Schusterman Family Foundation | Schusterman.org

November 12th, 2012

Human Rights Campaign Releases First-Ever Index of LGBT Inclusion within a Faith-based Community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 12 2012

Paul Guequierre | paul.guequierre@hrc.org | 202-423-2860

Jake Sharfman, Puder Public Relations | Jake@puderpr.com | 212-558-9400 (o) 248-318-1072 (c) 077-444-7158 (ext. 1)

HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN RELEASES FIRST-EVER INDEX OF LGBT INCLUSION WITHIN A FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY

Benchmarks policies and practices among 200+ Jewish nonprofit organizations in North America

WASHINGTON — November 12, 2012 – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, released today its first-ever index of inclusion within a faith-based community. The Jewish Organization Equality Index (JOEI) provides benchmarks for gauging, and resources for improving, LGBT inclusivity policies and practices of North American Jewish communal organizations. The entire report is available at www.hrc.org/joei.

Key findings from the index create a preliminary snapshot of how a broad range of Jewish organizations—from national umbrella and advocacy groups to local nonprofits and synagogues—address LGBT diversity and inclusion in three categories of practice: organizational inclusion efforts, community/client engagement and workplace policies.

An estimated 10% of the organizations invited to take the 89-question survey completed it, which is consistent with HRC’s experience in launching inaugural indices of this type. Of the 204 Jewish nonprofit organizations that participated, 50% received the top score of “inclusion,” meaning they are taking significant steps to welcome LGBT individuals and families. By contrast, the first year of HRC’s Corporate Equality Index, which rates Fortune1000 companies on inclusion for LGBT employees, only 13 organizations of the 319 rated—or 4%—received the highest score.

The index also highlights significant opportunities for improvement, especially in the areas of recruitment and training. Of the participating organizations, 79% expressed they have not targeted the LGBT community in workplace recruitment efforts, and 59% have not completed any diversity or inclusion training in the past three years. More work is needed to understand how representative these findings are across the broader Jewish communal sector.

Initiated by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, together with The Morningstar Foundation, Stuart Kurlander and an anonymous donor, the report aims to push the Jewish community to prioritize inclusion of LGBT employees, members and volunteers into communal organizations. HRC was brought on to guide the process of self-evaluation by creating a numerical index and survey that would provide objective, measurable results about organizations and make those results public to provide a mechanism for others in the community to hold organizations accountable.

“We are proud to help move the dialogue on LGBT inclusion forward in the Jewish community through this first of its kind report,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “As times change, so do our places of worship and faith-based organizations. The Jewish Organization Equality Index sets a precedent for what we hope to see more faith-based communities do.”

Additional findings from the index include:

98% of participating membership-based organizations offer same-sex couples family memberships;
90% of participating organizations include inclusive terms in their publicity materials;
75% of participating organizations have not specifically recruited LGBT individuals to their lay leadership board in the past three years (often cited as a significant contributor to increased awareness about inclusive policies);
73% of responding organizations have a written non-discrimination policy;
66% of participating organizations actively reach out to the LGBT community to attract members or clients; and
33% of participating organizations with youth programming have a written anti-bullying policy.

Organizations that participated in the survey were from 26 states across the U.S, the District of Columbia and Canada, and represented a range of denominations, though no survey submissions were received from any Orthodox institutions. Jewish Community Centers, Jewish Federations and Hillels were among those with the highest rates of participation.

“This is an important moment for our community,” said Lynn Schusterman, Chair of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Philanthropic Network, speaking on behalf of all of the funders. “We applaud the organizations that participated and are taking important steps to foster LGBT inclusion, but we still have a long way to go until LGBT Jews—indeed, all Jews—are embraced as full and vital members of the Jewish family in every aspect of communal life. We have an opportunity to use these findings to truly commit ourselves to the vital but challenging work of forging a culture in which inclusivity, diversity and equality are paramount. The question is: will we?”

In 2010, Schusterman issued a call for all Jewish organizations to join her foundation in adopting non-discrimination hiring policies that specifically mention sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Among the goals of the index was to encourage more organizations to adopt such policies, and in recent years, some of the largest Jewish organizations have done so, including BBYO, Birthright, Foundation for Jewish Camp, Jewish Federations of North America and Moishe House, among others.

