Your Daily Phil: Jewish conference season reaches its peak
Good Friday morning.
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: At JFNA General Assembly, organizations try to map a path forward at an inflection point; JFNA absorbs nonprofit combating antisemitism in K-12 schools Be the Narrative; and After Harris’ defeat, top Democrats tilt to the center on Israel, tackling antisemitism. Print the latest edition here.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on the American Jewish Committee teaching Lufthansa about antisemitism and Jewish identity and on the latest proposals in Congress to fund the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. We feature an opinion piece by Melissa Rivkin about leadership cultivation at Jewish day schools. Also in this newsletter: Tamar Krigel, Yossi Prager and Dolly Parton.We’ll start with a broad look at the current season of Jewish communal conferences. Shabbat shalom!
With the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly having wrapped on Tuesday, the Jewish communal world is now firmly in the middle of conference season, with gatherings — large and small — planned for the coming weeks, drawing participants from across North America and around the world for networking, collaborating, commiserating, commemorating, honoring and — of course — fundraising, writes eJewishPhilanthropy Managing Editor Judah Ari Gross.
This period of large, in-person gatherings always serves as a springboard for new partnerships, fresh ideas and the start of long-term planning, but this year, it also offers an opportunity to vent and to reflect following a particularly fraught, distressing and frantic year for the Jewish people and for Jewish communal organizations.
Yesterday marked the start of the Jewish National Fund-USA Global Conference in Dallas, which runs through the weekend. The annual gathering will focus on the organization’s reconstruction efforts, particularly in the Western Negev, among other topics. (Catch Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen appearance in the “Israel and the media” panel tomorrow, if you’re there.)
On Sunday, the Jewish Agency for Israel will hold its Board of Governors meeting in Tel Aviv, the second time that the organization’s 120 governors will meet in person since the Oct. 7 terror attacks. At the meeting, newly installed CEO Yehuda Setton will lay out his strategy for the organization for the near future. (Read eJP’s interview with Setton about his plans here.)
The three-day gathering will feature addresses from top leaders of the organization and Israeli experts, as well as plenary sessions and a full-day tour of some of the Israeli communities that have been most affected by the wars against Hamas in Gaza and against Hezbollah in Lebanon. During the meeting, the organization will also bid farewell to outgoing CEO, Amira Ahronoviz, who announced earlier this year that she was stepping down after 30 years with the Jewish Agency.
“This gathering of our board and partners is an expression of our deep commitment to the State of Israel,” Mark Wilf, chairman of the Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors, said in a statement. “We stand firmly by the side of our Israeli family and Jewish communities around the world in these challenging times. Our unity is our strength and is the core of our mission.”
On Sunday, the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, Calif., will host its 10th annual Z3 Conference, focusing on Zionism, combating antisemitism and the future of American Jewry. The conference — the first since the launch of the Z3 Institute for Jewish Priorities earlier this year — features speakers from the still-forming institute and from Jewish organizations across North America and Israel. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is slated to give the keynote address.
Also on Sunday, the 16-year-old Good People Fund will host its first-ever “(un)conference,” bringing dozens of its grantees to New York to discuss their work, as well as broader industry topics, such as social media best practices, financial management, marketing and the importance of self-care for nonprofit employees.
“The (un)conference underscores GPF’s mission to not only fund grassroots organizations practicing innovative approaches to longstanding and emerging societal challenges, but also to mentor and nurture them, give them the practical and inspirational tools to grow and ensure that none are existing in isolation,” Naomi Eisenberger, GPF co-founder and executive director, said in statement.
Later this month, from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1, the Chabad-Lubavitch movement will host its annual Kinnus, bringing some 6,000 Chabad leaders from over 110 countries to Brooklyn. At the conference, the attendees will discuss a broad array of topics concerning their work, from the complexities of halacha and health care and addressing the specific needs of Israeli expats to broader issues, such as rising antisemitism and developments in the Israel-Diaspora relationship.
And next month, Hillel International will be hosting its annual General Assembly in Boston, the details of which have yet to be released.
FRIENDLIER SKIES
AJC holds antisemitism prevention training for Lufthansa after Jewish passengers booted off flight
The American Jewish Committee led training programs about antisemitism and Jewish identity for Lufthansa employees this week as part of the German airline’s internal response to an antisemitic event in May 2022 in which a flight crew removed all 128 visibly Jewish passengers from a flight after some refused to adhere to its COVID-19 guidelines, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim.
