Your Daily Phil: IAC joins Conference of Presidents in 1st addition in a decade
Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on the addition of the Israeli-American Council to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt getting removed from the schedule for the Israeli government’s upcoming antisemitism conference. We look at a $15 million donation by the Rodan family to L.A.’s Milken Community School and a new report alleging that Wikipedia editors colluded to adopt an anti-Israel bias. We feature an opinion piece by Aaron Katler about creating funding opportunities that can meet organizations’ strategic needs quickly and effectively; and one by Shoshana Moskowitz in response to our coverage of the launch of Adir Academy, the first Jewish therapeutic high school in the U.S. for students with mental health challenges. Also in this newsletter: Ruby Chen, Ifat Ovadia-Luski and David Zackon.
What We’re Watching
Israel struck Hamas targets across Gaza overnight, ending a two-month ceasefire after the collapse of negotiations to secure release of additional hostages, leaving hostage families fearful for their loved ones’ lives.
The Ruderman Family Foundation kicked off its annual conference this morning at Haifa University, focusing on American Jewish identity post-Oct. 7.
The Lisa and Michael Leffell Foundation, Paul E. Singer Foundation and Maimonides Fund kicked off their second annual “Zionism: A New Conversation” conference in Miami on Sunday. The gathering, which brings together rabbis to discuss Israel and Zionism, continues through today. Read about last year’s conference here.
What You Should Know
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations welcomed the Israeli-American Council as a full member yesterday, its first new addition in over a decade, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Israeli-American Council to the Conference of Presidents,” Harriet Schleifer, chair of the Conference, said in a statement. “IAC plays a transformative role in connecting Israeli-Americans to Jewish life and advocacy, and we look forward to their contributions in strengthening our shared mission.”
IAC, which represented the hundreds of thousands of Israelis estimated to be living in the United States, has gradually made its way through a“rigorous review process” and was unanimously approved to join, having been adjunct members of the group for the past few years, the Conference said. Despite lacking full membership, the group, which is backed by American Israeli philanthropist Dr. Miriam Adelson, was invited to participate in the Conference’s annual missions to Israel over the past two years.
IAC’s admission comes after the Workers Circle parted ways with the Conference in August 2023, which the progressive organization said was prompted by the umbrella group’s “reluctance to critique Israel.” The most recent addition to the umbrella organization was the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, which joined in 2014. That same year, in a contentious vote, the Conference of Presidents rejected the application of the left-wing group J Street to join its ranks.
In announcing IAC’s membership, the Conference hailed the group’s “impactful work in uniting and engaging Israeli-Americans, fostering Jewish identity and strengthening the bond between the United States and Israel.”
The Israeli American community has long lingered on the fringes of the American Jewish community. Elan Carr, IAC’s CEO and the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism during the first Trump administration, said the inclusion of the group signified “not only the integration of Israeli-Americans into the Jewish mainstream, but also the incorporation of the Israeli ethos into Jewry Diaspora.”
SCOOP
ADL chief vanishes from Israel’s antisemitism conference schedule amid uproar over inclusion of European far right
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt has been removed from the schedule of an upcoming antisemitism conference being hosted by Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem later this month amid growing controversy over the inclusion of several far-right European politicians in the event, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross has learned. Greenblatt, who was slated to deliver a keynote address, had originally appeared in the conference’s speakers list. On Monday afternoon, his photograph was removed, and later a listing of his scheduled speech was also taken down from the event’s website. Greenblatt’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the Diaspora Affairs Ministry.
Dropout rate: A growing number of speakers and participants have canceled their appearances at the gathering. This includes: British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, British antisemitism scholar David Hirsh, French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, German antisemitism envoy Felix Klein and head of the Germany-Israel Friendship Association, German Volker Beck. More participants are also reconsidering their attendance in the conference in light of the involvement of far-right leaders. “Having been made aware of the attendance of a number of far-right populist politicians at the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism, the Chief Rabbi will no longer be attending,” Mirvis’ office told eJP on Monday.
