Schmoozer (Audio Edition)

How do you build organizations and get funding to sustain projects? We spoke with Sandy Cardin President of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation about funding and creating innovative Jewish programs. When Charles and Lynn Schusterman established their family foundation in 1987, they were led by a fierce determination to contribute their time and resources to the two communities closest to their hearts: k’lal Yisrael—Jewish peoplehood—and the people in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Together Charles and Lynn worked to fashion a philanthropic agenda dedicated to expanding, enriching and enhancing these communities. More than 20 years later, what started as a one-office foundation engaged almost exclusively in grantmaking is now a global network of programs, organizations and foundations that still hold true to the mission and values Charles and Lynn established with their initial investment.

Our story is the story of these values brought to life—a philanthropic vision in action. It is the story of the incredibly talented, committed individuals and organizations that inspire us every day and, with our support, transform lives, build communities and touch hearts. It is the story of an organization shaped by the vision of Day One and by the experiences of every day thereafter.

GEI ONI interweaves a unique love story with the harsh realities of the first wave of Jewish European migration to the Ottoman-ruled Palestine of the 1880’s. Having survived a Russian pogrom in which all other members of her family were killed, 17 year-old Fania (in an award-winning debut performance by Tamar Alkan), her infant daughter, her elderly uncle, and her traumatized brother arrive at the port of Jaffa, with a harrowing secret and no means of support. Having no real choice, Fania marries Yechiel, a native Jew and young widower with two small children. Fania and Yechiel set out to his small settlement near Safed, where Yechiel and other daring pioneers are trying to cultivate the barren lands which they bought from local Arabs. Though Fania is burdened by her secret, without sharing it with her husband their marriage can not be consummated and their life together cannot truly begin. On another level, GEI ONI is the story of the beginning of the realization of the Jewish dream to return to the land of Zion in the late 19th century.

How do you build community? We had the opportunity to speak to Oren Kashi member of Moishe House Great Neck. Moishe House was founded in 2006 and has quickly grown from four friends hosting Shabbat dinners for young adults out of their home in Oakland, California, to 46 thriving centers of Jewish life, spanning 14 countries. Moishe House is the largest organization of its kind, serving an international cohort of more than 50,000 Jewish young adults around the world annually. Moishe House has become an essential component in serving the Jewish post-college young adult population, by providing opportunities for community involvement, Jewish learning and leadership.

THE MOISHE HOUSE MODEL

We have developed a creative, low-barrier, cost-effective and scalable model for building vibrant, peer-based Jewish communities and learning opportunities for Jewish young adults in their twenties. Given that emerging adults are the true experts on their generation, Moishe House cultivates young leaders to create Jewish community — on their own terms — for their peers, in ways that are meaningful and relevant.

Moishe House residents come from a wide variety of Jewish backgrounds and are selected for their demonstrated leadership abilities and outgoing personalities.

Working together as a team, the residents plan and host a diverse range of low-barrier religious, cultural and social events in their home, including Shabbat dinners, holiday celebrations, Repair the World programs, and more.

In addition to planning their own programs, the house residents also support existing community resources by partnering with local Jewish organizations such as JCCs, synagogues, federations, and other institutional providers.

The holidays are just around the corner and we got a first hand look at the newest gadgets and products on the market today. With over 120 participating companies and the support of the tech industry’s most prestigious media outlets, CEA Line Shows is a must-attend opportunity for every member of the media, retail, trade and analyst communities. If you want to know what’s happening in the all-important 4th quarter selling season then you need to find out first — and CEA Line Show is where you’ll see what’s new, what’s coming and what’s going to change the tech scene in the months ahead.

We had the opportunity to attend Presentense Launch Night NYC. We spoke with some young social entrepreneurs about their their innovative initiatives The PresenTense Group engages and inspires the most creative minds of our generation, investing in their ideas and energy to revitalize the Jewish community. PresenTense enables young Jews to have global conversations about new ideas and envision a better future. And when they’re eager to act upon these ideas, we educate and equip them for success.

