News & Blogs Category: Featured Partner

This summer, Jewish camp has been put to the ultimate test. But, with resilience, determination, and collaboration, the camp community has navigated through the immediate challenges imposed by COVID-19. Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) has helped lead efforts to sustain and strengthen camps through the pandemic, pilot meaningful virtual engagement opportunities, and foster innovative efforts to ensure camp remains an essential asset to the Jewish community for years to come.

In light of the vast majority of camps not being able to open this summer, FJC served as the valued central resource and advocate for Jewish camps at this unique and pivotal moment. Working together with the field, FJC has provided updated data, insights, and leadership to successfully mitigate the financial gap and keep camp as a top priority on the Jewish communal philanthropic agenda.

FJC recognized that camps needed support in new and creative ways during summer 2020.

This will be our “summer of learning” during which camps will pilot a range of virtual engagement approaches to reach their current communities – campers, families, staff, and alumni – and even broader audiences. Together, we will help camp truly become a year-round, lifelong experience. – Jeremy J. Fingerman, CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp

In partnership with Mosaic United, FJC has launched Jewish Camp @ Home’s Jewish Experience Shuk – a centralized marketplace offering camps access to the best virtual programming and Jewish educational resources from across North America and Israel.

To help energize the field and foster collaboration, FJC has introduced its new Innovation Challenge, in which camps form teams, attend virtual workshops, and design creative engagement programs with a chance to receive up to $10,000 to pilot their creation.

And, camp staff and alumni, who feel the loss of summer camp as well, can learn, build their network, stay connected, and make a difference through FJC’s new Virtual Staff Lounge.

To learn more, visit jewishcamp.org. To read more about FJC’s efforts to innovate this summer, click here.

The Jim Joseph Foundation is a supporter of FJC.

At a time when arts organizations and artists are reeling from the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, a new Jewish initiative is stepping in with much-needed grants and an emergency relief fund.

CANVAS, a partnership of five Jewish foundations working with Jewish Funders Network, is awarding grants to five Jewish arts and culture networks totaling $736,000 in operating support, and an additional $180,000 in immediate emergency relief for Jewish artists/creatives whose livelihood has been devastated by Covid-19 and its economic consequences. CANVAS expects to surpass $1 million in funding commitments by September. The group seeks to strengthen and build capacity in the field, with the ultimate goal of helping fuel a 21st-century renaissance in Jewish arts and culture.

CANVAS’ first grantees are Asylum Arts, the Council of American Jewish Museums (CAJM), the Jewish Book Council, LABA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture, and Reboot, which collectively represent nearly 2,000 artists and creatives and more than 100 Jewish museums. The five grantees will distribute the $180,000 emergency funds to individual artists in need.

Jewish creatives continue to shape our culture, even in lockdown. Now, more than ever, they entertain and distract us, empathize with and educate us, help us reflect and commiserate and open our hearts, reconnect with beauty, process the unthinkable, remind us to smile, help us to cry, capture the essential Jewish nature of these moments. And yet in almost all cases, artists are producing this work without pay. We want to support them as much as they support us.
– Lou Cove, founder of CANVAS

The infusion of new funding and philanthropic coordination from CANVAS comes at a time when artists and arts organizations of all kinds are facing major budget challenges due to Covid-19 and the forced cancellation of performances, exhibits, and other events.

Lead funding for CANVAS comes from the Righteous Persons Foundation. The other founding partners are: the Jim Joseph Foundation, the Klarman Family Foundation, the Peleh Fund, and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.

The $180,000 emergency fund for creatives is open to further investment and can be supported here.

CANVAS’ advisory council includes “RBG” Director Julie Cohen, Forward National Editor Rob Eshman, musician and Latin Grammy Award-winner Ben Gundersheimer (AKA Mister G), Executive Director at the International Contemporary Ensemble Jennifer Kessler, photographer and filmmaker Gillian Laub, former Sundance Executive Caroline Libresco, Editorial Director at Godfrey Dadich Partners Mary Melton, The Warhol Director Patrick Moore, and Broadway producer/ARS Nova founder Jenny Steingart.

Learn more about CANVAS and its grantees here.

