Your Daily Phil: Israel eyes complicated recovery as Iran ceasefire holds
Good Friday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we consider the next steps for Israel’s recovery as its ceasefire with Iran takes hold. We spotlight the Israeli disability nonprofit Beit Issie Shapiro’s recently inaugurated “inclusive” campus, and report on the Israeli social lender Ogen’s new loan fund for families and businesses affected by the Iranian missile attacks. We feature an opinion piece by Rabbi Kenneth Brander reflecting on Julie Beren Platt’s tenure as chair of the board at the Jewish Federations of North America, and one by Mindy M. Gold with advice for funders interested in supporting part-time Jewish education. Additionally, Manette Mayberg highlights how mezuzahs can serve as symbols of pride or solidarity as antisemitism spikes. Also in this issue: Yehudah Mirsky, Karen Paikin Barall and Ofra Keidar.
Shabbat shalom!
| 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: With Israel in a ‘crisis within a crisis,’ IsraAid ramps up services at home; As Israeli staff delayed by sky closure, Jewish camps scramble for (hopefully) temporary replacements; and Picnic blankets, babka, and banchan bialys: Inside the hottest Jewish food event of the summer. Print the latest edition here. |
What We’re Watching
The Aspen Ideas Festival continues today in Colorado. This morning includes a panel on how “philanthropies and civil society are meeting the moment,” featuring Jane Wales, executive director of the Aspen Institute Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation; Neal Katyal, a partner at Milbank; Mary Culler, the president of the Ford Philanthropy; Nicole Taylor, the CEO of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation; and Stephanie Cornell, executive director of the Walton Family Foundation.
Maimonides Fund’s Sapir Institute is hosting a briefing at noon with former Israeli National Security Advisor Eyal Hulata.
Over 100,000 people are expected to visit the “Ohel,” the gravesite of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, in Cambria Heights, Queens, to mark the 31st anniversary of his death.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH EJP’S JUDAH ARI GROSS
Israelis this week are breathing a collective sigh of relief, albeit one with caveats, as the ceasefire with Iran appears to be holding and initial assessments indicate that the Israeli and American strikes have at least set back the country’s nuclear program.
Yet that sense of reprieve — perhaps seen most clearly in the ability to sleep through without a late-night or predawn missile attack — is tempered by the fact that Israel was ending one conflict as it continued another, in Gaza, where 50 hostages remain in captivity. Indeed, it was the morning after the Iran ceasefire went into effect that the military announced that seven soldiers, all between 19 and 21, had been killed in southern Gaza when their armored vehicle was hit by an explosive device.
Israel now moves to the next phase: recovery.
In the short term, this will require a focus on caring for the thousands of Israeli who were injured in Iranian missile strikes and the thousands more who were displaced by them, as well as the reconstruction of their homes.
Hospitals, which were operating under emergency conditions for nearly two weeks, discharging noncritical patients and moving entire wards to fortified underground facilities, will have to cover some of the costs associated with those transitions. Beersheva’s Soroka Medical Center, which sustained a direct hit in the fighting, will also have to rebuild its damaged facilities.
Perhaps less critically, Israeli summer programs — both those for Israelis traveling abroad and those for Diaspora teens coming to Israel — will now have to determine how to proceed in the wake of the Israel-Iran war. How will schedules and itineraries change? How many participants will still take part? What additional costs will trips incur?
Beyond these immediate issues, the Israel-Iran war has also strained the Israeli economy, one that the Israeli government and civil society will be grappling with for years to come.
Israeli economist Avi Weiss, president of the social policy-focused Taub Center think tank, estimated that the direct military costs of the war amounted to more than $10 billion. In addition, the Iranian missile strikes caused an estimated $3 billion in damages in terms of both physical damage and the costs of compensating affected businesses, according to a recent Israeli Finance Ministry assessment.
These additional, unplanned costs — along with an expected increase in the Israeli defense budget — will raise the country’s deficit considerably, which will in turn affect its credit rating, Weiss warned last week in a briefing organized by the Taub Center.
“The deficit in Israel was expected to be about 5%. That was optimistic. But that’s what it was expected to be before this started. And this is going to add about 3% more. So we’re going to be at a deficit of about 8% or more than 8%. And that’s very, very significant,” Weiss said. “The debt-to-GDP ratio, which is important for… the amount of interest Israel has to pay on its debt, was expected to be about 69%, which is 10% higher than it would have been without the war. And now it’s going to go up to about 75%. Just to give you an idea, it didn’t even reach that during COVID.”
