Your Daily Phil: Jewish groups scramble as White House moves to freeze grants
Good Wednesday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on Jewish nonprofits’ response to President Donald Trump’s federal grants freeze and on a new Tepper Foundation initiative to engage Jewish parents of young children. We feature an opinion piece by Aya Shechter about how to empower ourselves and our allies in combating antisemitism; and one by Peri Sinclair about a program working to highlight the bond that connects world Jewry even in our diversity. Also in this newsletter: Barak Hermann, Naama Levy and Avera Mengistu.
What We’re Watching
Yad Vashem is holding a “special event” with the New York City Council at City Hall this afternoon. At the event, two survivors will share their stories, Rabbi Arthur Schneier will lead prayers and Yad Vashem Chair Dani Dayan will give the keynote address.
What You Should Know
Jewish nonprofits, along with the rest of the nonprofit sector, were left scrambling after the Trump administration’s surprise executive order on Monday appeared to pause federal funding for nearly all grants and other programs.
The original order, which has since been stayed by a federal judge, would affect a wide variety of social, health, education and security services — from federal nonprofit security grants for synagogues to support for Holocaust survivors and so-called “food stamps.” eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim and Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod got reactions from representatives from many of the nonprofits involved.
Responses to the executive order from Jewish groups ranged from criticism for the sudden way in which the freeze was rolled out to expectations that at least some of the federal grants will be restored swiftly.
“This seemed to come out of nowhere,” Reuben Rotman, president and CEO of the Network of Jewish Human Services Agencies, told eJP. “Abrupt communication that is confusing creates just more anxiety than is necessary, and that’s really the climate that we seem to be operating in right now.”
Nathan Diament, the executive director of public policy for the Orthodox Union, said he was confident that the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program would not be affected. “President Trump supported NSGP in his first term — he signed legislation authorizing a substantial increase in NSGP funding back then,” Diament told eJP. “Also, [the] new Secretary of [Homeland Security Kristi] Noem knows of the importance of NSGP. So we expect it will be unfrozen at the appropriate time.”
TEACH YOUR PARENTS WELL
New program looks to build on successes of Jewish preschools to engage families by boosting parents
In Pittsburgh, Jewish parents of young children are enrolling in classes with titles like “How to Raise a Mensch” and “What is my Jewish Journey?” In Austin, Texas, small localized meetups are being organized for small groups of parents in neighborhoods across the city. It is all part of a new early childhood Jewish education pilot program based at seven JCC preschools around the country that is focusing its outreach on a previously under-tapped demographic: parents. The three-year, $2 million pilot — the “Early Childhood Parent Engagement Program” — was conceived and is being funded by the Tepper Foundation, a New Jersey-based nonprofit grant-making foundation, reports Julia Gergely for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Building on success: “There are lots of Jewish parents out there, particularly since Oct. 7, that are looking for this meaningful attachment to Jewish life,” Marian Stern, a portfolio manager at the Tepper Foundation, told eJP. “We saw this as a really low-barrier way to do something that would be very engaging, driven by what interests them.” The foundation tapped Rabbi Joy Levitt, an educator and the former executive director of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, as a consultant and expert to spearhead the program. “While there’s generally a belief that Jewish preschools are fantastic foundations, we also found that if challah stopped [being put] in the [child’s] cubby, that would be kind of the end of Shabbat for a large number of families,” Levitt told eJP. “That was disturbing to us because here we have laid this wonderful foundation, but there was no real mechanism for building on that success.”
ACTION ITEMS
Empowering the next generation to counter hate
“The fight against antisemitism has emerged as one of the defining challenges of our time, and not just for Jews,” writes Aya Shechter, chief program officer of the Israeli-American Council, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “At its core, antisemitism fosters division and discrimination, eroding the fabric of a society built on diversity and mutual respect. By targeting a specific community based on their faith and heritage, it undermines the pluralism that strengthens the nation; it jeopardizes the safety and rights of all minorities and diminishes America’s moral standing as a global advocate for freedom and human rights.”
