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NEXT WEEK
Small Staffed Foundations
NEWS
JJ Greenberg & Ilia Salita Awards Nominations / Rosh Hashanah Message / Watch Our Newest Videos
EVENTS NEXT MONTH & BEYOND
*Jewish Creatives as Communal Leaders / *Grantmaking Professionals Convening / *Disability Law in Israel / Youth Philanthropy Facilitator Training / Mission to Ethiopia & Israel / JFN 2023 International Conference
*new event
NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
Wexner Field Fellow Nominations / Members in the Headlines
FROM THE FIELD (CURATED ARTICLES)
EVENTS
Unless otherwise indicated, events listed are limited to JFN members and those eligible for JFN membership. Eligible non-members must request permission and can attend a limited number of member events.
View upcoming events on our website
All upcoming events (calendar view)
Small-Staffed Foundations Peer Learning Group
Online: Thursday, September 29, 12–1:30 p.m. ET
(9-10:30 a.m. PT, 19-20:30 IL)
Are you a professional in a foundation with five or fewer staff members? Then JFN’s Grantmaking Professional Exchange is excited to invite you to our newest Peer Learning and Support Group (PLSG)! PLSGs provide opportunities for colleagues in the field to learn together, discuss areas of common interest, and support one another through challenges and opportunities. Join us for an introductory meeting facilitated by Third Plateau.
Jewish Artists as Communal Leaders: The Case for Investing in This Untapped Resource
Thursday, October 13, 2–3:15 p.m. ET
(11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. PT, 21:00-22:15 IL)
This session of CANVAS's Matters of the Art, a funder group dedicated to exploring trends, opportunities, and gaps in the field of Jewish arts and culture, will focus on initiatives underway to support the development of artists and creatives as leaders not just in the Jewish arts and culture field, but also in the Jewish community and beyond. Speakers include Eva Heinstein of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, Rabbi Adina Allen of Jewish Studio Project, Rabbi Kendell Pinkney of The Workshop, and Rabbi Matt Green of New Jewish Culture Fellowship.
Grantmaking Professionals Monthly Online Convening
Online: Wednesday, October 19, 12–1:30 p.m. ET
(9-10:30 a.m. PT, 19-20:30 IL)
Join us for a monthly virtual convening for grantmaking professionals where we will come together for shared learning and community-building. Facilitated by Mike Berkowitz and Jaré Akchin of Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies and Tamar Frydman of JFN.
New Law, New Opportunity: Ensuring Israelis with Disabilities Can Obtain and Retain Employment
Wednesday, October 26, 12–1 p.m. ET
(9-10 a.m. PT, 19-20:00 IL)
The Knesset recently passed the groundbreaking "Social Services Law for People with Disabilities," which aims to improve the lives of people with disabilities in a variety of ways. Among its many other benefits, the new law will open the door for increased employment and job training opportunities for people with disabilities and will create new opportunities for funders to engage in this field in innovative ways. Speakers include Reuben D. Rotman of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, Erin Riehle of Project Search, and JFN member Jennifer Mizrahi of the Mizrahi Family Charitable Fund.
Honeycomb Facilitator Training
New York: November 9-10
Attendees will walk away with curriculum, tools, and skills that will enable them to enhance existing Jewish youth philanthropy programs, start one in their own community or seamlessly use philanthropy in their general teen programming. Designed for youth educators, lay leaders, and Jewish organizational professionals interested in building the next generation of changemakers.
A JFN program, Honeycomb is the leading resource for Jewish youth philanthropy.
Open to all!
Mission to Ethiopia & Israel November 14-17
The Jewish Agency for Israel, the Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation, and JFN invite funders to a unique and historic mission.
The story of Ethiopian Jewry has three significant elements – a rich history in Ethiopia, the waves of Aliyah which began in significant numbers in the mid-1980s with Operation Moses, and finally, settlement in Israel. This mission will help us understand how these elements weave together.
This trip is open exclusively to funders to explore our unique role in addressing the challenge of Ethiopian Aliyah and integration into Israel. We will consider what unique opportunities exist for funders in this challenging realm.
Save the date and stay tuned for more details, including sponsorship opportunities! JFN's International Conference is open to JFN members and those eligible for membership. Learn about past JFN International Conferences.
NEWS
Nominations Open for Two JFN Awards
We're delighted to announce that nominations are now open for two important awards given by JFN. The deadline for submitting nominations and completed applications for both these awards is Wednesday, November 9, 2022, at 5 p.m. ET. Winners of both awards will be announced at the JFN 2023 International Conference, which takes place March 19-21 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Ilia Salita Excellence in Research Award (ERA)
The Ilia Salita Excellence in Research Award (ERA) celebrates the life and legacy of Ilia Salita z"l, an inspirational and beloved figure in the Jewish philanthropic world. The award, established by Genesis Philanthropy Group in honor of its longtime CEO and President, is inspired by Ilia's passion for informed, data-driven philanthropy and his promotion of innovative applied research in many fields.
