Your Daily Phil: As it grows, Yael Foundation looks to balance quality with quantity
Good Friday morning.
Ed. note: In honor of Presidents Day, the next Your Daily Phil will arrive on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent eJewishPhilanthropy and Jewish Insider stories, including: Stephen Bronfman, Michael Sonnenfeldt launch new Jewish Climate Trust with major philanthropic backers; 25 years after launching, the now-shuttered Joshua Venture still making waves through Jewish world; and Restitution project genealogists track down rightful heirs of Nazi-looted books. Print the latest edition here.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on a new $2.5 million donation to BBYO to teach teens about civic engagement and spotlight the Yael Foundation following its conference in Cyprus last week. We report on the rebranding of Hadassah Academic College to the Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College and examine how post-Oct. 7 antisemitism is affecting pediatric medicine. We feature an opinion piece by Seth Winberg, Ari Weiss and Donna Schwartz urging funders to support Jewish campus life as a positive formational experience; and one by Nicole Ellefson about the need to provide young children with space and resources to “wrestle” meaningfully with Torah. Also in this newsletter: Chavi Israel, Lisa Miara and Ronnie Shugar.
Shabbat shalom!
What We’re Watching
Hamas has indicated that it plans to release three hostages tomorrow — American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, Russian-Israeli Sasha Trufanov and Argentine-Israeli Yair Horn — as per the terms of last month’s cease-fire agreement, following threats made earlier this week to indefinitely delay the release of hostages.
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations begins its annual Israel mission in Jerusalem on Sunday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to address the group on Sunday evening. Follow eJewishPhilanthropy’s coverage of the mission.
What You Should Know
BBYO has received a $2.5 million endowment gift from Sage Publishing founder Sara Miller McCune to establish The Miller Institute for Democracy, a new learning initiative to inspire teens toward civic engagement, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim reports from the youth movement’s International Convention in Denver.
McCune’s donation was inspired by her experience as BBYO’s 15th International N’siah (Hebrew for president), an experience that led her to switch her major from English literature to political science in college.
“Thinking and learning about democracy still fascinates me,” McCune said in a statement. “It is – to me – the key to a better world.”
“It was so important to us to have Sara’s name associated with this initiative, as she is an incredible role model for BBYO members,” Matthew Grossman, BBYO’s CEO, said. “She built Sage Publications into one of the world’s largest privately held academic publishers by focusing on the leadership and values she gained through BBYO. By establishing this endowment, she ensures others have this same opportunity.”
According to the youth group, The Miller Institute aims to combat the disillusionment teens might have as a result of the influence of social media, distrust in elected officials and a confusing media landscape, helping teens consider leadership roles in the public sector in their future careers.
The initiative will provide teens with access to leadership retreats, resources and hands-on learning as they explore topics surrounding the media’s role in democracy and democratic practices. The funding will specifically support the expansion of three BBYO initiatives: a youth press corps allowing teens to learn from media professionals and practice journalistic skills at the International Conference; a program to bring in speakers to discuss social issues including media and democracy; and one to hire experienced debate coaches to teach teens oratory skills in advance of BBYO’s annual global debate competition.
JUGGLING ACT
Formed in 2020 and now with a $42M budget, education-focused Yael Foundation looks to balance rapid growth with quality
Since launching in 2020, the Yael Foundation— founded by Uri and Yael Poliavich — has quickly grown into one of the largest funders of Jewish education projects around the world. At the foundation’s annual conference in Cyprus last week, Uri Poliavich announced that the organization’s budget for giving would increase to more than $40 million — nearly double the level from the year before and quadruple what it was in 2023. In his address at the conference, Poliavich highlighted that over the past year the foundation went from operating in 29 countries to 37, increased the number of its projects from 60 to 100, and growing the number of students it reaches by 55% to 56,000. It is also building a new, state-of-the-art school in Cyprus. The still young organization has had to balance this rapid growth with a desire to be effective and efficient — no small task. “It’s a juggle,” Chaya Yosovich, CEO of the Yael Foundation, told eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross. “Numbers are very important for Uri — he wants more schools and more kids and more things. But we want to make sure we’re investing in the right places and the right things, and it’s not only about numbers, it’s also about the quality.”
