Your Daily Phil: Miami federation bringing Israelis into communal fold
Good Thursday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on a panel in New York in honor of the fourth yahrtzeit of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. In our featured opinion pieces, Brian Cohen offers an alternative model to one-size-fits-all day school education; Ari Perten urges educators to support students of all ages as they grapple with their relationship with their Jewish identity; and David Bryfman proposes a canon for Israel education. Also in this issue: Rabbi Avi Weiss, Elaine Wynn and Sara Tancman and Moses Libitzky. We’ll start with the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s engagement with the city’s Israeli community.
When a wave of 300 Israeli families sought refuge in Miami after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation was ready. Over the past decade, the federation had quietly but steadily built a relationship with the city’s significant Israeli population — a group that has long been considered separate from mainstream Jewish communal life. This foresight proved crucial as the federation mobilized to offer these incoming families not just temporary shelter, but a sense of community and belonging, reports Efrat Lachter for eJewishPhilanthropy.
The seeds of this response were planted in 2014 when a study conducted by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation revealed a surprising statistic: 9% of the Jewish population in Miami was Israeli. Despite their comparatively large numbers, the Israeli community had largely remained on the periphery, often neither participating in Jewish life nor taking advantage of the federation’s services.
This disconnect was not just logistical but cultural. Many Israelis saw their time in the U.S. as temporary and were hesitant to fully engage with the American Jewish community. The result was a growing rift, with Israelis unsure of how to be Diaspora Jews, and the American Jewish community unsure of how to welcome them.
Denise and Ofer Tamir, an American-Israeli couple, became the driving force behind the creation of the Israeli Division within the federation. Denise Tamir, who grew up in the American Jewish community, had a unique understanding of both sides. “I’ve seen how this has transpired and progressed between two communities who need each other and were not playing nice in the same sandbox,” she said.
The federation’s executive director, Jeffrey Levin, also recognized the need for action. “We said, ‘Wow. What’s going on there?’ So we put together a task force on the Israeli community to find out what they need, who they are. That led to a series of initiatives,” Levin said.
Together with the Tamirs and other leaders, the federation launched several innovative programs in 2014. The significance of these efforts became clear in the wake of the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, when the federation’s decade-long work came to fruition. The Israeli Division’s established presence and partnerships enabled a swift and effective response to the crisis. The Greater Miami Jewish Federation raised $30 million in an emergency fund for Israel. The federation earmarked $100,000 dedicated to temporary resettlement efforts in Miami.
“The federation’s infrastructure was crucial. We had to provide immediate support — housing, medical assistance, psychological care. The Israeli Division played a key role in ensuring that these families received the help they needed swiftly and effectively,” Ofer Tamir said.
“We weren’t building the fire department while the house was burning down,” Levin added. “We didn’t have to figure everything out from scratch — we already knew how the community worked and what resources were available. They needed our community’s resources, and we were ready to provide them.”
Yet, the journey wasn’t without its challenges. Many Israelis are accustomed to relying on their government for support and are not used to contributing to Jewish communal life in the Diaspora. This cultural difference posed a challenge, but the Israeli Division has been instrumental in changing this narrative. “The idea that Israelis don’t donate to the federation is not true. Initially, it was a challenge, but we’ve seen growth in Israeli contributions. There are currently over 200 donors in the Israeli community, and the number keeps growing,” Denise Tamir noted.
LETTER IN THE SCROLL
In N.Y., leading Jewish voices consider what Rabbi Jonathan Sacks would think of our post-Oct. 7 world, ahead of his 4th yahrtzeit
Leaning on the extensive teachings of the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, who served as chief rabbi of the United Kingdom from 1991-2013, the Rabbi Sacks Legacy hosted a panel discussion last night at the Moise Safra Center on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, attempting to make sense of the rise of antisemitism that has resulted from the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Haley Cohen reports from the event. The gathering celebrated the 20th anniversary of Sacks’ acclaimed book A Letter in the Scroll, one of the 25 books that Sacks authored, while also marking both the upcoming one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel and the fourth yahrtzeit of Sacks’ death.