Artist-Led Workshops to Increase Resiliency, Philanthropy Pop-Ups and Tools to Create Powerful New Rituals Support Teens, Parents and Youth Professionals

This May, the Jewish community is bringing the power of ‘Collective Compassion’ to National Mental Health Awareness Month (www.collectivecompassion2020.com).  Created by Jewish Teens Thrive, a project of the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative, Collective Compassion is a national response to the growing wellness needs of teens. Dozens of events and experiences, many in partnership with artists and organizations, draw on the power of Jewish creativity, culture, learning and values to support teens – and the adults that care about them.

Adolescence is a turbulent time, and COVID-19 is leaving many teens and their families reeling by creating a heightened sense of uncertainty, confusion and loss. We aim to both call attention to these challenges and offer teens and adults new self-care practices they can use all year long, and a deeper understanding of the many dimensions of mental health.
– Sara Allen, Executive Director of the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative

Collective Compassion is free and accessible to anyone. Highlights include:

• Creativity for Coping, a resilience-building workshop series led by Jewish artists including ‘Storytelling for Sanity,’ an intimate concert and open mic with musicians, movement exercises, and guidance on inventing new rituals to mark loss.
• Finding Purpose & Meaning with toolkits for Mental Health Shabbats, integrating gratitude into daily lives and philanthropy pop-ups for teens to support local wellness organizations.
• Education & Awareness with screenside chats and live Q&As with experts such as teen author and mental health advocate Sophie Regal, parent-focused discussions with Dr. Betsy Stone, and panels and trainings with youth professionals.
• Curated books and quarantine playlists.

Addressing and supporting issues of teen wellness has always been a foundation of our work in our Los Angeles Teen Initiative. We know Jewish community, ritual, and values have a tremendous amount to offer to support and inspire families and educators in this increasingly critical area. The current COVID-19 crisis only makes this issue that much more dynamic and essential. Parents and educators in Los Angeles have really appreciated meaningful offerings and programming on these issues, and we look forward to continuing to serve as a key resource.
– Shira Rosenblatt, Associate Chief Program Officer at The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

Those who work with teens are familiar with the statistics: One in 5 teens has had a serious mental health disorder; 50 percent of all mental illness begins by age 15; and among ages 15-24, suicide is the second leading cause of death.

Collective Compassion is supported by BBYO, The Blue Dove Foundation, Jewish Teen Funders Network, Jewish Teen Education & Engagement Professionals’ Network, Here Now, the URJ, the Mitsui Collective, Moving Traditions, and the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit and harnesses the creative spirit and wisdom of many artists and educators.

Adds Allen, “In this moment we turn to each other and our Jewish tradition with the belief that unity is strength. We are inspired by the ‘Collective Compassion’ of our community as we come together to raise awareness, build resilience and ultimately thrive.”

Taking Judaism’s sacred texts and building an online living library is a major undertaking. But that’s exactly what Sefaria has done. From Tanakh to Talmud to Zohar to modern texts—and all the volumes of commentary in between—Sefaria’s platform for Jewish learning enables students and scholars around the world to learn, discuss, question, and explore old texts in new ways. Today, more than 300,000 users access Sefaria each month. Many thousands more engage with Sefaria’s resources on third-party websites and apps that use Sefaria’s free data and API to power their projects.

Sefaria’s new two-way Linker is the latest major development for anyone interested in learning and exploring these sacred texts. The Linker automatically connects Torah content across the internet to primary sources in its library, and vice versa.

Websites that use the Linker give their users direct access to any primary sources they cite in Sefaria’s library, allowing curious learners to go deeper in their study. At the same time, the Linker brings the world of contemporary commentary to Sefaria by showing links in Sefaria’s sidebar to external websites that embed the free Linker code. Put simply, users can now explore beyond the confines of the Sefaria library and find relevant content from Jewish thinkers across the internet directly from Sefaria.org.

Example of the Linker connecting an external website to Sefaria’s library 

Example of the Linker connecting a primary source in Sefaria’s library to Torah commentary on a third-party website

 

The Sefaria project has become the digital home of the book for the people of the book. Sefaria is not just creating a vital online resource, but it is opening up our ancient heritage to a new generation on a global scale in a digital age.
—Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

With the launch of this new linker, Sefaria continues to emerge as the nexus of Torah on the internet, connecting more people with more great Jewish content and allowing for new layers of Torah study and conversation to flourish in the process.

