Brandeis University is unveiling its “New Vision for American Higher Education” this afternoon at the National Press Club in Washington. More on this below.

Also in D.C., Yeshiva University’s president, Rabbi Ari Berman, will serve as the Senate’s guest chaplain today. C-SPAN’s Howard Mortman, author of When Rabbis Bless Congress, notes that Berman, who delivered the benediction at President Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier this year, joins an elite club of rabbis who have prayed both in Congress and during a presidential inauguration, joining Rabbi Samuel Thurman, who spoke at President Harry Truman’s inauguration, and Hyman Judah Schachtel, who delivered a prayer at President Lyndon B. Johnson’s inauguration.

The American Jewish Committee is holding an event this morning marking the upcoming fifth anniversary of the signing of the Abraham Accords. 

The Jefferies TechTrek conference kicked off with a welcome reception last night. Attendees include former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides, Paul Singer, Bill Ackman and Dan Loeb. 

The Climate Solutions Prize Tour, which is backed by the Jewish Climate Trust, kicks off today in the United Arab Emirates, before continuing on to Israel on Sunday.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog arrived in London today for a two-day visit at the invitation of the local Jewish community.

“The Road Between Us,” about Israeli Maj. Gen. (res.) Noam Tibon’s efforts to rescue his son and his family from their Gaza envelope home on Oct. 7, 2023, will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, after it was previously removed from the slate of films over what organizers said was a failure to get Hamas to approve the use of its videos of the attacks.

Representatives from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh will deliver a victim impact statement at the sentencing of Talya Lubit, who pleaded guilty in May to charges of conspiracy and defacing and damaging Chabad of Squirrel Hill.

Emunah of America, which funds the Israeli welfare and education nonprofit, is hosting its annual benefit dinner this evening at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York. 

The Schechter Institutes in Jerusalem are hosting a combined book launch and farewell event tonight for the organization’s longtime leader Rabbi David Golinkin, who is retiring. If you’re there, say hi to eJewishPhilanthropy‘s Judah Ari Gross.

Brandeis University, like most American higher learning institutions, has struggled post-pandemic with low enrollment, particularly among foreign students, rising administration costs and high tuition. Last May, Brandeis terminated 60 employees, and in the fall, Brandeis President Ronald Liebowitz resigned after faculty voted that they had no confidence in his leadership, specifically pointing to frustration with his budgeting, fundraising and response to campus protests against Israel.

Today, the university is looking to demonstrate that it is getting back on track, publicly unveiling a sweeping restructuring plan this afternoon in Washington, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Jay Deitcher.

Arthur Levine, a former president of Teachers College at Columbia University, has proved a much more popular leader than his predecessor, according to Brandeis faculty members, with many affectionately calling the reorganization “Arthur’s vision.” In March, 87% of employees voted for the now fully implemented restructuring — a stark contrast with the staff’s no-confidence vote only one year prior.

The previous university structure included three core schools: a school for arts and sciences, which served graduate and undergraduate students; a school of business and a school for social policy, both serving graduate students. The restructuring creates four core schools that feature both undergraduate and graduate programs: the School of Arts, Humanities and Culture; the School of Business and Economics; the School of Science, Engineering and Technology; and the School of Social Sciences and Social Policy. Programs with lower enrollment are also being reviewed with the possibility of merging with other programs.

Carol Fierke, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, told eJP that she does not anticipate that the changes will lead to firings, though the university has shifted away from depending on adjunct professors, prioritizing long-term faculty. “We didn’t do this because of finances,” she said. “We did this because we thought that this was a more exciting way to organize the institution.” But she acknowledges that “we are also hoping that by bringing together some different disciplines, that they will find ways to share courses that are more exciting and possibly could decrease cost.”

Read the full report here.

Survival Strategies: In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Ben Gose does a deep dive into how U.S.-based nonprofits are adapting to an environment of reduced funding streams and increased political scrutiny. “Some charities may favor a broad salary cut for all employees over targeted layoffs. Others may choose to tap into reserves to continue providing needed services in their community — even if it raises the risk that the organization will fail. … [Some are trying] to go back to what many organizations would view as a nascent state — becoming fiscally sponsored, in which financial accounting, payroll, human resources, and more are handled by a supporting nonprofit entity. … Other charities are exploring the possibility of creating 501(c)(4)s — not because they want to go heavy into politics or advocacy but because the strategy could be a way to shield assets if the Trump administration resumes its efforts to revoke the tax-exempt status of certain charities.” [ChronicleofPhilanthropy]

Lessons From the Aftermath: In Nonprofit Quarterly, Deepa Iyer shares takeaways from a Week of Action held at the end of August to mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, put together by local organizations and individuals in communities directly affected by the disaster. “In the wake of Katrina, communities learned that survival requires more than temporary aid — it requires durable infrastructure and new models of governance that are anchored in the idea of collective stewardship. … This concept has taken a number of forms, including the consolidation of community-controlled funds. … Collective governance is also at the heart of movement infrastructure which focuses on the organizational ecosystem by strengthening networks, leadership, and long-term capacity to respond to crises.” [NPQ]

