What does Zionism mean today, and what could it mean tomorrow? How does a movement born of national self-determination fit into a world shaped by globalization, rising individualism, and new forms of identity and belonging? Is “Zionism” a word whose time has passed, or one we need to reimagine and reclaim for this moment?

Join the Jewish Funders Network for our annual ASPIRE high holidays program, a deep dive learning opportunity that we are pleased to offer to our community of funders and the broader public. As we head into this period of self-reflection and stock-taking, come learn with us about one of the most consequential topics shaping our culture, politics, families, and philanthropy today.

This program is open to JFN members and non-members. Speakers to be announced soon.

In our latest episode, JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny speaks with Elias Saratovsky, President and CEO of the Birthright Israel Foundation. As Birthright turns 25, we reflect not just on the nearly 900,000 young Jews who’ve visited Israel through this transformative program, but on how immersive travel, identity, and belonging are being reimagined for a new generation.

Elias shares his personal story, from growing up in a family of Soviet Jewish immigrants with little Jewish identity, to going on the very first Birthright trip in 1999, to now stewarding the future of the most ambitious Jewish educational initiative of our time. Elias and Andrés explore how Birthright adapted through a pandemic and a war, why pride and not propaganda is its most powerful product, and how a second trip to Israel might be even more important than the first. Take a listen.

Take a listen.

When Power Replaces Principle: Lessons from 2,000 Years Ago

In his latest holiday reflection, JFN President & CEO Andrés Spokoiny traces the downfall of Jewish sovereignty in the days of Alexander Yannai and the unsettling parallels to challenges facing Israel today. As we mark Tisha Be’av, this historical lens offers both a warning and a call to our learned wisdom.

Read more.