Your Daily Phil: Israeli, Palestinian peace builders gather in Jerusalem
Good Thursday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on a new study on the impact of the recent U.S. elections on corporate philanthropy and attend a recent summit in Jerusalem for Israeli and Palestinian peace-building groups. We examine the role of Israel trips in the rehabilitation of the Western Negev following the Israel-Hamas war, report on a new progressive day of giving launching later this month and get the scoop on a new all-star group of lawyers that will be taking on antisemitism cases. We feature an opinion piece by Paul Bernstein reflecting on this week’s Prizmah conference and the role of Jewish educators in the lives of their students and communities right now. Also in this newsletter: Rivkah Lubitch, Rebecca Needler Dinar and Prince Rahim al-Hussaini.
What We’re Watching
Jewish Federations of North America is hosting a briefing with Amir Yaron, governor of the Bank of Israel, about the state of the Israeli economy.
The Zionist Rabbinic Coalition is holding a web event with former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren this afternoon.
What You Should Know
Corporate philanthropy leaders expect to reduce their support for progressive causes in the wake of President Donald Trump’s election, particularly in the areas of racial and gender equality, the environment and immigrant resettlement, according to a new survey of the field. Instead, they will likely focus on less politically charged areas such as economic opportunity and education, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.
Researcher Andrew Jones from The Conference Board think tank, who conducted the study, wrote that the move may reflect the broader pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion programs — as seen most recently in Trump’s executive order cutting all federal DEI initiatives.
The study found that 24% of respondents said they would put a decreased emphasis on racial equality and 22% on gender equality, while 24% said they would be putting more emphasis on economic opportunity and 18% on education.
But moves away from these progressive causes may also just be rhetorical in nature, the study found. “To maintain trust and avoid alienating stakeholders in an increasingly polarized environment, companies are shifting toward language perceived as more neutral and inclusive,” according to Jones. This may include “reframing DEI-related initiatives from supporting specific demographic groups to emphasizing broader themes like ‘belonging’ or ‘inclusion’” or using the term “community resilience” instead of environmental justice.
“These linguistic adjustments highlight how companies are navigating a complex social and political landscape,” Jones wrote.
The findings were based on surveys, conducted in December and January, with 121 corporate citizenship executives from U.S. and multinational companies, mainly large ones with annual revenues exceeding $10 billion.
More generally, Jones said that the changes represent an effort by companies to fall in line with the White House. “The new US administration is expected to prioritize domestic issues such as economic opportunity, workforce development and education reform. Companies are aligning their citizenship efforts with these policy priorities to enhance impact and demonstrate alignment with the administration’s national goals,” he wrote.
However, the survey did not reveal a massive shift in priorities for the near future as a result of the recent election: Most respondents — 53% — said they did not believe it would affect their programs; the plurality of respondents said that their giving priorities would not change in the coming year; and a minority — 29% — identified “political uncertainty and polarization” as the biggest challenge they expected to face.
Instead, respondents were most likely to say that they anticipated facing increased scrutiny about the efficiency and “return on investment” of their citizenship efforts. According to The Conference Board, companies do generally believe that philanthropy and civic engagement do contribute to their bottom line but still want to have clear metrics to demonstrate that impact. “Credibly quantifying, attributing and verifying the contributions of individual citizenship initiatives remains complex and resource intensive,” according to the study.
WAR NO MORE
‘Believe things can change,’ Irish expert tells Israeli and Palestinian peace NGOs at Jerusalem summit
Irish conflict resolution expert Mari Fitzduff drew a straight line between her work on the 1998 Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland and the ongoing, deadly conflict between Israelis and Palestinians: Education — and perseverance — are the keys to bringing about change. “We have to believe things can change,” Fitzduff said in her keynote presentation at a meeting of some 75 representatives of Israeli and Palestinian peace-building groups who gathered in Jerusalem at the Feel Beit Israeli-Palestinian cultural center for Amal-Tikva’s annual summit on Tuesday — a few hours before President Donald Trump proposed having the United States “take control” of the Gaza Strip and relocating the Palestinian inhabitants of the enclave, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judith Sudilovsky from the summit.
Ups and downs: For some participants, the Oct. 7 terror attacks and Israel-Hamas war prompted renewed interest and support from donors for peace-building work. “We still are running on a surplus now. For the first time we have money in the bank,” Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger, from the Israeli-Palestinian peace nonprofit Roots, told eJP. Other groups are now facing an uncertain funding future, as they relied on grants from the United States that may now be cut. “We still don’t know where it’s going, but we know for now it’s stopped,” said a representative from the Jerusalem Youth Chorus, which had been awarded a three-year $500,000 grant that has been frozen.