The JOEI was launched by HRC on November 18, 2011, after consulting with leaders in the Jewish community, executives of Jewish nonprofit organizations and members of the clergy on how to most effectively rate Jewish nonprofit organizations on policies related to members of the LGBT community.

The report contains a number of resources, including a checklist of 14 steps organizations can take to be more welcoming and inclusive of LGBT families, couples and individuals, and an assessment of organizations’ cultural competency in delivering services to the LGBT community.

Timed to coincide with the release of the report, the survey’s supporters have joined with Keshet—the national grassroots organization that works for the full inclusion and equality of LGBT Jews in Jewish life—to raise awareness of the importance of inclusion and spread these and other tools for action. Visit the Tumblr site.

Led and supported by LGBT Jews and straight allies, Keshet offers resources and trainings to create inclusive Jewish communities nationwide as well as community programs for LGBT Jews.

“This report marks a milestone in the Jewish community,” said Idit Klein, Executive Director of Keshet. “We hope it will galvanize our leaders to make LGBT inclusion a key priority, and we invite organizations at any stage of inclusion to reach out to us for training, resources and assistance to make our community a home for all.

About the Human Rights Campaign

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

About the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation

The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation is committed to strengthening the Jewish people, public education in the U.S., and its hometown of Tulsa, OK. Within the Jewish community, the Foundation empowers young people to engage in meaningful Jewish experiences, build inclusive Jewish communities, connect with the State of Israel and repair the world. www.schusterman.org

The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation is part of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Philanthropic Network, a global network of philanthropic initiatives focused on igniting the passion and unleashing the power in young people to create change for themselves, in the Jewish community and across the broader world. CLSPN also includes the Schusterman Foundation-Israel (SFI), ROI Community (ROI) and REALITY.

About The Morningstar Foundation

The Morningstar Foundation is a family foundation which awards grants to pre-selected organizations dedicated to strengthening the Jewish community in the United States, in Israel, and throughout the world, enhancing educational opportunities for inner-city youth, protecting the environment, and safeguarding civil liberties.

About Stuart Kurlander

Stuart Kurlander is a philanthropist and LGBT activist. He is currently President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and has a long history of involvement in the Jewish community. At present, he also serves on the Board of Trustees of the United Jewish Endowment Fund. He was also the first National Board Chair for Keshet and the Founder and past Chair of the Kurlander Program on Gay and Lesbian Outreach and Engagement at the District of Columbia Jewish Community Center, the first program of its type at a Jewish Community Center. He was the National Chair of the first UJC LGBT Pride Mission to Israel in 2005. Professionally, Mr. Kurlander is a Washington, D.C. Partner of the international law firm, Latham & Watkins, LLP.

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November 12th, 2012

Jewish Organization Equality Index

Summary: The Jewish Organization Equality Index provides benchmarks for gauging, and resources for improving, LGBT inclusivity policies and practices of North American Jewish communal organizations. It is the Human Rights Campaign’s first-ever index of inclusion within a faith-based community and the nonprofit sector, and used similar techniques to HRC’s Corporate Equality Index, which rates Fortune1000 companies on inclusion for LGBT employees, and Healthcare Equality Index.

The index also highlights significant opportunities for improvement, especially in the areas of recruitment and training. Of the participating organizations, 79% of participants expressed they have not targeted the LGBT community in workplace recruitment efforts, and 59% have not completed any diversity or inclusion training in the past three years. More work is needed to understand how representative these findings are across the broader Jewish communal sector.

Author: Human Rights Campaign

Download the Report: Human Rights Campaign 2012 Jewish Organization Equality Index

Download the Press Release: Human Rights Campaign Releases First-Ever Index of LGBT Inclusion within a Faith-based Community

Download the Infographic:

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October 8th, 2012

Next Generation Advocacy: A Study of Young Israel Advocates

Summary: Next Generation Advocacy is the first and largest study of young people involved in Israel advocacy, surveying more than 4,000 Israel advocates between 17 and 30 years of age. The study finds that among those who demonstrate the highest levels of involvement in Israel advocacy over time—defined as leader advocates—the desire to support Israel is driven by a general sense of values and commitment to Israel rather than by a specific ideological or political worldview. The research also indicates key areas where investment can make a profound impact on identifying, recruiting and nurturing effective Israel advocates.