Packed panel: The panel featured Dan Senor, author of the bestseller Start-Up Nation and co-author of The Genius of Israel; Natan Sharansky, one of the most famous former Soviet refuseniks; Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israel’s special envoy for combating antisemitism and a former member of Knesset; and Rabbi David Ingber, the founding rabbi of Romemu, the largest Renewal synagogue in the U.S. and senior director of Jewish life at 92Y.
Gotta have faith: During the discussion, Sharansky, who succeeded former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) as chair of The Rabbi Sacks Legacy’s Global Advisory Board following the senator’s death earlier this year, stressed the need for an understanding of Judaism that extends beyond the concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world). “When your only religion is human rights, you’ll be alone,” he said.
Here we are: Reflecting on Sacks’ frequent exploration of the term that Abraham used in the Torah, “hineini,” meaning “here I am,” Cotler-Wunsh told the approximately 100 attendees that “the most important notion of hineini” today is the statistic that when reserve soldiers were needed in Israel on Oct. 7, “140% of the people who were called up showed up.” She continued: “[The year] 2024 is not 1944. We have sovereignty. We have an IDF and we have relative safety and security for the rest of us living in the world. Now that means there are six million boots on the ground right here that have to show up 140% of the time and not wait for someone else. There is no one else. It is on us.”
WE CAN DO BETTER
If every child learns differently, why are all classrooms the same?
“I have over 20 years of experience in the field of K-12 education, including 13 years of school administration and leadership, yet it wasn’t until my time as head of school at MetroWest Jewish Day School in Framingham, Mass., that I truly began to understand how classrooms and the learning that goes on in them can look as different as each student,’ writes Brian Cohen in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Say goodbye to ‘the box’: “A more flexible, individualized approach to education calls for a shift away from traditional, standardized methods where a student’s needs can only be met if they fall within the constraints of the projected curriculum, the defined classroom space and the predetermined grade-level standards.”
How we do it: “Unique learning paths for each student prioritize individualized learning based on each child’s profile, with the curriculum presented in a non-traditional format. A low student-to-teacher ratio creates a small classroom environment, allowing teachers to truly know and teach the whole child. Multi-age classrooms foster learning partnerships and social connections that reflect real-world dynamics, enable teachers to meet students at their academic level and provide developmentally appropriate challenges in the curriculum.”
Consider this: “While it may feel to families like a huge risk to educate their children in this way, I wonder if it’s riskier to force children to fit within the constraints of a traditional education, ignoring their passions, their mental health needs and their individuality.”
BOBSLED JEWISH, MAN
Now is the time to help students embrace their Jewish identity meaningfully, publicly and with pride
“Whether someone is finishing eighth grade or a Ph.D. program, the question of Jewish identity has become increasingly urgent for students headed back to school,” writes Ari Perten, vice president of the Jewish learning department at Moishe House, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Strange new world: “Prior to Oct. 7, Jewish identity often existed as a secondary identity — present, but ultimately hidden behind other more pronounced identities. Since Oct. 7, however, Jewish identity has emerged into the spotlight of greater prominence, existing not behind but rather among the core identities through which one experiences the world. This shift has been rapid, leaving many students unmoored as they grapple with their new conception of self.”
A ’90s parable: “In ‘Cool Runnings,’ a 1993 movie based on a true story, a team of Jamaican bobsledders manage to qualify for the Olympics. On their journey to make Olympic history, they struggle with how their national and cultural identity interfaces with the world. At one point, a character proclaims: ‘All I’m saying, mon, is if we walk Jamaican, talk Jamaican and is Jamaican, then we sure as hell better bobsled Jamaican.’ So too for Jews.”
Give them your support: “This academic year, Jewish educators must continue to make the bold statement that Jewish identity is not something to be concealed outside of sacred spaces and holy times. Whenever we engage students, no matter their age or academic stage or the setting, we need to support the idea that Jewish identity is a core attribute — one that is worthy of pride and public display without fear… Jewish educators must prioritize supporting a Jewish identity that is to be lived daily, experienced broadly and celebrated always. We must convey to our students that Jewish identity is not a garment to be donned or removed at will; rather it is the essence of who we are and the reality through which we interact with the world.”