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
In Sderot, local Israelis push youth travel groups to aid in rehabilitation of country’s war-struck south
Ofir Libstein, who served as mayor of the Gaza-adjacent Sh’ar HeNegev Region, was killed on Oct. 7 while defending his family’s kibbutz, Kfar Aza. In the years before the massacres, Libstein had dedicated himself to transforming the image of the Gaza Envelope from that of a rocket-battered war zone into an attractive area for tourists, founding — together with his wife — the now-famous Darom Adom (Red South) festival, which attracted hordes of Israelis to goggle at the thick carpets of kalaniyot, red anemones, that blanket the Western Negev in the winter. Today, after more than a year of war in the region, Libstein’s mission is more relevant than ever, and is being carried forward by others. Doron Moshe, program director at the Hallelujah Project, which was also founded by Libstein, met with dozens of members of the Israel Educational Travel Alliance last month in Sderot and explained to them how they could be part of the effort to rehabilitate Israel’s south, reports Jewish Insider’s Tamara Zieve for eJewishPhilanthropy.
What was and will be: Moshe suggested connecting teen trips with young survivors of the Oct. 7 attacks, who would effectively say, “Here is what we went through in the past year and here is how we move forward,” and finishing the day with a volunteering activity, such as agricultural work together with Israeli teenagers. Anna Langer, IETA acting executive director and vice president for North America-Israel strategies, said that the summit laid the foundations “to build new models that reflect today’s realities.” She added: “Our next steps are to build upon the progress we made by continuing to spread these new best practices and moving toward tangible solutions to problems like flights to ensure that all who want to come to Israel can.”
SPARE A SHEKEL?
Jewish Social Justice Roundtable launches new progressive day of giving ahead of Shabbat Shekalim
Launching a new kind of “GivingTuesday,” more than 30 progressive Jewish organizations will participate in a national fundraising day for affiliates of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable later this month, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim. The roundtable, a loose network of Jewish social justice organizations across the country, consists primarily of Jewish organizations focused on domestic causes. The event, to be called “Jewish Justice Giving Day,” is scheduled on Feb. 26, two days before Shabbat Shekalim, in which Parashat Ki Tisa is read, marking the annual contribution of half a shekel made by male Jews to support upkeep of the Tabernacle.
Amplify the sector: Participants will include HIAS, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Keshet, Moving Traditions, the Network of Jewish Human Services Agencies, and 28 other organizations — local and national — within the network. According to Naama Haviv, vice president of community engagement for Mazon: a Jewish Response to Hunger, which came up with the idea, the fundraising day is meant to be held annually, bringing attention to domestic causes. “We know there are funders that support multiple social justice organizations, and do so through a Jewish lens. So we wanted them to have the opportunity to amplify the day and the sector as a whole,” Haviv told eJP.
LAWYERING UP
All-star lineup of lawyers bands together to litigate antisemitism cases
As the Trump administration’s Department of Education has vowed to open investigations into five universities alleged to have discriminated against Jewish students, more than a dozen prominent attorneys are joining together to exclusively litigate against antisemitism on campus and beyond, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen has learned. Called the Center for Legal Innovation (CLI), the new public interest group launched on Thursday will operate under the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law Center’s umbrella as an expansion of the group’s current civil rights litigation efforts, much of which have recently focused on representing college students alleging antisemitism on campus.
Across the board: CLI’s advisory board will include former Attorney General Bill Barr; Paul, Weiss Chairman Brad Karp; former Solicitor General Paul Clement; and Alan Levine, president of the Legal Aid Society of New York. Levine, who served as lead counsel against white-supremacist organizers of the United the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., told JI that the group of lawyers is “bipartisan, across the legal spectrum [and] will attack antisemitism on the right, antisemitism on the left and antisemitism throughout American society today.”
Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Having the courage to meet our moment
“‘Courage is not the absence of fear; courage is fear walking.’ The closing keynote speaker at this week’s Prizmah Conference, Susan David, a leading management thinker and award-winning psychologist, reminded the more than 1,500 day school and Jewish community professionals, lay leaders and investors who attended that what happens every day in Jewish day schools and yeshivas is nothing short of heroic,” writes Paul Bernstein, CEO of Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Inspiring tomorrow’s leaders: “When I think about what it means to have courage and Jewish day schools, I am reminded of the relationship that is at the core of learning between teachers and learners. Educators in our schools show up every day, no matter the news headlines or their own fears, in order to continue the task of building a better future. Their courage is worthy of our highest respect. Teachers and school leaders have been and will continue to be the heroes and the role models our students need to eventually replace them as the teachers, leaders and thinkers of tomorrow, seeding generation after generation of Jewish connection, continuity and remarkable contribution both to our community and wider society. I believe we can and will succeed in seizing this extraordinary moment because of the talent, passion and dedication — and courage — of all of the professionals and volunteers in our schools.”
