Your Daily Phil: Arab-Jewish ‘shared society’ initiatives in Israel bear fruit
Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on Arab-Jewish shared society initiatives before and after the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and cover last night’s Belev Echad annual gala in New York City, and feature an opinion piece from Avrum Lapin about the importance of donating to synagogues. Also in this newsletter: Miriam Adelson, Sheryl Sandberg and Steve and Connie Ballmer. We’ll start with a new poll from Hillel International about Jewish college students.
More than 1 in 3 Jewish college students say they have felt the need to hide their Jewish identity on campus since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to a survey published by Hillel International on Monday, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Haley Cohen.
The poll, which surveyed 300 Jewish college students, found that the Israel-Hamas war is influencing students in several ways. More than four out of five (84%) said that the situation is affecting them, more than two-thirds (68%) said they were sad, and most (54%) said they were scared.
One in 3 Jewish students (35%) said there have been acts of hate or violence against Jews on campus. A majority of those surveyed said they are unsatisfied with their university’s response to those incidents.
The survey was released a week after the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened discrimination investigations into half a dozen academic institutions in the wake of a wave of antisemitism complaints, including at Cornell University, where last month a student threatened to murder and rape Jewish students.
Talia Dror, a junior at Cornell, who addressed the House Committee on Ways and Means last week about her experience on campus since Oct. 7, said the results of Hillel’s survey are “not surprising at all.”
“[I’ve] received death threats on campus. Of course students are scared,” Dror, the vice president of finance for the Cornellians for Israel group, told eJP.
GLIMMER OF HOPE
The past month and a half could have been a bloody replay of May 2021, when mixed Arab-Jewish cities saw deadly rioting, clashes and vandalism, alongside a conflict with Palestinian terror groups in Gaza. But in the wake of Oct. 7, despite Hamas calling for Arab Israelis to join its fight against the Jewish state and incendiary remarks by Israeli officials, including its controversial hard-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, there has not only been an absence of major, internecine violence on Israeli streets, but there are even significant indications of improved Arab-Jewish relations, reports Judith Sudilovsky for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Responsibility saves the day: What is keeping the peace within the Jewish and Arab sectors of Israeli society now, as opposed to the riots that broke out in mixed cities in 2021, is “responsible people behaving responsibly,” said Rula Daood, co-national director of Standing Together. This time, there have so far been no serious violent incidents. Not only that, a recent poll by the Israel Democracy Institute found a 20-year high of Arab Israelis — 70% — who said they feel a part of the State of Israel and its problems. In June, that number was 48%.
Nip it in the bud: Officials at Givat Haviva Center for Shared Society had already established a connection with leaders, educators and activists of the Jewish and Arab communities throughout Israel, and so are able to keep their fingers on the pulse of the street in case the possibility of tensions flares up, noted Mohammad Darawshe, Givat Haviva’s director of strategic planning. “We keep in touch so we don’t have too much burned territory the day after, and to keep things under control as much as possible. We try to intervene when the problem is minimal… before it takes a confrontational aspect,” said Darawshe, whose family is mourning the death of his 23-year-old cousin, Awad Darawshe, a medic who was killed by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 at the Nova desert dance party while trying to treat the wounded.
ON THE SCENE
Belev Echad raises $4.3 million at NYC gala for wounded IDF vets, honors one of its fallen
Some 1,500 supporters attended the Belev Echad nonprofit’s annual fundraising gala at the Cipriani event hall in Manhattan’s Financial District on Monday night, enjoying wine and dinner as they honored the organization and the wounded Israeli veterans that it supports. The organization raised $4.3 million toward these efforts at the gala on Monday, Belev Echad’s founder, Rabbi Uriel Vigler, told Jewish Insider’s Tori Bergel for eJewishPhilanthropy.
More than ever: Belev Echad’s activities have grown considerably following the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas and Israel’s subsequent war with the terror group in Gaza, in which hundreds of soldiers have so far been injured, though Vigler attests the organization’s fundamental purpose hasn’t changed. “The vision is to shut the organization down,” Vigler told eJP. “We pray for a time where there won’t be wounded soldiers, but in the meantime, we are there for every soldier, whatever they need, and that mission hasn’t changed.” There are “many newly wounded soldiers” whom the organization is helping, Vigler said. “I haven’t seen such wounds on our soldiers in 15 years of doing this, so it’s gotten much harder.”
