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Dispatches from the network and updates from the Foundation.
Dec 2017
The following d’var torah set the tone for one of our days at the Wexner Summit on Civil Discourse, which brought together close to 60 of our alumni dedicated to raising the level of dialogue across difference in the North American Jewish Community and Israel. A few months ago I started a new job as Dean of Students in the Divinity School at the University of Chicago. I am responsible for the learning
Dec 2017
Kislev. Last shabbat and this shabbat — the two that come in the earliest in the year –just after 4 pm. Literally, the darkest time of year. The Torah begins with the creation of light, but the sun and moon were not created until the fourth day. Our sages explain this discrepancy by suggesting that the light that was created with the first utterance was not the light of the
On the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of the ratification of the UN Partition Plan, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy has launched Settlements and Solutions, a first-of-its-kind interactive mapping tool that clarifies the reality of West Bank demography — both Israeli and Palestinian — in unprecedented detail. It is as fact-based, neutral, in-depth and easy-to-use as any resource I’ve seen. Therefore, I wanted to share it with the
The cobblestone streets of the medieval Swiss town of Zug were filled with the marching band’s drumbeats, the flag bearers’ footsteps and the exuberant conversations of faith leaders from around the world. The grand procession marked the end of the three-day Faith In Finance Summit, and the release of the “Zug Guidelines on Faith-Consistent Investing,” prepared by representatives of eight major religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Daoism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Shinto and
A group of Wexner Israel Fellowship alumni recently accompanied the Mengistu family to Los Angeles, Washington and New York, on a visit aimed at raising awareness and gaining support for the release of their son, Avera, from his imprisonment by Hamas in Gaza. And there are many more of us alumni working on this cause in addition to those who went to the States. We are moved with compassion for
Nov 2017
Thanksgiving dinner is a time to come together with your family and friends. A time to enjoy and reflect on all there is to be thankful for. But there is always that one niece or nephew or cousin or uncle who must bring up the most antagonizing conversations they can think of. To help cut off any conversations that may lead to a food fight, we have put together a
Nov 2017
In photo: WGFA Jonathan Schreiber (Class 5) who spoke to beloved Senior Advisor Cindy Chazan along with WHP Alum Archie Gottesman (Metrowest 08), Many of our alumni gathered for a late night party to honor Cindy who will be retiring a the end of this year. WGF Alum Aaron Dorfman (Class 14) Loved the Wexner party for Cindy because she said, “I printed my remarks in large font so you could
Nov 2017
In 2015, the 30th Anniversary celebration of The Wexner Foundation in Columbus, Ohio was a hard reset for me. Change leaders Patti Bellinger, Sasha Chanoff, Jonathan Greenblatt, Mike Feinberg and Foundation Co-Chairman Abigail S. Wexner championed transformative leadership, utilizing resources to launch social venture initiatives and tackling problems by practicing systemic thinking, using leadership skillsets to work together to solve problems. I remember a room full of passion and hope, and I also remember sitting back in my chair
In just a few weeks, 58 Wexner alumni from all of our programs will gather for a Summit on Civil Discourse. These leaders come together to address a deepening crisis: the increasing inability for those of us in the Jewish community, in Israel and in our wider world to communicate respectfully across difference. Recently, Rabbi Jay Henry Moses, Vice President of the Foundation, gave a “FEDtalk” at the Campaign Kickoff
Nov 2017
Last January, I had the honor of hearing Jeannie Opdyke Smith tell the story of her late mother, Irene Gut Opdyke, who rescued 12 Jews (13 when you include the baby born in captivity) by hiding them in the basement of a Nazi officer’s home. When she finished her story, my first thought was, “There are too many people who have not heard this story. I need to change that.”