The study surveyed students and mentors involved in Israel advocacy, particularly through organizations that offer Israel-related programming for teens and/or young adults. The organizations that participated include: Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity (AEPi), American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), BBYO, The David Project, iCenter, Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC), Hillel, Moishe House and Write On for Israel, as well as Hasbara Fellowships, MASA and Stand with Us. They were not meant to represent the entire field of Israel advocacy but rather a sampling of organizations that engage young people in Israel programs. The study surveyed 4,061 individuals, which was supplemented by nearly 50 focus groups and interviews with students and mentors.

Author: Ezra Kopelowitz and Dr. Daniel Chesir-Teran, of Research Success Technologies, Ltd.

Download: Next Generation Advocacy: A Study of Young Israel Advocates

Read More: The Truth About Israel Advocacy Times of Israel

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October 5th, 2012

From Our Network: Impacting the Cycle of Abuse and Neglect in Israel

In June, the Jerusalem Post reported that the child abuse rates in Israel had surpassed the rates in the U.S. According to the article, “While part of the rise in reporting of child abuse cases in Israel stems from greater awareness among professionals and society as to what constitutes abuse and how to report it … it has more to do with an alarming increase in violence throughout Israeli society in general.”

The source of the data for the article was the Haruv Institute, established by the Schusterman Foundation-Israel in 2007, with the mission to enhance the knowledge-base and develop advanced educational programs for professionals and allied care-givers who work with abused and neglected children and their families. The Institute aims to find solutions to the myriad challenges facing professionals who work with this population.

Many of Israel’s top experts in the field are affiliated with Haruv, and their research and expertise inform its agenda and activities. Haruv has also trained professionals in other countries, including China. In September, Haruv joined with University of Oklahoma-Tulsa to host a two-day conference for leading experts in the U.S., with a focus on identifying areas of potential collaboration. Read More »

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September 14th, 2012

Holiday: Shana Tova Umetukah!

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September 5th, 2012

Israel and U.S. Hold Joint Conference on the Prevention of Child Abuse at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa

ISRAEL AND U.S. HOLD JOINT CONFERENCE ON THE PREVENTION OF CHILD ABUSE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA-TULSA

Oklahoma has among the highest rates of child abuse in the U.S. Israel is perceived as among the best in the world in its capacity to treat and prevent child abuse.

September 10-11, 2012

Tulsa, OK – September 5, 2012 – World-leading child welfare experts from Israel and the U.S. will come together for a two-day conference on September 10 and 11 to discuss the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. Jointly hosted by the Israel-based Haruv Institute, the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Philanthropic Network, the conference will focus on identifying areas of potential collaboration between Israel and the U.S.

The Haruv Institute, which develops and operates learning programs and training for the prevention and treatment of abused and neglected children, is considered one of the leading sources of knowledge in the field in Israel and around the world. Since its establishment in 2007, the Institute has been expanding its activities through international partnerships with renowned institutions, including University of Toronto and the University of California, San Francisco.

“The Haruv Institute aims to provide better solutions for victims and their families in order to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect to the greatest possible extent,” said Prof. Asher Ben-Arieh, Director of the Haruv Institute. “We hope that the conference will mark the beginning of a process of cooperation.”

According to recent data, Oklahoma ranks among the highest in the U.S. for instances of child abuse and neglect, and a report released by the National Coalition to End Child Abuse Deaths put Oklahoma in the top five states for the rate of child abuse and neglect deaths. The two-day conference will include a seminar with experts from Israel and the U.S. to advance:

Training and enrichment for clinicians in the field of child abuse at the local and national level;
Relevance and implementation of training programs and improved professional training approaches;
Contribution of research to the development of knowledge in the field; and
Appropriate strategies for integrating research into innovative programs for the prevention and treatment of child abuse.

Conference participants will include a number of well-known researchers in the U.S., including: Dr. David Olds, Director of Prevention Research Center for Family and Child Health at the University of Colorado, Denver; Dr. Larry Aber, Distinguished Professor of Applied Psychology and Public Policy at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development at New York University; Dr. Richard Gelles, Dean of the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Cindy Christian, Director of Safe Place: The Center for Child Protection and Health at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; and Dr. Richard Barth, Dean and Professor of the School of Social Work at the University of Maryland; and more.

