Dispatches from the network and updates from the Foundation.
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May 2017
CONGRATULATIONS TO: Sarah Benor, WGF Alum (Class 11), on publishing her book, We the Resilient: Wisdom for America from Women Born Before Suffrage. Maital Friedman, WGF Alum (Class 23), on becoming Alumni Director for the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Muslim Leadership Initiative. Elisha Gechter, TWF Staff, on receiving the Spot Award from the Harvard Kennedy School and the Center for Public Leadership and to her and her husband Sam for receiving
Apr 2017
IN MEMORIAM: Our deepest condolences to the Rifkind family on the death of David Rifkind, WHP Alum (Los Angeles 2). CONGRATULATIONS TO: Rafi Cashman, WGF Alum (Class 22), on becoming Head of School at Netivot HaTorah Day School. Zev Eleff, WGF Alum (Class 22), on being a 2016 National Jewish Book Council Award finalist for his book, Who Rules the Synagogue?: Religious Authority and the Formation of American Judaism. Fran
צֶדֶק צֶדֶק, תִּרְדֹּף–לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ Justice, justice shall you pursue, in order that you may live and inherit the land which Adonai your God has given you. — Deuteronomy 16:20 “The destiny of the Jewish people is in our hands. The premise is pretty simple. The big ‘what,’ our destiny, our purpose, collectively, is Tikun Olam. We are here because we
Apr 2017
CONGRATULATIONS TO: Foundation Partner Alisa Doctoroff on being named to the 2015 Forward 50. Vicky Glikin, WGF Alum (Class 22), on her appointment as Senior Cantor of Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, TX. Jennifer Gorovitz, WHP Alum (San Francisco 06), on joining the New Israel Fund as Vice President for Operations and Administration. Jamie Hackel Hyams, WHP Alum (San Francisco Pro), on joining the Hebrew Free Loan of San Francisco as Director of
CORE18 Leaders Lab, a new and exclusive social entrepreneurial boot camp for Jewish leaders ages 19-25, is being co- chaired by actor Mayim Bialik, of The Big Bang Theory, UK Chief Rabbi Emeritus Lord Jonathan Sacks, and Dr. Tal ben-Shahar, who taught Harvard’s hugely popular course “Positive Psychology and Leadership.” CORE18 gives young Jewish leaders a platform to build themselves, their ideas and their communities through a high-powered
Apr 2017
CONGRATULATIONS TO: Udi Adiri, an alumnus of The WIF (Class 24), on his promotion to Deputy Head of the Budget Department in the Israeli Ministry of Finance. Warren Bass, an alumnus of The WGF (Class 8), on his new position as Senior Editor at The Wall Street Journal. Shani Bechhofer, an alumna of The WGF (Class 3), and her husband, Yosef, on the engagement of their son, Daniel Yerucham, to
The Wexner Foundation’s next Conference Call: with Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Wednesday, April 2nd at 12 noon, EST / 7pm Israel time “What Does This Avodah Mean To You?” Exclusively for our constituents: an in-depth look at the Rasha (the Wicked Child) in the Haggadah, and its lessons for pedagogy, inclusiveness, and community building in our Jewish world today. Rabbi Sacks will initially discuss a text (we will email to you when you
Apr 2017
36 Minutes LIVE: Elul 5776 just concluded today. We held sessions with four scholars from around the world: the recently knighted Madame Le Rabbin Delphine Horvilleur; Chief Rabbi of Denmark, Rabbi Jair Melchior and two faculty who are already cherished by many in our network — Rabbi Ed Feinstein (CA) and Talmud Scholar and former MK (Knesset Member) Ruth Calderon (Tel Aviv). Each session is worth watching and the exploration of the Unetaneh Tokef prayer with
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. This year the GA will be held from November 8th through the 10th in Washington, DC at the Washington Hilton Hotel. The focus will be Jewish philanthropy, Jewish education, Global Jewry and Anti-Semitism, BDS on campus,
Apr 2017
Foundation Chairman Leslie Wexner was at the Harvard Kennedy School yesterday. He taught a master class in leadership to our 40 Wexner Senior Leaders, who are participating in an Executive-in-Residence Program for the month and our year-long Wexner Israel Fellows. Les emphasized that leaders must take responsibility for ongoing leadership development and that effective leaders self-coach. “They know that leadership is not about them,” he stressed. “It’s about me. It’s