TOOLS FOR TEACHING
A canon for Israel education
“The events of Oct. 7 and its aftermath have shaken many of my educational foundations to the core, including the explicit need for Jewish youth to ‘know more stuff’ about Israel,” writes David Bryfman, CEO of The Jewish Education Project, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy, “Why? Because being a Jew in the world today requires a connection to Israel that is based on attitudes (heart) and behaviors (hands) in addition to knowledge (head).”
Important resources: “Consider what it would look like if we raise a generation of young people to both hold opinions and have their beliefs grounded in knowledge and context. Knowledge acquisition is a cornerstone of all good education, and Jewish and Israel education should provide nothing less.”
Don’t be shy: “With that in mind, I would like to share 12 fundamental texts or awarenesses that all Jewish youth living outside of Israel (and perhaps in Israel too) need to familiarize themselves with to establish their baseline foundational knowledge about Israel. Think of it as the beginning of a canon for Israel education… I invite you to debate with me and to subtract and add resources of your own to my list.”
Worthy Reads
And We’re Back: In Time, Danya Kaufmann captures the dissonance some American Israelis are experiencing when they return to Israel after visiting family and friends in the States. “I knew that as soon as we came home to Israel, I’d ask myself why we’d been so eager to get back. I’d disconnected for a few days in New York with my family, even stopped wearing the hostage necklace I wore every day, and I knew it would be hard to return. What I didn’t know was that the day we got back I’d hear that the bodies of six young hostages had been found.… Before we left for our trip, I’d started entertaining thoughts of relocation, like many people I know. Our liberal friends, many of whom are parents, are all wondering what we’re still doing here, with one war after the other, Jewish extremism on the rise, an economy that may soon fall apart, and a government seemingly more focused on resettling the Gaza Strip than on saving lives… Here we are, in the place we were so desperate to come back to – feeling crushed, confused, and hopeless since we landed. Dreading tomorrow’s news. But also feeling like we’re home. And so with a tight chest and heavy legs, I drag myself outside with an Israeli flag week after week. To protest, fight, and try to protect everything good that still exists here. And to save the lives we still can.” [Time]
Celebrate and Mourn: In Newsweek, Rabbi Avi Weiss considers the intense bittersweetness of the ongoing hostage talks between Israel and Hamas. “As negotiations for the release of the hostages plod on, these tragic, real-life stories emotionally set off the heart to break, to cry. The humanitarian concern overrides all diplomatic considerations… And the head also wonders if some of the hostages are freed for many, many hundreds of Palestinian terrorists, and a temporary ceasefire is reached, what of those who remain? For how long will they be doomed? Weeks? Months? Years? Forever? So, which is it? Will a deal made be a time of joy or sadness? A time to celebrate with the heart or mourn with the mind?… Jewish law marks this phenomenon when it asks that at the height of our greatest joy, at a wedding itself, that we break a glass to remember the shattered stone Temples and the shattered human temples, that need fixing… Yes, even if some hostages will be freed, it will not be a moment of euphoria. It will be that moment under the chuppah (wedding canopy) when we celebrate happiness, only to firmly plant our foot on the glass and break it, remembering the souls and the families whose lives are forever shattered.” [Newsweek]
Around the Web
Meta’s Oversight Board ruled that the phrase “From the river to the sea” is not inherently antisemitic and won’t always be banned from the company’s platforms, though it recognized that it can have a violent connotation in some circumstances; the decision was slammed by many Jewish groups and allies…
Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan accuses conservative commentator Tucker Carlson and his recent guest, Darryl Cooper, of engaging in “one of the most repugnant Holocaust denial displays of the last years” for the latter’s referral to the murder of 6 million Jews as “prisoners of war” who “ended up dead”…
A number of Republican lawmakers and party officials have also denounced Carlson, who has played a key role in the Trump campaign…
Investment returns for U.S. foundations bounced back last year following a major drop in 2022, according to a report from the Council on Foundations and the Commonfund Institute…
Jewish Insider examines the concept of “institutional neutrality,” which more and more universities have adopted in the wake of Oct. 7…
Students for Justice in Palestine and their allies at Columbia University are passing out flyers featuring the Hamas spokesman and quotes from the “Al-Aqsa martyrs”…
