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Dispatches from the network and updates from the Foundation.
Jun 2017
CONGRATULATIONS TO: Eitan and Etta Bendavid, WGF Alumni (Class 20 and Class 24), on making Aliyah. Audrey Marcus Berkman, WGF Alum (Class 15), on becoming Associate Rabbi at Temple Ohabei Shalon in Brookline, MA. Nir Buchler, WGF Alum (Class 22), on becoming Vice President, Israel & Global Philanthropy at the Jewish Agency for Israel. Marc Gold, WHP Alum (Montreal), on becoming a Canadian Senator. Peter Kalichman, WHP Alum (Montreal), on being
Jewish mindfulness is helping revitalize Jewish spiritual life in North America, so why couldn’t it do the same in Israel? Why couldn’t it help make Judaism more meaningful to Israelis, including the many “secular Jews” who seek spiritual fulfillment from sources outside their religion? And, by expanding the pluralistic landscape in Israel, why couldn’t North Americans find more common ground with Israelis while sharing a Jewish spiritual experience? This seems
Simply stated – the Wexner website has been an unbelievable resource for me. As I prepared for my upcoming trip to Israel, I felt it would be a good idea to connect with Israelis in a similar profession and also part of the Wexner network. After speaking with Rabbi Moses, he encouraged me to us the new WEXCHANGE tool on the website, that was specifically built to help connect our
Reposted with thanks to the JFNA blog, where Wendy Verba offered a case study and take away: “The Power of Belonging: Creating a Culture of Connection in the Bay Area Jewish World” “In our generation, the struggle of whether we connect more, whether we achieve our biggest opportunities, comes down to this — your ability to build communities and create a world where every single person has a sense of
I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with the Wexner Service Corps (WSC) in Pittsburgh. I have never participated in service work like this before. It made me more appreciative for all the opportunities I have. Partnering with Open Hand Ministries to work on the house renovation project was my favorite experience of the trip. Seeing the work and the difference we made in just two short days was very humbling.
Sometimes I feel that I am forced to choose between my love for the Jewish people and Israel and my desire to embrace and heal the whole world. I know this is a question many Jewish leaders grapple with — the universal versus the particular; where to put our time, talent and treasure. There is an Israeli organization doing fantastic work in developing countries, while at the same time raising
Reprinted with thanks to Kveller. As I grow in the knowledge of my faith, my level of religious observation evolves and deepens. I love discovering the meaning and beauty inherent in the ancient practices of my beloved Judaism, the practices that nourish my soul. Recently at Shabbat service, however, I found myself altering the way I worship once again. I remained seated throughout the entire service, and did not rise
Jun 2017
For decades, the relationship between the Jewish communities in Israel and North America has been of critical importance. In the past few years, however, that relationship has seriously deteriorated; there may no longer exist consensus about even fundamental principles. Symptoms of the depth of the divide range from rabbis in America being so fearful of conflict that they refrain from speaking about Israel from the pulpit to the propensity of
We in the Jewish education community are really beginning to dive into general education research when it comes to teaching (and learning) sacred texts. The Mandel Center’s recent two-day conference on developing independent readers of Tanach, organized by Dr. Ziva Hassenfeld, WGF Alum (Class 25) and overseen by the Mandel Center’s Director, Professor Jon Levisohn, WGF Alum (Class 10), was a wonderful testament to how productive such a gathering can