Your Daily Phil: Relief and concerns as tentative hostage-release deal announced
Good Thursday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we examine the emerging hostage-release and cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas and how Jewish groups are reacting to it. We report on Jeremy Fingerman’s decision to step down from the Foundation for Jewish Camp, and feature an opinion piece by Jay Solomon about how organizations can keep last year’s surge in Jewish engagement going in 2025. Also in this newsletter: Jason Moss, Jill Rothstein and Larry Page and his wife, Lucinda Southworth.
What We’re Watching
We’re following the developments in Israel and Qatar regarding a cease-fire and hostage-release deal, which was announced yesterday, but has yet to be formally approved. (More on this below.)
Jewish activist Mandana Dayani launched a new initiative this week, “One Mitzvah A Day,” which gives participants a simple task each day that is meant to “support Jews, Israel, and combat antisemitism and radicalization.”
What You Should Know
Relief, concern, frustration, apprehension — these are some of the emotions that Israelis are experiencing today, often simultaneously, after Israel and the Hamas terror group appeared to reach a cease-fire and hostage-release deal yesterday, potentially ending 15 months of fighting in the Gaza Strip, though the agreement has yet to be formally approved by either side, writes eJewishPhilanthropy Managing Editor Judah Ari Gross.
For the families of hostages, and indeed the entire country, the prospect of the return of the 98 hostages still in Gaza was warmly welcomed, even with the awareness that this would surely bring with it the heartache of discovering that some of them are no longer alive and that those who have survived will face a perilous, possibly endless road to recovery following 15 months of captivity after the trauma of the Oct. 7 terror attacks.
Yocheved Lipshitz, who was taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz and released in November 2023 and whose 85-year-old husband, Oded, is still being held captive, expressed the hostage families’ uncertainty in an opinion piece for Israel’s Yedioth Aharonot newspaper today.
“I don’t know if he’s alive or dead — I just know one thing, that he’s on the list. How I will receive him, what I will receive, I don’t know,” she wrote.
Lipshitz, who described a total loss of faith in the state after the Oct. 7 attacks, said that if the deal goes ahead, there should be no fanfare for the return of the hostages. “If the deal is carried out, I think we should receive them quietly. Those closest to them should come and only them, there should be no mass pile-on,” she wrote, stressing the need for medical and mental health care for the released hostages and their families.
American Jewish organizations mainly focused on the positives of the proposed deal, namely the release of hostages and end of active combat. (Read more about this below.)
And yet alongside the tentative hope for the release of hostages — seen as a sine qua non for the general recovery of Israeli society post-Oct. 7 — Israelis are also deeply aware of the cost that accompanies the deal. Hamas, however weakened it is after 15 months of Israeli military action, will almost certainly remain in power in Gaza as the Israel Defense Forces withdraws from the enclave. In exchange for the release of each of the hostages in Gaza, Israel will free dozens of Palestinian terrorists from its prisons, many of whom have blood on their hands. Not lost on anyone is the fact that in Israel’s most recent large-scale exchange with Hamas, to secure the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011, among those released was the mastermind of the Oct. 7 massacres, Yahya Sinwar.
This is all contingent upon the deal going forward. The agreement has not yet been approved by the Israeli government — parts of which have explicitly said they oppose it — and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Hamas of trying to renege on the deal by adding new demands to it. The full release of all 98 hostages is also far from a sure thing. In the first phase of the deal, 33 captives are due to be released in exchange for the Palestinian prisoners and a temporary cease-fire with Israeli troops still largely in place, while the rest will only be returned if, among other things, Israel permanently ends the war and withdraws fully from Gaza — something Israeli officials are loath to do.
All of these concerns have prompted opposition from more conservative Israelis, including some hostage families, who worry that a deal that releases captives in stages will likely mean that some are left behind.
While the as-yet-unsigned deal seems to be in the offing, its implementation is sure to be prolonged, fraught and even painful — and it’s also only the beginning.
COMMUNAL REACTIONS
Jewish groups express relief, concerns as hostage-release, cease-fire deal progresses
Jewish organizations are tempering their optimism with apprehension after Israel and Hamas tentatively agreed to a cease-fire and hostage-release deal on Wednesday. The agreement — which has yet to be fully approved by either side — includes a halt after more than 15 months of fighting and the return of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of a still-undisclosed number of Palestinian prisoners. The organizations’ statements largely reflect their policy priorities, with the majority welcoming the deal — with varying degrees of concern about the concessions that Israel will have to make — and thanking both President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump, while several groups on the right took more hawkish stances, opposing the cessation of hostilities and release of Palestinian prisoners as part of the exchange, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim.
