Your Daily Phil: The latest ‘donor revolt’ at Columbia

Good Tuesday morning.  

In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on the speeches made by Holocaust survivors at International Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremonies yesterday and have a dispatch from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute Leadership Summit in Florida. We speak with Morton Williams co-owner Avi Kaner about his decision to direct his donations to Columbia University to the school’s Jewish studies department and with members of the Israeli volunteer delegation that came to assist during the Los Angeles wildfires. We feature an opinion piece by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz challenging the prevailing concept of Jewish continuity as a prime objective; and one by Rabbi Elchanan Poupko about inviting everyday Israeli soldiers versus the big brass to speak in Diaspora communities. 

What We’re Watching

Enter: The Jewish Peoplehood Alliance will hold a hackathon tomorrow morning at Anu: Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv for some 200 Israeli high school students who are studying Spanish to develop programs to deepen the connection between Israelis and Jews in Spanish-speaking countries.

The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation has organized a tour of Poland this week for Black and Jewish leaders, including philanthropist Robert F. Smith, political commentator Van Jones and social entrepreneur John Hope Bryant.

What You Should Know

Reject hate, display courage, combat extremism and antisemitism, create a just society, be fruitful and multiply, preserve the memory of the Holocaust — these were some of the demands made by survivors of Auschwitz-Birkenau yesterday at ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the extermination camp, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross. 

“I came here today with my children and grandchildren – my personal answer to Hitler,” said Marianne Miller, speaking at the United Nations’ memorial event. “Antisemitism is lifting its ugly head again across the world. We must remember: God created people to love, not to hate. God wants to be proud of mankind, not ashamed of it. I represent today the 6 million Holocaust victims who were murdered just because they were Jewish. I demand the world remember what happened only 80 years ago.”

At Auschwitz-Birkenau, Polish-Jewish historian and Holocaust survivor Marian Turski, 98, reflected on the small number of survivors of the camp who are still living, noting that they have always been a rarity. “There’s always been a very small minority of us, us who made it through all those ‘selections.’ That number itself was very little, and those who lived to see freedom, they were hardly, hardly none. So few — and now there is only a handful,” he said. 

At this year’s Holocaust Remembrance Day’s ceremony at the death camp, politicians were not given a chance to speak, allowing instead for survivors to say their piece. 

Turski cited Rabbi Nachman of Breslov’s teaching that the world is a “narrow bridge” and called on us to have no fear when confronting denialism and extremism. Turski added the hope that feuding ethnic groups around the world will “reach a conclusion that they have no other way of ensuring a peaceful, safe and secure life for their children, grandchildren and for the future generations [other than] compromise.”

Tova Friedman, 86, who was 5 when she came to the camp, said the world is “again in crisis” as “our Jewish-Christian values have been overshadowed worldwide by prejudice, fear, suspicion and extremism, and the rampant antisemitism that is spreading among the nations is shocking.” Friedman, who has lived in both the U.S. and Israel, called on “all of us” to “reawaken our collective conscience to transform this violence, anger, hatred and malignancy that has so powerfully gripped our society into a humane and just world before these terrible, terrible negative forces will destroy us all.”

Polish-born Swedish physician Leon Weintraub called on “people of goodwill” and especially young people to “be sensitive to all expressions of intolerance and resentment towards those who are different, regardless of their skin color, religion or sexual orientation.” He added: “The commemoration of the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz serves as a reminder of the inhumane treatment of individuals, but also as a warning against the increasingly vocal movements of the radical and anti-democratic right.”

At Auschwitz, one of the few non-survivors to speak was philanthropist Ronald Lauder, who began his remarks with the words of an Auschwitz survivor, Roman Kent, with whom he toured the camp 10 years prior. “He said these words, ‘We don’t want our past to be our children’s future.’ Let me repeat that again. ‘We don’t want our past to be our children’s future,’” Lauder recalled.

The World Jewish Congress president warned that the “gas chambers, the piles of bodies and the horrors within these gates” began first with less dramatic developments: “[When] Jews were singled out in universities, excluded from jobs, with boycotts, and attacks in the media.” Lauder warned that similar developments could be seen today. 

“These lessons for Auschwitz are not just for Jews. They’re for the entire world. That’s because Jews are the canaries in the coal mine. When the canary dies, miners know they have to get out of that mine as fast as possible. That canary died 15 months ago on Oct. 7[, 2023], and that is the most consequential warning for the entire world,” he said. “Education, serious, honest education, is the only way to correct this. And that won’t be easy. Entire institutions will have to be overhauled and corrected. And that goes for the media as well.”

At the U.N., Israeli President Isaac Herzog accused the body and other international institutions of forgetting that they were created in response to the Holocaust, to prevent antisemitism and hatred.