The $15,000 Ilia Salita ERA recognizes research projects that are focused on concrete issues affecting Jewish communities, directly applicable to the work of Jewish funders and nonprofits, as well as creative in their subject and approach. Learn more about the Ilia Salita ERA and nominate a research project here.
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JJ Greenberg Memorial Award
This award was created and endowed by J.J. Greenberg's family, friends, and colleagues following his untimely death in a traffic accident in 2002 when he was only 36. It is presented annually to an individual who, like J.J., has exemplified the highest of Jewish values and the relentless pursuit of excellence in all aspects of life.
Recipients of the J.J. Greenberg Memorial Award receive an item of Judaica and $10,000 to be used for professional development or tzedakah.
Learn more and nominate someone for the JJ Greenberg Memorial Award here.
When Believing Is 'Seeing'
(Rosh Hashanah 5783)
The Anton-Babinsky Syndrome has puzzled doctors since antiquity. It’s a rare condition in which the patient has lost vision but is convinced, often quite adamantly and despite clear evidence of their blindness, that they are capable of seeing. Learn about the connection between Anton-Babinsky and Rosh Hashanah — and how we can make sure we clearly see ourselves and the world — in this holiday message from JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny.
Watch Our Newest Videos
Catch up on the JFN webinars you missed and get some High Holiday inspiration by viewing our newest videos. In last week's "Aspire" High Holidays program (above) SAPIR ethics columnists Rabba Yaffa Epstein of the Jewish Education Project and Rabbi David Wolpe of Los Angeles's Sinai Temple explored how we can apply Jewish wisdom to ethical dilemmas faced in modern Jewish life. You can watch previous years' Aspire videos on this playlist. Another new addition to our video library: "Can Israel's Never-Ending Election Cycle Be Stopped?" with experts from the Israel Democracy Institute. JFN members can access even more on our premium content playlist, such as "Reproductive Health After the Fall of Roe v. Wade," with Sheila Katz of National Council of Jewish Women and JFN member Lisa Eisen of Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. Also on the premium playlist: a special conversation with "Transparent"'s Joey Soloway and actor/director William DeMeritt hosted by CANVAS, the Jewish arts and culture funding collaborative incubated at JFN.
MEMBER NEWS
Applications Open for Field Fellowships
Applications are open for Class 7 of the Wexner Field Fellowship, a partnership of two JFN members: the Wexner Foundation and the Jim Joseph Foundation. Fellows — promising Jewish professionals who plan to continue to pursue careers as leaders in the North American Jewish community — receive support from a diverse cohort of colleagues, as well as from the resources (coaching, Jewish learning, professional development, and leadership seminars) that come with the Fellowship. The application deadline is October 27 at 1 p.m. ET.
Members in the Headlines
Writing in eJewish Philanthropy, JFN member Aaron Saxe of the Jim Joseph Foundation shared a variety of best practices and formats for grantees to keep funders up to date on their work. "We view grantee-partner updates (and our sharing the thought process behind them here) as part of our approach to relational grantmaking, which is both premised on and leads to open and honest communications," he explained.
JFN past chair Georgette Bennett's extensive work on behalf of Syrian refugees is featured in the September/October issue of Hadassah Magazine. The article notes that "Thou Shalt Not Stand Idly By," Georgette's book, "not only showcases her networking genius, but also her formula for success: Find an entry point and gap that no one has addressed and stay tightly focused on what's doable."
Jewish News Syndicate wrote about a $650,000 grant from JFN member The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation to support a new partnership between the University of California, Los Angeles and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem focused on developing school violence prevention strategies that turn campuses into safe and welcoming places for children worldwide.
Share YOUR News
Share your news, job postings, and non-fundraising events with the more than 4,500 people who receive this newsletter! Submit for consideration two or three sentences, an image, and any relevant links to JFN Communications Director Julie Wiener at [email protected]. We only publish items from current JFN members.
FROM THE FIELD
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Both Chronicle of Philanthropy and Inside Philanthropy offer special discounts for JFN members. More about member discounts here!
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Putting Adult Jewish Learning at the Center of the Conversation
Diane Tickton Schuster, eJewish Philanthropy
‘The Jews Have Arrived’: In Bucha and Other Decimated Towns Near Kyiv, a Jewish Group Distributes Sorely-Needed Supplies
Jacob Judah, Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Philanthropy, the Billionaires’ Way
Andrew Ross Sorkin, The New York Times
Lion’s Share of Americans Support Giving Everyday Donors Tax Breaks
Alex Daniels, Chronicle of Philanthropy