Your Daily Phil: What former federation CEOs can teach Israeli nonprofit leaders
Good Monday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on a new initiative, Amitim, matching former Jewish federation top executives with the heads of Israeli nonprofits. We feature an opinion piece by Dan Elbaum on how Israelis have changed since the Oct. 7 terror attacks, and another by Eitan Neishlos encouraging Jewish philanthropists to invest in expanding the Abraham Accords. Also in this newsletter: Jack Wertheimer, Arvin Nathaniel Ghahremani and Diane Yentel.We’ll start with preparations for this weekend’s ‘Standing Together’ rally in Washington, D.C.
This weekend, five days after a divisive national election, tens of thousands of Jews and supporters from across North America will gather in Washington, D.C., to show their support for Israel, appreciation for allies in the fight against antisemitism and — most importantly — Jewish communal unity, Eric Fingerhut, CEO and president of Jewish Federation of North America, told eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim.
“We don’t have time for disunity. We don’t have time for a postelection period to further divide us,” Fingerhut said.
The rally, organized by the JFNA, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and dozens of other Jewish organizations, comes roughly a year after the same groups held the “March for Israel” on the National Mall, which they said was the largest Israel rally in American history, with nearly 300,000 people in attendance.
The “Stand Together” rally scheduled for Sunday is expected to draw 30,000 participants and will also be held in a less public location: Nationals Park. Attendees will also be required to order a ticket in advance.
This change of location reflects the goals of this year’s rally, as well as different circumstances from last year. This year, for instance, Congress will not be in session during the time of the rally. Last year’s march was also held on a weekday, specifically to take place when Congress was in session.
All of this makes the “Stand Together” event a more secure event and also limits the ability of protesters to disrupt the proceedings — something that would be more difficult in an open event on the National Mall.
“It’s a stand-together moment for strength and for resilience and for unity,” Fingerhut said.
The event, taking place immediately prior to JFNA’s General Assembly, will also be a moment to thank allies of the Jewish community, the military, and the U.S. government for their support, William Daroff, CEO of Conference of Presidents, told eJP.
While much of American life is divisive, coming together in support of each other and Israel is a unifying factor, Daroff said. “We are one people, and we are stronger when we speak as one. And bottom line, that’s why we’re doing this event.”
To demonstrate that unity, the organizers will host and honor politicians from both parties — Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Rep. Virgina Foxx (R-NC). Jewish and Israeli musicians, including Idan Raichel, will also be featured, as will John Ondrasik, better known by his stage name, Five for Fighting, who has written two songs about the Oct. 7 terror attacks. The event will be emceed by Emmy- and Grammy Award-winner, Tiffany Haddish.
JOLLY GOOD FELLOWS
New initiative, Amitim, looks to bring former federation CEOs’ experience to Israeli NGOs
Once a week at the end of a long and challenging work day, the executive director of Kav LaOved/Workers Hotline, Ohad Amar, can finally exhale. After putting his daughter to bed, he switches on the computer in Jaffa, Israel, and, for one hour, can talk freely about his concerns and doubts leading a human rights organization that helps vulnerable workers in Israel. On the other side of the computer screen, just starting his day with his morning coffee in Florida, is Elliot Gershenson, offering advice and guidance based on his 32 years of leading Jewish federations, synagogues and other nonprofits. The two were connected through a new mentorship program, Amitim, connected Israeli nonprofit leaders with former Jewish federation top executives, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judith Sudilovsky.
Waste not: The brainchild of Michael Weil, a former director of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans who splits his time between the U.S. and Israel, Amitim (meaning “fellows” in Hebrew) looked to bring former federation CEOs’ knowledge and experience to support Israeli nonprofits. “The idea of Amitim is predicated on the valuable and underutilized resource of talent among former federation CEOs,” Weil said. “Yet as retirees, many are searching for ways to continue to contribute to the American Jewish community and support Israel.”
