Your Daily Phil: UJA-Fed. of N.Y. taps day school head Michael Kay as CEO
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In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we cover the opening of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s conference aimed at improving dialogue in an increasingly divided Israel, and report on UJA-Federation of New York’s selection of educator Michael Kay to be its next CEO. We spotlight an initiative by basketball player Jared Armstrong to renovate Israeli courts, and examine the mounting criticism of a controversial New York Times opinion piece alleging Israeli sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners. We feature an opinion piece by Rabbi Arie P. Katz about the power of taking a leap (literally) for a Jewish cause, and Steven Windmueller examines the implications of the U.S. Department of Justice’s indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center for Jewish nonprofits focused on advocacy. Also in this issue: Noam Bettan, Yaakov Glasman and Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
Today’s Your Daily Phil was curated by eJP Managing Editor Judah Ari Gross, Opinion Editor Rachel Kohn and Israel Editor Justin Hayet. Have a tip? Email us here.
What We’re Watching
The Jewish Service Alliance Israel Service Seminar, a partnership between Yahel and Repair the World, which kicked off earlier this week, continues today. Read more about the Yahel-Repair the World partnership here.
COJECO, which supports and represents New York City’s Russian-speaking Jewish community, is hosting its 25th anniversary celebration tonight in Manhattan.
Also tonight, the Israeli Embassy in Washington is holding a belated Yom Ha’atzmaut reception.
Tomorrow morning, Israel will hold its annual memorial ceremony honoring the roughly 4,000 Ethiopian Jews who died while making aliyah, at Mount Herzl National Cemetery in Jerusalem.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD FROM EJP’S JUSTIN HAYET
Israeli President Isaac Herzog brought together 1,400 nonprofit figures, social entrepreneurs, community heads and other grassroots leaders today in Jerusalem to consider the country’s future as it approaches its 80th anniversary and grapples with deep polarization and division.
Dubbed the “President’s Conference for a Shared Israeli Future,” the gathering is part of Herzog’s broader efforts to encourage constructive dialogue and understanding within Israel through an initiative known as “Time to Talk” in English and “Mahlifim Mila” (exchanging a word) in Hebrew. Herzog has also launched a separate program, Voice of the People, aimed at addressing rifts between Israel and Diaspora Jewry.
The conference, which was held in Jerusalem’s International Conference Center, was sponsored by Maimonides Fund, Boston’s Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Jewish Federations of North America and the Israeli social and environmental responsibility nonprofit Maala.
The conference comes as Israeli society navigates both persistent war and growing political unrest, both of which appear poised to escalate. With President Donald Trump calling the current ceasefire with Iran “on life support” earlier this week, and the conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah again heating up, Israel’s brief respite from active fighting may soon end. And Israel’s Knesset may soon be dissolved, paving the way for an election season that is widely expected to be particularly divisive.
In addition to addresses from Herzog and others, the conference featured roundtable discussions aimed at building a diverse society, connecting people through sport and culture and envisioning a shared future for Israelis and Diaspora Jews.
For JFNA and CJP, the conference signified a transition from the crisis grantmaking that has largely defined the past 2 1/2 years to a more collaborative chapter focused on building long-term Israeli resilience.
Becky Caspi, director general of JFNA’s Israel Office, addressed the strategy behind this next phase, telling eJP today that “our goal is not to return to what was; it’s to help create a stronger, more resilient society, and we are fully committed to that.”
TRANSITIONS
UJA-Federation of New York taps Leffell School’s Michael Kay to serve as next CEO
The country’s largest Jewish federation, UJA-Federation of New York, has reached into the day school world to tap its next leader, naming longtime Jewish educator Michael Kay as CEO yesterday, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim, who conducted the first interview with Kay earlier this week.
Fresh focus: Kay’s appointment comes as Jewish education and day school affordability have become priorities for the Jewish Federations of North America, and in an interview with eJP, the incoming CEO stressed the “critical” importance of Jewish schools. “We have data showing that students who grow up experiencing Jewish education at a young age are substantially more likely to support Israel on their college campuses, and to take on roles of leadership in the Jewish community,” he said.