MAJOR GIFTS
Milken Community School receives $15 million from Rodan Family Foundation, boosting capital campaign
The Milken Community School received a $15 million investment from the Rodan Family Foundation, pushing it past the halfway point in its $135 million capital campaign, as the Los Angeles-area school expands its facilities amid growing enrollment. The fundraising campaign, which has so far raised $79.8 million, has recently seen 17 individual donors and families each contribute $1 million or more, a representative of the school told Ayala Or-El for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Pleasant resonance: Head of School Sarah Shulkind told eJP that the school was introduced to the foundation’s leaders and, following the first meeting, they asked to bring other family members to visit the school in Bel Air, Calif. “We talked about where the school is, where it wants to go, how we see this project as transformative for Milken and the Jewish community in L.A. I think the vision really resonated with them,” said Shulkind. “They saw how our school is going to change the Jewish community overall and how we can be a model for the rest of the country. They were looking for something that will be their legacy, and it spoke to them.”
WIKI WORRIES
New ADL report reveals ‘malicious’ Wikipedia editors conspired to impose anti-Israel bias across site
In 2025, all it takes to answer any factual question, no matter how trivial — Who won the 1974 World Series? Where was Taylor Swift born? — is a quick Google search and, usually, a click to Wikipedia, which has 62 million pages in English alone. But a new report from the Anti-Defamation League urges people to think twice before using the popular free encyclopedia, arguing its administrators have failed to prevent biased editors from manipulating entries related to Israel and Judaism, reports Gabby Deutch for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider.
Edit wars: “Despite Wikipedia’s efforts to ensure neutrality and impartiality, malicious editors frequently introduce biased or misleading information, which persists across hundreds if not more entries,” the report stated. For instance, in the main Wikipedia page on Hamas, an editor removed a reference to a 2018 incident describing how a Palestinian prepared to launch an incendiary balloon with a swastika on it. A series of edit wars on Wikipedia’s main Zionism page has, since 2022, sought “to reframe Israel’s founding,” according to the report.
Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
NIMBLE PHILANTHROPY
How small grants create big impact
“Innovation doesn’t always mean starting something brand new. Sometimes, it’s about applying an entrepreneurial mindset to problem-solving — being agile and responsive and making smart, strategic bets,” writes Aaron Katler, CEO of UpStart, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Think fast: “Since Oct. 7, Jewish social impact organizations have faced a perfect storm: skyrocketing demand for their programs and services, paired with a rapidly shifting philanthropic landscape. As the sector grapples with donor fatigue and evolving funding priorities, many organizations are left navigating financial uncertainty while trying to meet urgent community needs. At UpStart, we recognized this challenge and responded with an experiment in nimble philanthropy: the Rapid Expert Engagement Grants (REEG). These $5,000 grants were designed to provide fast, flexible funding for ventures experiencing financial distress, enabling them to engage expert consultants to strengthen their business models, fundraising strategies and donor communications. The results? A powerful demonstration that small, targeted grants can drive transformative impact… The REEG initiative is just one example of how we can rethink philanthropy to better serve Jewish social entrepreneurs. If we’re going to seize this moment, we collectively need to move faster, think bigger and support the leaders who are shaping the Jewish future.”
READER RESPONDS
At last, a Jewish therapeutic school: A parent’s perspective
“After decades, the Jewish community is waking up to families like mine. This awakening is occurring as Jewish youth, just like other youth, are experiencing mental health challenges at higher rates than ever. The launch of Adir Academy, the first Jewish therapeutic high school in the U.S. for students with mental health challenges, is a landmark step in the process to fully welcome us into Jewish life,” writes Shoshana Moskowitz, a New Jersey parent who shares her family’s story in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy in response to eJP’s recent coverage of the genesis of Adir Academy.
