Your Daily Phil: Marcus Foundation gives $3.8M to Chabad’s JLI in ‘great experiment’
Add EJP on GoogleGood Wednesday morning!
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on the Marcus Foundation’s first-ever major grant to a national Chabad initiative, the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, and on the Anti-Defamation League’s assessments of how different artificial intelligence models detect and suppress antisemitic content. We feature an opinion piece by Leslie Zane and Mark Mandell addressing a strategic shortcoming in the Jewish communal response to antisemitic violence, and one by Catherine Reed with advice for taking donor thank-yous to the next level. Also in this issue: Michael Bloomberg, Rosalia Shikhverg and Laura Gross.
What We’re Watching
Global Jewry is hosting its inaugural award ceremony at noon ET, in which it will present the Shoshana Shoubin Cardin Prize for Exemplary Collaboration and the Global Jewry Prize for Emerging Collaboration, each of which comes with a $10,000 cash prize. Read eJewishPhilanthropy’s coverage about the prizes here.
New York City’s Center for Jewish History is hosting a panel discussion about contemporary antisemitism, related to the The Routledge History of Antisemitism, featuring the book’s co-editor Mark Weitzman and contributors Susannah Heschel and Maurice Samuels. Columbia University journalism professor Samuel Freedman is moderating.
Jewish Federation Los Angeles will remove the yellow ribbon that was painted on the side of its building — the largest such display in the country, according to the organization — this afternoon in recognition of the return of all 255 hostages to Israel this week.
In Washington, the Kennedy Center is holding a one-day showing tonight of “October 7: In Their Own Words,” a play whose script comes from testimonies of survivors of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks. Read Jewish Insider‘s interview with playwrights Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney here.
What You Should Know
In its first major national grant to Chabad, the Marcus Foundation has donated $3.8 million to support the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, the adult education arm of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, the foundation’s president exclusively told eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim.
A portion of the donation was announced at JLI’s annual leadership summit, which drew some 120 Jewish philanthropists and thought leaders to Palm Beach, Fla., earlier this week.
The donation to JLI represents a shift for the Atlanta-based foundation. Its founder, Bernie Marcus, was a longtime member of a local Reform congregation, which received $360,000 from the foundation in 2024, and the grantmaker has generally supported nondenominational initiatives, such as Hillel International, RootOne and Honeymoon Israel, among many others. In 2024, the most recent year for which data are available, the Marcus Foundation donated roughly $1 million to three Chabad-affiliated groups — out of $227.5 million in total giving — all of them located in the Atlanta area, where the foundation supports a wide array of Jewish institutions.
According to Jay Kaiman, president of the Marcus Foundation, the grant to the national Chabad program comes after years of observing JLI’s work, which he said fits into the foundation’s long-standing focus on Jewish education.
“They have been both diligent and transparent in terms of the work that they’re doing, and we felt they deserved the opportunity to explore a partnership with us and a relationship… We have always been impressed with the quality of their curriculum, and also believe that they have a great distribution portal that we can take advantage of in terms of adult Jewish education,” Kaiman told eJP. “The best antidote for antisemitism is Jewish education, Jewish pride and security, not security in the sense of institutional security, but knowing ourselves. And the best way to know ourselves, we feel, is to be educated, understand text and understand who we are as a people, and we think that JLI helps do that.”
Chabad’s “entrepreneurial” operational approach makes a “great impact on the ground,” but funding Chabad’s national programs can be complicated for large funders, Kaiman said. He described the foundation’s recent grant as a “great experiment.”
“There’s a lot of talk in the foundational world about funding Chabad programs and how it’s structured. I think this is a great experiment for us. We trust [Rabbi Efraim Mintz, JLI’s executive director], and we think he’s going to do great things,” said Kaiman. “We’re trying to combine the entrepreneurial approach to the bigger picture.”
According to Mintz, the summit raised $6.3 million in donations from several funders, nearly double the amount that the organization raised at last year’s gathering. Only about a third of the Marcus Foundation’s donation was included in the total for this year, as the full grant will be distributed over three years, Mintz said.