“This moral and ethical lighthouse has been eroded time and time again,” Herzog said. “How is it possible that international institutions, which began as an anti-Nazi alliance, are allowing antisemitic genocidal doctrines to flourish uninterrupted in the wake of the largest massacre of Jews since World War II?… How is it possible that the same institutions established in the wake of the greatest genocide in history – the Holocaust — are manipulating the definition of genocide for the sole purpose of attacking Israel and the Jewish people. Doing so by embracing the despicable phenomenon of Holocaust inversion.”

CHABAD CHATTER

At Rohr Jewish Learning Institute summit, supporters hail — and debate — Jewish unity

Panelists discuss philanthropic giving at the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute Leadership Retreat in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on Jan. 27, 2025.
Panelists discuss philanthropic giving at the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute Leadership Retreat in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on Jan. 27, 2025. Gabby Deutch/eJewishPhilanthropy

As golfers teed up at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., yesterday morning, a few dozen select Jewish philanthropists gathered in their resort wear for a conversation about Jewish unity. One participant described communal unity as akin to when four golfers get in a golf cart together and shake hands after a round, vowing to play together again soon after competing against each other on the links. Another spoke about the Talmudic arguments l’shem shamayaim, for the sake of heaven, between Rabbi Hillel and Rabbi Shammai — articulating that debate is part of the fabric of being Jewish, reports Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch for eJewishPhilanthropy from the gathering.

Still surging: It was exactly the kind of conversation that the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, an organization operated by the Chabad Lubavitch movement, aims to spark among observant and unaffiliated Jews alike, making Jewish text study accessible to Jews of all educational backgrounds. JLI’s executive director, Rabbi Efraim Mintz, said many of the philanthropists participating in the gathering told him they were continuing to rethink their charitable giving after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and deciding to shift their priorities from universal causes to distinctly Jewish organizations. “In their words, they feel that there’s an urgent need to redirect their giving, and we’re seeing it, and JLI is a clear beneficiary of that,” Mintz told eJP. 

Read the full report here.

CAMPUS CASH

Avi Kaner joins ‘donor revolt’ at Columbia, redirecting funds to Jewish studies

Members of the student group Aryeh tabling on central campus at Columbia University in New York, N.Y., on April 10, 2024. Bryan Anselm for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Avi Kaner, the Jewish co-owner of New York City supermarket chain Morton Williams — and a longtime donor to Columbia University — is the latest philanthropist to redirect donations previously given to the institution’s Morningside Heights campus in the wake of soaring antisemitism since Oct. 7, reports Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen for eJewishPhilanthropy. Kaner has made annual gifts to Columbia — his alma mater — for 30 years together with his co-owners of the specialty supermarket, which maintains a branch next to the university’s main campus. Last week, Kaner announced the decision to target their gift specifically to Columbia’s Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies, instead of the university at large. He called for “like-minded donors and alumni to do the same.” 

Staying in the game: “We will redirect in such a way that [money] will go to a place that will do good,” Kaner told eJP. “Nothing is perfect — I know there are [anti-Israel] professors — but it’s a decision you have to make. We still have a seat at the table instead of cutting out 100%.”

Read the full report here.

BLAZE-BATTLING BUDDIES

Inside the Israeli delegation that helped fight the Los Angeles wildfires

The Israeli delegation worked with members of Cal Fire, California’s fire and forestry service, to discuss strategies and tactics, and shared technologies that they use to monitor and analyze wildfires. Ran Levy

Amid the wildfires that are still raging in the Los Angeles area, a group of 14 volunteers and emergency responders from Israel deployed to Southern California to provide expertise and assistance to those working to bring the series of wildfires tearing through the city and its outskirts under control. The group included experienced members of Israel’s Fire and Rescue Service, the Israel Defense Forces and the nonprofit Emergency Volunteers Project. The Israeli delegation worked with members of Cal Fire, California’s fire and forestry service, to discuss strategies and tactics, and shared technologies that they use to monitor and analyze wildfires, reports Marc Rod for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider

Building bridges: Shay Levy, the head of the wildfire branch at the Israeli National Fire and Rescue Authority and a member of the delegation, told JI that the delegation provided an opportunity for both sides to learn from each other and share knowledge that each side will be able to apply going forward, — and they’re planning further work together in the future. “It was an honor to work with the people from the great friend of Israel. They’re really amazing,” Levy said. “We don’t have any events on this scale. It’s like a war … We came together, worked together and we learned a lot from our colleagues.” He continued: “I have new friends. I really feel blessed to come here, to take part in this delegation.”

Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.

