Your Daily Phil: A deep dive into the world of Jewish influencers
Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on Darren Walker’s announcement that he is resigning from his role as president of the Ford Foundation in 2025, and on a new matching grant launched by Adamah and UJA-Federation of New York. We feature an opinion piece by Dan Tatar about supporting campers and counselors as they work through challenging feelings about Oct. 7 and antisemitism this summer. Also in this newsletter: Daniel and Neria Sharabi, Doug Emhoff and Elka Bentley. We’ll start with a look at the role (and value) of social media influencers in ongoing efforts to bolster Jewish pride, combat antisemitism and counter misinformation about Israel and the war in Gaza.
Social media influencers have long been seen as apolitical players associated with fashion, food or fitness, but this has changed amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Hundreds of influencers have amassed internet fame for either promoting Israel or speaking out against the Jewish state, but the value of paying to enlist these public figures — many of whom charge in the mid to upper five figures for appearances — in campaigns and events has come under heightened scrutiny in recent months, reports Haley Cohen for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Take, for instance, the case of Andy Cohen, the host and executive producer of “The Real Housewives” franchise. Cohen delivered the keynote address at “Voices for Truth: Influencers United Against Antisemitism,” a two-day summit sponsored by the Combat Antisemitism Movement and Consulate General of Israel in New York that drew more than 200 pro-Israel influencers to its swanky midtown Manhattan venue on June 30 and July 1.
While Cohen drew praise from some attendees for his participation, the fact that he did not post about the event on social media or share footage of the eight-minute speech in which he professed he is a “proud American Jew” raised eyebrows — both because of ambiguity from event organizers around who paid Cohen, as well as the value of influencer culture and whether the money was well spent.
“I have no doubt [Cohen] was paid, that’s how those events work,” Ari Ingel, executive director of Creative Community For Peace, a nonprofit that promotes prominent members of the entertainment industry and works to oppose the cultural boycott of Israel, told eJP. Another source, familiar with the event, told eJP that at least some of the speakers were not paid, but did have travel accommodations covered. Ingel, who did not attend the event, said that it’s typical for entertainers to not let the media in on how much they were paid to speak at an event, so it’s normal that Cohen’s team did not respond to inquiries from eJP.
Both of the event organizers — the Combat Antisemitism Movement and the Israeli Consulate — declined to comment to eJP regarding whether they paid Cohen and how much. “CAM is choosing not to comment on that,” a spokesperson for the nonprofit, which was founded in 2019, told eJP. A spokesperson for the consulate, meanwhile, said that he did not know who paid Cohen.
“There is too much bankrolling of already established influencers by Jewish organizations and not enough investment into creating new ones,” a source familiar with the issue told eJP. “You see organizations paying through the roof either as retainer or a one-time sum… it’s almost like throwing cash against the wall.”
The source, who requested to remain anonymous to protect their job in a Jewish organization, doesn’t have an issue with hiring influencers, per se, but called for more variety. “Why are we not investing in bringing in people who are not yet established influencers? Why are we throwing money at the same people year in and year out? Recruit people on a grassroots level, convince them that they have talent and teach them how to use their voice.”
Rabbi Avi Winner, who runs influencer events at Chabad Upper East Side, told eJP that many Jewish influencers are motivated by ideology, not fame or money. “[Chabad] set out to support them through their own challenges yet they kept insisting that we have to do something for the global Jewish community and the world,” he said.
Just like with celebrities, there is a spectrum of influencer fame, leading to varying levels of salaries. Nano-influencers have fewer than 10,000 followers. Micro-influencers have between 10,000 and 100,000 followers. Macro-influencers, like Cohen, are your typical celebrities and well-known figures with the largest followings — more than 100,000 followers.
But regardless of their level of fame, how much influence do influencers even have?
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
Ford Foundation President Darren Walker stepping down in 2025
Darren Walker, the nonprofit executive who has helmed the mammoth Ford Foundation for 11 years, announced on Monday that he will step down from the post at the end of 2025. Walker has overseen more than $7 billion in grants in his time leading the foundation, including significant sums to several Jewish nonprofits. In an email on Monday, Ford Foundation board chair Francisco Cigarroa credited Walker with overseeing “a fundamental transformation of the Ford Foundation, from reinvigorating our mission to focus squarely on inequality to thought leadership on the practice of philanthropy.” The foundation’s board of trustees is presently engaged in the search for Walker’s successor, Cigarroa added.
ICYMI: Walker talked to Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch last month at the Aspen Ideas Festival, where he moderated a panel conversation about antisemitism. He described why he feels called to address antisemitism as the leader of an organization named for one of America’s most notorious antisemites and discussed how to strengthen the Black-Jewish relationship. “Many Jewish Americans expected, understandably, there to be more empathy, more allyship and more understanding of the pain that Jews around the world and in America, American Jews, experienced in the aftermath of that terrorist attack on that horrific, horrible day,” Walker said, referring to the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel.