The way we win: “The challenges we face are vast, but so is our potential to overcome them. By embracing innovative approaches such as digital literacy education, stronger campus alliances and more comprehensive Holocaust education, we can not only combat antisemitism but also lay the foundation for a more inclusive future. This moment of crisis is an opportunity for transformation. By building bridges between communities, leading with resilience and committing to shared values, we can redefine how we respond to hatred and ensure that future generations inherit a world free from antisemitism.”
‘KOL YISRAEL AREVIM ZEH BAZEH’
Friends from across the sea
“The idea of Jewish peoplehood is an ancient one. At the same time, for more than 2,000 years Jews have dispersed around the globe — willingly and unwillingly — leading to the formation of communities replete with differing languages, customs and more,” writes Peri Sinclair, the Susan and Scott Shay Director General of the TALI Education Center for Jewish Pluralism, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “In the modern or postmodern age, we ask the question: Is the idea of us being one people still strong, or is it outdated?”
Am Yisrael Chai: “For Jews around the world, the events of Oct. 7, 2023, together with the ensuing wars against Hamas and Hezbollah and the ever-expanding explosion of antisemitism that erupted in their wake, shook the ground on which the Jewish people in Israel and worldwide stand. Together, these interrelated events have served to heighten the sense of our shared destiny as a people. In response, we at the TALI Education Center for Jewish Pluralism decided to update ‘Friends Across the Sea,’ our peoplehood program linking Jewish students in schools around the world. This program aims to strengthen our sense of sharing a covenant of purpose, thereby contributing to making Jewish peoplehood a living, dynamic framework. Today, more than ever, we need to feel and be together and show support for one another.”
Worthy Reads
The JCC Disrupter: In the Forward, Binyamin Cohen interviews Barak Hermann, the incoming CEO of the JCC Association of North America, on the latter’s home turf, the JCC of Greater Baltimore. “Barak Hermann does not sit still. By the time I arrived at the JCC in Baltimore, Hermann was already on the move, steering the ship until he starts his new job as CEO and president of the JCC Association of North America this summer. As I took my coat off and tried to settle in, he asked, ‘Want to see the gym?’ The question was rhetorical. We darted down flights of stairs, each step punctuated by greetings — friendly barbs with a custodian, a quick chat with some teenagers about their after-school plans and a nod to a trio of older men. We arrived in the gym, already breaking a sweat, hopped on two treadmills and hit the start button. We were still moving — my heart rate rising, his words flowing — as he described his strategy for the future of JCCs, an age-old institution that must adapt and evolve. For Hermann, keeping pace wasn’t just metaphorical. It was literal.” [Forward]
Boston Strong: Inside Philanthropy spotlights the fundraising efforts of Boston’s Combined Jewish Philanthropies in response to Oct. 7. Founded in 1895, CJP is the oldest Jewish Federations of North America affiliate and one of the largest. “CJP already supported organizations across [Israel] before the attack by Hamas. But when the Jewish Federations of North America launched its Israel Emergency Fund after Oct. 7, CJP kicked into high gear, raising an additional $60 million on top of its usual budget, more than four-fifths of which it has already given away. CJP has raised ‘significantly more dollars per capita than other large cities,’ according to a Federation spokesperson. It has so far deployed this money in a phased approach, with phase one focusing on rapid humanitarian aid such as shelter, food and critical basic supplies, primarily to communities evacuated from the south and those on the front lines. This included $1 million to Kibbutz Re’im to house 430 displaced individuals in temporary housing in Tel Aviv. Phase two supported organizations focused on mental health and trauma, economic relief, community-specific rehabilitation and supporting the most vulnerable, including through a grant to the Association for the Elderly of Eshkol Region. Phase three, which is continuing today, focuses largely on strategic investments to make lasting change, and includes grants to partners such as the Israeli Children’s Fund.” [InsidePhilanthropy]
Word on the Street
A new survey of local Jews conducted by the Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area found that most still feel “less safe” than they did before the Oct. 7 terror attacks…
The American Jewish University is launching two new graduate programs in Jewish education and communal leadership: a master’s degree in early childhood special education and inclusion and a doctorate in education in Jewish education and communal leadership…