The Linker is a free JavaScript plugin for websites that include citations to Torah texts. To learn how to add it to your website, visit Sefaria.

The Jim Joseph Foundation is a funder of Sefaria.

For 18 years, Reboot has gathered some of the best and brightest change-agents for conversations about Jewish identity and meaning.  This combined power of imagination and dialogue helps to turn big issues into transformative ideas. Now, Reboot is opening its doors to the public for the first time to amplify these vital voices and to bring in wider perspectives to inspire more wandering Jews to evolve today’s world. The Reboot Ideas Festival, March 26-29 in San Francisco, will be a deeply personal and communal exploration of the most pressing issues captivating the Jewish world and beyond. Through inspired conversations, curated experiences, live performances, and art-driven showcases, the Reboot Ideas Festival will take a candid look at contemporary challenges – social, spiritual, and psychic – and through art, culture, and imagination will conjure new pathways to address them.

The Ideas Festival reflects Reboot’s role as a unique arts and culture nonprofit reimagining and reinforcing Jewish thought and traditions. It is a premier R&D platform for the Jewish world, with its Rebooter Network of preeminent creators, artists, entrepreneurs, and activists producing experiences and products that advance the Jewish conversation and strive to transform society.

The Reboot Ideas Festival ushers in a new era for Reboot.  With it, Reboot is taking its methodology of asking the biggest Jewish questions of the day, revolving around core thoughts about what we are inheriting and what we want to do about it, and opening it up to a larger audience. During what feels to be a dark time, we are so excited to bring together such an amazing cast of characters to think about the Jewish future and how our traditions and stories can cast a light onto the world. – David Katznelson, CEO of Reboot

All Reboot projects imagine Jewish ritual and tradition afresh, offering an inviting mix of discovery, experience and reflection through events, exhibitions, recordings, books, films, DIY activity toolkits and apps. These projects have engaged over a million participants and continue to inspire Jewish connections and meaning by encouraging participants to become creators in their Jewish experience. The annual Reboot Summit convenes a diverse group of prominent Jewish change agents in an intellectually provocative environment that inspires them to discover new ways to engage with their Judaism.

Register for the Reboot Ideas Festival here.

The Jim Joseph Foundation is a funder of Reboot.

At the intersection of women’s wellness and Jewish wisdom, At The Well is engaging a new generation of women craving connection and wholeness. In just four years, At The Well’s worldwide network of Well Circles and resources rooted in this wisdom have empowered young leaders and made Jewish spirituality more personally meaningful for thousands of women today.

At The Well is an authentic, embodied reply to a question our generation has the luxury to ask: What makes Judaism relevant to us? We’ve seen first hand in Sophia’s/my circle how At The Well has transformed women who were disconnected completely from Jewish life into women who look to our traditions for meaning, spirituality and community. At The Well does this work with young Jewish women with inclusivity and integrity.
– Sophia and Benjamin Abram, Well Circle Host and Funders, Durham, North Carolina

The hundreds of Well Circles—monthly gatherings around the new moon and Hebrew month—each include about ten women with a shared mission, shared responsibility and a sacred sense of belonging. By creating space that blends biblical, talmudic, midrashic and modern texts, prayers, and rituals, Well Circles cultivate meaningful experiences and connections for participants. Importantly, every woman has a chance to lead their Well Circle as a confident host, using At The Well’s resources to facilitate discussion and activities about themes in each Hebrew month. This leadership role allows women in each Circle to not only grow more connected to their Jewish spirituality, but also to become stronger as Jewish leaders within their communities.

I met an empowering group of women through my Well Circle who helped me get a better grip on the version of Judaism that I was looking for. I’m now finding myself in countless places with a community of Jewish women and men…I feel confident for the first time talking about my version of Judaism.
– Nina Stepanov, Well Circle Attendee, New York

Beyond Well Circles, At The Well teaches, coaches, and facilitates other transformative Jewish practices for women in their network. They use the Mikvah as a technology for marking transitions. The laws of Niddah are reframed so that diverse women can connect more deeply to their bodies. And last year, more than 1,000 people counted the Omer with At The Well daily text messages and 860 people participated in a forgiveness campaign during the month of Elul.