Optimistic and incensed: “I think the overall feeling is one of cautious optimism, with a focus on the optimism. There’s a great sense of relief and a feeling that finally this moment that we’ve all worked so hard for is hopefully, hopefully going to come to fruition,” Julie Fishman Rayman, the American Jewish Committee’s managing director of policy and political affairs, told eJP. Some conservative organizations, including the Orthodox Union, took more hawkish stances. “We are infuriated by the trading of monstrous terrorists for innocent hostages, and we are fearful of the evil those monsters seek to unleash. We are grateful that the new administration worked with the old to bring the necessary pressure to bear on Hamas, but we are incensed that the world has allowed this to go on for so long,” the OU’s executive vice president, Rabbi Moshe Hauer, said in a statement.
TRANSITIONS
Jeremy Fingerman steps down as CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp after 15 years
Jeremy Fingerman, who expanded the reach of the Foundation for Jewish Camp and guided it nimbly through the COVID-19 and Oct. 7 crises, will step down after 15 years as CEO on March 1, the organization announced on Wednesday. Jamie Simon, the group’s chief program and strategy officer, will serve in the role in an interim capacity while the board searches for a full-time successor, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim.
The next chapter: “I’m so very proud of what we’ve achieved collectively – camps, funders, federations, donors – to advance the field of Jewish camp,” Fingerman said in a statement. “Now is the right moment to begin to write the next chapter of the Foundation’s story.” In December, under Fingerman’s leadership, FJC secured the largest grant in its history — $15 million from The Gottesman Fund for capital expansion projects and Israel education initiatives for its network of over 300 camps. Fingerman has also been touted by his colleagues for stewarding FJC through a sequence of crises – securing funding for camps through the COVID-19 pandemic, which threatened the entire camp industry, and leading the organization through the aftermath of the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel and rising global antisemitism.
CAMPUS SCENE
Sustaining unprecedented growth in Jewish engagement
“What began as an attack meant to destroy Jewish life has instead drawn Jews back to their communal institutions in unprecedented numbers. The question now is how to sustain this vital growth,” writes Jay Solomon, chief advancement officer for Hillel Ontario, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Meeting the moment: “What we’re experiencing at Hillel mirrors a broader shift for Jewish institutions: every organization is reimagining how best to serve and strengthen our community in an increasingly difficult and charged climate. Understanding this changed landscape, we must focus our attention on staying relevant to the needs and desires of the constituents we service. Students are increasingly demanding tools to advocate, spaces to process grief and trauma and a platform to loudly celebrate their Jewish and Zionist identities. We’ve stepped up by expanding our advocacy and wellness teams, and supercharging public celebrations of Jewish life. This transformation in how we seek to move the needle on campus is more than a response to external factors. It’s the new foundation of our work.”
Worthy Reads
A Different Approach: In the wake of an Anti-Defamation League report finding that 46% of the world’s adults “harbor deeply entrenched antisemitic attitudes,” Jewish Journal Editor-in-Chief David Suissa questions the impact of raising awareness of antisemitism this way. “Activists must say pretty much the same thing year after year, press release after press release, fundraiser after fundraiser: We must take action to tackle the hate! The word tackle is interesting. It comes from football, when a burly linebacker will tackle an opposing player. For ardent fans, a tackle is very satisfying to watch. It’s finite. It’s closure. So I can see why it’d be a handy word for those who fight against hate: Let’s tackle this nasty virus and put it down for good. Of course, there’s one inconvenient detail: we’ve been ‘tackling’ haters for years and no one’s going down… When we focus so relentlessly on the 46% who hate Jews rather than the 54% who don’t, which number are we helping? Which number are we growing? In trumpeting so broadly and widely the hatred of Jews, how do we know that it doesn’t encourage more and more people to follow along and jump on the hatewagon? Are we reminding people that there are things about Jews worth hating– rather than worth loving?” [JewishJournal]
Community Support: In the Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel & Pomona Valleys (Calif.)’s newsletter, the organization’s executive director, Jason Moss, expresses his appreciation for the support that the Southern California community has received since the outbreak of the Los Angeles wildfires. “This past week, our community was forever changed. Even through the stories, imagery, and photos of the immense loss and devastation experienced by our community, specifically fellow community members, we have seen unbelievable acts of generosity and support. Plus, we have even learned of a couple of engagements. We have witnessed unbelievable resiliency and support: people opening their homes to strangers, people setting up GoFundMe campaigns for those who have lost everything, and those who have lost everything offering support to others. Let alone the amount of financial donations, as well as clothing, food, toiletries, toys, and so much more. I continue to marvel at this outpouring. And this support has come from all across the country. I hope this makes everyone feel and recognize that we are not alone and that people from all across the community are standing side-by-side with us.” [JewishSGPV]
