Your Daily Phil: New venture looks to professionalize Haredi philanthropy
Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on a gathering to mark American-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra’s 23rd birthday, his second in Hamas captivity. We feature an opinion piece by Bar Pereg, Alina Shkolnikov Shvartsman and Ella Drory about the opportunity for Israel to “rebuild better” in the wake of the Oct. 7 massacres, and another by Aaron Dorfman and Justin Florence about the role that civil society can play in shoring up democratic principles. Also in this newsletter: Hadara Ishak, Matthew Segal and Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. We’ll start with a new initiative that is looking to professionalize and expand Haredi philanthropy.
On the 35th floor of a swanky Tel Aviv skyscraper, a group of philanthropists, foundation executives and community activists gathered last Thursday to discuss the Belz Hasidic community’s approach to employment. The roughly two dozen attendees came from a wide variety of backgrounds; there were men and women; Israelis, Americans, Brits and Australians; some were from the Belz community, others were decidedly secular, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.
It was the second in-person meeting organized by a new endeavor that is looking to professionalize and diversify the field of Haredi philanthropy, which tends to focus on supporting religious study. The expressed purpose of the gathering was to consider the case study of the Belz community, which is often considered one of the more forward-thinking Hasidic groups. But according to the meeting’s organizer, Aaron Kampf, the true goal of the meeting was the meeting itself, bringing together a diverse mix of people all focused on the same ultimate goal.
“Just having the room together of full-on Haredi philanthropists and foundations and so-called secular philanthropists and foundations and getting them to know each other — that for me was the objective,” Kampf, the founder of a Charedi Impact Philanthropy, told eJP.
Charedi Impact Philanthropy launched earlier this year with support from four main sources: the Wohl Legacy, a British foundation that has — among other things — long supported employment-related initiatives in the Haredi community; Daniel Goldman, an Israel-based private donor, who also supports initiatives in the Haredi community; Raoul Stein, a Haredi philanthropist and the managing director of the BlackRock investment firm’s Israel office; and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies.
According to Kampf, the initiative looks to serve as a resource for everyone interested in Haredi philanthropy — both donors from within the community and from without. The general goal is to raise the level of efficacy and professionalism in the field of Haredi philanthropy: vetting initiatives for transparency and outcome assessments, offering expert opinions and maintaining relationships with relevant organizations and foundations. But most of those involved also see Charedi Impact Philanthropy as a way to advance their goal of increasing Haredi engagement with the rest of Israeli society, particularly — but not exclusively — through employment.
Goldman, who is involved in a number of initiatives in the Israeli Haredi community, told eJP that such efforts are needed now more than ever. He said that he has seen a number of foundations start limiting or even pulling their support for Haredi causes in recent months, largely due to the political turmoil in Israel over state support for Haredi institutions despite a general refusal by Haredi Israelis to serve in the military or perform national service.
Goldman said that this was a mistake. “It’s the moment to double down,” he said. By pulling support for initiatives in the Haredi world, “they are hurting exactly the type of people who are leading positive change in the community.”
Joanne Cohen, the Israel director of Wohl Legacy, said her organization got involved with the project with the hope that it would indeed advance its goal of improving employment in the Haredi community, both for its own sake and for the benefit of wider Israeli society.
“Where we saw real potential and why we wanted to support them is that it’s one of the very few centers that is trying to bring together Haredi donors… and strategic philanthropy,” Cohen told eJP. “The idea of bringing together different people to learn from one another… that’s the exciting thing.”
She said the initiative’s connection between Haredim and non-Haredim was on display at the meeting last Thursday. “I more or less know all of the big foundations in this field, but suddenly, sitting around the table with a whole bunch of new people where I don’t know what they’re doing and they don’t know what I’m doing, it is refreshing,” she said.
The attendees included a number of prominent Belz philanthropists, including American architect Aaron Ostreicher; secular Israeli donors, including Idan Tendler — a co-founder of the cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks, who hosted the meeting in his offices — and legendary Israeli high-tech entrepreneur Yossi Vardi; and foundations, including UJA-Federation of New York and Beracha Foundation.
Cohen was impressed by the representatives from the Belz community’s willingness to meet with such a diverse group and what it portends for the future. “You had men from Belz sitting in the middle of Tel Aviv, working with people they’re not used to working with. It shows they’re willing to listen and cooperate,” she said.
However, Cohen stressed that while such meetings are critical, they are not the end goal. “Charedi Impact has a big mission, and I wholeheartedly hope that they succeed. The proof is going to be in the pudding,” she said. “Bringing people around the table to talk is not enough.”
