Your Daily Phil: Fundraising for Israel 300 days after Oct. 7
Good Thursday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on Jewish Federations of North America’s and Jewish Funders Network’s upcoming international conferences, and feature an opinion piece by Rachel Mohl Abrahams about the impact of investing in professional development for day school educators. Also in this newsletter: Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein, Rabbi Paul Resnick and Ilana Schatz. We’ll start with the status of JFNA’s Israel Emergency Campaign 300 days after the Oct. 7 terror attacks.
In the days and weeks following the Oct. 7 terror attacks, the Jewish federation system’s decisions about how to allocate funds to Israeli communities and individuals in need were simple, even as they were overwhelming.
“It was very clear and almost binary: They eat, they don’t eat. There’s initial trauma response or clothing, or there isn’t,” Rebecca Caspi, the director of Jewish Federations of North America’s Israel office, told eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross this morning.
Now, 300 days and more than $850 million later, JFNA’s Israel Emergency Campaign has shifted its allocations process away from that type of immediate, trust-based giving and toward the data-based strategic grant-making that it is used to, she said.
“We have to stop you and recognize, today is day 300. Nobody could have imagined on Oct. 7 or Nov. 1 or Dec. 31, when we were still in the urgent response stage, that 300 days later, we would be sitting here considering [new] grants for evacuees in the north who are still evacuated and may still need some basic service support that we may provide,” Caspi said.
“So even as we’re shifting into more systemic, strategic grant-making, we’re also still very engaged in seeing urgent needs for which philanthropy remains the main support,” she said.
As of last month, the Jewish federations system — both the umbrella JFNA and individual federations — has allocated more than $469 million to Israeli causes, representing approximately 55% of the total amount raised. (Caspi noted that this tally of funds raised and allocated is likely lower than in reality as it only represents the amounts that JFNA knows about it, while additional funds have likely been raised and distributed by individual federations without JFNA being informed.)
According to Caspi, the amount of allocated funds is expected to increase soon as the JFNA allocation committee is scheduled to meet next week for another round of grant-making decisions.
Yet the fact that JFNA has not allocated a large percentage of the money that it has raised nearly a year into the emergency campaign and has reverted back to a slower, more bureaucratic method of grant-making has rankled some in the Israeli civil sector.
Caspi acknowledged that JFNA’s allocations process does slow things down, but said it was necessary for the organization to be as effective as possible. “Jewish federations are getting money out of the door as quickly as we responsibly can,” she said. “And I really want to stand on both of those qualifiers as quickly as we responsibly can. This work is far from simple, and we — as a philanthropic force — want to be smart and want to be effective, and it really takes time to do that in a way that honors the trust that has been placed on us.”
Caspi said JFNA is not keeping a portion of the money that it has raised in reserves in the case of a war with Hezbollah. She said JFNA believed that should such a future crisis arise, funders would step up and donate further.
“Are we holding back money in order to meet future needs? The answer is no. We are, as I said, doing everything we can and will allocate every penny of the funds that have been entrusted to us for the needs that we can support within our strategic priorities,” Caspi said. “And we know that if more needs arise, the community will continue to respond.”
CONFERENCES COMING
Jewish Funders Network, JFNA announce upcoming international gatherings
The Jewish Federations of North America and Jewish Funders Network announced their upcoming international gatherings, with JFNA meeting on Nov. 10-12 in Washington, D.C., and JFN convening on March 23-25 in Nashville, Tenn., reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.
Speakers selected: Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Sheryl Sandberg, who has emerged as a leading advocate for the victims of sexual violence on Oct. 7, are slated to speak at the JFNA General Assembly, the organization said. Gary and Malke Torgow were named as the chairs of the gathering. JFN did not immediately release further details about its international convention.
Come together: “The General Assembly empowers people from across the Jewish community to come together and tackle today’s critical challenges, including securing Israel, our North American communities, and the future of Jewish life,” said Shira Hutt, executive vice president of JFNA, in a statement. “We couldn’t be more delighted to host President Herzog and Sheryl Sandberg, whose voices and clear-eyed leadership have been essential in these hard times, at this year’s event.”
READER RESPONDS
Investing in transformational Jewish day school experiences
“In recent weeks, we have seen leadership issue calls to our local and national Jewish communities [‘The next billion-dollar gift,’ eJewishPhilanthropy, July 17; and ‘Transformational gifts for our schools and homes, eJewishPhilanthropy, July 22] to expand their financial investments in Jewish day school education,” writes Rachel Mohl Abrahams, senior adviser for education grants and programs at the Mayberg Foundation, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Outcomes-oriented: “Philanthropy plays a critical role in ensuring that students enter day schools, and that families can afford for their children to stay there. But there is another vital aspect of the Jewish day school experience that also requires significant investment: its outcomes. We need to guarantee that the education provided impacts students’ lives, and especially their connection to Judaism. Such an important goal requires personal dedication to and financial support for providing an outstanding and inspired Jewish experience.”