Weiss noted that before the conflict with Iran, Israel had already made broad cuts to the national budget to pay for the costs of the war in Gaza, meaning there wasn’t much more that could be done to reduce spending. The government would also be hard-pressed to significantly raise taxes, he said.
The University of Chicago-trained economist said Israel’s way forward was growth, which he intimated would require increasing Haredi participation in the workforce, as well as investments in public projects like transportation. “To increase growth, you need to get more participation in the labor market by the groups that are not participating, [provide] better education, or more marketable education, for those groups to allow them to be able to be absorbed and get higher salaries and produce better inside the labor market,” Weiss said. “Where Israel is really, really, really lacking for a very long time is in public capital and particular transportation systems, and that has a long way to go.”
The Iranian missile attacks, which triggered air raid sirens throughout the country, highlighted the absence of bomb shelters in large parts of the country and the lack of access to existing ones for many disabled Israelis.
All of this comes as the country was already in the midst of a mass reconstruction and recovery effort less than two years after the Oct. 7 attacks and more than a year of punishing missile and drone attacks by Hezbollah on northern Israel.
“Everything that emerged since Oct. 7 is still very much here and very much in need of support. None of that disappeared. So everything that is accumulating now because of the war with Iran is just adding on,” Sigal Yaniv Feller, executive director of the Jewish Funders Network’s Israel office, said this week during a wartime briefing.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Israeli disability nonprofit Beit Issie Shapiro inaugurates new ‘inclusive’ campus
In 1980, Beit Issie Shapiro launched a groundbreaking initiative in Israel by opening a small, community-based special education center in Ra’anana for 16 children with complex cognitive disabilities. Inspired by the vision of Issie Shapiro, a recent immigrant from South Africa, the project was led by his children following his death during a fundraising trip to the United States. Now, 45 years later, the center marked a new milestone in disability inclusion for young children with the opening of its new Beit Raz campus. In September, the campus will welcome 80 children — 40 with and 40 without disabilities — from infants to age 3 to its new inclusive mainstream daycare program at its new Early Intervention Center, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judith Sudilovsky.
‘A win-win situation’: “This is a new model for the country that will foster emotional resilience, social connection and mutual respect among all children,” said Naomi Stuchiner, Beit Issie Shapiro’s founder. This inclusive approach for the youngest children is based on “extensive research, learning and development” and is a “paradigm shift” in early childhood inclusion, said Ahmir Lerner, Beit Issie Shapiro’s CEO. The organization hopes that it will serve as a model for inclusive education around the world. “Beit Issie is always working on the micro level, on the personal and also on the macro on the societal level. So on the personal level, we’re bringing a new model of inclusion to Ra’anana and to children with or without disabilities, with emphasis on how we create a win-win situation,” Lerner said.
FAIR AMOUNT OF INTEREST
Social lender Ogen launches $30M fund to support Israeli families, businesses affected by war with Iran
The Israeli social lender Ogen has launched a new no- and low-interest loan fund for Israeli families and small businesses affected by the Israel-Iran war, offering nearly $30 million in support with the hopes of doubling that soon, the group told eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross. “The economic fallout from Operation Rising Lion comes after nearly two years of hardship for families and small business owners, many of whom are also reservists, and now threatens their financial stability,” Ogen CEO Sagi Balasha said in a statement. “This program is designed to help them survive this critical period and continue contributing to Israel’s economy.”
Gaining leverage: According to the social lender, the new emergency assistance program, dubbed “Israel’s Financial First Responders,” will provide more than $25 million in subsidized loans and credit lines for small businesses. Ogen will also provide almost $5 million in interest-free loans — each up to $14,700 — for households affected by the war. The nonprofit said that it hoped to double the size of the new assistance program by raising a smaller amount of philanthropic funding, which it can then “leverage” to get a large line of credit from a commercial bank.
BLUEPRINT FOR LEADERSHIP
What we can learn from Julie Beren Platt’s legacy at JFNA
“As her term as chair of the board at the Jewish Federations of North America comes to a close, Julie Beren Platt leaves behind not only historic achievements but also a blueprint for courageous, passionate and inspirational leadership in times of global crisis,” writes Rabbi Kenneth Brander, president and rosh yeshiva of Ohr Torah Stone, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
A parsha connection: “As the Torah teaches through the rebellion of Korach in this week’s portion, true leadership in Judaism is not about self-advancement or personal gain; it’s about service, humility and principle. Julie Beren Platt did not seek a leadership position for its own sake; she carried the responsibility for the entire Jewish people on her shoulders — and made the weight look light. I know that Platt’s next steps as a Jewish leader will be just as bold and inspiring as her decades of past service. Her example will guide the leaders of tomorrow, reminding us that when vision meets courage, anything is possible.”