Meeting a critical need: “Our choice was agonizing. Do we push to keep [our son] in a Jewish school where he was drowning, or send him to a secular school that could support him but at the cost of his Jewish education, values and community? And with his anxiety already consuming him, how could we introduce even more upheaval into his life?… So many children need the emotional support of a therapeutic school and the warmth of a Jewish environment. Every child and family struggling with mental health deserves to be seen and to know that they too have a place in the Jewish community.”
Worthy Reads
A Conflicted Heart: In The Times of Israel, Ruby Chen, father of Israeli hostage Itay Chen, expresses his disappointment that he and other family members of those still in captivity in Gaza feel the need to put their faith in the leader of another country instead of their own. “Last week, I was once again in Washington DC, initiating meetings with US government representatives. At the same time, several freed hostages flew to the US capitol to meet President Trump and urge him to continue his efforts to have our brothers and sisters in captivity returned. So I ask once again, why do we pin our hopes on the efforts of the US government rather than on Israel’s? Why did the returned hostages feel compelled to fly to DC and not to drive to Jerusalem? During the Oval Office meeting between the freed hostages and the President, one of the Israeli hostages called the President a godsend. It broke my heart. One of the core reasons the Jewish State was created following the Holocaust was so that we wouldn’t have to rely on anyone else to protect our people — to guarantee that when we are in harm’s way, our country will do everything possible to ensure our safety. Tragically, rather than relying on our own leaders to do so, we now turn our eyes to a foreign leader to do the job of the Israeli government… The US has shown its willingness to lead with empathy and determination. These qualities should have been mirrored by Israeli leaders in order to give the families the closure they so desperately need. That they are not doing so will forever be a blot on the history of the State of Israel and this Israeli government, which not only brought us this war, but has so far failed to enable redemption and healing for the people of Israel.” [TOI]
Horseshoe Theories: In The Wall Street Journal, Gerard Baker reflects on the antisemitism of the right, citing figures including Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson. “Sheer dumbness is part of the problem. Our culture is dominated by people with epic levels of historical, economic and scientific ignorance. Mr. Rogan is unimaginably successful and doesn’t need my critical approval, so he won’t mind when I say I doubt he has read a book of real history in his life or can see the difference between the charlatans he promotes and actual historians of the Third Reich such as Richard Evans or Ian Kershaw. Nor would he or his followers understand the difference between the historiography required of a genuine authority and the kind of drivel produced by a dilettante opportunist. The larger problem is the steady undermining of truth itself. So much contemporary ideology rests on eradicated standards of objective reality, so people can believe all kinds of impossible things. The abandonment of academic truth is partially to blame. The tendentious and dishonest nonsense that holds sway at most of our top universities and the intolerance with which its adherents exclude dissent have undermined faith in academic truth and debased the currency of scholarship so that anyone with access to a social media account can propagate his own ‘learning.’” [WSJ]
Defying Expectations: In the Jewish Chronicle, Rabbi Michael Pollak offers his experiences at Hendon School — a secondary school located geographically within the London-area Jewish community but with a nearly 70% Muslim student body — as proof that coexistence is not only possible but happening in Britain today. “When the head of religious studies, Andy Meldrum, was asked how the school manages to bridge the chasms between its many constituencies, he conceded that it is challenging but pointed out that the work of the school is crucially important not only for the individual students but also for the health of all the participating communities. We dare not fail… Six months into the academic year, I can report that despite the statistics and contrary to the anecdotes and to the ongoing amazement of my Israel-based relatives, there is not an iota of antisemitism in Hendon School. This is my anecdote and my statistic. I believe that this is the truth for most Jewish people in the UK. I, an Orthodox rabbi, have been teaching Christianity and ethics to largely Muslim audiences at this school. I have been subject to no moment of racism. Not a nanosecond of antisemitism. This is the real world of British youngsters. It’s in the middle of Hendon. It is flourishing and it’s why, at the age of 72, this rabbi still goes to work every morning.” [JewishChronicle]