Worthy Reads
Ties That Bind: In The Times of Israel, Rivkah Lubitch draws attention to the issue of halitza, a biblical practice a widowed woman may be obligated to perform to avoid having to marry the brother of her deceased husband, in the context of the protracted war in Gaza. “According to statistics from Israel’s rabbinic courts, the number of women performing halitzah has doubled, or even tripled, in comparison to non-wartime occurrences. When a woman becomes widowed from a man who does not have children, the Torah explicitly mandates, in Deuteronomy, that the brother of the deceased husband must perform yibum — levirate marriage — and take the widow as a wife. If the brother refuses, the Torah instructs that the halitzah ceremony be performed, in which the widow removes a sandal from the brother’s foot, spits before him (on the ground), and rebukes him for refusing to take her as his wife. Until yibum or halitzah occurs, the widow is prohibited from marrying anyone else and is considered ‘bound by yibum’ or ‘bound by halitzah.’… In ancient times, the brother’s obligation to perform yibum and take in his late brother’s widow might have benefitted women, as in the case of Ruth and Boaz in the Book of Ruth… Far from being just a formal ritual, halitzah has severe implications for the widow’s life. The widow’s dependence on her brother-in-law for her freedom makes her vulnerable to extortion… While the current war has highlighted the need to address problems that arise from halitzah, there is longstanding precedent for halachic solutions.” [TOI]
Hurting Those You Help: In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Bobbi Dempsey highlights the harmfulness of “poor bias” among the very people assisting those in need. “Throughout my childhood — and a chunk of early adulthood — I was dependent on charities and public welfare programs. As a child, my family relied on SNAP (then known as food stamps), food banks and giveaways of donated items from nonprofits like the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities. While I knew that our poverty was often viewed by society as a byproduct of laziness, these encounters were different. The nonprofits — charitable groups committed to helping me and others like me — judged us for looking not quite poor enough. Like many Americans navigating a threadbare social safety net, my family felt pressured to display the Goldilocks ‘just right’ level of poverty to merit assistance. Granted, my feelings that we were being ‘sized up’ were just that — feelings. But today, as a journalist who reports on the nonprofit field, I sometimes find confirmation of my suspicions… Social service providers often unwittingly pressure clients to ‘perform’ their pain and gratitude to prove they deserve assistance. This can retraumatize clients, strip their dignity and even help mire them in poverty. Some individuals may choose to earn less money to maintain eligibility. Or they may feel pressure to follow program requirements even when those conflict with caregiving responsibilities, health needs and other demands.” [ChronicleofPhilanthropy]our boss, your parents: ‘You’re doing a good job.’ They may even return the favor.” [JewishJournal]
Word on the Street
Rebecca Needler Dinar has been hired as the executive director of the Samson Charitable Fund, a new grant-making organization focused on combating antisemitism; Needler Dinar has served as director of communications for the Knight Foundation and before that as an associate vice president at Jewish Federations of North America…
A growing number of Jewish organizations have begun responding to President Donald Trump’s proposed plan for the U.S. to “take control” of the Gaza Strip and relocate its inhabitants: the American Jewish Committee described Trump’s remarks as “surprising, concerning, and confusing” and called for the U.S. and Israel to focus primarily on securing the release of the hostages still in Gaza and ending Hamas’ rule of the enclave; the Israel Policy Forum said the proposal “belittles the rights of Palestinians who do not want to be transferred, endangers Israel’s remaining hostages… and provides fuel to Hamas’ contention [that it is the sole protector of Palestinian nationalism”]; AIPAC has not not directly commented on the plan but said it appreciates Trump’s “efforts to find a path forward for a post-Hamas Gaza”; the Anti-Defamation League said that any plan for the future “must take into account Israel’s security needs and the wellbeing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza”….
The Jay Pritzker Foundation donated $1 million to support the California Community Colleges Wildfire and Disaster Relief Fund, which is providing aid to students, faculty and staff affected by the Los Angeles-area wildfires…
The Jewish Press interviews Haredi education activist Rabbi Menachem Bombach about his efforts to increase Haredi integration into Israeli society….