All of these efforts help women from different backgrounds link Jewish practice to their health, wholeness, and spirituality—and combat the increasing epidemic of loneliness facing young adults today, which, along with depression and anxiety, are twice as prevalent with women than with men. Ultimately, At The Well offers a space to connect to one’s community, body, and spiritual life. Women come together to lift each other up and to build personal foundations for living healthy Jewish lives.

The Jim Joseph Foundation is a supporter of At The Well.

Challenges facing youth are greater than ever—and anxiety rates are spiking. From growing pressure on academic achievement, to the 24/7 cycle of social media, to the rise of hate speech and violence rooted in anti-Semitism, racism, and sexism, youth need help. For 15 years, Moving Traditions has engaged parents, communal leaders, clergy, educators, and concerned adults to help Jewish pre-teens and teens to navigate this terrain and to flourish. Now, having just implemented a five-year strategic plan, the organization is poised to influence even more Jewish youth and families at this critical time.

It’s two flagship teen programs—Rosh Hodesh for girls, and Shevet for boys—have impacted thousands of teens who say overwhelmingly that because of these programs they are better able to handle stress and tackle problems; they have stronger Jewish identities; they are more aware of gender stereotypes and inequality, and they are inspired to speak up for social change. Last year, drawing from those key learnings and in partnership with Keshet, Moving Traditions launched Tzelem, geared specifically to support transgender, nonbinary, gender fluid, or gender questioning teens in the same areas as Rosh Hodesh and Shevet does for others. Tzelem groups, led by a trans or non-binary group leader, bring together teens from all over the country once a month via video conference to focus on topics like courage, friendship, stress, body image, and spirituality.

Along with these programs for teens, Moving Traditions has introduced a new model of family education through its B’nai Mitzvah program, which works with clergy and Jewish educators to help families navigate this life stage by addressing the joys and challenges of becoming and parenting a teen. The programs fosters dialogue between parents and pre-teens, and addresses the social-emotional needs of 6th and 7th graders in our society.

We discussed the 4 guidelines for disagreements at dinner tonight! We seldom actually follow up like this. It really helped keep us calmer and more focused. We even have a plan for resolving the conflict. No yelling so no post-disagreement guilt, and I know we were trying to solve the problem rather than win the argument. I hope we can keep this up.
—Parent participant

In all of this work, Moving Traditions looks to help pre-teens and teens navigate these challenges so that they will thrive and find meaning in Jewish life. Partnerships with synagogues, JCCs, camps, and other innovative and emergent communities are integral in this approach and to proactively addressing urgent issues. The organization’s new CultureShift initiative, for example, prepares senior camp leaders to train counselors to prevent sexual harassment and assault and to promote a culture of safety, equity and respect at camp. As one camp leader succinctly put it: “Communicating boundaries is part of our job.” As another example, Kol Koleinu is a national feminist fellowship for teen activists, in partnership with the Union for Reform Judaism, that inspires 10th-12th grade participants to deepen their feminist knowledge, amplify their voices, exert leadership and reshape the world.

Moving Traditions’ reach and impact will grow in the coming years, building on successes from its early programs while also supporting teens and families in new ways. Through these efforts, Jewish wisdom will be integrated into learning experiences to help Jewish youth grapple with questions of gender and identity, to learn to relate to others with compassion and respect, and to develop a moral compass.

For a taste of Moving Traditions’ programming, visit and enjoy their six-episode NPR-style podcast, @13, with rabbis, authors, comedians, psychologists, parents, and teens speaking about the ancient roots and modern realities of this Jewish rite of passage.

The Jim Joseph Foundation is a funder of Moving Traditions.

Each summer, thousands of North American college-age students experience daily life in Israel—and what it takes to succeed there professionally—through Onward Israel’s two-month professional internship in Israel. More than 12,000 young adults have participated in Onward since 2012, attracted in part to the program’s accessible length and affordable price, making it one of the fastest-growing and impactful programs in the Jewish world.