The collaboration between the Haruv Institute and the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa began as a result of Israel’s standing, and the Haruv Institute’s reputation, as a world leader in researching and documenting child abuse and neglect, as well as leading training programs for professionals dealing with such cases. Prof. Hillel Schmid, former director of the Haruv Institute who oversaw Israel’s public committee to investigate the incidence of children and youth at risk and in distress (the “Schmid Committee”), initiated the conference.

“OU-Tulsa is honored to partner and work with Haruv Institute and the Schusterman Philanthropic Network for this very important conference,” said Gerry Clancy, M.D., President of OU-Tulsa. “We are hopeful it will lay the ground work to create collaborations that will truly help to reduce the statistics surrounding child abuse and maltreatment in Tulsa and throughout the United States and Israel.”

The first session will be led by Haruv’s Director, Prof. Asher Ben-Arieh, a faculty member at the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has served for more than 20 years as project director and editor of the annual State of the Child in Israel: A Statistical Abstract. He was also vice president of the National Council for the Child, the first organization of its kind in Israel, which works to protect and promote the rights and wellbeing of all children in Israel.

The Haruv Institute was founded by the Schusterman Foundation-Israel in 2007 to develop knowledge and advanced training programs for the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect within families. Its goal is to improve solutions available to the professional community responsible for child welfare.

The Schusterman Foundation-Israel is part of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Philanthropic Network, a global network of philanthropic initiatives dedicated to igniting the passion and unleashing the power of young people to create change. CLSPN also includes the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation in the United States and is a co-sponsor of the conference.

Among other areas of interest, CLSPN hopes to foster the safety and security of children by developing new knowledge and methodologies to confront child abuse, especially in Israel and its hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In Israel, it supports organizations such as Haruv, Beit Lynn, the National Council for the Child and Noga Center, and in Oklahoma, it supports the OU-Child Abuse Pediatrics, as well as the Child Protection Coalition, Family and Children’s Services, Parent Child Center and Youth Services of Tulsa.

“We have a responsibility to protect the right of every child to a safe and secure upbringing,” said Lynn Schusterman, Chair of CLSPN. “In connecting our child advocacy work in Israel and Tulsa, we hope to shine a spotlight on the needs of at-risk children and advance proven interventions that other communities can replicate in stemming the tide of abuse and neglect.”

Media contact:

U.S.: Jake Sharfman, Puder Public Relations; Office: 212.558.9400; Cell: 248.318.1072; Israel: 077.444.7158 (ext.1); Jake@puderpr.com

Israel: GCS Issue Management; Office: 972.3.529.9636; adi@gcs3.com; or-li@gcs3.com

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August 22nd, 2012

9 Leading Israeli Artists Selected for U.S. Residencies

9 LEADING ISRAELI ARTISTS SELECTED FOR U.S. RESIDENCIES
Schusterman Visiting Artists Program bringing Israeli artists to outstanding North American colleges and universities; residencies offer opportunities for audiences to engage with contemporary Israeli culture

New York, NY—August 22, 2012 – Nine leading Israeli artists will bring their talent and passion to residencies at colleges and universities across North America this fall and spring. The artists—celebrated in a variety of disciplines, including filmmaking, choreography, music and literature—will spend several months teaching and presenting their work to audiences in local communities through relevant programming, classes, exhibitions and performances.

Among the artists coming this year are two esteemed writers: Gail Hareven and Sami Berdugo. Hareven is an established novelist whose fiction has appeared in The New Yorker. She will be hosted by Mt. Holyoke College in cooperation with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Hampshire College. Hareven recently completed a project translating Shakespeare’s sonnets into Hebrew with Dr. Avi Hasner, a distinguished physician and deputy director at an Israeli hospital.

A young writer and popular creative writing teacher, Berdugo has received much critical attention for his work, “which consistently breaks new poetic paths, thus challenging contemporary Israeli literature,” according to Hebrew literature specialist Dr. Hanna Soker-Schwager. Already the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious Prime Minister’s Prize (2005), the Neumann Prize (2007) at Bar Ilan University and, most recently, the Ramat Gan Prize (2011) for his new book, “That Is To Say,” Berdugo is one of the exciting voices of North African descent now emerging in Israel. He will be teaching at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, for the spring semester.