What educators need: “[A]dvancing excellence in the field of day school education depends upon a vigorous commitment to ongoing professional growth of teachers and school leaders… Research shows that teachers need consistent, relevant and focused professional development to be the most effective in the classroom; and that schools with embedded high-quality professional development (HQPD) provide students with the most engaging, impactful academic experience and teachers with a more satisfying work environment.”
Everyone has a role: “Whether you are a day school parent, a local lay leader or a Jewish community member who is becoming increasingly concerned about the Jewish future in North America, I hope you will come to see yourself as an investor in the quality of Jewish education. You can invest your financial resources in your community’s schools, and you can invest your time by advocating for high-quality professional development in your school community, supporting your school’s faculty in enhancing our children’s Jewish educational experience.”
Worthy Reads
A Different Av Mindset: In an opinion piece shared by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency from My Jewish Learning’s weekly newsletter, Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein proposes a nuanced concept of collective mourning as we approach the start of the Hebrew month of Av on Monday. “The month of Av doesn’t deny grief or force celebration. It accompanies us through both. Reflecting on our tragedies also enhances our gratitude for present blessings. Dr. Erica Brown suggests that ‘we don’t diminish our happiness when we spend a day or a few weeks meditating on the tragedies of history from which we emerged. We become more grateful, holding on tightly to our blessed lives because we can.’ This thread weaves through Av. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks offers another layer of understanding. Joy, he says, is not merely the absence of sorrow, but the presence of a deeper connection that transcends our immediate circumstances. And in Jewish tradition, our joy is inherently collective. ‘The festivals as described in Deuteronomy are days of joy, precisely because they are occasions of collective celebration,’ he writes. In our shared connection with God and each other, we discover a communal joy that carries us through even the toughest times.” [JTA]
A Lifelong Impact: The Detroit Jewish News’ executive editor, Marni Raitt, shares her personal connection with the Maccabi Games as Detroit (along with Houston) hosts the 2024 Games this week. “In the late spring of 1990, my parents encouraged me to try out for the North America Maccabi Youth Games, which were taking place in Detroit that summer. I was a little lukewarm about the prospect; I did not know much about the Games — only that they were the Jewish youth Olympics. However, I was a pretty good softball player at the time and opted to give it a shot… [T]o be honest, I remember very little about the softball games themselves. For me, the tournament seemed almost beside the point. What I remember most from that week is the moments I shared with the people I met… And I remember the bonds I built with my teammates. The laughter. The joy. The shared experience. Today, three of my closest friends — my chosen family members — were on my Maccabi softball team. One was my freshman college roommate. Two would become my sorority sisters. We have all since made hundreds more special memories together. But those early ones during the Maccabi Games formed the foundation of lifelong friendships.” [DetroitJewishNews]
Preserve What We Share: In a time of intense divisions, writes Will Shafroth in Inside Philanthropy, Americans should support the great national projects that have united us and that we can appreciate together no matter our differences — like the country’s national park system. “Often referred to as America’s ‘best idea,’ our national parks tangibly represent our democratic ideals. We all share these awe-inspiring places where each of us can connect to nature, to history and heritage, and to one another. More than a century in the making, national parks serve as America’s largest classroom, preserving and sharing historical and cultural lessons. Last year alone, more than 325 million people visited national parks. Yet despite the tremendous popularity of these places, federal funding for the National Park Service has remained flat. This impedes vital conservation efforts, delays much-needed facility upgrades and diminishes the visitor experience — all while placing increasing demands on more than 20,000 dedicated Park Service employees. What we choose to preserve says a lot about what we value as a society; recommitting to protecting national parks is an easy call for me to make… Robust investment is essential to support national parks now and for future generations. Private partnerships and individual donations are more crucial than ever to take care of these national treasures.” [InsidePhilanthropy]
Around the Web
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is set to be released from Russian captivity as part of a multinational prisoner exchange, along with former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan…
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports on the influx of Jewish Israelis coming to Majdal Shams to console and support the primarily Druze community in the wake of Saturday’s deadly rocket strike…
United Airlines and Delta suspended daily flights to and from Israel amid the latest escalation between Israel and Iranian proxy groups in the region…
A capstone project on strategic philanthropy conducted by students at University of Central Florida resulted in an $18,500 grant to Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando’s Pearlman Food Pantry project…
Sunflower Bakery in Rockville, Md., an inclusive workforce training organization supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, has won the Maryland Employment Advancement Right Now (EARN) Award…
Rabbi Paul Resnick entered his position as the new executive director of the Jewish Federation of Western Connecticut…
Bill Ackman is pausing the planned IPO of his Pershing Square USA, days after dropping the target amount to raise from $25 billion to $2 billion…
The mayor of Nagasaki, Japan, said Israel is not invited to a peace ceremony commemorating the atomic bomb attack on the city during World War II…
A federal court dismissed a suit filed by Jewish students against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, finding that the students were unable to demonstrate violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act…
The Atlantic’s Yair Rosenberg examines the outsized criticism that Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has faced for his comments about Israel and campus protests, despite these being similar to remarks made by other, non-Jewish potential vice presidential candidates, who have not faced the same scrutiny…
Ilana Schatz — founder and former director of the volunteer action center at the East Bay Jewish Federation in Berkeley, Calif., former director of the Poverty Action Alliance and founder of Free Trade Judaica — died earlier this month at 71…
Rabbi Shmuel Butman, who served for decades as the director of the Lubavitch Youth Organization and famously lit “The World’s Largest Menorah” outside the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, died last week at 81…
Pic of the Day
International contemporary fashion brand alice + olivia invited socialites and philanthropists to its Southampton, N.Y., store for an exclusive shopping event on Friday to highlight the brand’s capsule collection with Shira Barzilay, the Israeli print artist behind Koketit, and raise money for United Hatzalah.