AI EVALUTATION
ADL rates Anthropic’s Claude best AI model at detecting antisemitism
Anthropic’s artificial intelligence system is strongest at detecting bias against Jews and Israel compared to its competitors, according to an evaluation of the leading large language models published by the Anti-Defamation League on Wednesday. In its first-ever AI index, the ADL evaluated how six models responded to antisemitic and extremist content, based on more than 25,000 LLM chats, 37 topical sub-categories and assessments conducted by both human and AI evaluators, reports Haley Cohen for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider.
Breakdown: The index broke antisemitism into subcategories: “anti-Jewish,” which includes classic antisemitic tropes, as well as “anti-Zionist,” which analyzes antisemitism that targets Zionists or Zionism. Another category, “extremist,” looked at how LLMs engage with biases, narratives and conspiracy theories, which sometimes overlap with antisemitism. Models were generally better at identifying and discrediting tropes such as “Jews control the media” than anti-Zionist content or extremist theories. The index assessed OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, the Chinese model DeepSeek, Google’s Gemini, xAI’s Grok and Meta’s Llama.
Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
THE MISSING FRAMEWORK
Tragedy alone will not create change
“History shows a hard and uncomfortable truth: the scale of a tragedy does not determine its lasting impact,” write Leslie Zane, founder and CEO of Triggers Brand Consulting, and Mark Mandell, member of the board of the Nagen Project, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “Tragedies like Bondi — both devastating and familiar to the Jewish community before and since Oct. 7, 2023 — are unlikely to produce sustained social change, lasting cultural memory or meaningful momentum against antisemitism. This isn’t because they matter less, but because there is no strong brand or narrative system capable of carrying them forward.”
What research shows: “Public mobilization depends less on the severity of an event than on whether it activates a familiar moral construct. When it does, attention compounds and action follows. When it does not, even large-scale violence fades within days or weeks. This is not a moral argument. It is a strategic one. In business and philanthropy alike, strong brands function as meaning accelerators. They allow people to process complexity quickly, assign responsibility and align emotionally with others. … Brand strength is not created by single moments or spikes of attention. It is built through repeated, coherent signals over time. Awareness produces attention; brand building produces memory, meaning and behavior. The work ahead is one of construction versus reaction.”
BEST PRACTICES
How to turn a thank-you into a lasting donor connection
Donors today “want to feel personally connected to the causes they support and the lives they’re impacting. They want to know their contributions matter — not just in theory, but in tangible, meaningful ways,” writes Catherine Reed, CEO of American Friends of Magen David Adom, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “When done right, personalized engagement strategies have the power to transform casual donors into dedicated champions for a cause.”
For example: “When donors can see, understand and feel proud of a concrete outcome, their connection to the cause deepens and their desire to continue giving is naturally strengthened. … During the recent conflict with Iran, donors were informed in real time as their ambulances were deployed to save lives under fire. These kinds of updates can transform a one-time gift into an ongoing relationship. They demonstrate return on investment in the most human terms possible, helping donors feel emotionally connected to the lives they’ve helped touch.”