The New York Times looks into the efforts by casino magnate and art philanthropist Elaine Wynn and Los Angeles County Museum of Art Director Michael Govan to open an art museum in Las Vegas…
The California State Legislature approved a bill sponsored by Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC) and Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties establishing the California Teachers Collaborative on Holocaust and Genocide education as an official state program…
Holocaust Museum LA has appointed Marla Eglash Abraham chief advancement officer. Abraham most recently served as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s western regional director…
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has donated some $6.5 million to refurbish the football fields at four historically black colleges and universities…
After Oct. 7, Melbourne-based social justice Jewish organization Stand-Up, originally launched to support survivors of the Rwanda Genocide and refugees, turned its vision inward to the Jewish community on its 30th anniversary…
Sam Dubin has joined the Jewish Community Relations Council-Long Island as the organization’s first Jewish community affairs manager…
Sara Tancman and Moses Libitzky were named the co-chairs for the Jewish Funders Network International Conference to take place in Nashville, Tenn., in March 2025…
Billionaire and former three-term mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg donated $1 million to support San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s bid for reelection; it is one of the largest donations made this election season and comes after an earlier $200,000 contribution to Breed’s campaign…
The Secure Community Network has been selected as one of the first faith-based organizations to join the Public-Private Analytic Exchange Program, led by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence…
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has fulfilled one of his reelection pledges by launching a trial bus route in north London connecting the heavily Jewish neighborhoods of Stamford Hill and Golders Green…
The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development in Israel will collaborate with Israeli internet influencer Nas Daily and the Episcopal Diocese of California to produce 48 videos bringing spiritual intelligence to bear on climate change…
Pic of the Day
The family of Israeli hostage Bar Kupershtein, 22, pose with Yad Sarah CEO Moshe Cohen (right) during a visit to the organization’s headquarters in Jerusalem on Monday. The family came to express their gratitude in person for Yad Sarah’s support since Kupershtein’s kidnapping on Oct. 7 from the Nova music festival, where he was working as a medic. Yad Sarah transports Kupershtein’s father (center, in wheelchair) at least four times a week to hospital appointments, Hostage Square and other destinations.
Birthdays
Senior rabbi of Temple Sholom in Vancouver, B.C., and past chair of Reform Rabbis of Canada, Rabbi Dan Moskovitz…
Author, educator, and activist, best known for his books promoting public education, Jonathan Kozol… Rabbi emeritus of Congregation Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck, N.J., and rosh yeshiva of the Torah Academy of Bergen County, Rabbi Yosef Adler… Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, JoAnne Fishman Kloppenburg… COO of The New York Public Library, she has been married to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) since 1980, Iris Weinshall… Principal at Watershed Associates, Stuart Shlossman… Heidi Beth Massey… New York-based real estate developer, Jacob Frydman… Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, for the Southern District of Florida, Laurel Myerson Isicoff… Russian investigative journalist, she is active in the Russian Jewish Congress, Yevgenia Albats… Member of the Knesset until 2023, she is the first woman in the IDF promoted to major general (the military’s second highest rank), Orna Barbivai… Canadian lawyer, investor and business executive, he is the co-founder and chairman of Israeli AI company Aiola, Mitch Garber… Nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and a senior editor at Reason magazine, Jacob Z. Sullum… Entrepreneur and investor, he is the chairman of Mentored, an education technology platform, Eric Aroesty… Managing editor for politics and legal affairs at USA Today, Holly Rosenkrantz… Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Ari Devon Sandel… Member of the Knesset for the Yisrael Beiteinu party, Yulia Malinovsky… Payroll specialist at Topaz Financial Services, Jeremy C. Frankel… Voice actor for English versions of anime, animation and video games, Maxwell Braden Mittelman… Director in the D.C. office of Baron Public Affairs LLC, Jeremy Furchtgott… Anthony (Tony) Klor… Director of strategic initiatives and director of IPF Atid at Israel Policy Forum, Shanie Reichman… Shoshanna Liebman…