‘From check-in to in-flight’: The programs, which were held in Munich and Frankfurt, Germany, trained Lufthansa employees — “from ground crew to cabin crew” — in the nuances of Jewish culture and practice, recognizing antisemitism and practical strategies to prevent bias, AJC said on Thursday, touting the initiative as the “first of its kind” in the airline industry. “This partnership helps ensure Lufthansa leads the airline industry in promoting allyship and countering antisemitism,” Holly Huffnagle, AJC’s U.S. director of combating antisemitism, said at the training event.
MONEY MATTERS
Senate Democrats propose $305 million for 2025 nonprofit security grants
In a draft bill released on Wednesday evening, Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee proposed providing $305 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program in 2025, the same amount that was provided in 2023, before a surge of antisemitic incidents across the country in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks, reports Marc Rod for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider.
More needed: Lawmakers and Jewish groups have said that substantially more funding is needed for the program that funds security improvements at nonprofits and religious institutions, given the accelerated pace of threats and the chronic and significant budget shortages. Even with a record $454.5 million available this year from regular and emergency funding bills, just 43% of funding requests were fulfilled.
Important but insufficient: Karen Paikin Barall, the vice president of government relations at the Jewish Federations of North America, said that it was “an important step” to reverse the 2024 funding cut, “but unfortunately this level of funding is not keeping pace with horrific and unprecedented wave of antisemitic threats our community is facing.”
Another option: Senate Democrats also want to pass supplemental funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which oversees the NSGP, to address recent natural disasters. A source familiar with the situation told JI that additional NSGP funding is on the “wish list” for that bill, but it would likely face Republican pushback.
Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
SUCCESS STORIES
Jewish day schools: Building leaders, not just students
“[Jewish day school graduate Hannah Nash’s] story is one that speaks directly to Jewish families who might be wondering if investing in a Jewish day school education is worth it. Spoiler alert: It is, and it’s likely to impact your child’s future in ways you haven’t even imagined,” writes Melissa Rivkin, director of day school strategy at the Samis Foundation, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Standing her ground: “After a year of campus chaos, Hannah was asked to testify about her student experiences at a University of Washington Board of Regents meeting… What should have been an orderly public comment period quickly descended into chaos… In the midst of an intimidating uproar, Hannah, who was the only student who was there to testify, stood her ground, displaying uncommon calm and courage in a challenging moment… Hannah’s presence at that meeting wasn’t just a personal victory—it was part of a larger story that became a rallying point for the entire Jewish community in Greater Seattle.”
Prepare for the unknown: “When you invest in a Jewish day school education, you’re investing in your child’s future—not just academically, but as a proud, confident Jew capable of facing whatever challenges lie ahead. Just as Hannah’s family couldn’t have predicted the role she would play in such a pivotal moment for Seattle’s Jewish community, you can’t foresee the exact future your child or grandchild will face. But you can be sure that they will be ready.”
Worthy Reads
Small Town Life: In the Humboldt County, Calif., newspaper Mad River Union, Tamar Krigel describes her struggles as a Zionist Jew living in a small, progressive town. “I have become a representative of a government I do not fully support — Israel’s right-wing leadership — simply by virtue of being Jewish and identifying with the Zionist cause… Being a Zionist in a small town like Arcata has never been easy, but now it feels nearly impossible. We are forced to confront not just ideological differences, but a profound sense of betrayal from our community — our neighbors, our religious leaders, our elected officials. It’s as if our very identity as Jews is being hijacked and twisted into something unrecognizable and unacceptable… I hope that the people of Arcata will reconsider the harmful path they are on. I hope that we can redirect our efforts towards fostering true peace, mutual understanding and respect for all people. This isn’t just a political issue. It’s a human issue. And, for us, it’s a matter of life and death.” [MadRiverUnion]
