Your Daily Phil: It’s the wealth transfer, stupid: Giving USA report’s key takeaway
Add EJP on GoogleGood Monday morning!
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we speak with fundraising consultant and Giving Institute board member Avrum Lapin about what the Jewish community can learn from the latest Giving USA report on American philanthropy. We report on a new partnership between the Anti-Defamation League and the League of United Latin American Citizens, and on AIPAC halting fundraising for lawmakers who voted to cut aid to Israel. We feature an opinion piece by Sharon Avni and Laura Yares sharing what they discovered when they studied how Jews (and non-Jews) engage with Judaism through cultural arts and leisure, and a piece by Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch on recent legislation expanding gender segregation in Israeli academia. Also in this issue: David Bocarsly,Arbel Ori Hoffman and Doron Almog.
Today’s Your Daily Phil was curated by eJP Managing Editor Judah Ari Gross, Opinion Editor Rachel Kohn and Israel Editor Justin Hayet. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
For the ninth consecutive night, U.S. forces struck Iranian targets as Iran continues to target Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan with missiles and drones. No missiles were fired at Israel, though debris from one missile intercepted over Jordan fell inside Israeli territory north of Eilat yesterday.
This evening, UJA-Federation of New York will host its Westchester Professional Women event, featuring Jaya Apparel Group CEO Jane Siskin in conversation with Bloomingdale‘s personal shopper Liz Wilcoxen.
Adamah’s Jewish Green Business Network will hold its first Chicago happy hour this evening, bringing together Jewish professionals who work in the climate and sustainability space.
What You Should Know
While the Jewish community often thinks of itself as distinct and different, when it comes to giving, the trends and challenges in Jewish philanthropy are markedly similar to those in the wider community. And yet, for Jewish organizations, there are particular lessons that can be gleaned from the broader patterns in American charitable giving — as seen in the latest annual Giving USA report, which was released last month.
Most significant of these is the profound shift underway as vast amounts of wealth move from the baby boomers to Gen Xers, two generations with vastly different outlooks and giving patterns, which Jewish organizations must prepare for, Avrum Lapin, president of the Lapin Group and a board member of the Giving Institute, which produces the report, told eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim.
Those incoming Gen X donors tend to treat Jewish issues as “one item on a menu” of many worthy causes and have less “brand loyalty” to legacy organizations, according to Lapin. A debate over how best to direct funds amid rising antisemitism is also starting to reshape the community’s funding landscape as Jewish philanthropy recalibrates after years of emergency giving.
News
STRONGER TOGETHER
ADL, League of United Latin American Citizens launch partnership to combat anti-Latino hate
The Anti-Defamation League announced a fresh partnership with the League of United Latin American Citizens, the nation’s oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization, at the latter group’s annual national convention last month. Under the agreement, the ADL will co-fund a new position to research anti-Latino hate through its Embed partnership program, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Jay Deitcher reports.
Hand in hand: The partnership comes as the ADL has said that it is focusing more closely on antisemitism, though Oren Segal, an ADL senior vice president, told eJP that this does not come at the expense of addressing other forms of hate. “Many of the same extremist networks and online spaces that fuel antisemitism also fuel anti-Latino hate, anti-Black racism, anti-LGBTQ violence,” Segal said. “This has always been true. And our work protecting the Jewish community, the nature of that work has always meant that we are seeing threats against other communities, and we’ve never ignored that.”
SILENT REBUKE
AIPAC ends fundraising for endorsees who voted to cut off Israel aid
Days after 104 members of Congress voted in favor of a measure that sought to end U.S. aid to Israel, AIPAC will no longer allow donations through its political action committee to 18 lawmakers it endorsed who voted in favor of the legislation, reports Gabby Deutch for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider.
Political shift: The group did not announce the change. But the endorsement page on AIPAC’s political giving portal — where supporters can donate to candidates who have been endorsed by AIPAC — removed the option for individuals to route money to those lawmakers. AIPAC now allows its supporters to donate to 72 Democratic candidates in the House and Senate, compared to 178 Republican candidates — meaning 71% of the candidates the group is now actively supporting are Republicans, and 29% are Democrats.
