Your Daily Phil: University presidents brainstorm how to address antisemitism
Good Wednesday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on ideas for facilitating Israel’s post-Oct. 7 recovery from the third annual Tzedek Centers conference. We feature an opinion piece by Rabbi Julia Appel offering research-informed tips for boosting belonging during the High Holy Days and beyond, and a tribute by Ben Vorspan to the season’s “synagogue superheroes.” Also in this newsletter: Rep. Ritchie Torres, Ben Shapiro and Mark Zuckerberg. We’ll start with a gathering of university presidents and chancellors this week focused on antisemitism on campus.
More than 75 university presidents and chancellors from across the U.S. convened on Sunday and Monday at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Baltimore to discuss combating campus antisemitism, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Haley Cohen.
The University Presidents Summit on Campus Antisemitism was a partnership between Hillel International, American Jewish Committee and American Council on Education. Attendees reflected a wide range of institutions of higher education, including the leaders of prominent research universities, as well as regional universities, private liberal arts colleges, community colleges, Ivy League schools and faith-based institutions.
Panel discussion topics included the deep roots of contemporary antisemitism, applications of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and how to navigate the imperatives to protect free speech and create a safe campus for all students.
Attendees also participated in solutions-based working sessions where they shared insights into which strategies for addressing antisemitism and disruptive, hostile behavior on campus are proving successful during the new academic year — and how to translate those approaches to other campuses.
Among the presidents in attendance were some whose institutions made headlines in the past year over antisemitic incidents, including New York University President Linda Mills and University of Michigan President Santa Ono.
The summit, Mills said in a statement, provided university leaders with “important opportunities to exchange ideas; to stand united in pushing back against antisemitism; to commit to fostering safe and inclusive campuses where students may flourish free from harassment, discrimination, and threats; and to uphold our traditions of reasoned discourse.” Ono said that he left the summit “committed to rooting out the poisonous fruit of deeply held bigotries.”
Since the first University Presidents Summit on Campus Antisemitism was held on NYU’s campus in 2022, rates of antisemitic incidents on college campuses have increased from fewer than 300 in the 2022-2023 school year to more than 1,800 in 2023-2024 following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel, according to data from Hillel International.
“Universities play an outsized role in our broader society, encouraging values-driven leadership, the open exchange of ideas, and the principles that form the foundation of our democracy,” said Ted Deutch, CEO of the AJC, in a statement. “Addressing the hate we’re witnessing on campus is not just essential for the safety and security of Jewish students in the quad, but also for the health of higher education in America.”
BUILD BACK BETTER
Tzedek Centers conference: Local gov’t and civil society collaboration, rehabilitation of national politics key to post-Oct. 7 recovery
Collaborative efforts between local governments and civil society groups have proven to be the most effective in addressing the disastrous consequences of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, said Izhar Carmon, founder and executive director of the shared society nonprofit Tzedek Centers, at the opening of its third annual conference on Thursday. The conference drew some 400 activists to the Achva Academic College in the Western Negev near the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, where they explored ways to rehabilitate Israeli society, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judith Sudilovsky.
Think local: After nearly a year of war, Israel is still a traumatized country with tens of thousands of Israelis unable to return to their homes, said Carmon. “We have no choice but to face these challenges head-on without giving up. The ongoing political crisis in Israel, and the war have proven to us daily that local government is where we need to build the future and hope… where new opportunities and collaborations between groups can arise that are not possible at the national level today.”
Playing the wrong role: Politics has become the country’s biggest problem, dividing rather than uniting the country and creating problems rather than solving them, added Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, who addressed the closing session of the conference. “We cannot rehabilitate Israeli society if we don’t first rehabilitate its political system,” he said. “We need to reach a point where politics is not a place where [Likud MK] David Amsalem curses us from the podium, but where people gather to find ways to improve the lives of the middle class, personal security and our international standing.”
SURVEY SAYS
Data-based tips for cultivating belonging this High Holy Day season
“Since 2022, over 5,000 respondents from over 30 synagogues have taken Clal’s survey designed to measure congregants’ sense of belonging, the Belonging Index,” writes Rabbi Julia Appel, senior director of innovation at Clal – The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership and director of Clal’s Belonging Project, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
What research reveals: “We’ve learned that there is a dramatic and significant difference between how high-belonging congregants (those whose answers put them in the top third of respondents on belonging scores) experience synagogue community compared to low-belonging ones (those with scores in the bottom third).”