She Built a Legacy: In Tablet, Anna Rahmanan spotlights Ada Karmi-Melamede, a member of “architectural royalty” in Israel whose comparable anonymity in the U.S. could be dispelled by her daughter Yael Karmi’s documentary, “Ada: My Mother the Architect.” “[Karmi-Melamede] codesigned the Supreme Court in Givat Ram, helped shape Ben Gurion Airport, and spent decades teaching and building on both sides of the Atlantic. … [She] describes the need for a building to have roots, a relationship to the land it claims as its own. That idea of roots — of buildings growing naturally from the land — has a deeper resonance in Karmi-Melamede’s work precisely because of where and when she was born. Born in Israel in 1936, as the country was still being imagined into existence, she was part of a generation that saw the act of building not as an individual pursuit, but as a communal responsibility, a contribution to a larger national vision.” [Tablet]

The Israeli military conducted an airstrike targeting Hamas leadership in Qatar, a U.S. ally, the results of which are not yet known. The attack has received a muddled reception from American officials, and the families of hostages in Gaza expressed concerns about what it may mean for their loved ones in captivity…

Much of the antisemitism on college campuses is fueled by faculty and staff — both on campus and within professional academic organizations — according to a survey released today by the Anti-Defamation League and the Academic Engagement Network, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…

Northwestern University announced the hiring of Henry Bienen to succeed outgoing President Michael Schill; Bienen previously led the school from 1995-2009, during which time he spearheaded the launch of Northwestern’s campus in Qatar…

A new report from the Secure Community Network on firearms in synagogues advocates allowing congregants to carry guns only if they are members of the “safety and security team”…

The FBI is investigating threats made to several Pittsburgh-area Jewish organizations, including the Tree of Life… 

Police in Oregon are searching for an individual who spray-painted swastikas on the Oregon Jewish Holocaust Museum earlier this summer…

Police in London are investigating a series of attacks on local synagogues in which they were defaced with urine and excrement…

Philadelphia’s Jewish Exponent spotlights the city’s Jewish Relief Agency, which provides support to thousands of needy people throughout the area, as the organization marks its 25th anniversary…

The Judaic studies program at the University of Oregon was spared as the school made a series of cuts to address a $29 million deficit…

Actress Scarlett Johansson said she intentionally cast Holocaust survivors in “Eleanor the Great,” her directorial debut, about an elderly American Jewish woman who assumes the childhood storyline of a deceased friend who had survived the Holocaust…

The Schnitzer family donated $13.5 million to the Portland (Ore.) Art Museum, whose director will now be called the “Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Director” in recognition of the gift…

David Mussafer, a Tulane University alum and chair of its board, and his wife, Marion, donated $10 million to the school to establish a hub for student internships…

Sue Gelsey was named the next CEO of the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly, N.J.; Gelsey has been serving in the role in an interim capacity after the former CEO, Steve Rogers, died unexpectedly in January…

LizabethAnn Eisen was appointed the next executive director of the Elie Wiesel Foundation…

Brandey Edelson was hired as the inaugural vice president of public affairs of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County (Fla.)…

Some 180 people attend a dinner outside Boston in support of American Friends of Leket Israel (AFOLI), which supports the Israeli food insecurity nonprofit. The event featured a live performance by Israeli singer Ester Rada, addresses by Israeli Consul General to Boston Benjamin Sharoni, Boston’s Combined Jewish Philanthropies President and CEO Rabbi Marc Baker, and a live interview with Leket Israel CEO Gidi Kroch.

The proceeds from the event, more than $200,000, are going toward the purchase of a new food rescue truck. “We are now able to put the largest truck in Leket Israel’s history on the road for the next three years. That means more food rescued, more families fed, and a stronger future for Israel’s most vulnerable communities,” Gilad Skolnick, AFOLI’s regional director of advancement for New England, said in a statement after the event.

Television writer and producer whose work includes “The Big Bang Theory,” Eric Kaplan turns 54…

Chairman of Shamrock Holdings, Roy Disney’s private investment company, Stanley Gold turns 83… Retired real estate agent in Southern California, Dianne Varon… Former executive vice president and general counsel at Chicago’s futures broker Rosenthal Collins Group, Gerald Fishman… Past president of Congregation Ahavas Israel in Passaic, N.J., Howard Penner… Retired coordinator at Truman Heartland Community Foundation, she had been a Hebrew teacher at Congregation Beth Torah in Overland Park, Kan., Henri Goettel… Houston attorney, and Republican party activist, Gary M. Polland turns 75… Denver attorney and politician, he served in the Colorado House of Representatives for eight years, Joel Judd turns 73… Executive assistant to the office managing partner of the E&Y office in Tampa, Nancy Carol Finkel… Retired vice president at Goldman Sachs, now a part-time elementary school teacher, Matthew Fried… Real estate attorney in South Florida, Steven A. Greenspan… Award-winning journalist and author, he wrote a 2024 book on Bernie Madoff, Richard Behar… Former acting administrator of the DEA, now a senior counsel at D.C.’s Crowell & Moring, Charles Philip “Chuck” Rosenberg turns 65… Writer, columnist and author of four New York Times bestsellers, Amity Ruth Shlaes turns 65… Founder and managing director at Beacon Global Strategies, Andrew Shapiro… New York City trusts and estates attorney, Lawrence Ira Garbuz… Co-founder and partner of One Madison Group, Jonathan Soros turns 55… Executive director of the Maryland/Mid-Atlantic region of Agudath Israel, Ariel Sadwin… Writer, actress and comedian, she was a writer for “Saturday Night Live,” Sarah Schneider turns 42… Principal at Blue Zone Partners and managing partner at Precision Infrastructure Management, Charles Szold… PR strategist, Josh Nass… Chief foreign correspondent for Fox News, his 2024 book, Black Saturday, covers the events of Oct. 7 and the war that followed, Trey Yingst turns 32… Jennifer Meyer…