Your Daily Phil: Moving Traditions acquires jGirls+ Magazine in ‘feminist’ merger

Good Monday morning.  

In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we look at changing philanthropic trends among younger generations of donors, report on Moving Traditions’ acquisition of jGirls+ Magazine and on a new initiative to build the fundraising capacity of Israeli nonprofits. We feature an opinion piece by Austin Reid about the ripple effects of institutional legacy planning, and one by Ron Katz calling upon nonprofits to adopt a “Content Integrity Pledge.” Also in this newsletter: Joshua Schultheis, Dan Kraft and Emily Damari.

What We’re Watching

The Yael Foundation is kicking off its annual conference today in Limassol, Cyprus. The gathering, which is focused on Jewish education, will feature speeches by Amichai Chikli, Israel’s minister of Diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism; Jewish Agency Chairman Doron Almog; basketball player and educator Tamir Goodman; Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israel’s special envoy for combating antisemitism; and more. Come say hi to eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross, who will be at the conference.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington today, having arrived in the U.S. last night. 

Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools annual conference, which kicked off yesterday, continues today and tomorrow in Boston.

The Orthodox Union is holding its inaugural attorneys conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., this week. 

What You Should Know

Gen-Z donors may be upending a longtime trend of donors to religious causes being more likely to also donate to secular ones, according to a recent study of philanthropic trends across different generations by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.

According to the authors of the study, donors to religious causes were believed to be more likely to give to secular causes — organizations whose primary mission is not religious or spiritual development — because they maintained “belief systems that encourage giving, and they develop the habit of giving to charity regularly, both at their place of worship and throughout their community.” 

This trend does not appear to be holding with the youngest generation of donors, from Generation Z. In 2019, only 12% of Generation Z donors (born from 1997 to 2012) who gave to religious causes also gave to secular ones. When Millennial donors (born 1981 to 1996) were at the same age and life stage, in 2003, 52.2% of them were giving to both religious and secular causes, according to the study, which was released last month. The data are based on the University of Michigan’s Panel Study of Income Dynamics, which has been tracking households’s charitable giving since 1968.

“It seems that a dramatic shift may be occurring,” the authors wrote.

In general, a drop in secular giving was observed from 2019 to 2021, though the authors credited this with the “challenging economic environment,” which was less likely to affect giving to religious causes as this is “more stable due to the tradition, culture and expectations related to giving to places of worship, even during economically challenging times.”

The study identified other trends among younger donors, who were found to be more likely to favor environmental and social justice issues more than older ones. Religion and “basic needs” remained the top causes for philanthropic giving across all generations, but education and the arts are less of a priority for younger donors. 

Millennial and Generation Z donors are in general better educated, more diverse and far more technologically connected than previous generations. “Generation Z and Millennials lead all generations in online giving, and rely on technology for many other aspects of philanthropy,” the authors wrote.

Younger donors are also more interested in philanthropy-adjacent activities, such as ethical purchasing, impact investing and using social media to drive change, the study found. 

EXCLUSIVE

Moving Traditions acquires jGirls+ Magazine in what groups call ‘a feminist act’

Teens participate in a Moving Traditions program for Rosh Hodesh. Courtesy/Moving Traditions

The Jewish youth movement Moving Traditions has acquired the feminist teen publication jGirls+ Magazine, bringing on its executive director, Elizabeth Mandel, as the youth group’s inaugural vice president of feminist programs. “If you knew me, you would know that is my dream title. It’s my dream job,” Mandel told eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross. The idea for the merger, which went into effect last month, came from a conversation that she had with Moving Traditions’ CEO, Shuli Karkowsky, just over two years ago in which Mandel was complaining about how the nitty-gritty aspects of running an organization were preventing her from focusing as much on jGirls+’s core work, empowering Jewish female and nonbinary teens through writing, art and related leadership training programs. Karkowsky said she immediately thought of a solution to Mandel’s frustrations: an acquisition.