FROM SURVIVING TO THRIVING

Thinking beyond ‘Jewish continuity’

Stillfx/Adobe Stock

“Anyone who has spent time in the world of Jewish fundraising or grant applications knows that it’s almost compulsory to use the buzzwords Jewish continuity in describing the goal and impact of your efforts. But the truth is, we’ve set the bar way too low by focusing almost exclusively on survival, preservation and conservation,” writes Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, president and dean of the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Valley Beit Midrash, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy

Go for depth over breadth: “In the world of Jewish philanthropy, the most common metric for success is the number of people impacted. But what does it matter how many tens of thousands of young Jews you reach, if the touch is so light that it has no real impact? … In our desperation to draw in as many people as possible, we often emphasize what’s fun and attractive rather than appealing to authenticity. But ironically, it is authenticity and spiritual depth that people are truly seeking at this moment.”

Read the full piece here.

CONSIDER THIS

Swap Israeli brass for Israeli bravery

e-crow/Getty Images

“Teaching in a Jewish day school in Manhattan, I remember soldiers who graduated from Israel’s elite Duvdevan unit visiting to speak with students about what they do to keep Israel safe,” writes Rabbi Elchanan Poupko in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “That raw encounter between American day school students and soldiers who often operate in the most hostile environments had a profound impact on both parties.”

What do we value?: “After the International Criminal Court in the Hague issued an arrest warrant for former Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant in November, his scheduled speaking appearance at Adas Israel in Washington was canceled due to ‘security concerns.’ Regardless of the reason for canceling Gallant’s talk, after the past year and a half of war, it is very clear who the new heroes of the Jewish people are: the everyday soldiers. As such, synagogues and Jewish institutions around the world should stop paying hefty speaking fees to decorated top brass and politicians and instead bring in — with full compensation — more and more Israeli soldiers. This is not ultimately about how much compensation this official or that official receives for speaking engagements abroad once they finish their service. It is about what we show we value most — valor, sacrifice and altruism. It is the soldiers who fought in the field, left their families and put their lives on the line to defend Israel who we should be honoring most.”

Read the full piece here.

Worthy Reads

School Spirit: In the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Deborah Danan spotlights Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s alma mater, Jerusalem’s Himmelfarb High School, which has lost 10 graduates — primarily in battle — during the war in Gaza. “Himmelfarb is among the most prominent religious Zionist schools in the country. Its roster of alumni ranges from Herzi Halevi, the outgoing chief of Israel’s military, to leading journalists, rabbis and businessmen… The losses Himmelfarb has suffered accentuate what Yair Ettinger, a former student at the school who is a leading Israeli religion journalist, calls the ‘heavy, heavy price’ religious Zionists have paid in blood during Israel’s multifront war. But at a time when Israeli society is exhausted and riven by conflicts foreign and domestic, Eittinger and others in the school’s orbit said its drive to bind the country together has grown only stronger. ‘People are really thirsting, trying to get some comfort or reconciliation in Israeli society,’ said Ettinger, author of Frayed: The Disputes Unraveling Religious Zionists. ‘And when they look at religious Zionists during the war fighting alongside secular people, they say, “This is something we used to know. Maybe this is something we can rebuild.”’” [JTA]

Lily’s Lesson: In The Jewish Chronicle, Dov Forman writes about helping his great-grandmother, the late Holocaust educator Lily Abert — or Safta, to Forman — bring her story of survival to billions through social media. “In 2021, I suggested starting a TikTok account to share her story with younger generations. Safta laughed and said: ‘I’ll do it, but I’m not dancing!’ Instead, she spoke directly to the camera, answering questions about her experiences and reflecting on kindness, tolerance, the dangers of hatred and the power of resilience. What began as a small experiment grew beyond anything we imagined: her videos reached over a billion people, with 2 million followers on TikTok alone… But this experience also revealed the double-edged nature of social media. While it enabled her message to reach millions, it also exposed the risks of distortion, trivialisation, and hate… TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) can keep stories alive in creative ways, engaging younger audiences… The work Safta and I did together showed me that for these innovations to work, they must complement, not replace, the human connection survivors brought to their testimonies. Safta didn’t just recount facts; she shared emotions — grief, joy, and hope — that made her story resonate deeply. Preserving that authenticity is essential. But innovative methods remain vital for ensuring this history endures.” [JC]

Who Runs the World? (Girls): ??In The Stanford Social Innovation Review, Heather McLeod Grant and Jessica Robinson Love consider how nonprofits can attract female donors, who are expected to control a greater share of wealth in the future. “By now you’ve likely heard about the impending wealth transfer, and that close to $35 trillion will soon end up in the hands of women, complementing income they’ve earned from work. What will women choose to do with this windfall? How much will they invest, spend, share with their heirs, or give back to society? As advisors to donors and nonprofits, we know firsthand the impact this wealth can have, and we’re optimistic that much of it will be deployed through philanthropy or values-aligned investing to address our world’s most pressing problems… It has become common wisdom in the social sector that too much philanthropic capital is sitting on the sidelines, even as the world faces extraordinary social, political, and environmental challenges… The future of the wealth management and the philanthropic sectors belongs to those who take the time to identify what women want, and then give it to them. Just as these sectors are being transformed by greater racial diversification, they must also anticipate and prepare for the coming wave of women and wealth. Those organizations that do not adapt risk losing clients, jeopardizing their business models, and becoming irrelevant.” [SSIR]

