded by Edgar M. Bronfman and is funded by The Samuel Bronfman Foundation (TSBF), which focuses on projects dedicated to fostering a Jewish renaissance. Additionally, TSBF is a major … Continue Reading
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