Updates from the Field: War Needs Remain After Ceasefire

While a ceasefire between Israel and Iran has been announced, the impact of the conflict continues to reverberate across Israeli society. Displacement, trauma, and urgent recovery efforts persist, and so does the need for strategic, well-informed philanthropy.

JFN President & CEO Andrés Spokoiny and JFN Israel Executive Director Sigal Yaniv Feller are continuing to provide regular updates for funders. Drawing on close coordination with Israeli government and civil society leaders, these briefings offer timely guidance and highlight both ongoing and emerging needs.

Click hereto view their emergency briefing from July 23rd.

Click hereto read the latest updates and stay informed.

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While the war with Iran caused physical damage in central Israel, the North is experiencing acute trauma, economic disruption, and lingering insecurity after 18 months of displacement and tension. Our latest update made with the Northern Foundations Form, Operation “Rising Lion”: Spotlight on the North, outlines urgent needs, including critical gaps in shelter infrastructure and emergency equipment, the disproportionate impact on Arab communities, and more. This report highlights the growing role of grassroots leadership and civil society partnerships in meeting them.

Read the full report to learn how funders can respond to emerging needs and take part in long-term recovery and revitalization efforts.

Nearly 3 in 10 Jews in the U.S. are struggling to make ends meet, including members of your own community.

As leaders in your communities begin shaping their High Holiday sermons, we invite you to explore Inscribed Together: A High Holiday Guide to Jewish Economic Vulnerability. Created by Together Ending Need (TEN), an initiative of the Jewish Funders Network and The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, this free resource offers relevant texts, commentary, and sermon themes to help your community feel seen and called to action.

Click here to receive the guide and bring a timely, compassionate, and justice-oriented perspective to your holiday message.

We speak with Josh Miller, Chief Program Officer at the Jim Joseph Foundation. Over the past 17 years, Josh has helped shape some of the most significant philanthropic investments in Jewish education and talent development. In this episode, we talk about how the field of Jewish philanthropy has professionalized, why general operating and multi-year grants are smarter bets, and what it really takes to support meaningful innovation, whether inside legacy institutions or bold new ventures.

Take a listen.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 | Zoom
1:00pm - 2:30pm ET | 10:00am - 11:30am PT | 8:00pm - 9:30pm IT

Fresh off the success of today's program with Fact Forward author Dan Gaylin, we’re continuing the conversation with a deeper dive into how funders can use data more effectively... and avoid common pitfalls. This members-only session offers space for shared learning and peer exchange.

Join fellow funders for a peer-driven discussion on how to avoid data dangers, strengthen nonprofit capacity, and evaluate your grantmaking more meaningfully. Whether you're deep into data or just starting out, this is your chance to connect, reflect, and exchange practical strategies. Dr. Max Baumgarten, Director of North American Operations at The Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation, who moderated our conversation with Dan Gaylin, will share some of his own learnings from the session and Dan’s book, Fact Forward.

Didn’t make it to the June 26th session? Watch the recording in our Members-Only Video Library to get the most out of this follow-up.