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
To sustain part-time Jewish education, invest in leaders at the local level
“If we want to see part-time Jewish education weather this critical moment and maintain its place as a pillar of Jewish communal life, we must invest in our educational leaders. Asset-based community development and participatory action research offer a sustainable solution that can be practiced at the local level to catalyze broader, systemic change,” writes educator Mindy M. Gold, founder of Gold Learning Solutions, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
In a nutshell: “Asset-based community development helps leaders map their community’s existing strengths — both tangible and intangible, from gathering spaces to committed volunteers and strong family networks — and use those assets to meet local needs. Participatory action research invites careholders of all ages to the table — students, parents, teachers, lay leaders — to help in designing new structures and resources. It empowers leaders to listen, learn and make shared decisions that reflect what people actually want. While an educational leader might have the ultimate decision-making power, the changes they make will be more relevant, effective and sustainable when they’re informed by the people affected by those decisions.”
“The mezuzah is a powerful symbol that has marked Jewish doorposts for thousands of years,” writes Manette Mayberg — trustee and president of the Mayberg Foundation and the founder of MyZuzah, which aims to provide a mezuzah for the front door of every Jewish home that needs one around the world — in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “The tradition goes back to the Passover story, when the Israelites marked their doors with blood so that their homes would be protected — passed over during the culmination of the 10 Plagues. Inside each mezuzah is a handwritten scroll bearing the Shema, Judaism’s foundational prayer.”
We’re not hiding: “After Hamas’ brutal terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023 — a day that deepened our sense of fragility and longing for safety — and the subsequent surge in antisemitism, many Jewish families are asking: How do we meet this moment? How do we honor our history while protecting our future? One answer is simple yet profound: We show up visibly. Proudly. Together. We place mezuzahs on our doors, not just because it’s commanded, but because it says something the world needs to hear: We are still here. We are not afraid. Through our shared joy in affixing mezuzahs, we are connected, protected and unified.”
Worthy Reads
The Man in Charge: In UnHerd, Yehudah Mirsky explores the evolution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a politician and leader, particularly in the context of widespread support among Israelis for his decision to attack Iran juxtaposed with years of protests against his leadership. “Netanyahu is perhaps Israel’s greatest living sociologist, and has, for decades, played its politics like a fiddle. Everything that he has done emerges from his utterly sincere conviction that his personal political interest and the Israeli national interest truly are one and the same. And so anything that keeps him in power is justified. His moral justification has been the very real threat of Iran. Whether others could have done the same, or whether he could have done this without tearing Israeli society apart, is something we and historians will be trying to figure out for years to come.” [UnHerd]
Preview of Things to Come: In the Jewish News, Daniel Sugarman draws lessons from British Jewry’s experience with Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn for New York’s Jews concerned about the potential mayorship of Zohran Mamdani. “The cases, while similar, are not identical; different countries, different political positions and different – though kindred – political parties… But for the purposes of the Jewish community, the similarities hold. An anti-Zionist with a history of deeply troublesome public statements has won an important internal party contest. They have done so despite the publicly aired concerns of many Jews. If they win a forthcoming election, they will have a great deal of influence over aspects of day-to-day life. With this in mind, I thought it might be helpful for New York Jews to be aware of recent history across the Atlantic, and prepare ahead of time for certain situations which may be coming their way.” [JewishNews]
Invest in Relationships: In the Jewish Link, fundraiser Jeffrey Korbman offers insights from 35 years in the field. One is that donors take time to develop. “Recruiters and consultants often sell fundraising jobs as amazing ‘opportunities,’ as if donors are just waiting to give away huge sums. A seasoned professional fundraiser can expect meaningful Return On Investment (ROI) in 18 to 24 months. (Emergency campaigns are an exception.) This concurs with the perspective of an insightful fundraising trainer I met, Vicky Agron, who often said: ‘Donors are like checkbooks. You can write a check, but first you must make deposits.’ Deposits = stewardship. Listening, building trust. Developing rapport. Time. When the connection clicks between donor and cause, it’s blissful to see. You can’t hurry love. But when it comes? Almost nothing matches the impact.” [JewishLink]
