Your Daily Phil: Anguish as bodies of 4 hostages, including Bibas children, return to Israel
Good Thursday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on the release this morning of the remains of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas and Oded Lifshitz and on an unconventional funding model being used by an Israeli nonprofit to improve academic performance in the Bedouin Israeli community. We feature an opinion piece by Mark Shpall about equipping the next generation of Jews with Jewish knowledge and courage, and one by David Matlow about his experience on a recent “mifgash” trip through The iCenter. Also in this newsletter: Leeor Ofer, Michael Wise and Marian Turski.
What We’re Watching
The International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Women Emissaries kicks off today in Brooklyn, N.Y. Some 4,000 attendees will travel to the Ohel, the grave of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, in Queens today.
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organization’s annual mission to Israel concludes today, with sessions focusing on Israel’s diplomacy and economy.
What You Should Know
The last vestiges of hope that Shiri Bibas and her young, redheaded sons, 5-year-old Ariel and 1-year-old Kfir, would return to Israel alive after they were kidnapped from their home on Kibbutz Nir Oz by terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, were dashed this morning as the Hamas terror group handed over their remains to the Red Cross, along with those of 85-year-old journalist and peace activist Oded Lifshitz. Shiri’s husband, Yarden, was returned to Israel on Feb. 1 as part of the hostage-release deal, having been reportedly tormented by Hamas about the fate of his family while in captivity. Read more about the release below.
The tragedy of the Bibas family has gripped the hearts of people around the world for any number of reasons: the innocence of Ariel and Kfir; the relatability of a young, affable family; their red hair; or their love of Batman — as seen in one of the most commonly used images of the family, piled on top of one another wearing pajamas featuring the symbol of the caped crusader.
In a poignant essay this morning reflecting on the tragedy, eJewishPhilanthropy opinion editor Rachel Kohn writes: A trait that possibly makes me a good journalist but a dubious human being is my natural tendency to compartmentalize. So I’ve been editing op-eds and choosing photos and fact-checking and proofreading while, with rare exceptions, averting my heart’s gaze. I have a 4-month-old baby at home, and to contemplate the experiences of Shiri Bibas or, even moreso, her little baby, is a third rail to my mind. Don’t touch it.
But in the course of my scrolling last night, an image arrested my attention. Posted on Facebook by the Israeli media outlet Kan, it was a cartoon illustration by Israeli artist Adva Sanot of Batman, sitting doubled over on a tree stump while three orange stars shine above him in the dark night sky. Of course they would get me with Batman.
I can’t tell you with certainty why Ariel Bibas loved Batman, but I know what drew me to the character and his story as a child: His pursuit of justice. His defense of the vulnerable. His spirit of vengeance, a mission of tikkun olam borne from trauma. His engagement in the struggle between good and evil, darkness and light, not just in the world but also within himself. And of course his humor (keep in mind that, in the 90s, the dark, quippy Batman of “Batman: The Animated Series” reigned supreme).
Batman arms himself with an amazing arsenal of gadgets and vehicles and turns situations around on the strength of his quick wits and compelling words. His physical prowess and martial arts skills are the product of hard work and years of study conducted with determination and humility. He is, in short, a self-made superhero; and a self-made superhero is, to a child, something any of us could become.
Remembering that feeling opened the pathway in my heart to Ariel Bibas — because, knowing that he loved Batman, I can’t believe that at some point in his captivity Ariel didn’t fantasize about Batman coming to save him.
I can viscerally connect with a child who loved Batman, escaping into the world of his imagination to cope with the stress and horror of his reality and imagining fighting alongside the Caped Crusader to rescue himself and his family. POW! CRACK! KA-BOOM!-ing their way to freedom and back home. Different moves, different dialogue, moments of peril and ultimately triumph, over and over again. Because it is what the child in me would have done.