Opinion
BOOKSHELF
Learning about Judaism in unexpected places
In an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy, professors Sharon Avni and Laura Yares, authors of the new book Judaism Mediated: Learning About Jewishness through the Cultural Arts, encourage communal leaders and funders to pay more attention to where and how American Jews are engaging with Judaism outside of traditional paradigms like synagogue membership and formal education.
“For the past several years, we have been studying American Jews (and non-Jews) as they engage with Jewish cultural arts in a range of settings… This kind of learning does not often show up in demographic surveys. It is not captured by questions about synagogue membership. But it is real, and it is widespread, and it is reshaping what Jewish engagement looks like among 21st-century American Jewry.”
ISRAEL-DIASPORA RELATIONS
I studied in Israel. Here’s why I’m concerned about its new higher education law.
In an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy, Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch, CEO of Women of Reform Judaism, speaks out against legislation passed last week by the Knesset permitting universities and colleges to offer gender-segregated master’s and doctoral degree programs.
“Supporters argue that the new law will make it easier for Haredi Israelis to pursue advanced degrees while honoring their religious customs. Increasing access to master’s and doctoral degrees is an important goal. … However, these policies risk the pluralistic and democratic foundations of the State of Israel at a time when these values are already being eroded.”
Worthy Reads
Money You Can’t Spend: In The Conversation, University of Arkansas professor Thomas Adam contends that endowing foundations in perpetuity is a mistake, since society’s needs shift while donor missions stay fixed. “But I see a big problem with having foundations outlive the donors that endow them with funds in perpetuity. Society’s needs always change, while many foundations’ missions are intended to satisfy a specific need that’s not eternal.”
The Counted People: In J. The Jewish News of Northern California, Jewish California CEO David Bocarsly makes the case for Senate Bill 1387, which would make California the first state to recognize Jewish identity as an ethnicity and allow Jews to be counted as such in demographic data. “The secular Jew, the Israeli American, the Jew of color, the atheist who finds meaning in the pursuit of justice. All of us deserve to look into the state’s own mirror and recognize ourselves in it.”
Major Gifts
The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest’s Mack Ness Fund will grant $950,000 in 2026-27 for economic development and demographic growth projects in Israel’s Negev region, the group told eJewishPhilanthropy; the fund also recently launched a partnership with the Negev Development Authority to provide matching grants for tourism initiatives…
The Goldhirsh-Yellin Foundation donated an ambulance to American Friends of Magen David Adom in memory of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, two Israeli Embassy employees who were killed in a shooting attack last May…
Israel marked the completion of the first full French translation of the Babylonian Talmud at a ceremony hosted by President Isaac Herzog. The translation was funded by French Israeli philanthropist Patrick Drahi…
The parents of Arbel Ori Hoffman, a 4-year-old Israeli girl who was killed last month in a car crash, donated her organs, saving the lives of four other people…
Transitions
Former Teva Pharmaceuticals executive Rachel Yarcony was selected as the next CEO of 8400 Health Network, an Israeli nonprofit that connects cross-sector leaders to grow the country’s health-tech and life sciences industry…
Sally Schuster was appointed chair of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development‘s board of directors…
Word on the Street
A new poll by Israel’s Channel 12 news finds that one-fourth of Israelis are considering leaving Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reelected…
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was spotted watching the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium alongside President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and FIFA President Gianni Infantino…
In an interview with the Israeli financial newspaper Globes, investor Bill Ackman praises Israel as uniquely positioned in both defense tech and AI, while warning that antisemitism and a leftward turn have made the Democratic Party “a catastrophe”…
Fortune reports that a strengthening shekel has made Tel Aviv the world’s most expensive city for a McDonald’s meal at $20.90…
The California-based Samueli Foundation released its Orange County Jewish Community Demographic Study after a two-year effort and announced $42.25 million in new grants in response to the study’s findings…
The Harvard Crimson and Pablo Torre Finds Out revealed that Leslie Wexner gave Harvard more than $142 million over nearly four decades — roughly $100 million more than had been publicly known — before his foundation severed its partnership with Harvard over its response to the Oct. 7 attacks…
Canva co-founders Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht launched the Global Goals Platform to survey global citizens worldwide about the changes they most want to see, an early step toward giving away a 30% stake in their $42 billion company…
NPR spotlights the efforts of Israeli paraglider Amnonn Hahn to help swifts during their migration to Israel for the spring nesting season as the global population of the birds faces a steep decline…
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar nominated Jewish chess grandmaster Judit Polgár to serve as interim president until a new constitution is adopted…
The Wohl Legacy launched the Wohl Legacy Leadership Fellows, a new award offering emerging U.K. Jewish community leaders up to £10,000 ($13,463) in funding for executive education scholarships to help them better serve the community…
Shoshana Bryen, the senior policy director at the Jewish Policy Center, died last week…
Pic of the Day
Thousands gather in Buenos Aires, Argentina, yesterday to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the deadly bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina Jewish community center. The terror attack, which was carried out by the Hezbollah terrorist organization on behalf of Iran, on July 18, 1994, killed 85 people and injured more than 300.