An impressive body of work: During Walker’s tenure, the Ford Foundation’s assets grew from $11.1 billion just before he began to $16.8 billion at the end of 2023. He established new programs such as Tech and Society, focused on building the field of public interest technology, and Ford’s first-ever program for disability rights. He shifted Ford’s grantmaking to mostly general operating support, and engaged leaders across the sector to create the President’s Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy, the President’s Council on Impact Investing, the Arts Foundations Presidents Group and the Indigenous People’s Land Tenure Fund, among others. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he organized a consortium of foundations to launch America’s Cultural Treasures, a $300 million fund to help sustain cultural institutions during the pandemic.
PARTNERING FOR THE PLANET
Adamah and UJA-Federation of New York team up to provide $130K in matching grants to support energy efficiency
Prompted by a new law that aims to make New York City carbon neutral by 2050, Adamah is partnering with UJA-Federation of New York to offer $130,000 in matching grants to support energy efficiency in Jewish day schools, yeshivot and synagogues in New York City, Long Island and Westchester through Adamah’s Climate Action Fund, reports Jay Deitcher for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Funding change: Since 2023, Adamah’s Climate Action Fund has awarded 34 organizations with $549,359 in loans and $196,550 in matching grants, collectively saving over $562,000 in utility costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 1,040 metric tons per year. Now the nonprofit is zeroing in on the New York City area. “This is a unique and really significant moment in time that is likely foreshadowing what’s to come,” Shahar Sadeh, founding director of Adamah New York, told eJP.
Carrot and stick: Under New York’s Local Law 97, buildings over 25,000 gross square feet must make moves to decarbonize or be penalized. Such moves will save organizations on utility bills, while inaction will cost them in fines. “We have a moral compulsion to act, a financial incentive, and then a legislative demand to act,” said Sadeh. Members of the Jewish community want their institutions to align with their values, added Liore Milgrom-Gartner, deputy climate action director of Adamah. “There’s a peace [of mind] walking into a building and knowing that there are solar panels on the roof and that food isn’t going into a landfill and the AC isn’t blaring to 60 degrees in the summer.”
A worthwhile investment: To qualify for a matching grant of up to $10,000 funded by the New York federation and administered by Adamah-NY, organizations must be part of Adamah’s Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition, which currently has over 70 members in the New York City area. Grants can be used for anything from sourcing clean electricity, purchasing new appliances, installing EV charging stations and changing out windows and light bulbs. “The return on investment is very substantial,” Sadeh said. “Once those institutions implement those changes, they become stronger because they save money, and that will free up needed programmatic money.”
A POST-OCT. 7 WORLD
Under the surface: Addressing mixed emotions at Jewish camps this summer
“The past nine months have been a whirlwind of constant work-related travel to support educators and teens in various settings,” writes Dan Tatar, director of engagement and strategic partnerships for The iCenter, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “My travels continued in early June through mid-July when I joined various summer camps across the U.S. and Canada. I found myself supporting the mishlachat, the Jewish Agency’s delegation of counselors from Israel; facilitating conversations with faculty, staff and older campers; and helping to integrate Israeli culture into the camp experience.”
‘I forget… then I cry’: “At one camp, for example, one-quarter of the staff were members of the mishlachat. Some had concluded their military service mere weeks before arriving, while others had spent the past year embedded in a community abroad. At several camps, a makeshift memorial was created in the staff lounge: flags on the wall, names of those lost (with names added weekly), and photos and stories of personal friends displayed between battery-operated Yizkor candles… Many expressed feelings of guilt for being away from Israel during the summer, but also pride in their work at camp. They spoke of the difficulty in transitioning between feelings of pain and grief to moments of joy and normalcy. ‘If something good happens here at camp, I forget for a minute. And then I cry,’ one Israeli staff member shared.”
Heartbreaking questions: “The campers, too, carry hidden burdens, borne of the antisemitism they have heard about or experienced firsthand in their schools and communities over the past nine months. At camp, they seek solace and connection with their Jewish community. In one camp, close to the end of the session, I had the opportunity to gather the older campers to explore their lingering concerns. Their questions are heartbreakingly universal right now: Why do so many people hate Jews right now? How should they confront friends sharing offensive memes? What strategies can help when friendships end due to differing perspectives? What is daily life in Israel really like?”