It may sound perverse, but I hope that Ariel believed he was coming home until the very end. I hope there wasn’t an opportunity for the realization to sink into that small but fierce heart that no Batman, no heroes, were going to save his baby brother. No one was going to save his mom. No one was going to save him.
Because the thought of that moment of loss, the feelings of despair and terror that he might have experienced, shatters my heart to the point of obliteration — I feel it, like breaking glass falling, a thousand shards falling like tears. And the child in me reaches out to save another, to grasp his hand, to at the very least hold his gaze with love at the end. But it’s too late.
TRAGIC RELEASE
Bodies of Bibas children, mother and Oded Lifshitz, 84, returned to Israel
In a grim spectacle, Hamas paraded the coffins of four hostages, including a baby and a toddler, before a banner showing images of their smiling faces and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu portrayed as a vampire, on a stage in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Thursday morning. Hamas then transferred the bodies to the Red Cross to deliver to Israel, a wrenching moment for the country after more than 500 days of anguish. The youngest of the hostages, Kfir Bibas, was 9 months old when he was kidnapped along with his brother Ariel, 4, and mother Shiri Silberman Bibas, 32. Hamas also returned the body of one of the oldest hostages, Oded Lifshitz, 85. All were taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, reports Lahav Harkov for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider.
Praying for a different outcome: After the families were informed that their loved ones’ bodies would be returned, the Bibas family said they would refrain from eulogizing until the identification procedures are completed. The Lifshitz family said they “prayed for a different outcome. However, until we receive absolute certainty, our journey is not over, and even afterwards we will continue to fight until the last hostage is returned.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in an address at the Great Synagogue in Rome that the return of the hostages’ bodies highlights that “it is our highest duty to bring every last one of our hostage brothers home” and that “we really are dealing with absolute and cruel evil that murders, tortures, and kidnaps mothers and babies, motivated by a murderous jihadist ideology.”
Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
‘PAY FOR SUCCESS’
Israel’s SFI Group looks to boost ‘catastrophic’ math studies in Bedouin community with results-based funding
Using an unconventional results-based funding model, Israel’s SFI Group is looking to address what one Israeli education expert referred to as a “catastrophic” situation in the school system in the Israeli Bedouin community, which lags far behind the national average, particularly in mathematics, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.
More risk, more reward: Building off a previous similar but smaller program, the nonprofit intends to launch projects in 19 high schools across four Bedouin-majority cities in southern Israel to increase the number of students in high-level math courses, relying on a “Pay for Success” model of funding from the Israeli government. Under this riskier but potentially more rewarding payment model the compensation that SFI Group receives from the government depends on how successful the program is: the more students study high-level math, the more SFI Group and its investors get paid. But if SFI Group does not meet its benchmarks, it does not receive funding.
SECURE OUR FUTURE
‘Chazak v’ematz’: An ethos for the next generation of Jews
“For the Jewish community to thrive in the years to come, the next generation is paramount. If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that we must prepare, nurture and raise our youth as strong, confident, knowledgeable Jews,” writes Mark Shpall, head of school at de Toledo High School in Los Angeles, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “As an educator, this is my North Star. As a people, we cannot afford to be collectively complacent.”
Pep talk: “We are taught that each of us is a link in a chain, responsible for carrying forward the legacy of our ancestors. At times this chain may fray, but it is far from broken. The next generation must be equipped not only with knowledge but also with the courage to live and defend their identity proudly. Judaism is not a burden but a responsibility — one that is filled with the power to transform lives. Now is the time to seize this moment: to invest in our youth and secure a vibrant, thriving future for Jewish life in the Diaspora. Together, let’s raise a generation that is both literate in our past and eager to write the next chapter. The future of the Jewish people depends on it.”
FACE TO FACE
Why The iCenter’s ‘Mifgash That Matters’ really matters
“How do you teach about Israel today? Do you focus on the destruction of Oct. 7 or on the rebuilding that follows? Do you speak about the wars or the yearning for peace? Do you focus on the failures of the government or on the spirit of the people? Do you talk about despair or about hope?” writes The iCenter board member David Matlow in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “The answer to all of these questions is ‘Yes.’”