New priorities: Speaking to the 200 educators from 37 countries who attended the conference, Yosovich said that the foundation would expect more metrics and measurements going forward. “We do want to measure and know that… things are going to move the needle,” she said. “We’re not going to change everything, but at least we know that some things are accomplished. We don’t want to be over-bureaucratic — we want to just have the right balance,” she said. In general, Yosovich said the foundation was prioritizing positive Jewish experiences, even above academics, under the belief that over-emphasizing Jewish formal learning may alienate would-be students and push them away from their Jewish identity. “They should just remember the Hanukkah party and the Kabbalat Shabbat, so that when they grow up they have something inside and you’re not going to lose them completely,” she said. “So we’re trying to really also encourage the schools to focus on experiences as much as they can.”
STRATEGIC SHIFTS
Cutting ties with its namesake, Hadassah Academic College rebrands as Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College, focusing on growth and local community
Ariela Gordon-Shaag, a Chicago native, began her career at Hadassah Academic College in the heart of Jerusalem in 2007 when she established the school’s master’s program in optometry. Now, as she takes over as president of the newly rebranded Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College, she has a clear-eyed vision of the school, its future growth and how it is woven into the fabric of a diverse city. “Jerusalem is in our DNA. We’re part of the ecosystem of the city of Jerusalem,” she told eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judith Sudilovsky on a tour of the downtown campus on the corner of Harav Kook and Rehov Hanevi’im streets. The name change, with its emphasis on “Jerusalem,” signifies a strategic shift for the institution.
Focus on employment: Some 54% of the students are the first generation in their family to go into higher education, said Gordon-Shaag, so the outcome measure that most interests the college is employability. “Our mission is to make higher education accessible to people who wouldn’t necessarily be getting an academic education,” she said. “We believe that part of academia should be training the students already from their second year to be managing their careers. So from their second year, we give them workshops about how to write a CV, how to sit for an interview.”
BAD MEDICINE
The war on the pediatrics ward: Inside the American Academy of Pediatrics’ battle with antisemitism
Like other fields, the world of American medicine has not been spared from the division wrought by the Israel-Hamas war. The problem is particularly acute within the field of pediatric medicine. The rise of antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric by pediatric doctors online and in medical forums has raised concerns among Jewish providers for their patients and careers. Within distinguished medical bodies, senior physicians and students alike are issuing anti-Israel purity tests, urging organizations ostensibly focused on promoting high-quality medical care to take sides in a divisive war thousands of miles away. Gabby Deutch at eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider investigates the concerns of Jewish doctors within the American Academy of Pediatrics, the preeminent membership body for pediatricians, which claims to have more than 67,000 members.
Blind spot: “They appear to be taking a different approach to issues that involve Jews and Israel than they do in other areas,” Dr. Daniel Rauch, a pediatrician and professor at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in New Jersey, said of the AAP, an organization with which he has been involved for decades. “To be so blind in this area is frightening and speaks to structural antisemitism.”
Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
Since the Oct. 7 attacks, JI has investigated antisemitism across America, including in the mental health field, the LGBTQ community and the literary world. Now, read JI’s deep dive on the challenges Jewish pediatricians face in their most important professional organization.
CAMPUS SCENE
A vision for Jewish flourishing on campus
“Jewish life on college campuses has dominated the news cycle over the last year. Seemingly every day, another antisemitic incident is reported,” write Seth Winberg, Ari Weiss and Donna Schwartz in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “As Hillel directors, we haven’t just read the headlines — we have lived them. We’ve answered late-night calls from students feeling unsafe, empowered students in defeating anti-Israel resolutions and counseled all who are mourning the murder of Israelis. We have also been fierce advocates on behalf of Jewish students and staff to university administrations.”
Jewish life is more than this: “Through our experiences, we know the Jewish community’s focus on safety and security is deeply important, and we appreciate the support and partnership from the community as we respond to antisemitism on campus. And yet, by focusing only on antisemitism, the communal conversation has been reactive and centered on the safety of Jewish students on campus. As Hillel directors who deeply believe that a student’s college years are foundational to their Jewish identity formation, we think this is the moment to ask a more fundamental question about campus climate: How can we create Jewish flourishing on campus?… As we envision this future, let us resist the temptation to define ourselves solely by the challenges we face. Antisemitism is real and must be addressed, but it cannot be the totality of our story. Let us instead focus on what we can build: communities of meaning, spaces of joy and lives of purpose.”
REIMAGINING JEWISH ED
Wrestling with Torah: Moving toward deep study with young children
“I got into Jewish education the day my first-grade child came home from Hebrew school and told me, ‘I know why it hurts when a woman gives birth — it’s a punishment from God!’ My husband and I were shocked; such a hyper-traditionalist (and patriarchal) approach to Genesis 3:16 was way out of line with our congregation’s approach to Judaism. How did this happen?” writes Nicole Ellefson, now the director of the Little t Torah Project, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “One week later, I was leading Torah studies for my child’s class.”