Willing to learn: Amitim was due to launch last fall, but after the Oct. 7 terror attacks, Weil refocused the organization on the war, connecting the former federation executives with four kibbutzim from the Western Negev and with six social welfare nonprofits assisting those affected by the conflict. One of the things that most surprised Weil was seeing the willingness of the Israeli CEOs to ask for guidance. “To say: ‘I’d like to learn from you,’ is a very un-Israeli thing to say,” Weil said. “Yet in all of these six cases, they actually did say it and they developed a relationship of trust and understanding and discretion and mutual respect that is extraordinary.”
THE REAL DEAL
What Israelis wish American Jews understood
“Having now worked at the Jewish Agency for Israel for three and a half years — my first experience as an American Jew at an Israeli organization — I still discover the culture gaps between Americans and Israelis in a professional setting. These gaps are natural. We may have shared goals, but living on the ground in Israel — where there are real security threats on a daily basis — compels Israelis to see things differently… As such, here are three observations I’ve made that I think they’d wish their American brothers and sisters would understand about them as we all continue to grapple with the aftermath of that horrific day,” writes Dan Elbaum, the head of North America at the Jewish Agency for Israel and the president and CEO of Jewish Agency International Development, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Suddenly everything has changed: “There is not a single Israeli whose life has not been dramatically changed this last year. From colleagues who are on reserve duty in Gaza to Zoom calls interrupted by sirens because of incoming missile attacks to co-workers explaining the proximity of bomb shelters to their children’s schools, this war has impacted every aspect of Israeli day-to-day life.”
Can’t go back: “Israelis are well-known for their vibrant democracy, i.e. in the nation’s entire history, a single party has never won enough votes to govern without a coalition. Yet nearly across the ideological spectrum and regardless of your personal political camp, there is remarkable consensus around a seemingly simple notion: ‘We can no longer live next to terrorist groups that actively want to kill us.’”
More than a conflict: “It would be easy for a nation waging a war like Israel’s to be transformed into a garrison state – a modern-day Sparta concerned only with its military prowess and might. Nothing could be further than the truth — even (or especially) after Oct. 7.”
FOUR YEARS LATER
A strategic choice: Expanding the shaded palm of the Abraham Accords
“Championing values of tolerance and diversity benefits us all. However, it is not easy to uphold such values. It requires effort, investment, and deep relationships. So when I look at our predicament through the unique prism of the United Arab Emirates — my home since the historic signing of the Abraham Accords — I appreciate that tolerance and a multicultural reality are long-term strategic priorities set by visionary leaders,” writes Eitan Neishlos, the founder of Neishlos Philanthropy, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Finding allies: “The Muslim world has many customs and interests in common with our own. Therefore, the Jewish people should actively embrace this part of the world — spreading the palm branches of peace and understanding, marginalizing hatred and those who wish to harm us.”
Acclaimed Accords: “This month marks the fourth anniversary of the signing of the accords — a historic act that has transformed our region, global Jewry and Israel’s credibility. And even though relationships are tense, and perhaps even fragile in some places, now is the time for the Jewish philanthropic world to increase its strategic investment because Israel guarantees the existence of the Jewish People and the Abraham Accords guarantee the legitimacy of Israel.”