Worthy Reads
Warm Feelings: In the Financial Times, Attracta Mooney spotlights philanthropist Michael Bloomberg’s spending on climate change initiatives over the last decade as present funder support for the issue declines. “The 83-year-old pledged nearly $270mn to two climate initiatives around the UN COP30 summit late last year through his Bloomberg Philanthropies organisation, according to FT analysis, with the funding coming from his family foundation and donations as an individual. The philanthropy confirmed for the first time the extent of Bloomberg’s climate contributions stretching across a decade. ‘Through Bloomberg Philanthropies, Mike has made the environment a top priority, committing over $3bn to the global climate fight,’ it said.” [FinancialTimes]
Me or Your Lying Ears?: In The New York Times, Evan Gorelick reports on the surge of white supremacist content — images, slogans and more — in recent social media posts by official Trump administration accounts. “This month, the White House and the Department of Homeland Security jointly posted a recruitment ad for Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Instagram, Facebook and X, overlaid with the words ‘WE’LL HAVE OUR HOME AGAIN.’ That’s also the name of a song, written by members of a self-described ‘pro-White fraternal order,’… ‘There are plenty of references to those words in books and poems,’ [a Homeland Security spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin,] said… But when the post was opened on Instagram’s mobile app, audio from the chorus of the song played in the background. After a reporter pointed this out, Ms. McLaughlin said The Times was participating in a left-wing conspiracy theory. ‘I’m telling you it’s not there,’ she said. Less than 40 minutes after the interview on Thursday, the Instagram post — including audio from the song — disappeared from social media. Posts on X and Facebook, which did not include an audio component, are still visible.” [NYTimes]
Defend History: In The Jerusalem Post, Rabbi Avi Weiss calls for the removal of a Catholic church established decades ago on the grounds of Auschwitz Birkenau — in the building that once served as the SS commandant’s headquarters. “Given everything unfolding in Israel and around the world, one might ask: Why should this issue be a priority? Because Holocaust memory is receding. … What will visitors conclude a hundred years from now — a blink in history — when they arrive at Birkenau and see a church with large crosses at its entrance and crosses on its roof, visible from across the camp, looming over the grounds? The conclusion is obvious. The world will begin to assume that the Holocaust was a Christian — primarily a Catholic — genocide, or that the Church was centrally involved in protecting Jews. That would be a tragic falsification.” [JPost]
Word on the Street
The group behind a pro-Hamas demonstration near a Queens synagogue earlier this month and a series of other events targeting Jewish religious institutions has seen its assets increase tenfold in the past four years, according to publicly available tax filings, Jewish Insider’s Will Bredderman reports…
The British Jewish fertility nonprofit Chana marked the 1,000th baby born to couples that have received the organization’s support…
Sky News Australia reports that a Sydney hospital hid the name of a Bondi Beach terror shooting victim, giving her the pseudonym “Karen Jones,” to make it less clear that she was Jewish; though the hospital said this was to prevent harassment from journalists, the woman — Rosalia Shikhverg — says she believes it was to protect her from antisemitic members of hospital staff…
Yale University announced that it will be going tuition-free for all students whose family’s income is below $200,000 a year…
The Jewish News Syndicate finds that Jewish organizations have spent significantly more on lobbying in 2025 than they did in years past…
Politico reports that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is considering appointing formerly hasidic progressive activist Elad Nehorai to lead the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism…
The Washington Post spotlights the efforts of Czech tour guide Jiri Kluc to gather and preserve the testimonies of Holocaust survivors around the world…
The Isle of Man formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism…
The National Jewish Advocacy Center has entered a partnership with the Community Security Service to provide legal representation and strategic advisory support to the Jewish community security organization…
Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the former U.S. envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, told Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod on Tuesday that she’s concerned by the increased pace of antisemitic rhetoric coming from Saudi Arabia, and warned that an extended change of course by Riyadh could have implications on the spread of antisemitism globally…
The University of Denver announced the creation of an endowed fellowship in Holocaust and antisemitism studies that will be housed in the school’s Center for Judaic Studies…
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch affixed a mezuzah to the doorframe of her office at One Police Plaza, saying that the decision to do so was “a small but meaningful symbol of faith and resilience”…
Tivkah Fund has launched the Ackerman Program in Jewish and Western Civilization at University of Texas at Austin’s School of Civic Leadership and expanded its Rosenthal-Levy Scholars Program to the campus as well…
Rabbi Motti Seligson, the media director for Chabad-Lubavich, and his wife, Shterni, welcomed a baby boy…
Major Gifts
The Jewish Solar Challenge awarded a total of $300,000 in grants to nine Jewish organizations across America to purchase and install solar panels: Congregation Sons of Israel in Nyack, N.Y.; Bet Torah in Mount Kisco, N.Y.; Temple Hillel B’nai Torah in Boston; Temple Emanuel in Newton, Mass.; Temple Emanuel of South Hills in Pittsburgh; The Temple in Atlanta; Congregation Bonai Shalom in Boulder, Colo.; Westchester Torah Academy in New Rochelle, N.Y.; and Habonim Dror Camp Gilboa in Big Bear Lake, Calif….