From left: United Hatzalah EMT Gavy Friedson, actress and writer Jenny Mollen, alice + olivia designer Stacey Bendet and United Hatzalah’s Young Leadership director, Michelle Namdar, at the fundraiser. Mollen and Bendet are wearing items from the A + O X Koketit capsule collection.
Birthdays
Former senior rabbi of the British movement for Reform Judaism, now a rabbi at London’s Bromley Reform Synagogue, Rabbi Laura Naomi Janner-Klausner…
Culver City, Calif., resident Allene Prince… Formerly CEO of Cendant Corporation and 54 Madison Partners, Henry R. Silverman… Israeli film director and screenwriter, winner of the Israel Prize and professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University, Ram Loevy… Founder and chairman of NYC-based Midtown Equities, Joseph Cayre… U.S. district court judge for the Southern District of New York, now on senior status, Judge Jed S. Rakoff… Former president of Brandeis University, now president of the Cleveland-based Mandel Foundation, Jehuda Reinharz… British businessman, he has been described as “the father of British venture capital,” Sir Ronald Mourad Cohen… Israeli-born businessman and film producer, later CEO of Marvel Studios, he won the 2018 Academy Award for best animated feature, Avi Arad… Second-generation owner of a Los Angeles flooring business, Eric Kalman Biren… Immediate past president of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Rhoda Smolow… Media analyst and host of “MediaBuzz” at Fox News, Howard Kurtz… Director of New York government relations at Agudath Israel of America, Yeruchim Silber… U.S. career diplomat now serving as ambassador to South Korea, Philip Seth Goldberg… Governor of North Dakota since 2016, during 2023 he was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, Douglas James Burgum… CEO of Atlanta’s Jewish Family & Career Services, she served for 12 years in the Minnesota Senate, Terri E. Bonoff… Professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Rachel Yehuda, Ph.D…. Policy director in the D.C. office of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Andrew C. (“Drew”) Littman… U.S. ambassador to Israel during the Obama administration, now the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Middle East policy, Daniel B. “Dan” Shapiro… Producer for CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Shachar Bar-On… Professor of mathematics at Princeton and Hebrew U, he was the winner of the 2010 Fields Medal, Elon Lindenstrauss… CEO of Goliath Records and former president of Def Jam Recordings, Paul D. Rosenberg… CEO of NYC’s Quantum Media Group, Ari Zoldan… Israeli film director, writer and producer, Asaf Epstein… Venture partner in Leap Forward Ventures, Jessica Alter… Founder and CEO of Moishe House, David Cygielman… Chief communications officer at The Center for Strategic and International Studies, H. Andrew Schwartz… CEO of National Council of Jewish Women, Sheila Katz… Chief operating officer at the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, Noam Gilboord… VP of public relations at Burford Capital, David Helfenbein… Board certified family physician, Mor Toledano Shapiro, M.D…. Senior program officer, Schusterman Fellowship at the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Roey Kruvi… Cross-country skier who competed for the U.S. at the Winter Olympics in 2014 (Sochi) and 2018 (Pyeongchang), Noah Hoffman… Former director of operations at Elmwood Capital Group, Yael Rabin… Miami based attorney, Asher Perez… Actor Benjamin “Ben” Rosenfield…Founder and president of Greystone Hotels, Eric Horodas… Lawyer, political strategist and former president of the American Jewish Congress, Richard Gordon…
