Your Daily Phil: Bay Area federation ‘reboots’
Good Friday morning.
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: Jewish community in Los Angeles unites amid devastating fires; Has the Canadian left lost the Jewish community for good?; In the Knesset, ADL chief admits failure to extinguish the post-Oct. 7 ‘inferno of antisemitism,’ calls for new strategies; and A mountaintop kibbutz, battered by Hezbollah missiles, eyes a lengthy — and costly — rebuilding path. Print the latest edition here.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on the Jewish community’s ongoing response to the Los Angeles wildfires and the Bay Area Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund’s restructuring, and we remember philanthropist and activist Nate Shapiro, who fought for Ethiopian Jewry. We feature an opinion piece by Adam Ginsberg about the role historic cultural and social institutions in our communities can play today in engaging and inspiring young Jews. Also in this newsletter: Saul Singer, Stuart Eizenstat and David Husman.
Shabbat shalom!
What We’re Watching
On Sunday, South Florida’s Jewish community will hold the inaugural Airley Invitational, a basketball tournament dedicated to the memory of U.S.-born Israeli soldier Binyamin Airley, who was killed in battle in November 2023 in the northern Gaza Strip.
What You Should Know
As the full scale of the devastation from the wildfires that are still sweeping through Los Angeles comes into view, donations have begun pouring in — both financial and through volunteering — to assist the tens of thousands of people who have been displaced and the many more who have otherwise been affected by the conflagrations, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.
As of this morning, at least 10 people have been killed in the fires and more than 9,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed. The damages have been estimated at over $50 billion, likely making the wildfires the most destructive in the city’s history, fueled by dry conditions and fast-moving winds.
The Jewish Federation Los Angeles has launched a Wildfire Crisis Relief Fund, as have many neighboring Jewish federations, including those of Orange County, Ventura County, the Sacramento region and the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys. Several other federations have also launched their own wildfire relief funds, though most are directing donors to the L.A. federation. The Kehillat Israel congregation in Pacific Palisades has launched its own Community Palisades Fire Assistance Fund, as has B’nai B’rith International, among others.
“As leader of the largest Jewish philanthropic organization in Los Angeles, it is my sacred duty to ensure the safety of our community,” ?Rabbi Noah Farkas, president and CEO of ?Jewish Federation Los Angeles, said in a statement. “We are working diligently with our partners to provide resources and are utilizing cutting-edge communication methods to directly reach people in crisis. Every member of our community impacted by this tragedy will receive the help they need.”
Other Jewish organizations throughout the Los Angeles area have also stepped in to assist both local Jews and the wider community. According to the L.A. federation, some 20 Jewish schools and synagogues have opened their doors to shelter displaced people.
To name but a few: L.A.’s Jewish Free Loan Association is offering zero-interest and zero-fee loans of up to $15,000 for those affected by the fires, as well as smaller loans of up $2,000 without the need for guarantors, which are “available on a first-come, first served basis.” Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles, a nondenominational kosher soup kitchen, told the Forward’s L.A.-based reporter Louis Keene that it has prepared some 700 meals for displaced people as of last night. Local Chabad centers have also assisted evacuees and provided kosher meals to those affected by the wildfires, and — in some cases — helped extinguish fires.
Several large donations have also been made, with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announcing a $1 million donation to World Central Kitchen for its L.A. disaster relief work, the HVAC company Carrier Global Corporation pledging to contribute $2.5 million worth of air purifiers for essential workers in the area and actor Jamie Lee Curtis creating a $1 million fund for wildfire relief.
BAY AREA REBOOT
With smaller board, new bylaws and fresh focus, San Francisco federation looks to boost impact, empower donors
The Bay Area’s Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund is undergoing a major restructuring next week — cutting its board almost in half, rewriting many of its bylaws and focusing more on key areas of communal needs — which those involved say is meant to make the organization more agile and better able to support local philanthropy. Philanthropist Laura Lauder has been tapped to lead the new 15-person board (down from 25), which officially enters office on Jan. 15. “I’ve been involved in any number of Jewish organizations so far, and this is probably my highest calling to lead the federation in this new moment of transformation and of catalyzing an entirely new approach to Jewish philanthropy in San Francisco and potentially being a model for the country,” Lauder told eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross. “Many other federations across America are watching to see if this experiment works.”
Small and nimble: In addition to the board changes, the organization is rolling out new strategies for business growth and fundraising — through new donor-advised funds and other philanthropic services — as well as new focus on Jewish community impact. The federation’s CEO, Joy Sisisky, told eJP that the “reboot” of the organization follows years of strategic planning that began under current Board Chair Eileen Ruby. “One of the things that we learned in our research over the last few months while we were trying to figure out what kind of governing model would be best with us is what would allow us to be the most nimble, to make the best decisions in real time,” Sisisky said. “And having a smaller governing board with 15 people essentially serves as our executive committee. So we’re using the board as a true governing body, as an executive committee, as opposed to an engagement tool, which many other boards are.”