“The exceptionally talented array of artists chosen for the Schusterman Visiting Artists Program embody the vibrant, creative face of Israel and provide a meaningful way for North Americans to connect to a diverse and complex contemporary Israel,” said Lynn Schusterman, chair of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Philanthropic Network, which includes the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation (CLSFF). CLSFF launched the Schusterman Visiting Artists program in 2008.

The other 2012-2013 Schusterman Visiting Artists are:

Experimental composer and sound artist Amnon Wolman, who will be an artist-in-residence at Harvard University this fall. Wolman has been involved in a broad range of artistic endeavors all over the world, and his catalogue of compositions includes works involving computer-generated and processed sounds, symphonic works, vocal and chamber pieces, film scores, and music for theater and dance.
Documentary filmmaker Duki Dror will be the University of California, Santa Cruz, for the winter quarter. His most recent work, “Incessant Visions” (2011), about famed architect Erich Mendelsohn, has been screened at dozens of film festivals around the world. In 2010, PBS screened a series of three of Dror’s earlier works, including “Journey of Vaan Nguyen” (2005) about Vietnamese refugees in Israel and “Fantasia” (2001) about his family’s emigration from Iraq to Israel.
Highly regarded in the World Music scene, percussionist Zohar Fresco is considered the world’s master of the frame drum. This winter he will be in residence at Florida State University in Tallahassee, which has the third-largest music program in U.S. higher education. At the end of his stay, he will be a leading performer at the school’s annual Rainbow Concert.
Musicians Michael and Shimrit Greilsammer will be at Carleton University in Ottawa this winter. A violinist and singer-songwriter, Michael Greilsammer blends Irish, reggae and rock music. His first album, “Je me reveille” (“Waking Up”), was released by a major French label, and his second album is a collaboration with his wife, Shimrit, a vocalist. Greilsammer has been a supporting act for international artists including Macy Gray and Ziggy Marley.
Next spring, Guy Meirson will be teaching screenwriting at Michigan State University in East Lansing. He wrote the script for “Rock the Casbah,” which was recently nominated for several Ophir Awards, Israel’s version of the Oscars, including Best Picture. He has been a writer for two other feature films and two Israeli television series, among other projects.
Choreographer Dana Ruttenberg will be in residence for the spring semester at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She had her own company, based in New York, from 2000-2003, when she created works that were showcased at venues such as Joyce Soho, White Wave and the Toronto Fringe Festival. Since returning to Israel in 2003, Ruttenberg has been choreographing for a number of groups, including the Batsheva Dance Ensemble, the IntimaDance Festival and Curtains Up. Her work has been performed in Hungary, Italy, Russia, Senegal and the U.S., among other countries.
One of Israel’s leading young choreographers Idan Sharabi was commissioned to create new works in Israel, Denmark and Switzerland during the last two years, and in the past year, his works were performed in seven countries. A graduate of Juilliard, Sharabi was awarded the school’s Zeraspe Award for Best Choreography in 2006. He was formerly a dancer with the renowned Batsheva Dance Company and the Nederlands Dans Theater. Sharabi will be teaching at the University of California at Irvine during the spring quarter.

With support from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and others, the Schusterman Visiting Artists Program is one of the largest organized residency programs of Israeli artists in the U.S. It awards Israeli artists—including filmmakers, choreographers, musicians, writers and visual artists—long-term residencies at North American universities, museums, Jewish community centers and other cultural organizations, with a focus on fostering interaction between the artists and the communities in which they are based.

“The Schusterman Visiting Artists Program allows members of the host community and the visiting artists to connect in a variety of settings—from formal to informal, Jewish to non-Jewish—over a significant period of time, rather than the more traditional one-off experience,” says Marge Goldwater, the program’s director. “As we look back on the first four years, we see that the success of the residencies has prompted host institutions to find ways to bring Israeli cultural leaders to their communities after the Schusterman artist has left.”

For more information about the program, contact Marge Goldwater at margegoldwater@gmail.com or 212.249.1998, and visit the Schusterman Visiting Artist Program website.