Attendees included members of the local Jewish community, Jewish Agency shlichim (emissaries), Jewish Agency for Israel chairman Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog and former Israeli hostage Iair Horn, who was born in Argentina.
“The legacy of those who were murdered and those who fell is to keep building — to find solace in action, strengthen Jewish communities, invest in the next generation, and deepen the bond between Israel and Jewish communities around the world,” Almog said in a statement.
Birthdays
Efraym Elliott Yamin, singer who came on the scene as a finalist on the fifth season of “American Idol”, turns 48
Paul Baum, professor emeritus of mathematics at Penn State University, turns 90
Carl Gershman, retired president of the National Endowment for Democracy (a private, congressionally supported grant-making institution), turns 83
Yoram Ben-Zeev, longtime Israeli diplomat, he served as Israel’s ambassador to Germany, turns 82
Roberta Achtenberg, former commissioner on the Civil Rights Commission, assistant secretary of HUD in the Clinton administration, presently vice chair of the Bank of San Francisco, turns 76
Judge Patti B. Saris, senior U.S. District Court judge in Massachusetts, turns 75
Thomas Loren Friedman, New York Times weekly columnist and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, turns 73
Jeffrey M. Friedman, molecular geneticist at NYC-based Rockefeller University and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, turns 72
Farrell Meisel, broadcast and digital media consultant
Barbara Risman, professor of sociology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, turns 70
Marcie Hermelin Orley, past president of the Women’s Department at the Jewish Federation of Detroit, she is the mother of fashion designers Matthew and Alex
Sylvia Harwood, British-born English tutor and former special education teacher now living in Israel
Linleigh Ayn Richker, head of a women-led political network for the U.S.-Israel relationship, also a mahjong instructor
Jane S. Hoffman, public policy expert and author, turns 62
Nira Shpak, former member of the Knesset for the Yesh Atid party, she is a brigadier general in the IDF (reserves), turns 60
Yitzhak Ze’ev Pindrus, member of Knesset for the United Torah Judaism party, turns 55
Jack Achiezer Guggenheim, attorney
David Marc Chalian, SVP, Washington bureau chief and political director of CNN, where he oversees the political coverage across all of CNN‘s platforms, turns 53
Franklin Foer, co-editor of Jewish Jocks: An Unorthodox Hall of Fame, he is a staff writer at The Atlantic, turns 52
David Fox, Miami-based EVP at AIPAC
Fred Kreizman, assistant commissioner in the Community Affairs Bureau at the NYPD
Beth Doane, co-founder and managing partner of the communications and branding firm of Main+Rose
Ezra Levin, co-founder and co-executive director of the progressive Indivisible movement, turns 41
Ty Kelly, former MLB player, he was a third baseman for Team Israel in 2023, turns 38
Chloe Fineman, comedian and former regular player on “Saturday Night Live”, turns 38
Joey Bragg, actor and comedian, turns 30
Ashley Abramowicz Gibbs, software engineer at Home Chef
Dr. Sheila Ganjian Navi, anesthesiologist
Etan Raskas, VP of business development and operations at Thyme Care
Jonathan Tamir Alden, principal at Blackstone
Goldie Fields, intellectual property attorney at Ballard Spahr