SUPPORT SHULS
Don’t forget your synagogue, especially now
“[E]ven in a time of crisis and uncertainty, it is clear that our synagogues must be present among the key priorities of giving in Jewish communities across North America,” writes Avrum Lapin, president of consulting firm The Lapin Group, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Don’t take them for granted: “Without those foundational organizations, the fabric of Jewish life in communities across North America would be weakened, and Jewish life in our communities would suffer — and support for Israel would suffer as well… The synagogue is an important hub for Jewish life. We count on it being there even when we do not walk through the doors, in person or virtually, as often as we (or others) would like… Let’s approach giving to our local synagogues as a way to build community and bind people together.”
Worthy Reads
Joke’s Over: In the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Miriam Adelson recounts her recent visit to the community of Nir Oz, a quarter of whose residents were either murdered, wounded or kidnapped. “Like so many contemporary Jews, I took our safety for granted. I may have even poked fun at the Jewish tradition which I so cherish, with its fixation on genocides averted in our annals, from Passover to Purim. The old joke is that Jewish holidays can be summarized with: ‘They tried to kill us. We survived. Let’s eat.’ But that joke is over, gone along with the 1,200 innocents who died Oct. 7 and all those killed in Israel’s military counter-offensive in the Gaza Strip. Our sages were right when they warned, a millennium ago, that in each and every generation there are those who will strive to wipe out the Jews… Israel will recover from this unprecedented violation, and rally. That will entail remaking Israeli borders and relations with friends and foes alike. We will expect and demand full support from our Western partners. And anyone who fails us, we will not forget.” [ReviewJournal]
What’s in a Number: Philanthropy Roundtable published “Private Foundations and the 5% Payout Rule,” a policy primer on the historical background, rationale and contemporary criticisms surrounding the 5% payout requirement for private foundations, writes report author Jack Salomon in a blog post highlighting his findings. “Existing research and available data consistently demonstrate the 5% payout rule comes closest over other proposals to preserving the purchasing power of private foundations. It ensures a steady and reliable source of funds for charities over the long run. Moreover, predictions of future investment returns suggest that foundation investments are likely to see returns of around 5% and possibly even lower. Higher payout requirements would, therefore, result in a significant decline in real dollar payouts over time.” [PhilanthropyRoundtable]
Philanthropy is en Vogue (Literally): Charity might be the last thing that comes to mind when you think of high-end luxury brands like Cartier and Louis Vuitton, but these companies are establishing foundations or increasing their current philanthropic efforts, writes Milena Lazazzera in Vogue Business. “‘Consumers now genuinely care about the philanthropic efforts of brands, and employees also echo this sentiment,’ comments Sarah Willersdorf, Boston Consulting Group’s global head of luxury. ‘Engaging in philanthropy fosters consumer and employee loyalty. This is especially significant for younger millennial and Gen Z employees who, as a general trend, seek out companies that strive to make a positive impact on society and are committed to social causes, ranging from DEIJ (diversity, equity, inclusion and justice), to sustainability and broader social impact,’ she says… ‘Philanthropic activities are a way to break barriers between consumers and employees and ultimately to federate a large number of stakeholders into a long-term vision,’ observes Laurent François, managing partner of the luxury creative agency 180 Global in Paris. While, in the past, businesses used to support a wide range of charitable causes, philanthropy now forms an integral component of a brand’s strategy and image.” [VogueBusiness]
Around the Web
More than 240 asset managers, including several Jewish philanthropists, have signed a petition pledging to not hire “supporters of hate” against Jews and Israel…
Sheryl Sandberg, the former COO of Meta, wrote an opinion piece for CNN calling for global condemnation of the rape and sexual assaults committed by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7…
Zainab Chaudry, the Maryland director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and a member of the state’s hate crimes commission, is facing criticism for social media posts justifying the Oct. 7 attacks and comparing Israel to Nazi Germany…
Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, said she has never seen outpourings of antisemitism like are being seen now in her more than 30 years of professional experience…
The McKinsey & Company consulting firm created a 101-page report on how public-private-philanthropic partnerships can help combat climate change…