Worthy Reads
Bird’s-Eye View: In a 9,000-word essay in Mosaic magazine, historian Jack Wertheimer examines how the past year has affected American Jewry and offers his recommendations for how to proceed. “They watched in bafflement as university presidents could not bring themselves to condemn calls for genocide, let alone enforce existing campus policies designed to protect life and property; they viewed with astonishment videos of pro-Hamas demonstrators marching across cities, burning American flags, denouncing Israel as genocidal, and cursing Zionists… Fortunately, many American Jews have mobilized, and a large part of that mobilization was eleemosynary. Where has that money been going, and to what extent does it represent a shift from normal patterns of Jewish philanthropy? The most immediate response to the horrors of October 7 was an influx of cash to help Israel… Funding for Israeli relief organizations is only part of the story. Many domestic Jewish organizations have seen significant increases in donations… There also has been a groundswell of activism and participation in Jewish life… Among the disheartening developments since October 7, one of the more painful has been the very public activities of Jews who join forces with haters of Israel… Where most human beings understand their first responsibility as attending to the needs of their own—immediate family members, kin, and fellow citizens — American Jews were told how virtuous it is to give equal weight to all who are in need. Or worse: forget about Jewish needs and focus your giving and volunteering solely on causes aiding other groups… After October 7, American Jews can no longer afford the skewed priorities of the past decades.” [Mosaic]
School Daze: In The Jerusalem Post, Evan Bernstein lays out the Jewish Federations of North America’s plan to address antisemitism in K-12 schools. “School is already challenging for kids and teenagers; they should not also have to navigate the stormy waters of antisemitism… One significant battleground is the school curriculum. Our children deserve an education free of religious and political bias. Instead of indoctrinating them, they should be encouraged to think critically… To address this challenging problem, we need a coordinated effort to help communities engage educational decision-makers through advocacy, education, and awareness. Reversing these troubling trends will require sustained, collaborative efforts… As our children return to school, we owe it to them to be their voices and advocates against the antisemitism they face.” [JerusalemPost]
Around the Web
Arvin Nathaniel Ghahremani, a 20-year-old Jewish Iranian man convicted of the 2022 murder of a Muslim Iranian man who allegedly attacked him first over a financial dispute, was executed today…
Leading Edge Chief Operating Officer Mordy Walfish has been appointed the organization’s next chief advancement Officer, and Robb Lippitt will join the team as interim COO…
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency looks at the myriad causes Jewish runners supported in yesterday’s New York Marathon, including raising awareness about the 101 hostages being held in Gaza…
Las Vegas Review Journal owner Dr. Miriam Adelson endorsed former President Donald Trump in an editorial in the paper…
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, once a major donor to the Republican Party, halved his donations to political candidates this election cycle, compared to 2019-2020, to less than $100,000 and split his contributions evenly between the two parties…
Marc Benioff is in talks to sell Time magazine, which he acquired in 2018 for $190 million, to the Greece-based Antenna Group…
The San Francisco-based Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund awarded $670,000 in grants to 26 local organizations to help respond to the increase in antisemitism worldwide since last year’s Hamas massacre in Israel. An additional $60,000 was awarded via 14 grants to support the “physical, mental and emotional wellbeing” of staff members especially following Oct. 7…
The Atlantic reviews “A Real Pain,” a new film starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin as cousins who travel to Poland in honor of their recently deceased Holocaust survivor grandmother…
American Airlines announced its suspension of flights to and from Israel will continue through September 2025; the airline had previously suspended flights through March 2025…
Tel Aviv’s ANU Museum of the Jewish People will mark Israel’s national day celebrating immigrants on the eve of Yom HaAliyah on Nov. 7, with an event featuring storytelling, a market offering products from immigrant-run businesses, musical performances and archival screenings…
Anti-Israel activists stole two busts of Chaim Weizmann, Israel’s first president, from the University of Manchester, where he had been a lecturer in the early 1900s; the theft occurred on Saturday, the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, which established British support for a “national home for Jewish people”…
A Holocaust museum in Thessaloniki, Greece, is slated to open in 2026 at the site of the former train station where tens of thousands of the city’s Jewish residents — the vast majority of its Jewish community — were deported and killed during the Holocaust…
Diane Yentel, the president & CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, will assume her new role as president & CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits effective Jan. 13, 2025…
Jonathan Dworkin was hired as the next executive director of the NewDeal Forum; Dworkin most recently worked as communications director for Delaware Gov. Jack Markell…
The Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program will provide $4 million toward the expansion of the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, including modernizing the main sanctuary, designing an exhibit on antisemitism and adding classrooms…
Columbia University settled with a Jewish student for $395,000 after suspending them for using a novelty “fart spray” at an anti-Israel protest — labeled a “chemical attack” by demonstrators — an assertion the university clarified only seven months later. The episode is one of the several described in a report that detailed Columbia University administrations’ discussions on how to address the campus turmoil following the Oct. 7 attack…
NBC Washington spotlights how the End Kidney Deaths Act bill lawmakers introduced to Congress this summer, which offers a $50,000 incentive to kidney donors with the goal of addressing the nationwide shortage of organ donations…
Daniel Andrews, the former premier of Victoria, Australia, urged Jewish donors in the country to withdraw funding from recipients who refuse to denounce antisemitism…
Yale University announced that it was adopting a policy of institutional neutrality…
Writer and analyst Richard Fineberg, who fought against the Alaska pipeline, died at 83…
Pic of the Day
Stephani and Gilad Abrahami stand with their niece, Paige Bavinka (purple dress), and Broadway actress Ali Stroker at the Los Angeles gala for the Israeli disability nonprofit Beit Issie Shapiro. Gilad Abrahami serves as director of the Weisfeld Family Foundation, which sponsored the gala, where Stroker was the emcee.