About the Schusterman Visiting Artist Program

The Schusterman Visiting Artists Program was founded in June 2008 to provide a new avenue for connecting North American audiences with Israel through the lens of Israeli artists embedded in residencies in communities across the U.S. www.jewishculture.org

Media contact: Marge Goldwater / Director, Schusterman Visiting Israeli Artist Program / 212.249.1998 • margegoldwater@gmail.com

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August 7th, 2012

Moishe House to Implement Strategic Growth Plan Focused on Expansion and Sustainability

MOISHE HOUSE TO IMPLEMENT STRATEGIC GROWTH PLAN FOCUSED ON EXPANSION AND SUSTAINABILITY

$6 Million Investment from Foundations Supports New Projects and Organizational Infrastructure

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Seeking to help Moishe House implement a new Strategic Growth Plan to broaden and deepen its impact on Jewish young adults in their 20’s, the Jim Joseph Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, Leichtag Foundation, Genesis Philanthropy Group and Maimonides Fund today announced a total of $6 million of investment to the international organization.

The grants are a significant, collaborative investment of second-level funding to Moishe House, which has 46 residences in 14 countries that engage more than 50,000 attendees a year. The combined efforts of the five foundations, which build on previous multi-year grants from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation (CLSFF) and Jim Joseph Foundation, demonstrate a common goal to expand proven initiatives that reach young Jewish adults and foster vibrant Jewish lives.

“These grants will help Moishe House engage and educate more young Jewish adults through both expanding our existing model as well as new and creative channels,” says David Cygielman, CEO of Moishe House. “The Strategic Growth Plan charts a course that is both innovative and comprehensive in its approach, allowing the organization to implement pilot projects and expand our reach to new regions.”

Core elements of the Growth Plan include expanding Moishe House to new locations, offering Jewish educational training for Moishe House residents and their peers, and investment in Moishe House’s organizational infrastructure and fundraising.

The Growth Plan was developed by Moishe House professionals and Board Members with guidance from Olive Grove Consulting, which specializes in providing technical assistance for organizational expansion. The Jim Joseph Foundation funded this work after an August 2011 external evaluation of Moishe House demonstrated that the organization has developed an effective, affordable, and scalable approach to achieving its mission.

This latest investment follows five-plus years of core support from CLSFF and the Jim Joseph Foundation, which began funding Moishe House in 2006 and 2009, respectively. This support has enabled Moishe House to expand its reach and deepen its impact, enhance its operations, and gain stability and credibility with additional local and national supporters.

“Moishe House is a vital gateway through which young Jewish adults can shape Jewish life in their own image,” said Lynn Schusterman, Chair of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Philanthropic Network, which includes CLSFF. “The incredible pace at which Moishe House has grown is testament to its resonance with the young people it seeks to engage. We are excited to build on our past commitments by partnering with these foundations to help bring Moishe House’s programming to even more people.”

The Growth Plan includes replicating on a larger scale a pilot grant coordinated by the Maimonides Fund, which initiated learning retreats for residents.

“During the three day learning retreats, led by a wide array of Jewish educators, Moishe House residents, Birthright alumni, and participant leaders learn how to create meaningful Jewish experiences, such as hosting a Shabbat dinner or leading a Passover Seder,” adds Cygielman. “The retreats have been oversubscribed, showing a strong demand for this type of peer-to-peer learning.”

It also includes implementation of Moishe House Without Walls, a new pilot project for young Jewish adults in San Diego and Moishe House resident alumni. Through the project, initiated with a grant from the Leichtag Foundation, young Jewish adults in San Diego and Moishe House alumni are able to build networks and create similar Jewish experiences to those in Moishe House. By registering programs in one of three categories—Jewish learning, Repair the World and Jewish Culture and Holidays—the resident alumni and San Diegans are supported by Without Walls after each completed program.

Implementation of the Growth Plan will result in an increase in the number of Moishe Houses serving the Russian-speaking Jewish community, of which currently three are in North America and six in the Former Soviet Union (FSU). Moishe House’s effort in the Russian-speaking Jewish community, initiated with a grant from Genesis Philanthropy Group in 2009, will now include expansion of the learning retreats model to the FSU as well.

“What started out as a single Russian-speaking Moishe House in Chicago is now part of the broader, strategic, collaborative initiative to help widen and deepen Moishe House’s engagement with young Jewish adults from Russian-speaking communities across the globe,” said Stan Polovets, CEO and co-founder of Genesis Philanthropy Group.