My summer on Hillel Onward Israel Jerusalem was without a doubt one of the most incredible summers of my life…It was really amazing to have gone on a program that gives its participants the freedom to explore Israel as they wish. I interned at the Hebrew University Givat Ram in the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Department…Even today I am still in touch with the professor I worked with, as we are continuing our work together over email. Onward Israel Jerusalem intensified my passion for the land of Israel, gave me valuable research experience to take back to Cornell, and allowed me to personally connect with the land I consider to be my home.
– Emily, Hillel Onward Israel Jerusalem, summer 2017

Israel’s vibrant economy, thriving technology and innovation sectors, and multi-cultural landscape make it an ideal place for college-age students looking to have a resume-enhancing experience that builds life-skills and can help them when they enter the workforce. Because they are immersed in the Israeli workplace and society—they are placed in housing and have opportunities to tour the country—participants return home with greater knowledge, sense of connection, and engagement in Jewish life and Israel. Evaluations of participants before and after the program show that they increase their knowledge about diversity and variety in Israeli life, society, and politics; their sense of responsibility and connection to Israelis and the Jewish people; the ability to explain to others why being Jewish and engaging with Israel are important; and knowledge of Judaism, Jewish communities, and the diversity of approaches to Judaism.

So far, I have come to the conclusion that Israel is everything Alaska is not! Unlike in my hometown, here, in Jerusalem I am bombarded with the sound of traffic the minute I walk out my front door. The food, the sights, the music, and especially the environment are very different from anything I grew up with. Being in Jerusalem and working in the museum has given me a stronger understanding of the history of Israel, which means a greater appreciation of the ground I stand on today. I am here in Jerusalem basking in all the glory of my people’s hard work and could not feel more fortunate and more welcomed.
– Aidan, Onward Israel Arts and Culture, summer 2018

Importantly, research shows that these changes in participants continue for years after they return home. Other key findings from Onward Israel’s numerous evaluations, conducted by Rosov Consulting, show that:

• Internships and the framework for personal growth attracts young people with the potential to deepen their connection to Jewish life. More than 75% of participants have spent less than three months in Israel prior to the program. More than 90% of participants define themselves as Conservative, Reform, or Just Jewish.
• Participants are overwhelmingly satisfied with their internship and 90% of employers recommend to their peers to absorb interns.
• Alumni make plans to return to Israel and become more involved with Jewish and Israel activities back on their college campuses (Onward Israel is particularly attractive for Birthright Israel alumni who want to return to Israel).
• Onward Israel’s partnership model with Israeli businesses and organizations gives participants a customized experience and enables partners to achieve their own objectives.

I think Onward gave me a push to bring people together and explain more about Israel in a way where I could use my knowledge. I was a lot more informed. Maybe before, I could have also done it, but it gave me more confidence.
– Onward alumnus

Engaging in day-to-day life in Israel with all of its complexities and challenges gives participants an appreciation of the country and realistic and sophisticated understanding of both Israel and Jewish life. Building on this proven model, Onward is poised to engage even more young adults. It aspires to reach 5,000 annual participants by 2023 and to help bring half of all young adults who experience Israel before college or through Birthright Israel back to Israel for a second, more intensive experience. These participants, like their predecessors, will return home more connected, engaged, and inspired to become involved in Jewish life and Israel experience on campus and within their Jewish communities.

The Jim Joseph Foundation is a supporter of Onward Israel. To learn more about Onward Israel please visit www.onwardisrael.org.

In the midst of its second decade, Hadar offers a powerful, immersive Jewish text learning environment that empowers Jews to create vibrant, egalitarian communities of Torah, Avodah, and Hesed. In the last few years, in an increasingly socially fragmented world, Hadar has experienced unprecedented growth and demand for its programs. People are thirsty for Jewish content that authentically guides and inspires. In turn, Hadar learners want to share their meaningful experiences with others by creating community.

