A recent JFN Israel event gathered funders to discuss the current state of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math education) pipeline in Israel. For anyone interested in this issue, here is some of the event's background reading:

As informed funders in Israel, shouldn't we have a basic understanding of most of society’s big issues, whether we fund those issues or not?

By Offi Zisser
CEO, Azrieli Foundation Israel

Leo Noé delivered the following remarks at the Accelerate one-day conference on Haredi employment and economic integration. Click here for more from that conference.

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning.

After many years of “meshulochim” (in the Yiddish fundraising vernacular) ringing my doorbell immediately upon my return home from work (irrespective of the time and before I had even had a chance to eat); coming to my office; sending me e-mails and constant phone calls, I asked myself why there was this constant stream of “meshulochim” coming from Israel all asking the same thing “support me and my family because I have no other option but to ask”!

JFN Board Chair Angelica Berrie delivered the following closing remarks at the Accelerate one-day conference on Haredi employment and economic integration. Click here for more from that conference.

Philanthropy is a journey of lifelong learning. Today was a very enriching experience for me as a funder and an eye-opening experience for me as JFN Board Co-Chair, because I learned how much I still don't know about what other Funders and nonprofits are doing around the issue of increasing Haredi participatrion to strengthen Israel.

A report last year by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development gave failing grades to the Israeli education system.

On February 6, JFN and IATF co-hosted a breakfast with Professor Manuel Trajtentberg, chairman of Israel's Council on Higher Education's Planning and Budgeting Committee, to discuss how education is an Israeli strategic priority and what American funders can do to help. JFN member Michael Hirschhorn shares his thoughts below.