Many forward-thinking Jewish federations, foundations, and individuals currently provide significant support to Moishe House. The five foundations hope that their collective investment in Moishe House’s future will encourage other foundations, federations, and individual philanthropists to support this dynamic organization with a proven model for reaching young Jewish adults.

To help catalyze support from additional federations and individuals, which the Growth Plan has identified as key areas for fundraising, the Jim Joseph Foundation is offering up to a $3 million, dollar-for-dollar match to Moishe House for all funds raised from federations and individuals over the next four and half years.

Al Levitt, Jim Joseph Foundation Board President, notes that this coordination of funders and funding support provides generous resources to a thriving, and still young, organization. “We are optimistic that this grantmaking will help carry Moishe House through a second stage of growth,” Levitt says, “to a point of long-term viability.”

“Moishe House already reaches tens of thousands of young Jewish adults each year, providing them opportunities to live vibrant Jewish lives,” adds Chip Edelsberg, Executive Director of the Jim Joseph Foundation. “With this Strategic Growth Plan, and the support of numerous organizations and individuals, Moishe House is positioned to cultivate even more young Jewish adults engaged in personally relevant Jewish learning and creating home-based communities for their peers.”

Contact: Jason Edelstein, (510) 239-1102, Jason@edelsteinpa.com

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July 13th, 2012

70 U.S. Educators in Israel to Explore Leadership, Education System

70 U.S. EDUCATORS IN ISRAEL TO EXPLORE LEADERSHIP, EDUCATION SYSTEM

REALITY Israel brings Teach For America corps members to meet with Israeli educators and activists; program expanding to include educators from global Teach For All network

July 17-29, 2012

JERUSALEM – July 15, 2012—On July 17, 70 U.S. educators will visit Israel as part of a leadership development program designed to deepen their commitment to education reform and service. They will explore alternative models of education and methods of approaching complex societal challenges, including how Israeli schools address issues of co-existence, religion and minority populations.

As part of their 12-day experience, they will meet with leading Israeli educators and social entrepreneurs, including Einat Wilf, Member of Knesset (Parliament) and Chair of its Education, Sports and Culture Committee, as well as Nir Tzuk, Managing Director of Ashoka Israel. They will also be introduced to trailblazing Israeli initiatives such as The Center for Educational Technology.

The educators are participating in the REALITY Israel program, supported by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and the Samberg Family Foundation, in partnership with Teach For America. They are all part of Teach For America, the national nonprofit that recruits and trains outstanding individuals of all academic disciplines to commit two years to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the movement to end educational inequity. While in Israel, they will meet with their counterparts in Teach First Israel, a similar program that launched in 2010 and now has 143 teachers working in 33 schools across Israel.

“These inspiring young leaders are among those powering the education reform movement that is sweeping our country and our world,” said Lynn Schusterman, Chair of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Philanthropic Network, which includes the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. “REALITY enables them to learn from each other while challenging them to build their leadership skills and examine the values that drive their commitment to creating change in their communities, in the Jewish world and beyond.”

Now in its fourth year, REALITY Israel has brought more than 200 Teach For America educators to Israel. As part of this unique program, corps members explore Israel through a service and education lens, as well as engage in self-reflection and learning. Among those participating in the 2012 REALITY Israel experience are:

Amy Berkhoudt, a high school English and journalism teacher in Detroit, who worked with the Detroit Youth Food Brigade to pair high school students with local businesses and urban farms in the area. The daughter of immigrants, Amy was the first in her family to attend and graduate from college.
Katherine Hagan, an 8^th grade teacher in Las Vegas who is launching an arts camp for at-risk students with funding from Downtown Project, an organization started by Tony Hsieh—founder of Zappos, the world’s largest online shoe store—to revitalize Las Vegas.
Nina Safene, who co-founded Colorado’s first single-gender public school—Girls Athletic Leadership School in Denver—where she now works as the school’s Response to Intervention Coordinator.
George Stern, a high school teacher in Colorado, who previously taught at Rikers Island Jail in New York.

For most participants in the REALITY program, it is their first visit to Israel, and the impact of the experience has proven to be profound. According to the REALITY Israel Experience: An Impact Study, the program strengthens the link between participants’ values and passion for public service. They also gain a deeper understanding of key Jewish concepts, a stronger connection to the Jewish community and powerful insights about their leadership capacities and potential.