Hadar is a place where the Torah is sharp and the people are sweet, and being here has been an incredibly important and transformative experience for me. It’s one of the only places where I feel I can be honest about who I am and what I believe in and care about. I feel grateful to live in a world in which this beit midrash and this community exists.
– Alum of Hadar Fellowship

As Hadar implements an ambitious strategic plan–its annual budget now tops $6 million–new initiatives and programs continue to engage people with varying levels of knowledge, passions, and visions for future Jewish life. Hadar’s Rising Song Jewish Music Residency, a year-long immersive study program for students of Jewish music and spiritual tradition, trains musical change agents to cultivate Jewish spiritual life across the full, pluralistic range of Jewish expression. Its Moot Beit Din programs offers a unique mock-trial experience for halakhic debate in high schools and colleges. The Pedagogy of Partnership, powered by Hadar, focuses on relationship-centered education, training teachers to modify and advance their teaching practices. And the Advanced Kollel is for students with an extensive learning background committed to a multi-year intensive course of study.

More people than ever are engaging in these programs—there are over 600 alumni of Hadar’s summer and year-long fellowship programs, and 2,000 alumni of its dozen week-long programs. Hadar’s online podcasts, classes, and music offerings are downloaded by more than two million people annually. Hadar has also expanded regular programming outside New York in cities such as Washington, DC, Boston, Philadelphia and Jerusalem.

Hadar made me see the possibility of living a Jewish life that does not compromise my identity or my values.
– Participant in Hadar program

Hadar’s timely resources include a new High Holiday “reader,” a printable, designed, free collection of seasonal essays from their faculty. Hadar’s Israel operation is busy with its Elul program for university-age Israelis studying in an immersive all-Hebrew beit midrash setting that embodies Hadar’s vision of Jewish learning and an embrace of gender equality. And registration is open for Hadar’s second-ever National Shabbaton,  January 31, 2020, for a weekend of learning, community-building, prayer, and music. 

Deeply rooted in our texts and traditions, Hadar’s learning experiences are a creative response to contemporary questions and challenges. As Jews re-evaluate questions of identity and affiliation, Hadar is well-positioned to meet their needs and to impact diverse audiences through its vision of Torah that is uncompromisingly honest, spiritually meaningful, and socially responsible.

The Jim Joseph Foundation is a funder of Hadar. Access Hadar’s High Holiday reader here.

With a pioneering model of teaching and programming, the Berkeley Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies engages students and faculty in a rich environment of learning, research, and unique public events. In just eight years, the Institute has transitioned from a start-up to a permanent presence that cultivates young Jewish leadership and continues to change the landscape of Israel studies on campus and in the larger community.

The Institute offers numerous paths for meaningful student and faculty engagement, including opportunities for research, teaching, programming, and mentorship.  The Institute brings visiting faculty and scholars to campus and organizes classes, lectures, colloquia, and conferences to strengthen academic inquiry and discourse around Israel and Jewish topics. 

Visiting Israeli faculty and scholars offer courses and mentorship in diverse fields of interest, including Geography, Political Science, Anthropology, Near Eastern Studies, Jewish Studies, Law, and Economics. The Institute’s Undergraduate Fellows Program fosters a growing cohort of student leaders that in turn create programs and courses for their peers. This cohort will now be able to take advantage of the Institute’s developing  experiential learning program in Israel, which will include on-site coursework and internships with a focus on social change.

It’s great to have such constant offerings from the Institute. These events have piqued my interest in Jewish and Israel topics and I find that I seek out other opportunities to learn more, outside of campus. I’ve always been interested in the news even before being part of the Institute, but now there is a good chance I’ll stay actively involved in keeping up with academic literature that deals with Israel and international relations.
– UC Berkeley Student

In recent years, the Institute hosted the annual meeting of the Association for Israel Studies, brought Israeli Supreme Court Justice Daphne Barak-Erez as The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Scholar-in-Residence, sponsored courses ranging from Israeli Constitutional Law to Religion in Israel, and hosted up to five stellar visiting professors per year to teach and mentor in their areas of expertise.

Staff are amazing at being resources for us even outside of the class and lectures. . . If there is something I want to do that is Israel- or Jewish-related, they’ll go out of their way. The Institute feels like family. At this point, they’ve been instrumental in shaping my college experience.
– UC Berkeley Student

In the 2019-2020 academic year, the Institute will expand and diversify undergraduate courses, student programs, academic programs, and especially experiential learning opportunities. This also is the first year in which Professor Ron Hassner, the Institute’s faculty co-director, will serve as the new Helen Diller Family Chair in Israel Studies.