During the gala, Beit Issie CEO Ahmir Lerner told the 350 attendees about the organization’s work on behalf of Israelis with disabilities over the past year, including creating “quiet rooms” for displaced people, providing customized smart-home and other technological solutions to permanently disabled veterans, offering free therapy sessions for evacuees and trauma care for people with disabilities and making bomb shelters accessible. “The reality of war has pushed us all to do more,” he said.
Birthdays
Vice-chairman emeritus of AllianceBernstein, he is a former chairman of the Tikvah Fund, Roger Hertog…
Professor emeritus of Talmud at Bar-Ilan University, Daniel Sperber… Political scientist who has published works on grand strategy, military history and international relations, Edward Luttwak… Member of Congress and chair of the House Budget Committee until 2023, he was Kentucky’s first Jewish congressman, John Yarmuth… Former chief of the general staff of the IDF, then minister of defense and member of Knesset for Kadima, Shaul Mofaz… Uruguayan biologist, he served as mayor of Montevideo and then as a national cabinet minister, Ricardo Ehrlich… Professor of medicine at England’s University of Birmingham and a leading British authority on organ donation and transplantation, James Max Neuberger… Board member of Jewish Funders Network and a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency, Dorothy Tananbaum… Marketing and communications consultant focused on Israel advocacy and the Jewish community, Robert L. Kern… Professor at UCSF and winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Medicine, David Jay Julius… U.K. politician who served as a Conservative party MP and cabinet minister, he was chairman of the Conservative Friends of Israel, Baron Richard Irwin Harrington… Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives since 2013, Kenneth I. Gordon… Former president and CEO of the Hudson Institute where he is now the Japan chair, Kenneth R. “Ken” Weinstein… Author of five books, comedic actress and television host, Annabelle Gurwitch… Professor of philosophy at Texas A&M University, Claire Elise Katz… CEO and Chairman of RXR Realty, he also serves on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Board of Directors, Scott Rechler… Israeli screenwriter and film director, Eran Kolirin… Partner at Paragon Strategic Insights, Jeremy Chwat… Co-founder of Semafor, Benjamin Eli “Ben” Smith… MLB pitcher who appeared in 506 games over his nine-year career, John William Grabow… Global head of strategic communications at McKinsey & Company, Max Gleischman… Opinion columnist at the Washington Post, she is also a commentator for CNN and a correspondent for the “PBS NewsHour,” Catherine Chelsea Rampell… Heavily favored to be elected to Congress tomorrow from New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District, Maggie Goodlander… Founder and CEO at Denver-based Fresh Tape Media, Jared Kleinstein… Founder and CEO of a health organization working for early detection and prevention of cancer, Yael Cohen Braun… Acting general counsel at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Addar Weintraub Levi… Senior coordinator for management at the Office of Management and Budget, she is a White House nominee as a CFTC commissioner, Julie Brinn Siegel… Former White House special representative for international negotiations, Avrahm (“Avi”) Berkowitz… Recording artist, songwriter and entertainer known as Yoni Z, Yoni Zigelboum… Israeli professional stock car racing driver, he is the first Israeli to compete in one of NASCAR’s top three touring series, Alon Day… Founding editor of Healthcare Brew, Amanda E. Eisenberg… Bob Rubin…