A golden opportunity: “[T]he High Holy Days are a time when congregants who are otherwise infrequent participants make a special effort to show up. Cultivating a deeper sense of belonging will help these congregants connect more with our synagogue communities while they are with us… This year, I am sharing five sets of tips, informed by Belonging Index survey data, that can help shift your congregants’ experience from one of low belonging to high belonging over the High Holy Days.”
HAKARAT HATOV
A toast to our synagogue superheroes
“Yes, Erev Rosh Hashanah is one week from tonight, and for most of us, that news is a reminder to buy the brisket or sign up for children’s programming,” writes Ben Vorspan, author of The Nonprofit Imagineers, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
It’s go time: “But there are a select few in our circle of Jewish professionals for whom these four words, on this exact day, make their hearts race and their anxiety spike… [F]or weeks, a vast network of synagogue employees around the world have been waking from nightmares about double-booked reserved sanctuary seats and Yizkor book misprints, knowing that there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to fully prepare for the High Holy Days train that is barreling down the track.”
Here’s looking at you: “I propose that we take a moment to recognize and celebrate the contributions of those heroically working behind the scenes to make our High Holy Days run seamlessly… May we give as selflessly and remain as dedicated to our causes as these tireless warriors are to our Jewish communities. May we all pivot and multitask as elegantly, manage our time as efficiently and work with teams as cohesively. May we continually show support for our friends, colleagues and synagogue superheroes everywhere by reminding them: We see you. We appreciate you. And if the e-ticketing system goes down 10 minutes before Kol Nidre, we know that it’s not your fault.”
Worthy Reads
Childhood Under Fire: In The Times of Israel, Tani Goldstein takes readers into the classrooms and homes of Israel’s northern communities under fire from Hezbollah. “Noam Yonash, a sixth grader from the community of Ben Ami in the western Galilee, goes to school in Kibbutz Kabri, seven kilometers from the border with Lebanon. Even prior to the current escalation of fighting in the north, sirens were going off around Kabri every week. The school’s classrooms aren’t reinforced, the protected areas aren’t big enough for all the students, and are a 30-second run away from his classroom anyway, while the advance warning time ahead of rocket fall is zero. ‘When sirens go off, they lie on the floor with their hands over their heads and hope for the best,’ says Noam’s mother Shiri Yonash. ‘It’s really scary. How can you concentrate on school that way? How can we sleep at night, knowing that come morning, we’ll send him there? How can the education ministry and home front allow schools to operate under such conditions?’ Many of the homes in the area are likewise not protected and people who live there lie on the floor when sirens go off.” [TOI]
Dos and Don’ts: In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Lisa Schohl offers advice for nonprofits unsure how to capture data that proves they’re making a difference (and share it in a way donors will find interesting). “More than 70% of nonprofit leaders think measuring impact is important, but only 20% say they’re very good at it, one survey finds. The biggest hurdle many groups face is a lack of hard data, says Sheri Chaney Jones, CEO of SureImpact, an online platform that helps nonprofits with measurement and reporting. Nonprofits’ data capabilities are improving as more donors and grant makers ask for data and new technology makes this work easier, but there’s still an uphill climb ahead… When organizations have a system in place for measurement, it’s often because their leader prioritizes data and fosters a culture that values it, she adds. To get buy-in from a leader who isn’t there yet, explain how strong data will help your fundraising. ‘The case for support is … “If I have access to impact measurement data, I can do my job better,”’ Chaney Jones says.” [ChronicleofPhilanthropy]
Around the Web