Seeking a different approach: “Taking on this role started the journey of a lifetime as I struggled to translate to our Jewish learning space what I’d learned as a professionally trained educator and former public school teacher with a background in Montessori and other progressive ways of teaching children. From my experience teaching and parenting, I knew that children are capable of asking deep and rich questions and can understand complex ideas; but, I faced questions about how I could make the English translations from the Chumash relatable to children. How would I get the children to listen to our ancient text, wrestle with the content and come up with their own ideas about what they were reading? How could we engage with the Torah from the critical thinking perspectives that children of various ages possess?… Ten years later, I took over as director of our school. At that same time, I learned about the work of Rabbi Rebecca Milder at the Jewish Enrichment Center in Chicago. To put it mildly, it rocked my world.”
Worthy Reads
Photo Ops Aren’t Enough: In The Jewish Chronicle, Fiyaz Mughal calls out Britain’s Muslim leaders for their response (or lack thereof) to Oct. 7 and urges them to speak up for Jews if recent interfaith efforts are to have any meaning. “A few days ago, a group of Muslim and Jewish religious leaders came together to sign the Drumlanrig Accord, intended to reconcile the two communities after a period of severe friction. Following the signing ceremony, the agreement — named for Drumlanrig Castle in Scotland where faith representatives met to discuss the issue — was presented to the King at Buckingham Palace, who praised the initiative… It is easy to gather at castles and palaces when it comes time to receive the praise of the King, who has an incredible record as a gracious benefactor towards interfaith and social cohesion work. It is simple to stand next to the Chief Rabbi, whom I know well and who carries with him a genuine desire and commitment to speak up against both antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate. It is not hard to sign a document and have your picture taken some 16 months after one of the most cataclysmic attacks in recent Middle Eastern history. But where were those imams 16 months ago? Were they showing the necessary leadership then? When it comes to pledges and plaudits, self-interest and self-importance drive many of the usual ‘committee representatives’ to turn up. But when true leadership is desperately needed — speaking up for Jewish neighbours, friends or work colleagues — the silence can be deafening.” [JC]
Dark Echoes: In The Australian Jewish News, Chavi Israel finds that the viral footage of two local health-care professionals proclaiming their eagerness to harm Israeli patients reminds her of a disturbing chapter from postwar Germany. “Föhrenwald was one of the largest Displaced Persons (DP) Camps in post-World War II Germany. It provided temporary housing and medical care for survivors and became a significant centre for Orthodox Jewish life… There had also been rumours circulating among Föhrenwald survivors that former Nazis were still roaming Germany and had infiltrated medical institutions. There were numerous missing records for many Jewish children who mysteriously and suddenly died, supposedly ‘due to illness,’ but that was about it. The vagueness made the whole situation seem very sketchy indeed. Many suspected that the deaths of Jewish infants and toddlers in the hospital were due NOT to natural causes but were, in fact, part of a covert effort to continue the Nazis’ work, killing Jewish people even after the war had officially ended… Now, of course, the story of Föhrenwald and Sydney, Australia, are vastly different in so many ways. I would never, G-d forbid, compare the tragedy of the Shoah — the largest genocide in human history — to our current times. Yet, something eerie stands out to me. The fact that rabid Jew-haters still exist today, stronger than ever. That medical professionals – those entrusted to care for all patients equally — could even utter such vile things. And who knows if they haven’t acted on them?” [AJN]
Go Long: In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Jason Lewis explains what fundraisers can learn from the long-game mindset utilized by conservative evangelical Christians. “I grew up attending conservative evangelical churches where I was steeped in the art of playing the long game. Building institutions, creating community and investing in generational change weren’t just ideals — they were deliberate strategies… For most of my adult life, I have lived in York County, Pa., one of the reddest counties in the country. It’s a place where the long game is a lived reality — evident in everything from an effort over many years to bring people and resources together to build a local ballpark to our penchant for electing leaders who stay in office for decades. It’s a mindset that prioritizes not just the next year or even the next decade but an entire generational arc… While my politics have shifted over the past decade, my understanding of how conservatives achieved what they have — and the lessons their approach offers — is as clear as ever. Their strategies, rooted in coalition building, mutually agreed upon playbooks, and persistence despite setbacks, transcend ideology and are essential for navigating today’s uncertain landscape. Fundraising is no exception.” [ChronicleofPhilanthropy]
