by Helen Chernikof The resignations of the top executives at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society come just weeks before the release of a survey showing that an “overwhelming majority” of almost 450 Jewish executives have no succession plan prepared in the event of their departure. The Jewish community must do more formal succession planning and leadership development, said leadership expert and executive coach Steven Noble, who conducted the survey and wrote the accompanying report. Both will be made public on June 5 under the auspices of the Jewish Communal Service Association at its annual meeting in Baltimore. “This is really a call for change,” said Noble, a former director of the Jewish Federations of North America’s … Continue Reading
Moishe House Faces Challenges in New York City
from The Jewish Week: Moishe Houses Here Struggling For Foothold Since opening its doors in January, the Williamsburg Moishe House has been drawing 20-30 people to its twice-monthly Shabbat dinners. But the rest of the week its three residents can feel a little like chopped liver. “We have events where we struggle to get three people - I think that should never happen in a city with millions of Jews,” said DeJohn Rose. (The five boroughs actually have slightly less than a million Jews.) Rose’s house was one of four Moishe Houses to open this winter in New York City ... It’s not yet clear whether the Moishe House model will take off in New York, however, given that the city already has a plethora of activities for unaffiliated Jews in their 20s - including hip cultural … Continue Reading
Catholic Charities Honors UJA Federation NY
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York has bestowed the “Good Neighbor Award” to UJA-Federation New York in recognition for its long-term friendship and legacy of service to all those in need and its outstanding work over many years as a “good New York neighbor”. “The UJA-Federation has been an extraordinarily generous and dedicated good neighbor to so many in need in New York,” stated Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan. “In addition, UJA-Federation has been a good neighbor to Catholic Charities in collaborating on critically important projects and services to make New York more compassionate and just. We are most appreciative of this partnership in the past and the present. We look forward to our partnership … Continue Reading
Wexner Heritage Launches Cohort for Russian-Speaking Jews
The Wexner Foundation, in partnership with the Commission on the Jewish People of UJA-Federation of New York, has launched the first-ever cohort of the Wexner Heritage Program geared exclusively for Russian-speaking Jews (RSJ). This historic initiative marks a significant step forward in the effort to engage this demographic who came from the former Soviet Union as young immigrants in the 1970s through the early 1990s. This cohort population bridges two worlds. These 29-to 44-year old Jews were raised in Russian-speaking homes and are successfully integrated into American life. Having spent their formative years in the FSU, Israel and the US, they share a collective memory of anti-semitism, acculturation and immigration. Like many Russian-speaking Jews, though some have not had the formal Jewish … Continue Reading
Putting the “Community” in Jewish Community Day Schools
by H. Glenn Rosenkrantz Brooklyn, April 4, 2012 - So this is how matzah is made. Wearing a paper hat branding him as nothing less than a master matzah maker, Caleb Luria, age 2½, pounded randomly but decisively on a slab of dough, creating a dust-up of flour that settled on anyone within a few feet. “We want him to get a sense of Passover, to touch the symbols and feel the excitement and hear the music,” said his mother, Sara, a rabbinical student. “And for us to do this as a family with new people and in a new setting is important. It’s good to branch out.” That’s one of the objectives at Hannah Senesh Community Day School here in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn, where a new initiative is seeking to highlight the “community” in the school’s … Continue Reading
Jewish Peoplehood from Abstract to Action: We Did It
by Smadar Bar-Akiva It is not an easy task to translate the abstract notion of Jewish Peoplehood into action. And even more so, to develop a positive sense of belonging that is not anchored in sorrow and grief; a connection that celebrates cross cultural differences while striving to find common ground. At the World Confederation of JCCs we have just deciphered this secret. How? Several months ago, together with our trusting partners (see below) we launched the Global Jewish Connections Fellows program. We recruited 13 lay leaders ages 25-45 from 11 JCCs in 7 countries - Argentina, Bulgaria, Israel, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine and USA - in order to train them as global Jewish leaders and social entrepreneurs. These incredibly talented fellows are as diverse as can be. What do they have in common? … Continue Reading
Pseifas (Mosaic) Launches 2nd Round of Matching Grants
Pseifas, A Matching Grant Program Promoting Jewish Renewal in Israel, has launched a 2nd round of grants. The Pseifas initiative seeks to increase significantly the number of Israeli donors involved in Jewish renewal in Israel by offering up to NIS 1,800,000 ($500,000) in matching grants for Israeli donations in this sphere. Pseifas will match donations to organizations at a one-to-one ratio, from a minimum of NIS 40,000 to a maximum of NIS 200,000 per organization. Additional information, including a timeline, can be found on the program website. (in English, in Hebrew). Pseifas is an initiative of AVI CHAI and UJA-Federation of New York in collaboration with Tmura - The Israeli Public Service Venture Fund and the Jewish Funders Network. … Continue Reading
Make Room for One More at Your Table and in Your Community
This Passover, UJA-Federation of New York’s J•1•1 Information and Referral Center encourages the Jewish community to make room for one more and invite in all those in the New York Jewish community who wish to observe the holiday but do not have a place to participate in a seder. Referrals will be available to seders at local community centers, synagogues, or restaurants. Seders are open to the community in the five boroughs, Long Island and Westchester and are held on the first two nights of Passover, Friday, April 6, 2012 and Saturday, April 7, 2012. If you are interested in finding out about community seders, please contact UJA-Federation’s J•1•1 Information and Referral Center Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 1.877.852.6951or J11@ujafedny.org. J•1•1 is a … Continue Reading
Jewish Peoplehood – A Philanthropic Focus
This essay is from The Peoplehood Papers, volume 7 – Reinvigorating Jewish Peoplehood: The Philanthropic Perspective; published by the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education. by David Mallach and Sanford Antignas “One cannot be Jewish without being a part of the Jewish People” For the first time in more than 2,000 years, Jews live in a world where they may choose their primary collective identity, sense of group identity. Increasingly, Jews are not choosing the global Jewish People as their primary, or even co-equal, collective identity. For some, this is true even though they may identify as Jewish Israelis or pursue an individual spiritual Jewish journey wherever they live. Only in the last few years has there been recognition of this challenge and the opportunities it may bring. … 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
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