Word on the Street
Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund approved funding of up to $9.55 million for the long-term Israel travel program Masa, with the goal of “increasing interest in Israel among young Jews,” KKL-JNF told eJewishPhilanthropy. “As the Jewish Diaspora faces unprecedented challenges, strengthening their connection with Israel has never been more critical,” Ifat Ovadia-Luski, chairwoman of KKL-JNF, said in a statement…
The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee has appointed David Zackon as its next chief advancement officer, effective April 1; Zackon, who has been with the organization for 18 years, succeeds Lisa Gurwitch…
Maimonides Fund has launched a new initiative to provide grants for “projects that can help to create or adapt artificial intelligence models to advance Jewish learning, teaching and/or preaching” and is now accepting proposals…
The Saul and Joyce Brandman Foundation has committed $20 million to UCLA Health to establish a new lung health center…
The American Zionist Movement reports that twice as many people have so far voted in the World Zionist Congress elections as did during the same period in the previous elections in 2020…
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie tapped Alphabet President and CIO Ruth Porat, former First Republic Bank President Katherine August-deWilde and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs to lead a pair of initiatives focused on revitalizing the city’s beleaguered downtown…
Lev Littman was named the next CEO of the Israeli local government-focused nonprofit Tzedek Centers…
Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is overseeing a new joint initiative between Clemson University and Hebrew University and Sapir College in Israel; the project will focus on shared agricultural challenges and opportunities in the Negev and South Carolina…
A Brown University professor from Lebanon with a U.S. visa was deported upon returning from a visit to Lebanon; Dr. Rasha Alawieh told federal agents that she had attended the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, whom she said she agreed with from “a religious perspective”…
Anti-Israel vandals graffitied the home of University of Michigan Provost Laurie McCauley with phrases including “Free Palestine,” “Divest” and “No Honor in Genocide” and threw an object through a bedroom window of the home…
The Miami Herald spotlights the efforts of the Chabad-affiliated, Surfside, Fla.-based Aleph Institute to support Jewish members of the U.S. military…
Model Karlie Kloss announced that she and her husband, Josh Kushner, are expecting their third child…
Pic of the Day
Author Jennifer Weiner (third from left) stands with members of the Jewish Federation of Orange County (Fla.)’s Women’s Philanthropy at the group’s annual event, Voices, on March 6. Some 300 women philanthropists participated in the event, which raised $1 million.
Birthdays
Head of school at Golda Och Academy in West Orange, N.J., Rabbi Daniel S. Nevins…
Screenwriter, actor, comedian and film executive, he is best known for co-writing the screenplay for “Jaws” and its first two sequels, Carl Gottlieb… U.S. special envoy for monitoring and combating antisemitism during the Biden administration, Ambassador Deborah Esther Lipstadt… National columnist with Creators Syndicate and contributor to CNN Opinion, Froma Harrop… One-half of the eponymous Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Bennett “Ben” Cohen… Professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Howard E. Gendelman, MD… French businessman, Jean-Bernard Lévy… Former crisis response team manager for Los Angeles and now a consultant for nonprofit organizations, Jeffrey Zimerman, MSW… Head coach of the Auburn Tigers men’s basketball team, his Hebrew name is Mordechai as he was born in the week of Purim, Bruce Pearl … Filmmaker, writer and stand-up comedian, Jake David Shapiro… Identical twin brothers, singers and songwriters who recorded as “Evan and Jaron,” Evan Lowenstein and Jaron Lowenstein… Lead vocalist for the pop rock band Maroon 5, Adam Levine… Actor, comedian and writer, Adam Pally… COO at Roofmart, Ariel Koschitzky… Actor known for his roles in “24” and “House of Sand and Fog,” Jonathan Ahdout… Chief of staff and communications director at the Jewish Democratic Council of America, Samuel Crystal… Senior business transformation consultant at EY, Michael Schapiro… Actor and television producer, best known for his role on the Netflix original series “Orange Is the New Black,” Alan Aisenberg… Israeli actor, singer and television presenter, Shahar Tavoch…
