Our Most Popular Posts of 2018
In case you missed any, here – based on site analytics, and in alphabetical order – are 2018’s Top Ten posts (really 13 due to statistically insignificant differences); news items excluded:
8 Brilliant Jewish Organizations Reimagine Jewish Life
As the world rapidly changes, so do the diverse needs, interests, and values of modern Jews. Consequently, groundbreaking social entrepreneurs have taken on the mantle of widening the tent of Jewish life, offering new and unique approaches to meeting the spiritual and social needs of today’s community.
How The Federation Lost a $1 MIllion Dollar Donor
I was 25 when I made my first gift to The Federation for $250. This seemed like a HUGE amount of money.
I have no experience as an employee of the Jewish communal or academic worlds. I have extensive experience, however, as a volunteer in the Jewish communal world.
Landmark Study of Jewish Grandparents in the US Launches
Today’s Jewish boomer grandparents are part of the wealthiest, most connected demographic in Jewish life – often the underwriters and dues payers of the organizations most concerned about millennials and young families.
New Headwinds; Steven M. Cohen and Tisha B’Av
The “outing” of Steven M. Cohen, a well-known researcher, writer and speaker on American Jewish trends, on sexual misconduct has hit the professional Jewish world with the strength of a tsunami.
New Report on American Jewish Philanthropy shows Donors Rely Less on Established Organizations
A new report on American Jewish philanthropy details an increased focus on Jewish engagement, more giving with social or systemic change in mind, less giving to older institutions, and more collaboration among major foundations.
Safe, Respectful, Equitable: Launching a New Partnership for Jewish Communal Life
As the #MeToo movement has grown and spread across industries and sectors, it has laid bare an inescapable truth: the Jewish community is subject to the same kinds of issues, inequities and power dynamics that exist in other communities.
Slingshot introduces the Class of 2018
Slingshot has released its 13th Slingshot Guide to Jewish Innovation, which highlights some of the most ground-breaking organizations in Jewish life today.
The Future of North American Synagogues
At the core of the problem with synagogues is how the life of the synagogue is oriented.
This is a #MeToo story. But it is not a story about sexual harassment or assault.
It is a story about power – of getting caught under the weight of leadership models that have not changed for centuries.
The last place I expected to work after ordination was America’s top party school.
To My Counselor… 45 Years Later
On my first day at Camp Ramah, my counselor Stan Lacks handed me a brush and soap and told me it was my turn to scrub the toilets as part of nikayon, the daily cleaning of the tzrif, the bunk.
You want Young People to Join Your Synagogue? There’s a REALLY Obvious and Easy Solution…
People (old, young, singles, couples, families, gay, straight, trans, etc.) don’t care about your programs, or your childcare, or even your services. They crave connections to community. They want a chevre (close-knit group), that will invite them over for Shabbat dinner and holiday meals and make them feel included in something bigger than themselves.