In her first social media post since being freed from Hamas captivity, Naama Levy detailed her time in captivity — including being kept alone for much of the first two months — and said she was now “secure and protected, and surrounded by family and friends”…
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo will receive $3 million for its Workforce Child Care Initiative, as part of the latest round of the New York State’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative…
Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeff Lurie is considering making a bid for the Boston Celtics…
The Boston Globe spotlights an effort by Brandeis University researchers to identify and document texts that had belonged to Jewish owners and been looted by the Nazis before and during World War II…
Former Wall Street Journal opinions editor Daniel Schwammenthal, the director of the American Jewish Committee Transatlantic Institute, will join the U.K.’s Jewish Chronicle as editor-in-chief, succeeding Jake Wallis Simons…
Australian police thwarted a planned antisemitic attack following the discovery of a caravan laden with explosives in Sydney…
New Zealand’s immigration authority is reportedly asking Israelis who have served in the IDF to detail their military service in their visa applications to enter the country…
In an opinion piece in J. The Jewish News of Northern California, activist Beza Abebe argues for greater awareness of the plight of Avera Mengistu, an Ethiopian-Israeli man who crossed into Gaza and was taken hostage over a decade ago…
Pic of the Day
Roni Mordechai (left), the head of security for the northern Israeli city of Safed, stands with Safwan Marich, director of the security and emergency response division of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and Safed Mayor Yossi Kakon in front of an armored pickup truck that IFCJ recently donated to the city’s first response team.
The truck was one of 19 vehicles that the organization provided to communities in northern and southern Israel, at a cost of $4.2 million, to better prepare them for emergencies.
“When anyone attacks Israel, our first responders must be ready to save lives — immediately and efficiently, and they can only do that if they themselves are protected,” Yael Eckstein, president of IFCJ, said in a statement. “These armored vehicles will provide the civilian emergency squads the full protection they need to save Israelis under attack.”
Birthdays
Former president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, now a D.C.-based philanthropic consultant, Kari Dunn Saratovsky…
Rabbi, mohel and public speaker, he is the author of the best-selling Maggid series of books for ArtScroll, Rabbi Paysach Krohn… First woman ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, she is also the author of children’s books, Sandy Eisenberg Sasso… Singer and songwriter, he is a two-time gold medal winner in the Maccabiah Games (1985 and 1989) in fast pitch softball, Steve March-Tormé… Interim CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio, Randall Czarlinsky… Louisiana resident, Jerry Keller… CEO of the Westchester Jewish Council, Elliot Forchheimer… Senior writer for JCCs of North America, a.k.a. Jane the Writer, Jane E. Herman… Actress known for her role as Amy MacDougall-Barone on the TV sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Monica Horan… Member of the Knesset for Likud and Kadima between 2003 and 2013, Ruhama Avraham… Physician and an author of four New York Times best-selling books, he is a professor of medicine and engineering at USC, as well as a CBS News contributor, Dr. David Agus… Former Sspeaker of the United States House of Representatives, Paul Ryan… Robyn Cooke Bash… Writer and occasional Bollywood film actor, he is known for his writing of the popular Jewish children’s comic book series “Mendy and the Golem,” Matt Brandstein… Israeli documentary filmmaker, photojournalist and film producer, winner of two Emmy Awards, Oren Rosenfeld… Senior director and global head of APCO Impact, Denielle Sachs… Israeli actress, model and television host, Yael Bar Zohar… Chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan), Laura Rosenberger… Ethiopian-born Israeli fashion model and actress, Esti Mamo… Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, Yasha Moz… U.S. representative (D-MA-4) since 2021, Jacob Daniel “Jake” Auchincloss… Mayor of Holyoke, Mass., for nine years starting at age 22, he is now the town manager of Provincetown, Alex Morse… Israeli multi-platinum record producer and songwriter specializing in pop, hip hop, dance and electronic music, Yonatan “Johnny” Goldstein… Associate software engineer at BlackRock, Martha Baumgarten… Swimmer for Israel at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics, she has won 18 medals at the Maccabiah Games, 13 of them gold, Andrea (Andi) Murez…