LET MY PEOPLE GO
In New York, friends and family mark Omer Neutra’s second birthday in Hamas captivity
In a dimly lit gym on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, around 200 friends, family and community members of American-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra gathered on Sunday afternoon to play a few games of basketball. The event, held as Neutra turned 23, marked his second birthday in captivity after being taken hostage by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 of last year, reports Nira Dayanim for eJewishPhilanthropy from the event. “We’re here together with the community to make sure nobody forgets… We are here to make sure that leaders will make brave decisions,” Ronen Neutra, Omer’s father, told the crowd.
More personal: Earlier on Sunday morning, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum (NY) also held a march on the Upper West Side to bring awareness to Omer’s captivity. But the hoops game was a bit different, especially since Omer played basketball for the Schechter School of Long Island and is a huge NBA fan. Though open to the public, a majority of attendees had direct ties to Omer or the Neutra family, specifically from synagogue, school and summer camp, observed Josh Leeman, a classmate of Neutra’s from the Schechter School. “It’s unfortunate circumstances why we’re here, but at the same time it brings us together. I know that we’re all supporting the Neutras, but we’re also all supporting each other,” said Leeman.
Unimaginable: According to Yasmin Magal, Omer’s cousin, while the event was a celebration of who Omer is, it was also a stark reminder of ways the situation in Gaza has not changed. “A year ago was just a week after Omer was taken. There was no way on earth that we would do something like this a year ago because we were such a mess… No one thought we would be celebrating his [birthday] without him, again. No one thought we would be here still wishing for the same thing a year later,” Magal told eJP.
FIX OR UPGRADE?
Beyond the ‘rebuilding better’ slogan: Israel’s window for transformative change is closing
“As experts in humanitarian and social impact, we find ourselves in a unique moment in history. The scars of Oct. 7 are still fresh as we move through October 2024. This dark moment presents a rare opportunity for transformative change in Israel that we cannot afford to miss. In the wake of disaster, societies typically move through three phases: reaction, recovery, and ultimately thriving or merely surviving. As Israel transitions from crisis response to recovery, we stand at a critical crossroads,” write Bar Pereg, Alina Shkolnikov Shvartsman and Ella Drory of PollyLabs, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Build back better: “‘Rebuilding better’ has become a popular slogan, but what does it really mean for Israel? It’s not just about reconstructing what was destroyed. It’s about seizing this moment to address preexisting gaps in our society and build safeguards against future risks. This concept challenges us to use recovery efforts to rebuild systems more effectively, sustainably and justly while also reducing the likelihood and severity of future shocks. The chaos following Oct. 7 has shaken many of our entrenched norms and structures. This upheaval, painful as it is, presents us with a unique chance to reshape our future.”
Lasting decisions: “The pull of the familiar status quo is strong, especially in times of stress. It’s tempting to recreate what was lost. But as we rebuild, let’s not just patch the holes in our society — let’s reinforce its foundations. Let’s not just recover — let’s evolve. This is our chance to build an Israel that’s not just resilient in the face of threats but proactively shaping a better future for all its citizens. The clock is ticking. The choices we make in these coming months will echo for generations.”
AMERICAN VALUES
Standing together for our democracy
“Civil society is where we come together to pursue our values and interests; build relationships and power; solve problems; and practice what it means to be part of a diverse community that works out its differences through negotiation, deliberation, and compromise. Because it plays these critical roles, civil society is especially vital in periods of national turmoil. It becomes all the more essential when trust in institutions is in decline and illiberal and authoritarian rhetoric and behavior are on the rise, making civil society a prime target of such forces,” write Aaron Dorfman, the executive director of A More Perfect Union: The Jewish Partnership for Democracy, and Justin Florence, the managing director of Protect Democracy, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
On this we agree: “There are myriad steps civil society organizations must take to protect themselves and their communities from illiberal threats and to uphold the democracy that makes their very existence possible. The first is to pledge to uphold to democratic principles before they are challenged by authoritarians…. Jewish organizations around the country have committed to such a set of Democracy Principles. These principles aren’t about any particular policy positions or ideological preferences, but instead proclaim a shared commitment to self-governance, core democratic rights and the rule of law. Together, they reaffirm the signatories’ shared commitment to upholding the foundational features and values of democratic society.”