The former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie Ballmer, have pledged $431 million in new multiyear commitments that were announced this week, making them some of the largest donors to climate-related causes in the United States…
Movie and television producer Lee Caplin and his wife, Gita, donated $10 million to the newly named Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media at Florida International University…
The National Congress of American Indians launched the NCAI Foundation, which is aimed at increasing the amount of philanthropic funding going to “Indian Country”…
The nonprofit news outlet ProPublica upgraded its “Nonprofit Explorer,” adding new features, including email alerts and improved search functions…
Jewish families in Minnesota are criticizing a resolution issued by the Minneapolis Public Schools’ teachers union, which calls for a boycott of Israel…
A new study by the American Nurses Foundation found that only 1% of the $333.3 billion donated to medical-related causes from 2015 to 2022 went toward nursing…
The social media platform X filed a lawsuit against the Media Matters nonprofit for publishing research that shows that advertisements were running next to antisemitic content…
Speaking of which, Bloomberg investigated X’s failure to curb rampant misinformation on the platform in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks and Israel’s subsequent war against Hamas in Gaza…
HIAS, joined by seven other Jewish groups, called for the Biden administration to extend protected status to Israelis visiting the U.S. in light of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas…
Ethan Myerson was hired as the next director of development at the Tucson Hebrew Academy in Arizona…
Writing in USA Today, Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, who donated a kidney in 2015, called for lawmakers to make it easier for people to donate organs…
The University of Pennsylvania has created a task force to combat antisemitism, which will be chaired by Mark S. Wolff, the dean of its dental school, and will be comprised of faculty, students, staff, alumni and members of the university’s board of trustees…
The David Horowitz Freedom Center cut ties with Candace Owens over her recent antisemitic comments…
The Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity celebrated the 110th anniversary of its founding last weekend with special Shabbat programs on 125 campuses around the world…
In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, Michael Bloomberg argued that universities should refrain from issuing statements and policing students’ speech as much as possible…
BBYO hosted its first-ever convention for Jewish teenagers in Asia last week…
Three professors at the Jewish Theological Seminary — Israel Francus, Rabbi Avraham Holtz and Samuel Klagsbrun — died over the past two weeks at 96, 89 and 91, respectively…
Pic of the Day
In the southern Israeli city of Ofakim, where 52 residents were killed during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, a newly painted mural depicts a father shielding his child from rockets using a Torah scroll. The artwork was painted by teens from KKL-JNF’s program for at-risk youth as a tribute to the bravery of the community.
Birthdays
CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Jonathan A. Greenblatt…
Director-general of the Mossad from 1982 to 1989, Nahum Admoni… British entrepreneur and philanthropist, Baron Harold Stanley Kalms… U.S. senator (D-IL), he serves as the Senate majority whip, Dick Durbin… Academy Award-winning actress, director, producer and occasional singer, she founded The Hawn Foundation to help underprivileged children, Goldie Hawn… Founder, chairman and CEO of Men’s Wearhouse for 40 years, currently holding these same positions at Generation Tux, George Zimmer… U.S. senator (R-LA), John Kennedy… Beverly Hills resident, Julie Shuer… U.S. district judge for the Northern District of California, she is a past president of Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo, Calif., Judge Beth Labson Freeman… Chairman of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, Thomas Rothman… Israeli media personality, Avri Gilad… Business development officer at the San Francisco office of Taylor Frigon Capital Management, Jonathan Wornick… VP of planned giving and endowments at UJA-Federation of New York, William Samers… Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist and editor of Sapir, Bret Stephens (family name was Ehrlich)… Founder and publisher of The Real Deal, Amir Korangy… Former NFL running back for the Raiders and Rams, he is now a real estate entrepreneur, Chad Levitt… Political director of ABC News, Rick Klein… Director of global government relations at the Hershey Company, Joanna Liberman Turner… Consul general of the U.S. in Quebec, Danielle Hana Monosson… Reporter at Bloomberg News and Businessweek, Max Abelson… Member of the New York City Council from the Bronx, Eric Dinowitz… MLB pitcher in five organizations, now playing for the Long Island Ducks, he played for Team Israel in this year’s World Baseball Classic, Robert Stock… Director of social media at the American Jewish Committee, Alexander Freeman… Judy Brilliant… Ruth Shapiro…