Word on the Street

The White House has frozen all federal grants to “to review agency programs and determine the best uses of the funding for those programs consistent with the law and the President’s priorities,” according to Matthew Vaeth, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget

Repair the World has launched a volunteer program in Los Angeles to support communities that were hit by the wildfires, in collaboration with the Jewish Federation Los Angeles

Periphery, a photographic and film exhibition that explores multiethnic Jewish identity including Black Jewish experiences in Canada, will be featured in honor of Black History Month in two Toronto exhibitions next month. The exhibition is produced by No Silence on Race, a nonprofit founded by Sara Yacobi-Harris and Akilah Allen-Silverstein, both of Caribbean-Jewish heritage, focused on reimagining Jewish life in Canada…

Oklahoma State Rep. John Waldron, a Democrat, introduced legislation last week to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, in a move welcomed by the Jewish Federation of Tulsa

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is offering full scholarships for all hostages released from Hamas captivity, covering three-year bachelor’s and master’s degrees and including an extensive support framework. The comprehensive program also includes a dedicated fund for children hostages for when they come of age… 

Dozens of Jewish organizations have signed a letter to President Donald Trump opposing his administration’s stated plans to significantly restrict immigration…

An opinion piece in The Jerusalem Post by Shira Ruderman looks at possible ways that President Donald Trump could improve his relationship with the American Jewish community…

Dozens of senior employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development were put on leave as the State Department cuts most global aid projects and programs…

The New York Times looks at an effort by officials in Florida to address instances of antisemitism in university textbooks

Julie Fisher has been appointed associate executive director at The Good People Fund

The Canada Revenue Agency acknowledged it used anonymous leads in its audit of the Jewish National Fund‘s, which led to the revoking of its charitable status last August. According to Blacklock’s Reporter, JNF maintains these complaints were biased and unfairly influenced the audit…

A BBC investigation found that Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich used a fictitious yacht rental operation to avoid paying millions of euros in taxes…

The Chronicle of Philanthropy examines how President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in federal government will affect large nonprofits as well…

Bloomberg spotlights Mejdi Tours, which aims to foster peace by offering dual-narrative tours of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

A study to be published on Thursday in the Israel-based Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal maintains that over half of the top U.S. medical schools faced incidents of antisemitism and pro-terror behavior during graduations…

Former Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff is joining law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher as partner; Emhoff and former Vice President Kamala Harris will split their time between New York and Los Angeles…

Michael Bailin, a longtime nonprofit and foundation executive, died last month at 82…

Pic of the Day

John Halpern

Holocaust survivor Jerry Lindenstrauss stands yesterday in front of a screen with his picture, which is part of “Survivor Stories: An Interactive Dialog,” a new initiative at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York City. 

The initiative, which was developed in partnership with the USC Shoah Foundation and USC Libraries, uses non-generative artificial intelligence technology to allow visitors to the museum and the museum’s website to have a “conversation” with 10 Holocaust survivors who provided interviews about their life experiences before, during and after the Holocaust.

Birthdays

Courtesy

International businessman, he is the chairman of Genesis Philanthropy Group, Gennady Gazin

Inventor of many percussion instruments used in Latin and jazz music, Martin Cohen… 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… 26th national president of Hadassah, she served from 2016 through 2019, now chair of Hadassah’s magazine, Ellen Hershkin… U.S. senator (D-NH), Jeanne Shaheen… 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… Model, actress and singer, Barbi Benton (born Barbara Lynn Klein)… Elayne Z. Wolf… Senior U.S. district court judge for the Central District of California, Judge Dean Douglas Pregerson… Freelance writer, Rabbi Reba Carmel… New York City-based advisor and investor, Donna Redel… Composer and distinguished professor at UCLA’s school of music, Richard Danielpour… Assistant vice provost and executive director at the UCLA Center for Community Engagement, Shalom David Staub… Angel investor and mentor, 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… Rabbi at Or Hamidbar in Palm Springs, Calif., David James Lazar… Executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Robert B. Satloff… Founder and CEO of Boca Raton-based Lyons Capital LLC, Jason Lyons… Senior vice president at Weber Shandwick, Ariel Bashi… Israeli theater and movie actress, Adi Bielski… Principal at PJT Partners, he is also a board member of TAMID Israel Investment Group, Max Heller… Associate at Goldman Sachs, Perry Bloch… Actress and singer, Julia Lester… Israeli windsurfer, she won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Sharon Kantor