A feminist act: Both Karkowsky and Mandel described the acquisition process as being “feminist,” with a focus on collaboration and mutual benefit. “Coming together in and of itself was a feminist act. To be able to say not ‘This is mine, and that’s yours, and I have to hold on to what’s mine and you have to hold on to what’s yours,’ but that by working collaboratively, which is such an important feminist ethic, it would be better for everyone,” Mandel said. Karkowsky agreed: “The actual negotiations felt feminist. There was no fear over, ‘If I give you power, I’ll have less power; this is a zero-sum game.’ It felt very much collaborative, and the more we work together, the pile will be bigger… which felt very, very novel in an industry that can have an attitude of scarcity.”

Read the full report here.

STIMULATING GROWTH

Taking a page from the VC playbook, Tzalir Fund offers ‘seed funding’ to nonprofits looking to grow

Getty Images

Based on its experiences running a command center for humanitarian aid for Israelis in the early days of the Gaza war and its efforts to support the reconstruction of northern Israeli communities, the Tzalir Fund launched a new “10X” grant initiative last month with the Israeli crowdfunding platform JGive. The initiative is providing grants worth $14,000 to nonprofits with the goal of them using the funds to improve their fundraising capabilities in order to raise 10 times as much, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judith Sudilovsky.

Getting off the ground: “We saw people with a great idea and a great business proof of concept who just needed to raise funds in order to get up off the ground,” Nachman Rosenberg, director of the Tzalir Fund, told eJP. The grant-giving model — similar to VC-style funding for new high-tech firms — will be like “startup grants” for philanthropy, said Rosenberg. Approximately 15 grants of NIS 50,000 ($14,000) will be awarded this year to help nonprofits dedicated to rehabilitation efforts build sustainable fundraising strategies. The funding is designed to help these organizations raise NIS 500,000 ($140,000) from new donors — hence the 10X name — through sustainable long-term financial infrastructure. 

Read the full report here.

RIPPLE EFFECTS

Inspiring legacies: What two vanished American Jewish communities teach us

Purim party at Beth Israel of Fremont in Freemont, Ohio, circa 1950. Provided to the author by Dennis Newman.

“As someone who grew up in a small town where organized Jewish life had vanished, I’ve experienced firsthand the power of intentional legacy planning by Jewish communities,” writes historian Austin Reid in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.

A gift to the future: “In my hometown of Lancaster, Ohio, the B’nai Israel synagogue disbanded before I was born… During its 67 years of existence, B’nai Israel opened its doors to many groups, both Jewish and non-Jewish, to educate people about Judaism. The goal of the book fund was simple: to ensure that Jewish education remained accessible in Fairfield County, even after the synagogue doors closed. Over a decade later, during a difficult time in high school, I came across Joseph Telushkin’s Jewish Literacy at the library. Inside the cover, I noticed a small plate identifying it as a donation from the book fund. Though I had no direct ties to Lancaster’s Jewish community, that book became a guide, deepening my understanding of Jewish ethics and spirituality at a time when I was searching for direction. Years after the synagogue had closed, the foresight of its leaders offered me a resource that shaped my spiritual journey and ultimately inspired me to convert to Judaism.”

Read the full piece here.

TRANSPARENCY MATTERS

We made an integrity pledge to our donors. Others should do the same.

RLT_Images/Getty Images

“In the nonprofit space, donors are our shareholders. In return for their investment, they expect and deserve transparency so they can evaluate our work for themselves,” writes Ron Katz, president of the Tel Aviv Institute, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy“While shortcuts may deliver sizzling metrics, they ultimately undermine authenticity and mislead the very donors who make our work possible.”

Setting a standard: “The fight against antisemitism is a community effort, and that is why we are genuinely happy when our social media messages resonate with others and inspire further engagement. But this shared mission does not relieve anyone from the responsibility to disclose to donors when published content originated elsewhere. Transparency requires acknowledging the time and rigor invested by another individual or organization in research and creative resources. That is why my organization has adopted a simple Content Integrity Pledge, committing to transparency in our social media practices. In this pledge, we promise to credit sources, avoid spreading misinformation and to never publish another’s work as our own. This pledge is not just a matter of ethics but a commitment to our donors, our stakeholders and the broader community we serve.”