Worthy Reads
Teach Me, Rabbi: In The Times of Israel, Hadara Ishak argues that rabbis hold the key to the Jewish community’s future. “As Jews, we have faced unimaginable crises throughout history. From the expulsions from Spain and Portugal and the devastation of the Holocaust to the precariousness of the modern State of Israel, each chapter has required us to rise and lead our people back. While every era differs, one institution has remained constant: the role of the rabbi. Today, more than ever, as antisemitism surges across the globe and as we are still profoundly affected by the devastating terrorist attacks in Israel one year ago on October 7, the time has come to ask: How should our rabbis lead us into the future?… Today, their leadership looks different. Our rabbis are not called to save us from inquisitors or physical displacement but rather to navigate our community’s complex moral, cultural, and existential crises. We are witnessing synagogue membership decline and a rise in global antisemitism. This crisis is not just one of safety but of identity—or a lack thereof—an existential threat to the future of the Jewish people. In the aftermath of the October 7 terrorist attacks, rabbis were on the front lines, comforting families, mourning with communities, and offering prayers for peace. But the role of rabbis goes beyond comforting in times of sorrow; it must extend to guiding us toward action and a stronger future.” [TOI]
Around the Web
The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation has provided $350,000 in grant money to Jewish organizations helping in the hurricane relief effort in wake of the devastation left by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina…
The Jewish Museum London is curating a new collection on how the events of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack have affected the British Jewish community and is asking the public to share objects and testimony documenting the impact of the attacks…
Matthew Segal, the co-founder and co-CEO of media company ATTN, sat down with Semaforto discuss the information environment and his focus on fighting antisemitism…
In Chabad News, Faygie Levy Holt reflects on whether “there is a place for Jews in Big Tech” following multiple incidents of hostility towards Jewish staff members…
Police arrested some 200 anti-Israel protesters who staged a sit-in outside the New York Stock Exchange yesterday…
A group of scientists called into question the legitimacy of recent findings that claim Christopher Columbus was a Sephardic Jew from Spain…
Republican megadonor Miriam Adelson’s recent $1 million contribution to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s super PAC may be helping presidential nominee Donald Trump in the Georgia battleground and may also be a signal of a thawing of relations between Trump and Kemp…
CBS8 in San Diego spotlights Coastal Roots Farm of the nonprofit Jewish Community Farm and Education Center in Encinitas, which helps feed 45,000 people a year for free in their “Working for our Community” segment…
The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans will cut the ribbon on its new Southern Jewish Family Research Center on Nov. 7; the new center is the first major expansion of the museum since it opened in spring 2021…
In the Times of Israel, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch publishes his sermon from Yom Kippur, in which he expresses disappointment with members of the younger Jewish generation and urges them not to turn away from their fellow Jews, but rather to “rejoice with them… mourn with them… and redeem them”…
Pic of the Day
Film executive Donna Langley, Steven Spielberg, Bruce Springsteen and actor Kate Capshaw attend the USC Shoah Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Gala at the New York Hilton on Sunday. The star-studded event, titled “Ambassadors For Humanity,” was attended by dozens of Holocaust survivors, as well as donors and Hollywood and Broadway actors — including Meryl Streep, who introduced Spielberg — and featured a performance by Springsteen.
“The work of collecting the personal testimony and the voices of those who’ve witnessed history has just something in common with the work that songwriters, filmmakers, all artists do to understand and to create our real and imagined worlds,” Springsteen said at the event. “We follow the ghosts of history. We listen for the voices of the past to take us into the future, and we lean into their stories and we listen to them.”
Birthdays
Former vice chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, after an eight-year term at the helm of the Bank of Israel, Stanley Fischer…
Retired from the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 1996, he is a mediator and arbitrator, Judge Jack Milton Newman… Founder and dean of the Talmudic University of Florida in Miami Beach, Rabbi Yochanan Zweig… Media mogul, major donor to the Democratic Party and producer of “Power Rangers,” Haim Saban … Television executive, writer and producer known for co-creating “Cagney & Lacey,” Barbara Corday… Senior advisor at Covington & Burling, he was commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection during the Obama administration, Alan D. Bersin… Comedian, actor, podcaster and columnist, Lawrence John “Larry” Miller… Miami-based mental health counselor and senior executive producer of the My Survivor Film Project, Mindy Hersh, Ph.D…. Owner of Los Angeles-based Got Kosher? Bakery, Alain Cohen… Mayor of Sacramento, Calif., since December 2016, Darrell Steven Steinberg… Founder and CEO of Refinement Services, a provider of software for precious-metal redemption retailers, Neil Kugelman… Former U.S. Treasury official, he is reported to have been the first Hasidic Jew to hold a Senate-confirmed administration position, Mitchell (Moyshe) Allen Silk… Founding partner of Equalitas Capital and managing director at Allegiant Real Estate Capital, Andrew Fawer… Director of national government relations at Gotham Government Relations & Communications, Shai Franklin… Founder and chief executive of the global investment firm Citadel, Kenneth Cordele “Ken” Griffin… Former mayoral press secretary during the Bloomberg administration in NYC, now a political communications strategist, Stu Loeser… Governor of Maryland since 2023, Wes Moore… Director of racquet sports at Shell Bay in Boca Raton, Fla., he was a professional tennis player who ranked 69th in the world during 2012, Jesse Levine… Managing director at SKDKnickerbocker, Elizabeth Kenigsberg… Second baseman on Israel’s National Baseball Team from 2017 through 2021, Mitch Glasser… Director of strategic initiatives at the Modern Art Museum in Shanghai, Heiko Stoiber…