In December 2000 JCINY had our first Shabbat dinner for Australians and South Africans living in the New York. From this event our community has grown to over 8,000 people over the past ten years and 78 couples met through JICNY. With an emphasis on high-quality programming and wide scale affiliation, JICNY is a United Nations of sorts, with people from all over the world gathering on a regular basis for social, cultural and religious events.

Our programs include a highly successful weekly Torah class, led by Steve Eisenberg, on the Upper West Side, followed by a unique second class, held in multiple languages which typically include English, Spanish, French and Russian. Other events include lectures, tours of the Lower East Side, picnics, Shabattons and retreats. We host a film club that raises money each month for a different charity. We also plan an annual learning mission to Israel that has enjoyed great success.

Our monthly Shabbat dinners feature guest speakers from around the world. We have less formal Shabbat meals and social events throughout the month, as well. Founder, Steve Eisenberg sets hundreds of young professionals up with welcoming places to have the Shabbat meal every year. Over the years founders, Gavin and Jodi Samuels have had over 10,000 people attend meals in their home. We recognize the interest and value of the Jewish international community in New York through all of our successes and for this reason we have created the JICNY Networking Group in order to expand on what we have previously been able to offer in the way of networking.

Living in a foreign country that is so diverse and independent, it is comforting to know that there is a place you can go where you will always be welcome; you will be able to explore your heritage and spirituality; and you will be supported by the community that surrounds you.

As technology evolves so does the way we learn and connect. We had the opportunity to attend the Jewish Futures Conference and spoke with leaders in the community about how they are utilizing technology to enhance the way they teach and engage their constituents. The Jewish Futures Conference brought together visionary thinkers, passionate individuals, and inspiring presentations in a conference designed to shift the horizon of our thinking in Jewish education. New ways of connecting are simultaneously posing challenges to traditional institutions and offering new opportunities for forging community and undertaking Jewish learning both locally and globally. The Jewish Futures Conference provided a space to imagine, learn and engage in purposeful and courageous conversation about the future of Jewish community and education and how it can thrive in today’s and tomorrow’s world.

Hillel is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life provides opportunities for Jewish students at more than 500 colleges and universities to explore and celebrate their Jewish identity through its global network of regional centers, campus Foundations and Hillel student organizations. Hillel is working to provoke a renaissance of Jewish life.

Hillel’s mission is to enrich the lives of Jewish undergraduate and graduate students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. Hillel student leaders, professionals and lay leaders are dedicated to creating a pluralistic, welcoming and inclusive environment for Jewish college students, where they are encouraged to grow intellectually, spiritually and socially. Hillel helps students find a balance in being distinctively Jewish and universally human by encouraging them to pursue tzedek (social justice), tikkun olam (repairing the world) and Jewish learning, and to support Israel and global Jewish peoplehood. Hillel is committed to excellence, innovation, accountability and results.

We had the opportunity to speak with current and former AVODAH fellows about their experience and why they decided to participate in this important inititive. AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps strengthens the Jewish community’s fight against the causes and effects of poverty in the United States. We do this by engaging participants in service and community building that inspire them to become lifelong leaders for social change whose work for justice is rooted in and nourished by Jewish values. Participants in our service Corps program live out and deepen their commitments to social change and Jewish life through a year of full-time work at anti-poverty organizations in Chicago, New Orleans, New York, and Washington, DC. This work partners Corps members with service providers and residents in low income communities and equips our Corps members and alumni to emerge as lifelong agents for social change, whose work for justice is rooted in and nourished by Jewish values. After participants complete this intensive year-long program, Pursue: Action for a Just World provides a broad platform for long-term leadership in social change and Jewish life.

This week, Aaron Herman had the opportunity to talk to attend Tech Crunch Disrupt New York, and speak with a number of Israeli tech start-ups who have new and revolutionary tech products.

Israel is at the forefront of disruptive technology. Since the beginning of the technology revolution Israeli companies have set the bar when it comes to innovation. We attended Techcrunch Disrupt in NYC and spoke with Israeli’s that are transforming the whey we connect, share and do business.