Read the full piece here.

Worthy Reads

Fundamental Truths: In The Free Press, Gideon Black shares his reaction to the news that the terrorist who planned the Tel Aviv bus bombing that killed his cousin Yoni Jesner (and nearly killed Black as well) was among the prisoners released in exchange for hostages trapped in Gaza. “More than two decades later, emotional scarring from that bombing — which I survived by the slightest margin — is still etched into my soul. So are physical scars on my torso. Time, it turns out, does not heal all wounds. Perhaps it might when those wounds are given an uninterrupted chance to heal. But that is impossible in Israel, where the war against us never ends and where the freeing of the man responsible for that attack cuts at the scar tissue and forces me and every other Israeli into an impossible corner… We dare not leave the hostages in Gaza. We dare not free the terrorists, and endanger our people for years to come; truly, a deal with the devil… But woven into the anguish is a fundamental truth that will ultimately be our saving grace: We have an irrepressible bond with each and every Jew that transcends logic and reason. The hostages being held right now in Gaza are my family, and I will risk life and limb to bring them home. This unspoken national pact — that we will not leave anyone behind despite the extraordinary risks — raises the threshold of physical danger in the name of collective healing.” [FreePress]

Nicht KoscherIn a piece for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Joshua Schultheis — editor at the Jüdische Allgemeine, Germany’s Jewish weekly publication — warns against the mainstreaming of German far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD). “Over the years, AfD has gained support across Germany. With about a month to go before national elections, it sits second in the polls. And among the party’s expanding base is a contingent of Jewish voters. They are drawn to AfD’s agenda, which includes ridding the country of immigrants. They believe AfD’s claim that only the right can keep Jews safe during a frightening time. Now, the richest man in the world and a top adviser to the U.S. president is making the same argument. Last week, Elon Musk spoke remotely to an AfD rally of more than 4,000 people, telling them that the party is the country’s best and indeed only hope — and that ‘there is too much focus on past guilt’ in Germany. With the entire world looking to Germany, and with some Jews in the United States supporting Musk and his politics, I believe German Jews like myself who have watched the AfD’s rise closely have a perspective worth hearing. And my conclusion is still the same as it was all those years ago: AfD is an antisemitic party, no matter how much it says it’s good for the Jews.” [JTA]

Word on the Street

Rumors are abounding that philanthropist and casino owner Dr. Miriam Adelson may have been behind the Lakers-Mavericks blockbuster NBA deal that sent superstar Luka Don?i? to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis and a 2029 first-round pick. In late 2023 Adelson, along with her daughter Sivan Dumont and son-in-law Patrick Dumont, acquired a 73% stake in the Mavericks…

Limmud has extended its micro-grants fund, offering 15 grants of up to £2,000 ($2,500) to its volunteers to support creative projects. The Anglo-Jewish Association joins as a funder after a pilot launched 11 projects…

In an editorial, The Forward Editor-in-Chief Jodie Rudoren highlights the plight of Russian-Israeli graduate student Elizabeth Tsurkov who has been held hostage in Iraq for 682 days as her sister Emma Tsurkov struggles in the U.S. for her release…

The New York Times interviews Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan about his plan to restructure the U.S. economy and fix the federal budget…

Boston-based philanthropist Dan Kraft and former Boston Red Sox star Kevin Youkilis, who is Jewish, reflect on their recent participation in a Combined Jewish Philanthropies solidarity mission to Israel…

A member of the flight crew of the American Airlines jet that collided with a helicopter upon descent to Washington’s Reagan National Airport was an alum of BBYO…

Israeli President Isaac Herzog met last week with a group of American Black leaders hosted in Israel by itrek and the National Black Empowerment Council

