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Dispatches from the network and updates from the Foundation.
Nov 2014
Twenty-five years have passed since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Erected in 1961, it stood less than a kilometer from where I sit now. The end of the Cold War destabilized Jewish identities and politics around the world. I still recall marching on Washington in 1987 to “free” Soviet Jewry. In a matter of moments, that sacred mission, which had been a cornerstone of American Jewish life, no longer
Photo courtesy of The Kavana Cooperative In 2006, Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum co-founded The Kavana Cooperative, a new kind of nondenominational Jewish community for the twenty-first century, deeply committed to religious pluralism and strongly influenced by Seattle start-up culture. This week, eJewishPhilanthropy posted a story from Rachel which presents the fascinating results of a demographic study of Kavana members, or “partners,” that showcase what’s unique about Kavana’s institutional model, what’s working,
Nov 2014
True to its name, a mission is extremely purpose-driven, and superbly intense. It jam-packs past, present, future, fear, uncertainty and hope, and you come home reeling and exhausted from a sensory and emotional overload. None of this is negative — it is usually a self-and-community-transforming-event that you slowly unpack and savor for some time thereafter. My husband Robert and I very recently had the privilege to lead approximately 50 fellow Miamians
This is my first contribution to WexnerLEADS since becoming Director General of The Wexner Foundation, Israel, six months ago. I’ve chosen this moment to write because I have something to “report”: we have just completed the admission process for the first cohort of our new Wexner Senior Leadership Program. Prior to my arrival, the Foundation engaged senior Israeli public service leaders, as well as a number of prominent Wexner Israel
Paris is home to 300,000 of France’s 600,000 Jews. Anti-Semitism is being fomented by a dangerous “cocktail” composed of radical Muslims along with, increasingly, those on the far left who were inflamed by the Gaza conflict. We went to show support and understand the unique strengths and vulnerabilities of the French Jewish community, which actually dates back nearly 2,000 years. Going beyond the terrifying headlines from this past summer, we
Oct 2014
Last summer, at the Wexner Heritage Summer Institute in Snowbird, Utah, participants brainstormed about challenges facing Jewish life in North America. I listened: “How can Judaism be more meaningful for people’s lives today?” “How can synagogues be more relevant for Jewish life?” “How can young professionals be drawn into Jewish life?” All of these questions were similarly on our minds when the Jewish Mindfulness Center of Washington (JMCW) was just
Oct 2014
In the wake of Rabbi Barry Freundel’s recent arrest for voyeurism in a D.C. mikvah, many of our alumni are publishing deep analyses and ideas for how to prevent future abuses. One such article was written by Dr. Sharon Weiss-Greenberg (WGFA, Class 20) and is reprinted here with permission from The Jewish Week. Feel free to add your thoughts below in the comments section or post other article links you
Oct 2014
The Jewish Federations of North America’s annual General Assembly (GA) gathers together Federation volunteer leaders and professionals and those involved in the business of Jewish philanthropy from across North America and around the world. JFNA represents 153 Jewish Federations and more than 300 Network Communities, which together raise and distribute more than $3 billion annually for social welfare, social services and educational needs in their local communities and around the
Oct 2014
What do you get when you combine 23 Wexner Heritage Alumni from 14 cities (and a variety of program years), the spectacular Wexner staff, brilliant faculty and nonstop food and drink (besides weight gain)? I had the pleasure of being an alumni representative and a speaker at the Wexner Heritage Alumni Delegates Council Annual In-Person Meeting a few weekends ago in Chicago. The Council is made up of about 50
The current issue of the Peoplehood Papers published by the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education (CJPE), includes many provocative and constructive essays by fellow Wexner alumni, as well as Larry Moses, Senior Philanthropic Advisor and President Emeritus of The Wexner Foundation. You can access their insightful writing by clicking here. CJPE is seeking a few select board members for our international board of directors, so if you are passionate about deep