BARUCH DAYAN EMET
Nate Shapiro, philanthropist and activist who went the distance for Ethiopian Jewry, dies at 88
Nathan “Nate” Shapiro, the Chicago-based philanthropist and activist who died on Dec. 31 at 88, was a long-distance runner — in body and spirit. According to those who knew him, Shapiro approached his life with his eye on the next mile: energetic, determined, humble and stoic — traits that were highlighted as he helmed the American Association for Ethiopian Jews beginning in 1983, serving as president of the organization until it voted unanimously to shutter its doors in 1993, with nearly $1 million in the bank, after Operation Solomon transported thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. “[Shapiro was] a marathon runner across the board,” William Recant, who served as AAEJ’s executive director starting in 1986, told eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim. “With [AAEJ] it was running uphill.”
No one like Nate: “I have known very few Nate Shapiros in my long life — people who would devote themselves to the Jewish people so completely as Nate did. Fewer, if any, who achieved as much. There are now about 100,000 Ethiopian Jews in Israel. Without Nate Shapiro the number would be far less… whatever you say about Nate making things happen in creating Operation Solomon will not be enough,” former Sen. Rudy Boschwitz (R-MN), who worked closely with Shapiro on the issue, told eJP.
DIG DEEP
Heeding the call of Jewish reengagement through history
“While a cemetery may not be one’s first choice or first thought for a place to reengage Jewishly, such a setting — both the grounds and digital archives — offers an often-overlooked treasure trove of Jewish inspiration,” writes Adam Ginsberg, president of Mount Hebron Cemetery in Flushing, N.Y., and its Legacy Foundation, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Connecting with the past: An internship program established with Queens College “allows students to tangibly engage with history through exploration of the grounds and research to unearth the stories of those buried at Mount Hebron Cemetery,” he writes. “They comb through an exhaustive digital archive in their hunt for rich and meaningful anecdotes… Our cemeteries, museums, cultural centers and synagogues all offer opportunities to explore the challenges that our ancestors faced throughout history, but we are sometimes guilty of focusing on remembrance without pondering what we can actually glean from it. Gaining historical context can fuel deeper Jewish communal engagement, particularly in an era where many of us are experiencing vulnerability for the first time in the aftermath of Oct. 7. There are themes and lessons in the stories of those who came before us still relevant to issues we are facing today.”
Worthy Reads
Jewish Education as Birthright: In The Times of Israel, Saul Singer calls reimagining Jewish education the “missing megaproject” in the philanthropy’s response to Oct. 7 and rising antisemitism. “Jewish schools should be second to none, widely available, and easily affordable — a ‘birthright.’ The Diaspora could also import the best of Israel’s social ‘technology,’ such as youth movements, gap year programs, and service frameworks. Israel’s resilience is built on a culture that tells Israelis from a young age, It’s not all about you. You are part of something larger than yourself. Society measures you in the coin of service, not just material success. Israel’s informal educational frameworks have arguably been an even more potent tool for building identity and solidarity than the formal education system. While the price tag of a birthright for Jewish education may seem astronomical, it would be modest in proportion to the resources of the community. To recall, the collective resources of the 25 wealthiest Jews alone amount to about three times the size of Israel’s GDP.” [TOI]
If You Can’t Take the Heat: In Tablet, Anna Rahmanan interviews Jewish chefs and food influencers about how they’ve responded to the online hostility they’ve received since Oct. 7. “For [influencer and debut TV chef David] Cohen, who wears a very visible Star of David in every one of his videos and doesn’t hide his Judaism on screen, ‘nothing has really changed’ in his approach to the public. Although clearly focused on Jewish food culture, Cohen’s account often diverges from other influencers’ by taking followers behind the scenes of his day-to-day life outside of the kitchen. The chef and cookbook author frequently posts videos and photos from his restaurant outings — many of which aren’t kosher establishments — and his hangouts with NYC friends, several of whom are famously Jewish. Although he has ‘definitely dealt with backlash,’ Cohen believes ‘that’s nothing that Instagram filters and a thick skin can’t melt.’ He said, ‘At the end of the day, the worst thing that can happen is that I shy away from my mission of duty because of that backlash… I think the most important thing is that, whether you are religious or not, whatever world you live in, you can use food as a way to create your own ritual within the realm of this beautiful culture that we have been gifted with every generation. That’s the goal.’” [Tablet]