Childhood Under Fire: In The Times of Israel, Tani Goldstein takes readers into the classrooms and homes of Israel’s northern communities under fire from Hezbollah. “Noam Yonash, a sixth grader from the community of Ben Ami in the western Galilee, goes to school in Kibbutz Kabri, seven kilometers from the border with Lebanon. Even prior to the current escalation of fighting in the north, sirens were going off around Kabri every week. The school’s classrooms aren’t reinforced, the protected areas aren’t big enough for all the students, and are a 30-second run away from his classroom anyway, while the advance warning time ahead of rocket fall is zero. ‘When sirens go off, they lie on the floor with their hands over their heads and hope for the best,’ says Noam’s mother Shiri Yonash. ‘It’s really scary. How can you concentrate on school that way? How can we sleep at night, knowing that come morning, we’ll send him there? How can the education ministry and home front allow schools to operate under such conditions?’ Many of the homes in the area are likewise not protected and people who live there lie on the floor when sirens go off.” [TOI]
Dos and Don’ts: In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Lisa Schohl offers advice for nonprofits unsure how to capture data that proves they’re making a difference (and share it in a way donors will find interesting). “More than 70% of nonprofit leaders think measuring impact is important, but only 20% say they’re very good at it, one survey finds. The biggest hurdle many groups face is a lack of hard data, says Sheri Chaney Jones, CEO of SureImpact, an online platform that helps nonprofits with measurement and reporting. Nonprofits’ data capabilities are improving as more donors and grant makers ask for data and new technology makes this work easier, but there’s still an uphill climb ahead… When organizations have a system in place for measurement, it’s often because their leader prioritizes data and fosters a culture that values it, she adds. To get buy-in from a leader who isn’t there yet, explain how strong data will help your fundraising. ‘The case for support is … “If I have access to impact measurement data, I can do my job better,”’ Chaney Jones says.” [ChronicleofPhilanthropy]
Pic of the Day
Dr. Aviv Gelber, head of the Commanders and Officers Branch at the IDF Military Medical Academy, talks about life-saving efforts on Oct. 7 and in the weeks and months since at the Pioneering Israeli Medicine Conference on Sunday in New York City.
The conference was hosted by ScienceAbroad, a global network of thousands of Israeli scientists, and organized in collaboration with the Sheba Research Authority, the Israeli Medical Association and Nefesh B’Nefesh. The day-long program highlighted innovations across trauma treatment, mental health care and rehabilitation techniques, as well as the accomplishments of the IDF in improving its battlefield treatment and medical evacuation performance.
Birthdays
Best-selling author and serial entrepreneur, Marissa Levin…
Foundation president, rabbi and teacher in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Eliezer Ben-Yehuda… Member of the U.K.’s House of Lords, Baroness Vivien Helen Stern… Former member of Knesset, he also served as Israel’s ambassador to France and then the United Nations, Yehuda Lancry… Beachwood, Ohio, resident, Dvora Millstone… Israeli television anchor and popular singer, Yardena Arazi (born Yardena Finebaum)… Former member of Knesset for Yesh Atid, Ruth Calderon… Founder, chairman and co-CEO of Salesforce, he acquired Time magazine in 2018, Marc Russell Benioff… Director and co-creator of the award-winning HBO series “Game of Thrones,” David Benioff… Son and grandson of leading British rabbis, he is the senior rabbi at the Beverly Hills Synagogue, Pinchas Eliezer “Pini” Dunner… Former member of the Knesset for Likud, she has appeared on multiple Israeli reality television shows, Inbal Gavrieli… White House correspondent for NPR, Tamara Keith… Member of the California State Assembly, where he serves as co-chair of the legislative Jewish caucus, Jesse Gabriel… Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for eight years, now a member of the Milwaukee Common Council, Jonathan Brostoff… Senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, Carmiel Arbit… Features writer at New York magazine and its culture magazine Vulture, Lila Shapiro… Actor and comedian, known for his role as Gabe Lewis on the NBC sitcom “The Office,” Zach Woods… Videographer and virtual program producer for the U.S. State Department, Mitchell Israel Malasky… Assistant appellate federal defender at Federal Defenders of San Diego, Daniel Yadron… Center and power forward for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague, Jacob Greer (Jake) Cohen… Asset manager for Capital Realty Group, Yanky Rodman… Senior director of next gen at Christians United for Israel, Destiny Albritton… Strategic director at Laurel Strategies, Adam Basciano… Director of strategic initiatives at the National Black Empowerment Council, Marvel Joseph…