Word on the Street
Iranian authorities have arrested local rabbis and other Jewish leaders and accused them of aiding Israel in this month’s conflict between the two countries, according to an unconfirmed report by the French-Iranian women’s rights group Femme Azadi…
“We Will Dance Again,” a documentary about Hamas’ attack on the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, won the Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary at the 46th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards…
The Anti-Defamation League laid off 22 employees this week as it shifts away from broader public policy work and focuses more on antisemitism…
A new report by California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office found that hate crimes in the state rose by 2.7% from 2023 to 2024, with crimes against the LGBTQ community growing by 13.9% and those against the Jewish community rising 7.3%…
Argentina will try in absentia 10 Iranian and Lebanese nationals suspected of involvement in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires…
The New York Times reports on a meeting led by investor and philanthropist Daniel Loeb and New York City Mayor Eric Adams with local business leaders aimed at boosting Adams’ reelection campaign amid growing concerns about the rise of presumed Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani…
The State Department approved $30 million in funding for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation; the newly created aid group tapped Israeli restaurateur Shahar Segal as its Israeli media spokesperson…
The Sweden Democrats party apologized for its past Nazi affiliations and “clear expressions of antisemitism” as it seeks to align itself with mainstream parties ahead of next year’s national elections…
The Forward profiles Idit Klein as she steps down as CEO of the Jewish LGBTQ group Keshet later this summer…
Rachael Fried, executive director of Jewish Queer Youth was dubbed an “LGBTQ+ Power Player” by PoliticsNY, Gay City News and AmMetro New York…
The Associated Press spotlights a new initiative by the Enlight Foundation and The Patchwork Collective offering $1 million multi-year grants to 25 environmental organizations led by 15- to 35-year-olds….
Ad man Mortimer Matz, the co-founder of Nathan’s annual hot dog eating contest, died yesterday at 100…
Major Gifts
The Blavatnik Family Foundation donated $25 million to the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts to establish the Blavatnik Center for Virtual Production…
Jewish National Fund-USA has donated $1 million to causes in the city of Beersheva in response to the Iranian ballistic missile attacks on the city…
Transitions
Karen Paikin Barall, who was previously vice president of government relations at the Jewish Federations of North America, is joining the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law as chief policy officer…
Meara Ashtivker has been promoted to director of subscriber acquisition and Rachel Rapoport has been promoted to director of community partnerships at PJ Library…
Pic of the Day
Ofra Keidar, whose body was rescued from Gaza captivity by Israeli troops earlier this month, is laid to rest yesterday in Kibbutz Beeri in southern Israel, where she was killed by terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023.
“Today, we are granted this moment to bid you farewell in peace,” said Einav Keidar, Ofra’s daughter-in-law, according to The Times of Israel. “You are deep within our thoughts and hearts. We love you, and please watch over us from above, because we are very tired. I long for days of unity and unconditional love among our people, but above all, our moral obligation and ability to heal ourselves will come only after the return of the remaining hostages: those who are alive for rehabilitation, and those for proper burial in the land of Israel.”
Birthdays
Chairman and CEO of Comcast Corporation, Brian L. Roberts, celebrates his birthday on Saturday…
FRIDAY: Co-founder of Taglit Birthright, the first chairman of the United Jewish Communities and former owner of MLB’s Montreal Expos, Charles Bronfman… One-half of the husband-wife screenwriting and television production team, Richard Allen Shapiro… Technion graduate, he is regarded as the founding father of unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) technology, Abraham Karem… Brooklyn resident, Meyer Roth… Former member of both houses of the Pennsylvania Legislature, Constance Hess “Connie” Williams… Former commander of the Israeli Navy, head of the Shin Bet and member of Knesset, Amihai “Ami” Ayalon… First woman ordained as a rabbi by HUC-JIR, Sally Jane Priesand… Author of fiction and nonfiction books, she is the founding president of the Mayyim Hayyim mikveh in Newton, Mass., Anita Diamant… New Jersey resident, Kenneth R. Blankfein… Minority leader of the Florida State Senate, Lori Berman… Managing director at Osprey Foundation, Louis Boorstin… and his twin brother, principal at Panther Works and senior advisor at Albright Stonebridge Group, Robert O. Boorstin… British historian and award-winning author, he is a great-great-nephew of Sir Moses Montefiore, Simon Sebag Montefiore… Southern California-based accountant, Susan M. Feldman… Creator of multiple TV series including “Felicity,” “Alias,” “Lost” and “Fringe,” and director and producer of many films, Jeffrey Jacob (J.J.) Abrams… President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland (Oregon) since 2010, Marc N. Blattner… South Florida resident, Gordon M. Gerstein… Reporter for The New York Times on the climate desk, Lisa Friedman… Member of the Knesset for the United Torah Judaism alliance, Yoel Yaakov Tessler… Senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute, Ilya Shapiro… Israeli judoka, best known for his default victory at the 2004 Summer Olympics when his Iranian opponent refused to fight him, Ehud Vaks… Director of stakeholder advocacy at Ford Motor, Caroline Elisabeth Adler Morales… Singer and musician, best known for being Avril Lavigne’s lead guitarist, Evan David Taubenfeld… Executive talent partner at Greylock Partners, Holly Rose Faith… National security advisor to U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Charles Dunst…
SATURDAY: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award-winning actor, movie director, composer and comedian, born Melvin James Kaminsky, Mel Brooks… Laguna Woods, Calif., resident, she is a retired hospital administrator, Saretta Platt Berlin… Owner of New York City’s United Equities Companies and retired chairman of Berkshire Bank, Moses M. Marx… Former member of Congress for 16 years and now a distinguished fellow and president emerita of the Wilson Center, Jane Harman… Political consultant, community organizer and author, he is married to Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Robert Creamer… Novelist, journalist, conservative commentator and senior fellow of the Claremont Institute, Mark Helprin… Author of crime fiction for both adults and children, Peter Abrahams… Documentary producer and adjunct associate professor at USC, James Ruxin… Professor of mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, Kenneth Alan Ribet… Shareholder in the Tampa law office of Carlton Fields, Nathaniel L. Doliner… Rabbi and historian, he is the author of a 2017 book Jewish Justices of the Supreme Court: From Brandeis to Kagan, David G. Dalin… Former member of the California state Senate following two terms in the state Assembly, Martin Jeffrey “Marty” Block… Retired partner at Chicago-based accounting firm of Morrison & Morrison, Mark Zivin… Founding partner of New York City law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres, Marc Kasowitz… Journalist for Haaretz, Amira Hass… Rabbi of the Har Bracha community in the Shomron and Rosh Yeshiva of the hesder yeshiva there, Rabbi Eliezer Melamed… U.S. special envoy for Holocaust issues at the State Department, Ellen J. Germain… Principal of GPS Investment Partners, Marc Spilker… Actress and singer, Jessica Hecht… Former diplomatic correspondent for Al-Monitor, now reporting on Substack, Laura Rozen… Novelist and short story writer, Aimee Bender… Israeli actress residing in Los Angeles, Ayelet Zurer… Former member of Knesset as a member of the Labor party / Zionist Union, Michal Biran… Toltzy Kornbluh… and her twin sister, Chany Stark… Founder and CEO of NY Koen Group, Naum Koen… Associate at Latham & Watkins, Molly Rosen… Mark Winkler…
SUNDAY: Baltimore area gastroenterologist, he is an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Marshall S. Bedine, M.D…. Chairman of Carnival Corporation and owner of the NBA’s Miami Heat, Micky Arison… Rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Brisk in Jerusalem, Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Soloveitchik… Former assistant surgeon general of the U.S. and deputy assistant secretary of HHS for women’s health, Susan Jane Blumenthal, M.D…. Former senior vice president and counsel at Columbus, Ohio-based L Brands, Bruce A. Soll… CEO of two firms including Aliya Marketing Group, Joshua Karlin… Israeli actress, screenwriter, playwright and film director, Hanna Azoulay-Hasfari… Attorney general of Israel from 2016 to 2022, Avichai Mandelblit… Founder and president of Medallion Financial Corp., Andrew Murstein… Screenwriter, director and producer, he has won nine Emmy Awards for his work on AMC’s “Mad Men” and HBO’s “The Sopranos,” Matthew Hoffman Weiner… Senior rabbi of Toronto’s Beth Tzedec Congregation, Rabbi Steven C. Wernick… Theater, film and television screenwriter, his credits include the 2017 film “Wonder Woman,” Allan Heinberg turns 58… Israeli political consultant and former chief of staff to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ari Harow… Consultant, facilitator, trainer and coach, Nanette Rochelle Fridman… Rabbi of The Young Israel of Bal Harbour (Florida), Gidon Moskovitz… Film and television director and writer, she is known for writing and directing the films “Obvious Child” and “Landline,” Gillian Robespierre… Former member of the UK Parliament for the Labour party, she is now a member of the House of Lords, Baroness Ruth Smeeth… Israeli actor and model, Yehuda Levi… President and dean of Phoenix-based Valley Beit Midrash and author of 28 books, Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz… Partner at FGS Global, Andrew Duberstein… Pitcher for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, he then played in the Mexican League until last month, Charles Irvin “Bubby” Rossman… Campaign finance consultant, David Wolf… Steven Kohn… Sara Sansone… Fred Gruber…