Untapped Resources: In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Jason Lewis argues that fundraisers — who are used to interacting with a diverse array of people — can play an important role in making nonprofits more accepting of alternative viewpoints. “Even the most secular nonprofits can sometimes operate with the intensity and uniformity of a religious cult. There’s often an expectation for everyone, including donors, to align with a set of beliefs and opinions. Differing perspectives are discouraged, albeit subtly, and conformity becomes a measure of one’s commitment to the cause. Good fundraisers are an antidote to this unhealthy tendency. Their work requires that they venture beyond the boundaries of the organization and build relationships with donors who may or may not fit the mold of whomever the organization would like to envision as their ideal supporter… Rather than dodging the possibility of uncomfortable conversations, fundraisers should be encouraged in the coming days to model what they’re often best at — being great conversationalists, boundary spanners, and bridge-builders.” [ChronicleofPhilanthropy]
Word on the Street
The Wall Street Journal looks at how Israeli hospitals are preparing for the treatment of released hostages in anticipation of their release…
Rabbi Shlomo and Chava Ber have been named as the new Chabad emissaries to Kharkiv, Ukraine…
Haaretz examines the significant toll that the past 15 months of war in Israel have had on the Israel Defense Forces’ reservists and their families…
Jill Rothstein has been appointed the new head librarian for JBI, a Jewish organization that supports anyone with blindness, low vision or print disabilities. Rothstein was formerly the chief librarian of the New York Public Library’s Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library…
Inside Philanthropy spotlights new tax filings by a foundation run by Google co-founder Larry Page and his wife, Lucinda Southworth, showing that the pair has made major, previously unknown donations in the tens of millions to a variety of causes, mainly those related to climate change…
In a plea bargain deal, the Europe Asia Pipeline Company, originally created in 1968 as a joint Israeli-Iranian venture, will pay NIS 1.5 million ($415,000) for Israel’s worst oil spill in 2014, which caused an estimated $78 million in damage…
The Times of Israel profiles the Road for Recovery program, in which Israelis drive Palestinian patients to hospitals in Israel, some 15 months after six volunteers for the group were killed in the Oct. 7 terror attacks…
“Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels donated his archives to the University of Texas’ Harry Ransom Center…
Ami Magazine interviewed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Trump’s choice for ambassador to Israel…
Lufthansa announced plans to restart flights to Israel beginning Feb. 1…
New York City real estate and banking attorney and philanthropist Leonard Elman died on Jan. 1 at 93…
Pic of the Day
Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held in Gaza hold a sit-in protest last night in Hostages’ Square in Tel Aviv after a cease-fire deal was announced between Israel and Hamas.
Birthdays
First employee and subsequently first president of eBay, philanthropist and movie producer, Jeffrey Skoll…
Neurologist and psychiatrist best known for his work on ECT therapy, Maximilian Fink… Physicist and professor of materials science at Oxford, he escaped Germany in 1939 on the Kindertransport, Sir Peter Bernhard Hirsch… Founder of Jones Apparel Group (including Jones New York, Stuart Weitzman and Nine West) and film producer, in 2001 he donated $150 million to Johns Hopkins University, Sidney J. Kimmel… Author and editor-in-chief for 35 years and then editor-at-large for 15 years at Commentary magazine, Norman Podhoretz… Author of 12 novels for young adults and longtime sports journalist, Robert Lipsyte… Real estate developer, a superfan of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, he is known for sitting courtside at every home game, Alan “Sixth Man” Horwitz… Socially conservative talk radio host and relationship advisor since 1975, on Sirius XM Radio since 2011, author of over 20 books, Dr. Laura Schlessinger… Chef, food writer, culinary editor for the Modern Library, host of PBS’s “Gourmet’s Adventures With Ruth,” recipient of six James Beard Awards, Ruth Reichl… Sephardi chief Rabbi of Israel until mid-2024 and dean of Yeshivat Hazon Ovadia, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef… Uzbekistan-born Israeli entrepreneur and industrialist, Michael Cherney… VP for government affairs and director of the Washington, D.C., office of Agudath Israel of America, Abba Cohen… CEO of Belfor Property Restoration, he appeared in an Emmy-nominated episode of CBS’s “Undercover Boss,” Sheldon Yellen… Founder, chairman and CEO of RealNetworks, Robert Denis “Rob” Glaser… Founder and CEO of Cognition Builders, Ilana Kukoff… Senior editorial producer at CNN, Debbie Berger Fox… Chair of the Cheviot Hills chapter of WIZO USA, Amy Graiwer… U.S. ambassador to Jordan since September 2023, Yael Lempert… San Francisco-based technology reporter for The New York Times, Sheera Frenkel… Assistant professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, Rob Goodman… Canadian actor and singer, Jacob Lee “Jake” Epstein… Attorney working in South Florida real estate development, David Ptalis… Left wing for the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, Jason Zucker… Israeli actress and singer, Diana Golbi… Israeli professional Muay Thai and kickboxing fighter, Nili Block… Joseph Bornstein…
