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March 29th, 2013

Passover, in many respects, is among the most accessible and relatable moments on the Jewish calendar. It invites us to immerse ourselves in the Jewish narrative in a way no other holiday does. It allows us to adapt the ritual to be relevant to our lives. And its lessons transcend far beyond the Jewish experience.

Because of these attributes, Passover has become the most well-known and widely celebrated Jewish holiday, one that continues to inspire people and in which we find new meaning year after year, even as the story itself remains largely the same.

Indeed, at the heart of Passover is a story as epic as any in the history of humankind and not just because it has all of the trappings of a Hollywood drama: It is a great story because it is timeless, as much about the future as it is about the past. Read More »

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January 7th, 2013
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November 13th, 2012
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November 12th, 2012
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May 31st, 2012

Yesterday, Team Schusterman—represented by myself (center-right) and our Director of Network Initiatives, Seth Cohen, (far-right), pictured with Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren (center-left) and Shawn Landres of Jewish Jumpstart (far-left)—had the opportunity to attend the White House celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month. Read More »

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October 10th, 2011

Cross-posted from Presentense.org. This is the second in a two-part series.

From Moses to modern-day heroes, stories of great Jewish leaders reveal that while the need for leadership is constant, the type of leaders needed is constantly changing. The Talmud tells us: “As the generation, so the leader; as the leader, so the generation.”

But there are lasting lessons that hold across time and place. In keeping with the Jewish tradition of transmitting wisdom and stories from generation to generation, two veritable leaders with a combined five decades of experience respond to a series of questions submitted by PresenTense readers.

Sandy Cardin, president of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and Daniel Birnbaum, CEO of Israel-based SodaStream International, share stories of transitions and torpedoes, of hot dog vendors and heroes, all while speaking honestly of their failures, of cultivating leadership, and of what is most needed amongst Jewish leaders today. Read More »

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October 7th, 2011
Cross-posted from Presentense.org.This is the first in a two-part series.

From Moses to modern-day heroes, stories of great Jewish leaders reveal that while the need for leadership is constant, the type of leaders needed is constantly changing. The Talmud tells us: “As the generation, so the leader; as the leader, so the generation.”

But there are lasting lessons that hold across time and place. In keeping with the Jewish tradition of transmitting wisdom and stories from generation to generation, two veritable leaders with a combined five decades of experience respond to a series of questions submitted by PresenTense readers.

Sandy Cardin, president of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and Daniel Birnbaum, CEO of Israel-based SodaStream International, share stories of transitions and torpedoes, of hot dog vendors and heroes, all while speaking honestly of their failures, of cultivating leadership, and of what is most needed amongst Jewish leaders today. Read More »

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April 12th, 2011

In March, we joined forces with Darim Online to host a gathering of the Tribe at the 2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference. Expecting somewhere in the range of the 30 participants, we were blown away when more than 70 professionals from national, regional and local organizations signed up, showed up and spoke up.

It was clear by the sheer quantity and quality of people in the room that there is a deep hunger for these conversations within our community. Indeed, our very presence indicated that we as a community recognize the important role technology plays in helping us achieve our respective missions—even if we aren’t using it as effectively as possible at the moment. It also indicated that we are ripe for learning how best to harness it for the betterment of the Jewish people as a whole.

But you know what else it indicated? That as connected as we are through technology, it also has a way of making us feel disconnected from the human experience. Gatherings like this remind us that Facebook is no substitute for face-to-face interactions—that it is when we are together in person that the most transformative partnerships are born. Indeed, they reinforce the importance of institutions, organizations and emerging initiatives working together to harness the power of technology to create new avenues through which large numbers of individuals can explore Jewish life in ways they find personally meaningful. Read More »

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March 14th, 2011

The 2011-2012 Jewish New Media Innovation Fund award recipients were announced today, to much fanfare. So much so, in fact, that the website actually crashed!

We too are really excited about the selected projects and the potential they hold for helping us learn how to use emerging technologies to foster meaningful engagement in Jewish life. The $500,000 in grants and technical support went to nine digital media projects designed to engage 18 – 40 year olds in Jewish life, learning, culture and community.

They were selected from amongst a pool of 300+ outstanding, diverse applications by a six-member advisory council consisting of experts ranging from the former Chief Digital Officer of MTV Networks to the current vice president of interactive learning and engagement for Teach For America. Read More »

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March 11th, 2011

I was among those who traveled to Sin City this week for Tribefest, the Jewish Federation of North America‘s revamped gathering for its young adult leadership. The three days were tagged as an opportunity to “connect, explore and celebrate” with 1200-plus Jews between the ages of 25-45.

On the final day, I had the privilege to speak in front of the young leadership cabinet, alongside Mischa Galperin of the Jewish Agency, Ross Berkowitz of Tribe 12 in Philadelphia, Dan Sieradski of Repair the World and Aaron Goldberg of Masa Israel, about our respective efforts to engage young adults in meaningful Jewish experiences. Read More »

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