Crisis Response: In Forward, Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, founder and CEO of Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action, calls on the Jewish community to address not just the specific crisis caused by the Los Angeles wildfires but their larger environmental cause. “In Jewish tradition, fire is seen as both a holy, transformational force — as in the story of the burning bush — and a destructive source of punishment, as experienced by the sons of Aaron, who bring and then are consumed by a ‘strange fire.’ We know this to be true from our own personal experiences. Just last week we kindled candles to celebrate the miracle of Hannukah, and this week we are ravaged by wildfires. Fire is one of the many forces that can be used for blessing or for curse. We are called, in this time, to use our collective power to work toward blessing. It is time for us to accept the truth that, as a result of human-caused climate change, nature is now posing grave dangers no matter where we live. And just as we created the conditions that unleashed these horrific fires, so we must act to envision and realize a different future… Now is not just the time to rally support for the communities being ravaged by these ferocious fires. It is also the time to commit to not forgetting these tragedies, and instead moving forward intent on envisioning and building a different future — one that systematically reduces the risk of this kind of rampant and devastating destruction.” [Forward]
Word on the Street
Chabad Lubavitch Centres North East London and Essex has received an official warning for violating charity laws and mismanaging the funds after a fundraising campaign for an Israeli soldier was deemed outside its charitable purposes…
Stuart Eizenstat, chief domestic policy advisor to President Jimmy Carter, eulogized the late president yesterday as having “laid the building blocks for a better world,”calling the negotiation of the Camp David Accords and 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt his “most lasting achievement”…
An opinion piece in The Chronicle of Philanthropy encourages the wealthy to take a “sabbatical from getting richer” by donating any wealth accumulated after Jan. 1 as a way to help others and enrich their own lives…
David Husman made a $20-million bequest to Nova Southeastern University for ALS research. The gift, which brings Husman’s total giving to more than $41 million, is the second-largest individual donation in NSU history and the largest investment in NSU research…
A program launched by American students volunteering in Israel together with the IS-Resilient organization and OU-JLIC student association is supporting wives of IDF reservists…
Tony Perry, the mayor of Middletown Township, N.J., and Itzik Danino, mayor of the southern Israeli city Ofakim, have signed an agreement establishing the two as sister cities…
The Covenant Foundation has awarded $1.9 million in new grants to support projects utilizing diverse educational approaches…
Myron Mehlman, a Holocaust survivor and whistleblower against the Mobil oil and gas company, has donated $66,000 in stock to Leket Israel…
The Southern Sydney Synagogue in the Sydney suburb of Allawah was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti on Friday, the latest in a series of incidents targeting Jews in Australia…
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, criticized the Biden administration’s Department of Education for recent settlement agreements with several universities over antisemitism complaints, calling them insufficient. Walberg suggested the incoming Trump administration should consider revising these agreements…
David and Amy Chapman Fulton have donated $1.25 million to the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans for the newly named Chapman Research Center…
Thomas Salter Kahn was appointed to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad by President Joe Biden…
Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area board member and champion for veterans Col. D. Peter Gleichenhaus died on Dec. 25 at 85…
Martha’s Vineyard philanthropist and entrepreneur Sam Feldman died Wednesday at 95…
Pic of the Day
Attendees inspect the art displayed at Tel Aviv’s Neve Schechter on Sunday night as part of an event titled, “Where You From? 11 Creative Responses to Life Between Two Countries,” organized by the Olim Artists Lab.
Birthdays
Executive editor of Denver’s Intermountain Jewish News, historian and teacher, Rabbi Hillel Goldberg, celebrates his birthday today…
FRIDAY: Conservative columnist and author, David Joel Horowitz… Physician and medical researcher, Bernard Salomon Lewinsky… Past president of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston for 30 years, now a professor at Brandeis, Barry Shrage… Former president of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Baron David Edmond Neuberger… Musician, singer-songwriter and co-founder of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Steely Dan, Donald Fagen… World-renowned Israeli cellist, he has over 50 recordings on the Deutsche Grammophon label with many top orchestras, Mischa Maisky… Long-time editor at Bantam Books, Simon & Schuster and Crown Publishers, Sydny Weinberg Miner… Retired executive director at Beta Alpha Psi, Hadassah (Dassie) Baum… Founder and CEO at Los Angeles-based Quantifiable Media and Tel Aviv-based Accords Consulting, Rose Kemps… Executive director of the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists after 33 years at AJC Global, Richard Thomas Foltin… Professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University, he taught his last class in December, Jonathan D. Sarna… Principal of the Nellis Corporation and past president of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Mark A. Levitt… Majority owner of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, Joe Lacob… Member of the Knesset for the United Torah Judaism party, Uri Maklev… Member of the U.K.’s House of Lords and advisor to the government on antisemitism, Baron John Mann… Actor with a recurring role in “Sex and the City” and author of two books on his recovery from acute myeloid leukemia, Evan Handler… Theatrical producer, playwright and director, Ari Roth… Vice chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, Beth Ellen Wolff… Author and journalist best known for his novels Gangster Nation, Gangsterland and Living Dead Girl, Tod Goldberg… Member of the Knesset for Likud, Galit Distel-Atbaryan… Film director and screenwriter, Joe Nussbaum… Caryn Beth Lazaroff Gold… Founder of Affinity Partners, Jared Kushner… Communications manager for Ford Motor Company, Adam David Weissmann… Former senior spokesperson on terrorism and financial intelligence at the U.S. Treasury until last September when she joined the Kamala Harris campaign, Morgan Aubrey Finkelstein… Israeli rapper, singer and songwriter, Michael Swissa… Andrew Tobin… Debbie Seiden…