A purposeful visit: “Israel is complicated. It is a land of contradictions. How best to teach and talk about it is the objective of the ‘Mifgash that Matters,’ an iCenter program that has been running since February 2024. It brings educators and Jewish professionals to Israel to see for themselves what is happening on the ground, hear the stories from people who have been impacted directly by the horrors of Oct. 7 and learn how the people are responding to it. The ninth and 10th cohorts of the program spent four days in Israel earlier this month, and I had the privilege of participating… We return home equipped to share with our home communities and institutions what we have seen, heard and experienced, with tangible tools and program ideas to share our learnings on a broader scale.”
Worthy Reads
Insider Giving: In the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, Leeor Ofer examines the issue of corporate philanthropy that deliberately benefits the giver. “While companies are not required to disclose their direct giving activity, many firms establish and operate corporate charitable foundations. These foundations report all their activities annually, using IRS Form 990-PF, and their giving is thus visible. My Article [sic], “Granting Favors: Insider-Driven Corporate Philanthropy,” presents a comprehensive analysis of conflicted grants and their attributes… By constructing a sample consisting of the visible giving by S&P 500 firms between 2014 and 2019, I investigated the extent to which corporations channel donations to director-affiliated nonprofits. The data show that conflicted grants are commonplace… Overall, almost $300 million in conflicted grants was documented during the sample period. Of those companies that were found to have engaged in this practice, conflicted giving represented 2.3% of their overall visible charitable donations during this period. In approximately half of all cases in which a conflicted grant was detected, the company began funding the recipient nonprofit only after a connection had been established between the two by means of the director’s dual-role. This suggests that insider self-interest is often the motivation behind conflicted giving, and that insiders are able to exert a critical level of influence over the charitable donations made by their companies.” [HarvardLawSchoolForumonCorporateGovernance]
Map Your Way to Success: In Blue Avocado, Ryan Gott explains the idea of an “expanded matrix map” and how nonprofits can use them to evaluate their programs. “As nonprofits, we are always trying to do more with less. And while we are working hard, striving for greater impact, it can be tough to find the time, money and other resources to assess whether we’re meeting our goals in ways that contribute to our mission and vision. That’s where the Matrix Map comes in. The Matrix Map is a wonderful tool that helps us evaluate our programs based on a double bottom line: Mission impact and profitability. But in today’s rapidly changing world, we need to expand the Matrix Map to include organizational values as a triple bottom line, using this Expanded Matrix Map to show grantors and donors alike the impact of their funding… When our programs align with our values, it’s easier to engage staff, volunteers and donors. That is, people are more likely to get involved and stay involved when they feel a sense of purpose and connection. However, there’s also a dangerous inverse to this principle. If employees, volunteers, donors or clients feel a misalignment — perhaps between the organization’s stated values and what is actually being done — the likelihood of turnover, volunteer resignation, donor hesitancy and lack of program engagement increases.” [BlueAvocado]
Halting Hate: In The New York Times, former Meta executive Fay M. Johnson considers how social media platforms could address hate speech on their sites, following dozens of antisemitic posts by Kanye West, also known as Ye. “My search of archived versions of Ye’s now-deleted posts suggests that only the post naming specific executives was flagged with a warning by X for potentially violating its hate-speech policies. Vilifying Jews individually and collectively and deploying the symbol of the regime that murdered six million Jews — using swastikas is expressly cited by X as an example of hateful imagery — seem to have gone unaddressed. … Companies must invest in professionals who understand cultural context, language nuances and how threats evolve online. They should leverage emerging advanced A.I. systems that can examine text, images and other forms of communication, and also the context in which they are shared, to more accurately and consistently identify dangerous content and behavior. They should invest in getting this right, rather than scaling down moderation to cut costs or acquiesce to a particular political movement. And regulators or independent oversight bodies need the power and expertise to ensure these platforms live up to their responsibilities.” [NYTimes]