The State of Israel opened its first embassy in Moldova this week, more than 30 years after the two countries established diplomatic relations; until now, Israel has relied on ambassadors splitting their time between Moldova and Armenia…
In an opinion piece in the British Jewish News, Sergio Della Pergola, one of the top demographers of the Jewish people, considers the significance of Israel’s population topping 10 million…
Tennessee’s Jewish Observer spotlights B’shvil Hamachar, an Israeli nonprofit that is bringing Israeli military veterans and therapists to Ramah Darom in north Georgia to process their traumas…
A New York judge denied a motion by Cooper Union to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Jewish students who allege the university committed Title VI violations during an Oct. 25, 2023, Palestinian protest on campus where the visibly Jewish students were forced to shelter in a library to escape harm…
The Canadian Jewish News examines the hate crime indictment of a man for antisemitic posts, which arose from a tip from the Anti-Defamation League that was passed to the Jewish Federation of Hamilton (Canada) and Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, who contacted the local police who brought in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Interpol…
The British Charity Commission watchdog opened investigations into two Jewish nonprofits, Solev Co. Limited and Hatzlocho Limited, over suspected irregularities in their boards of trustees…
Rahim al-Hussaini, a son of the Aga Khan IV, who died earlier this week at 88, was named as his father’s successor yesterday; al-Hussaini — now the Aga Khan V — will now lead the Ismaili Muslim community and control his family’s extensive philanthropic work. The American Jewish Committee mourned Aga Khan IV’s death, saying he left a “legacy of peace, compassion and service”…
Pic of the Day
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), along with Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) (fourth from left), Max Miller (R-OH) (second from right) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) (fourth from right), reintroduce the Antisemitism Awareness Act yesterday in Congress, after the legislation failed to be passed by the Senate last year.
The bill is endorsed by: Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Jewish Federations of North America, the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Hadassah, the Orthodox Union and others.
“As ADL data shows, antisemitism is at crisis levels in the United States, creating the urgent need for decisive action,” Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, said about the bill yesterday. “The Antisemitism Awareness Act makes clear that antisemitism, including anti-Zionist harassment, has no place in our schools or society and, importantly, reinforces the [International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance] Working Definition of Antisemitism as a critical tool for the U.S. Department of Education.”
Birthdays
Pulitzer-Prize winning author and vice chairman of S&P Global, Daniel Yergin…
Israeli pediatric endocrinologist, winner of the 2009 Israel Prize, in 1966 he described the type of dwarfism later called Laron syndrome in his name, Dr. Zvi Laron… Advertising entrepreneur and founder of Global Water Resources, William Levine… Member of the New Jersey Senate for 17 years including 10 years as Senate majority leader, Loretta Weinberg… Rosalyn Kaplan… Cantor of Congregation Hugat Haverim in Glendale, Calif., Harvey Lee Block… Syndicated columnist for The Washington Post for 43 years, Richard Martin Cohen… Actor, best known for his role in 172 episodes of the television series “L.A. Law,” Michael Tucker… Professor at McGill University since 1975, Yitzchak M. “Irv” Binik… Louisiana commissioner of administration for eight years until last year, after serving as lieutenant governor of Louisiana for the prior six years, Jay Dardenne… Professor concurrently at both Harvard and the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, Michael Pollan… Past chair of the board of UJA-Federation of New York and a part owner of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, David Lewis Moore… Los Angeles attorney specializing in criminal and civil appeals, Paul Kujawsky… President of Brown University since 2012, Christina Hull Paxson… Former long-time foreign correspondent for NPR in many capitals including Jerusalem, author of the NYT-bestseller The Geography of Bliss, Eric Weiner… Special events producer at Ballas Bloom Creative, Jacquelyn Ballas Bloom… NFL long snapper for eighteen seasons between 1994 and 2011, David Aaron Binn… Television and film actress, writer and producer, best known for her role as Pepper in the FX series “American Horror Story,” Naomi Grossman… Rabbi and author of eight books, Danya Ruttenberg… Former tenured professor at MIT, she is the co-trustee of the Pershing Square Foundation, Neri Oxman… Israeli-French singer-songwriter whose hit single “New Soul” was used by Apple in a 2008 advertising campaign for its MacBook Air, Yael Naim… Equestrian show jumper who competes for Israel, Danielle “Dani” Goldstein-Waldman… AIPAC’s Mid-Atlantic regional political director, Stephen Knable… Data science manager at EDO, Steven I. Weiss… Deputy division director, public diplomacy and international relations at the Israeli Ministry of Health, Adam Cutler… Member of the Australian parliament, Joshua Solomon Burns… Corporate procurement director for IKO North America, Yadin Koschitzky…