Read the full report here and watch the full interview with Kay here.
HEATED BACKLASH
Israeli officials, AJC slam Nick Kristof’s NYT column as modern-day ‘blood libel’
Nicholas Kristof’s New York Times column alleging widespread Israeli sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners was certain to generate intense debate and scrutiny, given the sensitivities involved in covering such a highly charged subject. But after it was published on Monday, his opinion piece, headlined “The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians,” has faced particularly heated backlash, including accusations of antisemitism and claims Kristof relied on discredited sources to advance his message, reports Matthew Kassel for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider.
Pushing back: Despite the direct testimonies he presented, critics have countered with a range of rebuttals, claiming that he drew a false equivalence between Israel and Hamas, that his column overstated the existence of alleged misconduct and that his broader assessment rests on questionable data and sources that weaken his central thesis. Israel’s Foreign Ministry, in a social media post on Monday, dismissed Kristof’s column as “one of the worst blood libels ever to appear in the modern press,” saying it “will fight these lies with the truth.”
Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
HOOP DREAMS
Renovating Israeli basketball courts, ballplayer Jared Armstrong offers respite to war-weary kids
Believing that basketball can provide children with “an outlet to heal in a tough time” of war, American Israeli professional ballplayer Jared Armstrong is on a fast break, repairing courts throughout Israel that have been damaged over the past 2 1/2 years of war. Armstrong’s nonprofit, JAB Courts, which has already renovated 17 courts in towns near the Gaza border, is planning to renovate 18 new courts per year, every year, as a long-term commitment to healing and community rebuilding, reports Rachel Gutman for eJewishPhilanthropy from a visit to one of the courts in the central Israeli city of Herzliya.
Give me a break: For Armstrong, the magic lies not just in the physically beautiful courts, but also in the team-building, coaching and leadership he provides. Gathering a group of Herzliya middle schoolers in a circle, on top of letters spelling “Unite,” Armstrong told the youth: “After Oct. 7, we decided to start renovating courts to inspire kids like you to change their dreams, and give you an outlet to heal during a tough time. I want you guys to use this place as a way to get away from what’s happening around you — and also inspire you for now and for later in your life.”
GET CREATIVE
Taking the leap: What a skydiving fundraiser taught us about Jewish engagement
“This past Sunday in Southern California, five members of our community scholar program family jumped out of an airplane to raise money for adult Jewish education. Yes, really. Our jump team included a retired Conservative rabbi, our Tel Aviv-based CSP program curator, an 80-year-old donor, a longtime supporter who is genuinely terrified of heights and a CSP board member with exactly one previous skydive under his belt,” writes Rabbi Arie P. Katz, founder and CEO of the Orange County California Jewish Community Scholar Program, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Engagement on another level: “The skydiving fundraiser worked not because people suddenly became extreme sports enthusiasts. It worked because it embodied something deeper. It reflected trust, vulnerability, adventure, humor and shared purpose. Donors were not simply giving to keep programs running. They were sponsoring courage. They were investing in a story. They wanted to see whether Rabbi Elie Spitz would really jump. They wanted proof that our Tel Aviv curator, Shirel Horovitz, would survive the experience. They wanted to witness what happens when Jewish community stops taking itself so seriously that it forgets to be joyful. And the truth is, our participants are hungry for this.”
ANALYSIS
U.S. v. Southern Poverty Law Center: How this case could impact Jewish advocacy
“The current federal case against the Southern Poverty Law Center is being viewed as historically significant for a few reasons, and this case has significant implications for other advocacy institutions, including key Jewish organizations,” writes Steven Windmueller, emeritus professor of Jewish communal studies at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
What stands out: “This is not the first time a nationally prominent civil rights advocacy organization has been targeted when its core mission directly conflicts with the administration’s political base. … What is less common is a criminal indictment against a major mainstream civil rights organization based on operational methods tied to its advocacy mission, accompanied by overt political rhetoric from top officials. Jewish advocacy organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, the Religious Action Center, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the National Council of Jewish Women, might see the actions taken against SPLC as potentially challenging.”