A California study on Holocaust and genocide education in K-12 schools found inconsistencies in how agencies followed state standards. Only 26% of local education agencies have formal programs on the topic, according the findings released in the report “Holocaust and Genocide Education in California” on Jan. 27, coinciding with International Holocaust Remembrance Day

New Zealand’s deputy prime minister, Winston Petersdenied that the country had begun requiring Israelis to submit details of their military service on visa applications…

Conservative Israeli-American commentator Caroline Glick was named international affairs advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Jordan reportedly told Hamas that it plans to extradite Ahlam Tamimi, who was convicted of orchestrating a 2001 Jerusalem bombing that killed 16, including two Americans, to the U.S. unless a third country accepts her. The report comes as King Abdullah II prepares to meet President Donald Trump on Feb. 11 as Jordan seeks to maintain ties with Trump despite rejecting his Gaza resettlement plan. There has been no official confirmation of the report…

In an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal UC Berkeley law professor Steven Davidoff Solomon condemns the university’s failure to address continuing incidents of antisemitism and creation of a hostile environment for Jewish students among its faculty and urges the federal government to use the university as an example following President Donald Trump’s executive order on combating antisemitism…

Yehoshua Lior, a former chairman of the Masorti Movement in Israeldied last week…

Marion Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, translator, political advisor and wife of Nobel laureate Elie Wieseldied yesterday at 94…

Nashville, Tenn.-based philanthropist Ann Ryan Bernard died this week at 101…

Pic of the Day

Emily Damari/Instagram

Former hostage Emily Damari, who was released from captivity last month as part of a cease-fire and hostage-release deal between Israel and the Hamas terror group, sits yesterday in the home from which she was kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Damari sits in front of a sign reading, “From this house, Emily Tehila Damari was kidnapped.”

“Today I returned to my home, to my apartment, to the oxygen that I had and that almost ran out. I returned to the place in which my nightmare began 485 days ago,” Damari wrote on Instagram. 

“We cannot stop here. We have to bring * everyone * and that means * everyone * home — the living ones to recover and the murdered ones to bury. Real victory I will only feel once they have returned,” she said.

Birthdays

Brent N. Clark/Getty Images

Singer-songwriter, best known for composing “From a Distance,” a big hit for Bette Midler and winner of the Grammy for Song of the Year in 1991, Julie Gold… 

Former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission from 1993 to 2001, Arthur Levitt Jr.… President and CEO of clothing manufacturer Warnaco Group from 1986 to 2001, at one time she was the only female CEO of a Fortune 500 industrial company, Linda J. Wachner… Chairman and president of the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. for almost the full eight years of the Obama administration, formerly president of the Lillian Vernon Corporation, Fred Hochberg… Partner at Shipman & Goodwin, following 18 years as a justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, Joette Katz… Retired member of both houses of the Utah legislature, she was a co-president of the National Association of Jewish Legislators, Patrice M. Arent… Former head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Biden administration, now at MIT and Harvard, Eric Steven Lander… Former CEO of the Chicago Sun-Times, prior to which he was an alderman of the 43rd Ward of Chicago, Edwin Eisendrath… Steven F. Schlafer… Member of the Knesset for the National Unity party, Michael Biton… General counsel of the Girl Scouts of the USA, Diana Hartstein Beinart… French actor with more than 50 film credits and a number of television shows, Vincent Elbaz… Australian actress and author, Isla Fisher… Record producer and music critic, known by her nickname Ultragrrrl, Sarah Lewitinn… Senior director at the GeoEconomics Center of the Atlantic Council, Josh Lipsky… Professional poker player, Daniel Weinman… Senior associate program director at CSS/Community Security Service, Joshua Keyak… Director at strategic counsel and communications firm Joele Frank, Noam Safier… Director for J Street U at J Street, Erin Beiner… Forward for Ironi Ness Ziona of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, during the 2021-22 season while at Yeshiva University he was the top scorer in all divisions of college basketball, Ryan Turell… Israeli singer, Ishay Ribo