Word on the Street
Michael Wise, the co-founder and former co-CEO of Honeymoon Israel, has been named the next CEO of the interfaith marriage outreach group 18Doors…
A new study by the Independent Sector found that nonprofits are increasingly refraining from advocacy and commenting on topical matters in an effort to not be seen as partisan or out of fear of retaliation from politicians…
The Massachusetts Teachers Union agreed to remove antisemitic content that had been included in online educational materials, following weeks of pushback from Jewish organizations and state legislators…
At a gathering of supporters of the Mesorah Heritage Foundation last weekend, the organization’s board chair, Jay Schottenstein, hailed the organization’s distribution of paperback copies of the Talmud to Israeli soldiers over the past 16 months of war; “Nobody could have imagined how the Gemaras would be used, on the battlefield, in tanks, in bunkers, in buildings. Every rest period, you’d see guys studying,” he said in a speech…
A new Holocaust research hub connected to the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure is slated to open in the U.K.; the effort will be overseen locally by the University of Southampton…
The New York Times spotlights I’m at a Loss for What to Do, a new book containing letters from Jews who unsuccessfully attempted to escape Nazi Germany to the Netherlands ahead of the outbreak of World War II…
Marshall Rose, a real estate developer and philanthropist and husband to actress Candace Bergen, died on Saturday at 88…
Holocaust survivor Marian Turski, who cofounded Warsaw’s POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews and who spoke at last month’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony in Auschwitz, died on Tuesday at 98…
Pic of the Day
Rabbi Joseph Hamra, who was forcibly displaced from Syria in 1992, leads prayer services at a synagogue in Damascus yesterday — the first time formal Jewish prayers have been held in the Syrian capital in decades.
A group of Syrian-American Jews has been visiting the country this week following the ousting of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad as part of a delegation organized by the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a U.S.-based advocacy group.
Birthdays
CEO at the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Amy Spitalnick…
Former head of the Israeli security agency Shin Bet and later a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid, Yaakov Peri… Co-owner of NYC-based TF Cornerstone, Kamran Thomas Elghanayan… Screenwriter, film director and novelist, he wrote the screenplay for “Blazing Saddles,” Andrew Bergman… University professor at Brown University, winner of a 2015 Pulitzer Prize for biography, David Kertzer… Physician and acupuncturist based in Valley Village, Calif., Andrea Hoffman Kachuck… Nursing home administrator in Hazlet, N.J., Benzion Schachter… Founder and publisher of Punch, M. Sloane Citron… Former senior vice president of News at CBS-owned local television stations, David M. Friend… Former NFL player who played for seven different teams over 16 seasons, he was one of the NFL’s original long snapper specialists, Adam Blayne Schreiber… Senior editor at Politico, David Cohen… Professor of mathematics at the University of Chicago, Shmuel Aaron Weinberger… Pulitzer Prize-winning staff writer for The New Yorker, Emily Nussbaum… Cantor at Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles, Kerith Carolyn Spencer-Shapiro… Actress, comedian and writer, Andrea Savage… Emmy Award-winning film and television producer, he is the founder of Hidden Pictures Media, Todd Darren Lieberman… Comedian, actress and writer, best known for portraying Gina Linetti on Fox’s series “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” Chelsea Peretti… Actor, best known for his role as Joel Maisel on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Michael Zegen… Owner of a baseball development facility in Denver, he was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball, Jason Hirsh … Philanthropy consultant, Aimee Weiss… Ethiopian-born Israeli fashion model and television personality, winner of the Israeli version of “Big Brother,” Tahounia Rubel… Boca Raton, Fla., resident, Levi Yitzchok Shemtov… Ice hockey defenseman for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, Jake Walman…