Worthy Reads
Making the Desert Bloom, with AI: In The Wall Street Journal, Michael Doran and Zineb Riboua argue that the U.S. should anchor its global AI strategy in Israel’s Negev Desert through a joint initiative known as Project Spire. “Israel is a logical proving ground. … No other partner fully satisfies the requirements. Britain excels in intelligence sharing but lacks Israel’s operational pace. … By anchoring the first secure AI base in Israel, the Trump administration can accelerate breakthroughs and export an innovation model that allies can adopt. The path to victory begins with a strategic sojourn in the desert.” [WSJ]
Academic Discipline Worthy: In The Chronicle of Higher Education, Stephanie M. Lee investigates the rapid, high-stakes emergence of “antisemitism studies” as an academic discipline. “But the rise of academic interest is underpinned by a sense of deep unease. Scholars disagree about whether antisemitism studies is a coherent field or a multidisciplinary object of study. They are divided by a fractious debate over the proper definition of antisemitism that shows no sign of abating. And the nascent field risks being co-opted into a blunt political instrument as the Trump administration makes antisemitism allegations central to its quest to forcibly reform campuses… ‘Antisemitism studies has become entangled in the dismantling of higher education as we know it,’ said Brendan McGeever, co-director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism at the University of London. “And I don’t think, as a field, we’ve come to terms with really what that means…” [ChronicleofHigherEd]
Word on the Street
Three major donor-advised fund sponsors — Fidelity, Vanguard and DAFgiving360 — are facing backlash for blocking grants to the Southern Poverty Law Center following a federal fraud indictment…
The Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh’s nomination to a 14-year term on the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors yesterday, clearing the way for him to be elected the central bank’s next chair…
Following the deadly antisemitic attack in Bondi, the Australian government has pledged over $600 million in the latest budget for community safety and support, though Jewish leaders suggest the funding is a “modest” comfort compared to the loss of life…
A survey conducted by the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia and presented to the royal commission investigating antisemitism in the country found that 80% of Jewish women surveyed said that they or a family member had experienced antisemitism firsthand in the last two years; the survey also found that of that group, more than two-thirds had been called “genocidal” because they were Jewish, Israeli or Zionist…
Amid the rise of a DSA-aligned mayoral candidate in the city, a senior Jewish community leader in Washington, D.C., excoriated the Democratic Socialists of America as an “evil” organization committed to driving Jews out of society. Speaking on a webinar with other Washington-area Jewish leaders on Tuesday, Ron Halber, the CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, stridently criticized the far-left group, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports…
Israel’s Noam Bettan qualified for the Eurovision grand final in Vienna on Saturday…
The Chronicle of Philanthropy highlights the evolving role of program officers from administrative bureaucrats to “network partners” embedded within the field…
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has proposed a $26 million budget for hate crime prevention, a ninefold increase aimed at addressing rising antisemitism. The plan was formally introduced yesterday as part of a $124.7 billion city budget…
Brussels Pride organizers rescinded a rule that would have forced Jewish attendees to hide the Star of David and remove the word “Jewish” from banners…
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs, in partnership with the American Federation of Teachers and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, released a new online resource that provides educational materials focused on the American Jewish experience…
The NYPD arrested four protesters demonstrating outside of a Jewish senior center in Brooklyn’s Midwood neighborhood, which was hosting an event promoting real estate opportunities in Israel…
Major Gifts
The Bezos Family Foundation has pledged $100 million to the Robin Hood Foundation to bolster early childhood education in New York City…
Transitions
Victoria Solkovits joined the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington as its new director of communications…
Susan Cohen has been named the incoming CEO of the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine…
American Friends of Tel Aviv University has hired Erinn Alcabes as its vice president of development for the West Coast…
The Australian Federal Police welcomed Rabbi Yaakov Glasman as its first Jewish chaplain…
Pic of the Day
Cardinal Timothy Dolan (left), the former archbishop of New York, discusses Catholic-Jewish relations and his efforts to combat antisemitism yesterday with Rabbi Noam Marans, the American Jewish Committee’s director of interreligious affairs, at the organization’s Manhattan headquarters, reports Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen.