Feed the People: In Haaretz, Linda Dayan examines the state of food insecurity in Israel during the wars in Gaza and Lebanon. “Since Oct. 7, Leket, a nonprofit that focuses on repurposing surplus food from catering, hotels, corporations, farms and other sources for the needy, has seen a 40% increase in requests for meals, says Joseph Gitler, the organization’s founder and voluntary chairman. ‘We generally provide somewhere between 10,000 to 15,000 meals every single day,’ he says. ‘And in the run-up to Rosh Hashanah, we provided in the tens of thousands of meals – thousands of tons of fruits and vegetables.’… The most recent quantitative data on food insecurity in Israel comes from a 2021 report from the National Insurance Institute. It found that of the 16% of Israelis affected by food insecurity, 8% were suffering from severe food insecurity… While nonprofits can help ease food insecurity, [John Gal, head of welfare research at the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies] says, it is up to the government to put an end to it… [Gilles Darmon, the founder and president of the Israeli food insecurity nonprofit Latet] highlights the government and philanthropists’ role during wartime. ‘All of us must find a way to distribute resources so as not to abandon the needy during this situation. Why? Because this will go on for many years. We will never go back to the situation we were in before Oct. 7.’” [Haaretz]
Word on the Street
Minor scuffles were reported at a Nations League soccer match between France and Israel in Paris, a week after a spate of antisemitic attacks on Israeli fans following a soccer match in Amterdam…
In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Yossi Prager of the Jewish Funders Network eulogizes his longtime friend and colleague Joel Fleischman…
The Israeli government’s proposed budget for next year would significantly reduce the benefits for new immigrants…
In The Wall Street Journal, Bernard-Henri Lévy reflects on his experiences during a recent tour of American college campuses to promote his new book, Israel Alone…
The Kunstmuseum in Basel, Switzerland, will compensate the heirs of a Jewish art collector, Richard Semmel, who was forced by the Nazis to sell a painting by Camille Pissarro in 1933, which was later gifted to the museum…
Six violins, a viola and a cello that were saved during the Holocaust and restored through the Violins of Hope project will be played by the Norwalk, Conn., Symphony Orchestra tomorrow…
After unloading 45 million shares of Amazon stock, worth more than $8 billion, MacKenzie Scott launched a new round of philanthropic giving, donating $65 million — her largest gift yet — to the community-focused Local Initiatives Support Corporation nonprofit…
Dolly Parton, whose Imagination Library program delivers free books to children from birth until they start school (similar to PJ Library), donated $4.5 million to the Nashville Public Library Foundation for a similar initiative that would provide a collection of books and other resources to every daycare center in the city…
President-elect Donald Trump selected former Rep.Matt Gaetz, who has referred to the Anti-Defamation League as “racist” and consorted with a Holocaust denier, as his nominee for attorney general…
Trump also picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy is known to be a vaccine skeptic and has peddled claims that Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people were more immune to the COVID-19 virus…
Dennis Prager, the conservative commentator and PragerU founder, has been hospitalized with a serious back injury after a fall…
A new report from the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy found financial links between Qatar, Iran and South Africa as Pretoria moves forward with its case against Israel in the International Court of Justice…
Actor Josh Brolin reflects on his relationship with his stepmother, Barbra Streisand…
Elexis Schloss, an Edmonton, Canada-based businesswoman and philanthropist, died on Oct. 31 at 78…
Pic of the Day
Cantor Shayna De Lowe (with white nametag) and Rabbi Ben Spratt (in green jacket) lead singing last Saturday night at the Center for Small Town Jewish Life’s Fall Shabbaton at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Some 250 people, 90 of them college students, attended the weekend gathering, which featured prayers, singing, study and outdoor activities.
“At a moment with so much loneliness and division, many people are searching for a community that provides joy, grounding and a unifying sense of purpose,” Rabbi Rachel Isaacs, executive director of the Center for Small Town Jewish Life, said in a statement. “Our center offers this vital space, and I’m proud that the Fall Shabbaton brought together participants from every generation to celebrate, to learn, and to teach.”