The Berkeley Institute made academic study of Judaism and Israel a legitimate field of study and discourse on the Berkeley campus. It put Jewish studies and Israel studies back on the map. In the last 3 years alone the Institute has exposed to us for the first time Israel’s water policies, Israel’s high tech, Israel’s supreme court, Israel’s philosophy. These were things you could talk about and research.
– Faculty Member

The Berkeley Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies receives support from the Jim Joseph Foundation. Learn more about the Institute.

Working for the full equality and inclusion of LGBTQ Jewish youth and families in all parts of the Jewish community, Keshet engages and educates leaders and creates environments where people can be their whole selves.

Keshet offers teens and Jewish youth professionals ongoing and immersive training to shift the culture of Jewish institutions to greater inclusivity – grounding the work of LGBTQ inclusion in Jewish text and values. At Keshet’s Shabbat retreats—Shabbatonim—LGBTQ and ally Jewish teens can exhale and find their place and voice as emerging Jewish leaders. They build meaningful friendships, engage in deep Jewish learning, and return home inspired to make the world a better place.

Keshet didn’t just make me feel wanted or like I could exist. Keshet made me feel like I could be a leader.
– Jake Cohen, 16, California

Last year, Keshet expanded the Shabbatonim to include the South and Midwest, in addition to those held in the East and West Coasts, so more queer Jewish teens have the space to be their full selves. All of this is in addition to Keshet’s year-round work engaging queer Jewish teens through programs, conferences, and workshops, and through training more than 1,500 youth professional who work with teens.

The Shabbaton has been the place where I can most be me—fully, unapologetically, truly, wholly me.
– Alexandra Kohl, 21, New York

Beyond youth engagement, through Keshet’s Leadership Project (LP)—a year-long program that gathers, trains, and supports leaders of Jewish institutions to become more inclusive of LGBTQ individuals and families—Jewish leaders gain the tools to embrace LGBTQ Jews from all walks of life. Keshet engages rabbis, educators, and other leaders in synagogues, Jewish day schools, JCCs, youth movements, summer camps, and other community institutors across the country, pushing them to take brave, bold steps to make their institutions inclusive. Keshet’s nine active LP cohorts, comprised of 103 institutions that collectively serve 843,021 people, help ensure that LGBTQ Jews are fully seen, respected, and affirmed.

Keshet was a game-changer for our camp! We now have a crystal clear understanding of LGBTQ terminology and the confidence to use it. Our counselors are much more intentional about the language they use to express the gender diversity among our campers. Thanks to Keshet, our campers and their families know that they will be fully embraced for who they are.
– Sheryl Kirschenbaum, Director of Surprise Lake Camp, New York

Keshet’s vision is to build on these successes as it expands its efforts toward the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews and families in Jewish life. By building relationships with Jewish leaders and institutions, and by creating opportunities for youth to grow and lead, Keshet fosters a Jewish community rooted in inclusion and human dignity—that ultimately shapes a better world for all.

The Jim Joseph Foundation is one of many funders of Keshet. Learn more here.

Building on its record as a leading center of Jewish thought and education, the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America has ambitious plans to build a vibrant Jewish community. Moving forward, the Institute is poised to grow and expand, with a vision to:

• Make Judaism compelling in the open marketplace of ideas.
• Commit our community to pluralism despite divisive partisan politics.
• Partner with Israelis to build an exemplary Jewish state.
• Foster partnerships between Jewish leaders and leaders of other communities.
• Nurture connections between American Jews and Israel.

Throughout 2019 and beyond, Hartman is expanding its reach and ability to effect change. New offices allow it to have impact in communities across the country. The Institute has more leaders, and more diverse leaders, in place than ever before, ready to build meaningful relationships with rabbis, educators, and leaders of other faiths. More research will be conducted by the Institute’s Kogod Research Center and David Hartman Center, with more research opportunities for scholars of today–and tomorrow. New program initiatives will be unveiled and expanded addressing some of the most pressing issues in Jewish life today–from Jewish values and American democracy, to Israel education, to how Judaism is taught at different points in life, to gender and equality, and more.

Learn more about the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America’s plans for expansion.