Word on the Street
Israel’s Council for Higher Education has approved the opening of two new medical schools to address the country’s acute shortage of doctors. University of Haifa’s Herta and Paul Amir School of Medicine will welcome its inaugural class later this year and the Miriam and Aaron Gutwirth Medical School at the Weizmann Institute is set to open in October 2025 with free tuition for students concentrating on research and practice…
Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter, Shonda Rhimes, Ben Folds and Renée Fleming are the latest to leave their positions at the Kennedy Center after President Donald Trump announced he would install himself as chair. Trump has named Richard Grenell, formerly his ambassador to Germany, as interim president, and 13 other new board members were also announced. Trump has already taken over the chairmanship of the center from philanthropist David Rubenstein…
CBS News looks at how President Donald Trump is transforming the Kennedy Center by shifting away from what he views as “woke culture” after being voted unanimously as chairman and replacing board members with close associates including the wives of New England Patriots CEO Robert Kraft and New York Yankees President Randy Levine…
Danielle Sassoon, the interim head of the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office and a graduate of New York’s Ramaz School, resigned on Thursday rather than comply with an order from a senior Justice Department official to drop the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams…
Dozens of Jewish celebrities, including Joaquin Phoenix, Ilana Glazer and Eric André, along with hundreds of rabbis took out a full-page ad in The New York Times declaring “Jewish people say no to ethnic cleansing” in Gaza in response to Trump’s calls for the removal of Palestinians from the enclave…
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency spotlights how the war in Israel has disrupted ecosystems, damaged wildlife habitats and undone years of biodiversity efforts by foresters and how KKL-JNF forest rangers and wildlife specialists are facing the new challenges…
Rabbi Shmuel Oirechman, the former Chabad emissary in Hungary, was appointed the director of government relations and strategy for Chabad in Israel…
British Jewish resident Lisa Miara, driven by her sons’ experiences in three terrorist attacks in Israel, has spent the past decade in Kurdistan helping rehabilitate Yazidi victims of ISIS terror in a project funded by the American-based charity Springs of Hope Foundation. In May two survivors of the Nova massacre in Israel will attend a three-day event she is hosting in the UAE to give voice to survivors of war and terrorism and to explore regional solutions…
Entrepreneur Ronnie Shugar has donated $4 million toward a state-of-the art aquatic facility on the Greenspon Campus for Jewish Life at the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee in Florida. To date the Jewish Federation has invested over $38 million in enhancements to the Greenspon Campus…
The Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City raised more than $5.5 million in its 2024 campaign, the highest total to date. More than 1,100 donors participated, including over 225 new or returning contributors. About 37% of donors increased their giving, many of whom had supported the 2023 Israel emergency campaign…
The Jewish Community Foundation of Kansas City has named Ben Abelson, Lindsay Fineman and Miles Ross to its board of trustees…
Rebeca Barvin Kalontarov has been appointed director of philanthropy, women’s division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston…
Pic of the Day
To mark the day of Tu B’Shvat, the organization Connections in Agriculture held a special tree-planting event at Kerem Shalom in southern Israel dedicated to the memory of Amichai Witzen, Moshe Yedidya Raziel and Harel Sharvit, who died in the area defending Israel on Oct. 7. Each tree was donated by a student from the Denver Academy of Torah in Denver.
Families of the fallen soldiers, as well as local Kerem Shalom residents who lost loved ones in battle, also took part in the event.
“These plantings symbolize our connection and the deepening of our roots in this place,” said Shira Raziel, Yedidya’s widow, who was a member of the Kibbutz Kerem Shalom security team, after planting a tree near the site of his fall.