Boeing and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheva are jointly establishing a research collaboration focusing on “advancing cybersecurity capabilities for next-generation aviation and aerospace systems”; the five-year agreement is valued at over $10 million…
Binghamton University received a $30 million donation from alumnus Tom Secunda, as well as a $25 million contribution from New York State, to create a new research center focused on using artificial intelligence for the public good…
The Academic Engagement Network will be providing $25,000 over the next three years to the Kalaniyot Foundation, which works to bring Israeli researchers to American universities for sabbaticals and fellowships…
A crowdfunding campaign for the family of Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by federal border agents over the weekend in Minneapolis during a protest against immigration raids in the city, has raised more than $1.6 million…
Transitions
Laura Gross was named the next director of development and communications for Atra…
Brandeis University has named John Katzman, founder and CEO of the educational technology firm Noodle, and Len Asper, founder and CEO of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, to its board of trustees…
Dan Rothem is joining Israel Policy Forum as senior policy analyst; he was previously a senior researcher at Tachlith—The Institute for Israeli Policy and CEO of Commanders for Israel’s Security…
Yeshiva University announced the appointment of writer Douglas Murray to be the school’s inaugural President’s Professor of Practice…
Pic of the Day
Shira Gvili, the sister of Israeli Police officer Ran Gvili, the Israeli hostage whose remains were recovered by Israel from a cemetery in Gaza City earlier this week, weeps over his coffin today during his funeral in the southern Israeli town of Meitar.
“The forest isn’t the same forest. At the mall, there are no more beautiful clothes. Schnitzel doesn’t taste as good anymore,” Shira Gvili said at the funeral, holding back sobs. “Our laughs together, our fights. They are over, and I am left with just memories. And every memory is like an arrow to my heart. … [Two years ago,] when I stood at the eulogy ceremony, I promised you that I chose life. And I swear to you, Rani, I swear that even when it was hard for me, I did that. I chose life.”
Addressing her slain brother, she also recalled her recent visit to the United States, where she advocated for his return. “I spoke at the United Nations and Congress and the White House — and all in English. Are you proud of me? I did everything so you could come back. And now that the fight is complete, let me remove my ‘uniform’ and my title, ‘sister of a hostage,’ and let me just go back to being the sister of Rani.”
Birthdays
Israeli windsurfer, she won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Sharon Kantor turns 23…
Inventor of many percussion instruments used in Latin and jazz music, Martin Cohen turns 87… Longtime Baltimore-area dentist now living in Jupiter, Fla., Joel Irwin Goldberg, DDS… Former chair of the political science department of the Hebrew University, Avraham Diskin turns 79… 26th national president of Hadassah, she served from 2016-2019, now chair of Hadassah’s magazine, Ellen Hershkin… Attorney and lobbyist, Kenneth Levine… Rabbi emeritus of Kehillat Israel Reconstructionist Congregation in Pacific Palisades, Calif., Steven Carr Reuben… Chairman and founder of London-based ICM Stellar Sports, Jonathan Ian Barnett turns 76… Model, actress and singer, Barbi Benton turns 76… Elayne Z. Wolf… Former senior U.S. district judge for the Central District of California, now serving as a mediator and arbitrator at JAMS, Dean Douglas Pregerson turns 75… Freelance writer, she is a 2009 graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Rabbi Reba Carmel… New York City-based advisor and investor focusing on fintech, blockchain and emerging technologies, Donna Redel turns 73… Composer and distinguished professor at UCLA’s school of music, Richard Danielpour turns 70… Assistant vice provost and executive director at the UCLA Center for Community Engagement, Shalom David Staub… Angel investor and mentor for growing companies, Mark N. Schwartz… Retired after 14 years as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly, she is active in the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County, Amy H. Handlin turns 70… Rabbi at Or Hamidbar in Palm Springs, Calif., David James Lazar turns 69… Executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Robert B. Satloff turns 64… Businessman, he is the chairman of Genesis Philanthropy Group, Gennady Gazin turns 61… Founder and CEO of Boca Raton, Fla.-based Lyons Capital LLC, Jason Lyons… Senior vice president at Weber Shandwick, Ariel Bashi… Israeli theatre and movie actress, Adi Bielski turns 44… Managing director at PJT Partners, Max Heller… Vice president at Goldman Sachs, Perry Bloch… Actress and singer, known for her role as Ashlyn Caswell in the Disney+ series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” Julia Lester turns 26…