Birthdays
Past president of Gratz College in Melrose Park, Pa., he is the author or editor of more than 50 books, Paul Finkelman, celebrates his birthday today…
FRIDAY: Author of dozens of children’s books and young adult fiction, frequent NPR guest, Daniel Pinkwater… Pianist and conductor, formerly music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim… Boca Raton, Fla., resident, Stephen Wolff… Former chairman and CEO of Film and Music Entertainment, Lawrence (Larry) Lotman… NYC-based consultant for non-profit organizations, Perry Davis… Retired immigration and nationality attorney in Southern California, Michael D. Ullman… Executive director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museums of Tolerance, Rabbi Meyer H. May… Executive producer and director of television programs, including “Friends,” Kevin S. Bright… Member of the Knesset for the Yesh Atid party, Meir Cohen… Partner in Toronto-based accounting firm Fuller Landau, he is a past president of Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto Congregation (BAYT), Jeffrey M. Brown… Senior project manager at T-Mobile, Michael A. Lewine… Member of the Florida House of Representatives, Michael Alan Gottlieb… Former member of Knesset for the Likud party, Nava Boker… Founder and chairman of Perilune Capital and founder of Harspring Capital Management, Carey Robinson Wolchok… Mortgage executive, Joshua Shein… CEO of the Riverdale Y in the Bronx until 2022, she is now a leadership coach, Deann Forman… As a 12-year-old baseball fan in Yankee Stadium, he interfered with a ball batted by Derek Jeter in the 1996 ALCS that was ruled to be a game-tying home run, Jeffrey Maier… Professional golfer, he won the gold medal at the 2013 Maccabiah Games, Ben Silverman… White House correspondent for the Associated Press, Zeke Miller… Press secretary for Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Ben Goodman… Senior client recruiter at SingleSprout, Alison Borowsky… Judicial law clerk for a federal judge in California, Micah Rosen… Legislative assistant focused on foreign policy in Rep. Josh Gottheimer’s (D-NJ) office, he previously worked at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., Ethan Sorcher…
SATURDAY: Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada until he retired in 2013, Morris Jacob Fish… Professor of mathematics and statistics at Concordia University in Montreal, Abraham J. Boyarsky, Ph.D…. Milwaukee-based founder and co-managing director of A.B. Data, Ltd, he is the past chair of the Pincus Fund for Jewish Education, Bruce A. Arbit… Manager of human resources and operations at IKAR, Susan Brooks… Writer and producer for television and film, Jeff Pinkner… Executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Matt Brooks… Senior vice president of national programs at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, Rabbi Justus Baird… Israeli singer-songwriter, author and travel documentarian, known professionally as “Passerby,” Gilad Segev… Author of several novels, he was the science fiction and fantasy book columnist for the Washington Post until 2022, Lavie Tidhar… Senior vice preisndent at The D. E. Shaw Group, he was previously a special assistant to President Obama for energy and economic policy, Michael A. Levi… 1994 Olympic gold medalist in figure skating, she first discovered that she was Jewish when she was 25 years old, Oksana Baiul… Stage, film and television actress, Margalit Ruth “Maggie” Gyllenhaal… Israeli actress, film producer and television host, Adi Ezroni… Vice president at Jetro Restaurant Depot, he is a former NFL placekicker and punter, Hayden Scott Epstein… After 15 seasons in the NBA, he became an owner and player for Hapoel Jerusalem and led the team to an Israeli League championship, Amar’e Yehoshafat Stoudemire… Snowboarder for the U.S. Olympic team in 2014 and 2022, he competes in the halfpipe, Taylor Gold… Chief of staff at Lightricks and a former adviser to Israeli ministries, Aaron Kalman…
SUNDAY: Rabbi of Agudath Israel of Baltimore, he is also the rabbinic administrator of the Star K Kosher Supervision service, Rabbi Moshe Heinemann… Original creator and producer of “Saturday Night Live,” more recently producer of “The Tonight Show,” Lorne Michaels (born Lorne Lipowitz)… Detroit philanthropist and director of the William Davidson Foundation, Karen Davidson… Editor-at-large for Washingtonian Magazine and author of a biography of Bernie Sanders, Harry Jaffe… Film and television director, writer and producer, Jon Avnet… Founder and principal of ourCovenant, Diana Aviv… Operations manager at NPC Global, Daniel Gastaldi… Author and journalist, Gary M. Pomerantz… Attorney and business executive who once played on the South African national teams in both cricket and field hockey, Mandy Yachad… U.S. senator (R-PA) until 2023, Pat Toomey… Director of the Domestic Policy Council for the first 28 months of the Biden administration, Ambassador Susan Rice… “The Travelling Rabbi” of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies who serves 11 sub-Saharan countries, Moshe Silberhaft… U.S. ambassador to Switzerland during the Obama administration, Suzan Gail Davidson (Suzi) LeVine… Executive editor and Washington bureau chief of Talking Points Memo, David Kurtz… Segment producer at HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Michele Tasoff… Partner in Seven Letter, Ralph Posner… Human resilience coach, Michael Ostrolenk… President of Stanford University, Jonathan David Levin… Former President of NBC News, Noah Oppenheim… CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, she previously served as national security advisor to then-senator, now Vice President Kamala Harris, Halie Soifer… Partner at Thematic Campaigns f/k/a AKPD Message and Media, Isaac Baker… MLB player for 14 seasons, NL Rookie of the Year, five-time NL All-Star and NL MVP in 2011, Ryan Braun… NFL fullback for six seasons with the Bucs and Saints, Erik Lorig… U.S. foreign affairs and defense correspondent for the Financial Times, Felicia Schwartz… Mortgage lender at Baltimore-based River Holdings, Zecharya “Zack” Teichman… Director of the Israel Summit at Harvard, Aidan Golub…