Birthdays
Owner of Bloomberg LP and former mayor of NYC, Michael Bloomberg…
FRIDAY: Civil and human rights activist, rabbi, radio host, television producer and public speaker, Allen Secher… Award-winning investigative journalist for The Washington Post and author, Carl Bernstein… Chairman and CEO of Reebok for 26 years until its 2005 sale to Adidas, Paul Fireman… British businessman and founder of WPP plc, Sir Martin Stuart Sorrell… Former borough president of Brooklyn for 12 years, following a 23-year stint as a New York State senator, Marty Markowitz… Chairman and CEO of the Blackstone Group, Stephen A. Schwarzman… Film producer and executive vice president of the NFL’s New York Giants, winner of a Golden Globe award, an Academy Award and two Super Bowl rings, Steven Elliot “Steve” Tisch… Retired chairman and CEO of Los Angeles-based City National Bank, Russell Goldsmith… Host of “Fresh Air,” an interview program distributed throughout the U.S. by NPR, Terry Gross… Sports executive and former All Star basketball player, she served as president of the WNBA for 6 years and as SVP of the PGA Tour for 17 years, Donna Geils Orender… Executive board member at the Los Angeles Museum of The Holocaust, Paulette Beckmann Nessim… Co-founder and CEO at 25Madison and executive chairman of Townsquare Media, Steven Price… Volleyball and beach volleyball star, she is the only Brazilian in the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, Adriana Brandão Behar… Long-distance runner, she won the bronze medal in the women’s marathon at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Deena Drossin Kastor… Senior director for strategy, policy and government affairs for the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Howard Handler… Financial advisor in the Boca Raton office of San Blas Securities, Alan Feinberg Jr…. Activist and writer known by the pen name MaNishtana, Rabbi Shais Rishon… Ice hockey player selected in the first round of the 2002 NHL draft, he then played on four NHL teams and was also a player on the U.S. national team, Eric Nystrom… Jewish communal activist, Carly Pildis… Co-founder of Run for Something PAC, Amanda Litman… Four-year basketball player for the California Golden Bears, then for Bnei Herzliya of the Israeli Premier League, now a real estate broker in Miami, Sam Singer… Actress best known for her role as Charlotte on the CMT comedy television series “Still the King,” Madison Iseman…
SATURDAY: British actress who has starred in nearly sixty films, Claire Bloom… Professor of cognitive science at Indiana University, Pulitzer Prize winner, Douglas Hofstadter… Former Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives for 26 years, Elliott Naishtat… Cartoonist, editor, teacher at the School of Visual Arts in NYC and long-time contributing artist for The New Yorker, Art Spiegelman (born Itzhak Avraham ben Zeev)… Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, Melissa Manchester… Television and movie actor, he stars as the IRGC’s head of investigations in the Apple TV Israeli series “Tehran,” Shaun Toub… Senior vice president of global communications at Philip Morris International, Marian Salzman… Professor at Yale Law School and author of two best-selling novels, Jed Rubenfeld… Host of the radio program “Jewish Moments in the Morning” since 1983, Nachum Segal… Principal at Catalyzing Philanthropy, Karen Paul… Developer of the Miami Design District and many other properties in South Beach, Craig Lewis Robins… Self-employed writer, Elizabeth Ives (“Beth”) Solomon… Founder and editor-in-chief of Talking Points Memo, Josh Marshall… Investor, he founded and then sold the Rockstar energy drink, Russell Goldencloud Weiner… Founder and director of Areyvut, Daniel Rothner… Actress, writer, producer, and comedian, she won two Primetime Emmy Awards for playing Susie Myerson in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Alexandrea Borstein… Director of business development at Treetop Companies, Eric Distenfeld… Director of education at the Orthodox Union and host of the “18Forty” podcast, David Bashevkin, Ph.D…. Deputy executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Alex Siegel… Offensive lineman on three NFL teams, he is now a regional sales manager at Sirtex, Ben Gottschalk… Beauty pageant titleholder who represented Israel at the Miss Universe pageant in 2016, Yam Kaspers Anshel… Australian racewalker, she competed in the women’s 20 kilometer walk at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, Jemima Montag… Actor and voice actor, Zachary Adam Gordon…
SUNDAY: Financier and activist shareholder, Carl Icahn… Educator, theorist, writer and professor emeritus of political science at the University of Hawaii, Michael Joseph Shapiro… Chair emeritus and founding chair of the Jewish Electorate Institute, Ralph Grunewald… Secretary-general of the World Council of Religious Leaders, Bawa Jain… Deputy America editor at The Washington Post, Susan K. Levine… Co-founder, president and managing partner of Avenue Capital Group, Sonia Gardner… British serial entrepreneur and philanthropist, Maurice Samuel Ostro… Co-director of Women for Israel’s Tomorrow, Nadia Matar… Past president of Hebrew Free Loan in Detroit and founder of Brilliant Detroit, Carolyn Glaser Bellinson… President of the Sixteen Thirty Fund, Amy Kurtz… Reporter for The New York Times since 1994, she is the author of a novel and two cookbooks, Jennifer Steinhauer… Spokesman for Bloomberg LP, Ty Trippet… French actress, director and screenwriter, Géraldine Nakache… Regional director of the Westchester region of Birthright Israel Foundation, Marissa Schaevitz Levey… CEO of FinePoint, Meredith Fineman… U.S. Senator (D-GA), Jon Ossoff… Second of three sisters who are members of the rock band Haim, Danielle Sari Haim… Rachel Rubenstein… Actor, singer and dancer, he is one youngest-ever winners of a Tony Award at 15 years old, Kiril Jacob Kulish… Eric McDonald…