“Israel is a classroom for people who want to learn about leadership in the face of extreme challenges,” said Andrew Mandel, Teach For America’s Vice President of Special Projects. “Many of the social justice challenges Israel faces mirror those in the U.S., and our participants get the opportunity to grapple with how best to address those complex issues.”

According to Mandel, what began with REALITY is spreading to the entire Teach For America network. “It’s an incubator for new ideas and has opened the door for us to do more reflective programming with our corps members, professional staff and students,” he said.

Several REALITY participants have already begun implementing programming for their students that allows them to reflect upon what it means to be a leader. Daniel Sass, a teacher and head soccer coach at Digital Harbor High School in Baltimore, Md., is one such an example. After participating on the 2011 REALITY trip, during which he met a teacher working with refugee students in the Golan Heights, Sass recognized a parallel with his own work—a large number of his students were also refugees from Ethiopia, Iraq, Nepal, Sudan, Somalia and Tanzania, among other countries.

“The same cultural, ethnic and religious diversity that moved me in Israel was now presenting itself in the form of my varsity soccer team, and I was given the task of making them coexist as teammates,” Sass said. “It took me by surprise and forced me to reexamine the needs of the community in which I teach.”

In doing so, Sass became involved with an organization that uses soccer as a platform for dialogue and education in its work with marginalized youth. Today, in addition to teaching, Sass coaches Baltimore’s under-18 soccer team, all 20 of whom are refugees. Sass credits REALITY and his experience in Israel with inspiring him to take on the role.

Building on its success, REALITY is expanding to include two new Israel-based programs that will launch in the next year. REALITY Global will be geared to corps members in the global Teach For All network, a collection of independent social enterprises working to expand educational opportunities in more than 30 countries. REALITY Pro will offer an Israel-based experience for Teach For America professionals with affiliations and interests in Jewish life.

“Our goal is to help exceptional people see leadership through a values-rich framework,” said Adam Simon who, as Associate National Director of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, directs REALITY. “We are exploring how we can expand this model to help build a network of leaders who act on deeply held values to enact positive social change and, where relevant, to lead richer, more meaningful Jewish lives.”

The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and the REALITY suite of programs are part of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Philanthropic Network, a global network of philanthropic initiatives focused on igniting the power in young people to create change for themselves, in the Jewish community and across the broader world. CLSPN also includes the Schusterman Foundation-Israel and ROI Community.

For more information about REALITY Israel, please visit www.realityexperience.org.

Contact:

Sara Averick, Israel: 052-867-4966 or sara@leadstoryplus.com

Jose Rosenfeld, Israel: 052-287-7646 or jose@leadstoryplus.com

Roben Smolar, USA: 202-289-7000, ext 6 or rkantor@schusterman.org

Abram Shanedling, USA: 202-250-6158 or abram@dershowitzgroup.com

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March 29th, 2012

Innovating on Tradition: Reflections on the Jewish New Media Innovation Fund

Summary: Many organizations that serve our communities struggle to maintain working technology infrastructures, let alone to experiment and imagine how to achieve their missions in a digital world. Bridging this gap between media innovation and mission accomplishment was the core goal of the Jewish New Media Innovation Fund (the Fund), a pilot launched in 2010 by the Jim Joseph Foundation, the Righteous Persons Foundation, and the Schusterman Family Foundation.

The very act of establishing the Fund has already helped prompt conversations around technology and social innovation in organizations that may not have otherwise occurred. These conversations will only continue to grow and deepen as we watch and monitor the types of impact that these projects have on Jewish communities and individuals. The ultimate outcome of the JNMIF will rest as much on what the community learns from this experiment as it does on the results of the individual projects. In Innovating on Tradition: Reflections on the Jewish New Media Innovation Fund, we attempt to provide a foundation for spurring discussion about the experiment by reflecting on three key questions:

What is the state of new media innovation in the organized Jewish community?
How can the JNMIF process be improved?
What might come next?

Author: Lucy Bernholz and Conan Liu, Arabella Advisors

Download: Innovating on Tradition: Reflections on the Jewish New Media Innovation Fund

Read: Jewish New Media Innovation Fund: One Year Later

www.jewishnewmedia.org

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