“Even if I were an agnostic, I would like to think I would be nauseated by the antisemitism we see going on in the world, in our own country and our own city,” Dolan said. “From a human point of view, even if I were not a man of faith, I would like to think I would simply say, ‘this ain’t right.’”
Dolan made his remarks as AJC honored him with the Nostra Aetate at Sixty Award, referring to the landmark 1965 declaration by the Roman Catholic Church that denounced antisemitism and rejected the notion that Jews were collectively responsible for the death of Jesus.
Birthdays
Gold medalist for Israel in rhythmic gymnastics at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Linoy Ashram turns 27…
Professor emerita of Yiddish literature at Harvard University, she is presently a distinguished senior fellow at The Tikvah Fund, Ruth Wisse turns 90… Emmy Award-winning film, television and stage actress, Zohra Lampert turns 89… Actor and producer, Harvey Keitel turns 87… Ophthalmologist in South Florida, he is the father of Facebook’s former COO Sheryl Sandberg, Dr. Joel Sandberg turns 83… Former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at American Jewish University, Samuel Edelman turns 78… Professor of mathematics at Princeton since 1987, he was a winner of a 1991 MacArthur genius fellowship, Sergiu Klainerman turns 76… Former FDA commissioner in the 1990s, then chief science officer for COVID-19 response during the Biden administration, David A. Kessler turns 75… Retired editor and columnist for the New York Post, he was also managing editor of The Jerusalem Post, Eric Fettmann turns 73… Rabbi Uren Reich turns 70… Chief rabbi of the city of Shoham in central Israel, chairman of the Tzohar organization and rabbi for the Ezra youth movement, Rabbi David Stav turns 66… Founder and former CEO of LRN, a legal research, ethics and compliance management firm, Dov Seidman turns 62… Past chair of JFNA’s National Women’s Philanthropy Board and of the Hartford (Conn.) Federation, Carolyn Gitlin… Retired NFL defensive lineman, he played for the Raiders and Panthers, Josh Heinrich Taves, a/k/a Josh Heinrich, turns 54… Ice hockey player, she won a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics, Sara Ann DeCosta-Hayes turns 49… CEO of Friedkin Philanthropies, previously chief Jewish life officer at JFNA, Sarah Eisenman… Former Israel director for J Street, then the chief of staff for Israel’s Ministry for Regional Cooperation, Yael Patir … Member of the U.K.’s House of Lords, she was previously a member of the House of Commons, Baroness Luciana Berger turns 45… Software entrepreneur, Google project manager, then Facebook engineering lead, Justin Rosenstein turns 43… Israeli rapper, singer, songwriter and actor, known by his stage name Tuna, Itay Zvulun turns 42… Retired NFL offensive lineman for seven NFL teams, now a regional manager at Rocksolid, Brian de la Puente turns 41… Actress, writer, producer and director, best known as the creator, writer and star of the HBO series “Girls,” Lena Dunham turns 40… Hannah Sirdofsky… Co-founder in 2018 of Manna Tree Partners, she is the daughter of Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein, Gabrielle “Ellie” Rubenstein… Chief of staff and senior program manager at Jigsaw, a unit within Google, she is an alum of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Raquel Saxe Gelb… Therapist in Philadelphia, Bela Galit Krifcher turns 33… Law clerk for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Dore Lev Feith turns 30… Vice president of external affairs at the Manhattan Institute, Jesse Martin Arm…