SATURDAY: Psychologist and the author of 27 books, he lectures at NYU, Michael Eigen… Retired judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago, author of 40 books on jurisprudence and economics, Richard Posner… Violinist and music teacher, Shmuel Ashkenasi… Film, television and theater director, best known for his TV series “Full House” and “Family Matters” and his films “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and “Fat Albert,” Joel Zwick… Las Vegas resident, Stephen Norman Needleman… Economist and professor of banking at Columbia University, he was a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (2006-2008), Frederic Stanley “Rick” Mishkin… Noted gardener and florist, she has been married to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer since 1973, Lynn Blitzer… Professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of experimental medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, he is the author of five books, Dr. Jerome E. Groopman… Former member of the Canadian House of Commons, Susan Kadis… Former director general of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Avi Gil… CEO of Sense Education, an AI company, Seth Haberman… Attorney, author, speaker and activist, he is the younger brother of Mark Cuban, Brian Cuban… Partner at Magnolia Marketing LLC and national board member of AIPAC, Alan Franco… Rabbi at Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto (BAYT), Rabbi Daniel Korobkin… Former National Hockey League player for 12 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks, Ronald “Ronnie” Stern… Actress, socialite and reality television personality, she converted to Judaism in her 20s, Kyle Richards Umansky… Defensive tackle in the Canadian Football League for twelve seasons, he is a co-owner at Vera’s Burger Shack based in Vancouver, B.C., Noah Cantor… Film, stage and television actress, she authored a book about a Jewish girl during the Christmas season, Amanda Peet… Hockey coach, he is a former goaltender with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, he also played in six other leagues, Josh Tordjman… Member of the Knesset for the Labor Party, Naama Lazimi… Executive chef and restaurateur, Yehuda Sichel… Vice president and head of strategic partnerships at Penzer Family Office, she is also a recruiter at The Bachrach Group, Michal (Mickey) Penzer… French-American actress, Flora Cross… Director of football strategy and assistant quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens, Daniel Stern… Founder when she was just 12 years old of Nannies by Noa, Noa Mintz…
SUNDAY: Real estate and casino magnate, he is a minority owner of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox, Neil Gary Bluhm… U.S.-born biochemist, he moved to Israel in 1973, winner of the Israel Prize (1999), professor (now emeritus) at Hebrew University, Howard “Chaim” Cedar… Stephen Moses… Israel-born jewelry designer, editor and businesswoman, she was the first lady of Iceland from 2003 until 2016, Dorrit Moussaieff… Author of over 40 books, most widely recognized for his crime fiction, Walter Ellis Mosley… New York City-based psychiatrist and the medical director of the Child Mind Institute, Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz… Radio personality on Sirius XM, Howard Stern… British novelist and grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien (one of the latter’s two Jewish grandchildren), Simon Mario Reuel Tolkien… Senior director of philanthropic engagement at the Jewish Funders Network, she was a consultant for DreamWorks on the film “The Prince of Egypt,” Tzivia Schwartz Getzug… Midday news anchor at Washington’s WTOP Radio, Debra Feinstein… Board member and former chair of Hillel International, she is also a vice-chair of Moishe House, Tina Price… Member of the Maryland House of Delegates, he is the nephew of recently retired U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, Jon S. Cardin… Identical twin comedians and actors, Randy Sklar and Jason Sklar… Filmmaker known for parody films, Aaron Seltzer… First-ever woman to be an MLB coach, in 2024 she was a co-founder of a women’s pro baseball league, Justine Siegal, Ph.D…. Rabbinical advisor of Shabtai, the Jewish society at Yale University, Shmully Hecht… Recording artist and musical entertainer, Yaakov Shwekey… Professional golfer, Rob Oppenheim… Two-time Olympian (2012 and 2016) in beach volleyball, now a chiropractor and performance coach, Josh Binstock… Founder of The Jewish Majority, Jonathan Schulman… Director of major gifts in the Mid-Atlantic region for American Friends of Magen David Adom, Ira Gewanter… Executive director of the Hillel at Virginia Tech, Amanda Herring… Vice president of finance and operations at New York City-based Hornig Capital Partners, Daniel Silvermintz… Israeli tennis player, Lina Glushko…