Worthy Reads
Work-Torah Balance: The annual Satmar Business Expo held last week isn’t just a business opportunity but a window into the worldview of Satmar Hasidim in Luke Tress’ coverage of the event for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “The hundreds of booths at the expo represented businesses peddling financial consulting services, kosher wine and travel, vacuum cleaners, custom closets, masonry and welding… Colorful signs in Yiddish and English adorned the booths, where business owners pitched their goods and services and exchanged business cards with interested customers. Other attendees chatted at tables in a ‘networking area’ or prayed in a room set aside for worship… In Israel, where Torah study is subsidized by the government and many haredi men opt to study full time instead of work, secular Jews complain that the lifestyle is a drain on the economy and municipal budgets. The Satmar, by contrast, have a work ethic dating back to the movement’s establishment in Williamsburg in the wake of the Holocaust, said Nathaniel Deutsch, who co-authored a 2021 book with Michael Casper about Hasidic Williamsburg called A Fortress in Brooklyn. The Satmar spiritual leader at the time, Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, encouraged his followers to earn a living. ‘He thought that the ideal is somebody who’s working and learning Torah at the same time, not somebody who’s just completely devoted to learning Torah,’ Deutsch said of Teitelbaum. ‘That has affected the course of the community through its history.’” [JTA]
View Differences as a Resource: In Forbes, Pernille Lind Olsen writes about the benefits of acknowledging and harnessing the differences among workplace staff instead of pretending they don’t exist. “Employees are the drivers of customer intimacy, innovation, strategy implementation and problem-solving… It’s important to build an inclusive culture where we feel inspired, valued and encouraged to share our best selves and boldest ideas… Acknowledging our differences and embracing different viewpoints takes courage. However, it can also compel remarkable outcomes. Every individual has a unique background and experience, and as leaders, we can cultivate an environment where these critical voices are heard and valued. In addition to fostering a positive employee experience, this benefits our businesses and the solutions we bring to external partners… Valuing diverse voices across an organization means keeping our ears and minds open to what others have to offer and being truly willing to learn from and act on it. It also means investing in lifelong learning opportunities and supporting meaningful community programs that can drive impact for generations to come.” [Forbes]
Around the Web
Vice President Kamala Harris raised $81 million in the first 24 hours since announcing her candidacy for president, the largest 24-hour haul in presidential history…
The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports on the challenges that grant recipients focused on bolstering accurate political information are facing from social media platforms, A.I. and escalating partisanship…
In the Stanford Innovation Review, Leslie Tsai of The Chandler Foundation explores how philanthropists can partner with the World Bank to support systemic change…
The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, American Middle East Press Association, New York Board of Rabbis and UJA-Federation of New York hosted Daniel and Neria Sharabi, brothers who survived the Nova Music Festival massacre on Oct. 7, for a presentation and Q&A on Sunday about their experiences at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale – The Bayit in the Bronx. Additional speakers at the event, which drew 200 people, included Consul General of Israel Ofir Akunis, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) , and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson…
The Augusta, Ga., Jewish Museum celebrated its opening yesterday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring local leaders, including Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson…
The Jerusalem Post reports on how Jewish education in the Diaspora has been affected since Oct. 7…
“October 7th 6:29 AM – The Moment the Music Stood Still” — an immersive art installation memorializing the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on the Nova Music Festival in Reim, Israel — is coming to Los Angeles on Aug. 17 after exhibitions in Tel Aviv and New York City…
The Forward’s former opinion editor Laura Adkins shares her personal impressions of Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff based on a week spent covering his visit to Germany and Poland last year…
In Digital Journal, dietician Dr. Bailey Houghtaling of Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, discusses new initiatives to promote the idea of “food as medicine” to support food security throughout the United States…
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency profiles Elke Bentley, an 18-year-old girl who completed reading the Babylonian Talmud in less than three years…
Pic of the Day
A sign reading simply “Thanks Biden,” the Hebrew words transliterated into English, on a bridge over an unspecified highway in Israel on Monday.
Birthdays
Executive director and chief creative officer at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, Rachel Eva Goslins…
Banker who distributed $60 million to his 400 employees when he sold City National Bank of Florida in 2008, Leonard L. Abess… Former U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands, she was the chair of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation until 2023, Fay Hartog-Levin… Retired judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, Judge Alex Kozinski… Businessman and real estate investor, Alexander Rovt… Senior rabbi of the Great Neck Synagogue for over 30 years, he served as president of the Rabbinical Council of America, Rabbi Dale Polakoff… President of the Marcus Foundation, Jay Kaiman… Proprietor of Oy Vey Jewish Bakery and Delicatessen in Terre Haute, Ind., Chavah Stair… Freelance journalist, she is the widow of Daniel Pearl and wrote a book about his kidnapping and murder in Pakistan in 2002, Mariane Pearl… Director, producer and actor, Shawn Adam Levy… U.S. Sen. (D-GA), Raphael Warnock… Dov M. Katz… Freelance television writer and author of two books, Joel Stein… Psychologist in private practice in both Manhattan and Great Neck, Long Island, Lynn Glasman, Ph.D…. Former White House intern, now an activist, television personality and fashion designer, Monica Lewinsky… Israeli film actress best known for her performance in the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy, Orli Shoshan… Music producer and songwriter, Jonathan Reuven “J.R.” Rotem… Professor at Georgetown University Law Center, Itai Grinberg… Singer, he represented Israel in the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest, Tal Sondak… Radio disc jockey, television show host and professional wrestling personality, Peter Elliot Rosenberg… Mayor of Minneapolis since 2018, Jacob Lawrence Frey… Sports studio host and play-by-play announcer for Westwood One, Sirius XM and ESPN, Jason M. Horowitz… Comedian and actor, Rick Glassman… Reporter for the Washington Post, Perry Stein… Starting right fielder for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Zach Borenstein… Joseph Stern…