News & Blogs Category: Featured Partner

Celebrating its fourth year, JCC Manhattan’s Jewish Journey Project (JJP) is an innovative supplemental Jewish education program for 3rd – 7th graders based on  four visionary pillars: flexibility, innovation, collaboration and community. Together with congregational partners from around the area, JJP has engaged more than 800 children and their families by using the rich and diverse history of New York City as an experiential “classroom.” Some of its most popular courses are Architecture: DIY Jewish Building, In the Footsteps of American Jewish History: A Walking Course, JJP NYC Museum Hop, and FoodCraft: The Jewish Culinary Tradition.

In addition, JJP’s innovative Hebrew Homepage is an internet-based, one-on-one video conferencing Hebrew-language learning model with college students as tutors. Each student engages in a weekly 30 minute online session with their tutor (that they both schedule), choosing from a Learn to Read Hebrew track for beginners, a Reading Fluency for Prayerbook Hebrew, and soon a Modern Hebrew track.

Hebrew Homepage was a wonderful experience for our family. While I was initially unsure about “virtual” teaching, the kids were actually more engaged than they ever seemed to be in the classroom setting. The secret ingredients in this approach are the wonderful tutors who are knowledgeable and great with kids. This was especially true for my son with special needs. Not only did he get 1:1 support that matched his pace but his tutor was highly sensitized to his unique learning style and flexible with lesson plans.

—Lisa Fleisher, parent of JJP student

Synagogues and families tell JJP they are interested in the benefits that the Hebrew Homepage can offer all students, whether or not they are enrolled in JJP. Responding to this demand, JJP will roll out the Hebrew Homepage as a stand-alone service that any congregation or student can subscribe to, to strengthen their Hebrew acquisition. As a way of becoming a sustainable venture beyond the pilot funding phase, Hebrew Homepage will become a fee-for-service program that will help offset the philanthropic contributions that launched JJP.

Along with Hebrew Homepage, JJP, in partnership with Behrman House, continues to offer Shalom Hebrew, a free app that teaches the alef-bet and basic Hebrew decoding skills through a variety of modalities, including animation, images, slideshows, texts, sound cues, customized flash cards, interactive readings, activities and games, and recordings. And, since JJP engages many families with little or no previous involvement in Jewish institutional and synagogue life, it developed an alternative B’nai Mitzvah ceremony—a Brit Atid. Over the course of a year, 7th grade students and parents meet six times for family learning, and students meet weekly in their own class, Judaism On One Foot: Bring It Home and Making It Your Own. Students also study individually with a teacher to read and discuss their Torah portion, and develop a response to this portion that might be a video, musical performance, or an interactive experience for guests. The actual Brit Atid is a communal celebration where families and friends gather to share their presentations on their Torah portions.

In just four years, JJP has demonstrated how innovative educational experiences—with New York as its “classroom”—engage all kinds of families in Jewish life. Now, with JJP’s new sustainable Hebrew language instruction model, even more families will be able to access meaningful Jewish learning.

The Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded two grants to the Jewish Journey Project totaling $500,000.

This fall, Repair the World will make the case that a Jewish community united in service will strengthen itself as well as the world.

Service Matters: A Summit on Jewish Service

When: Thursday, September 15, 2016 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Where: 237 Park Avenue; Entrance on Lexington Avenue ,New York, New York 10017

The Summit will bring together a diverse group of professionals, social entrepreneurs, current and prospective funders, Jewish educators, and others working to engage people—especially Jewish millennials—in meaningful service through a Jewish lens.

Join Service Matters if you are looking for solutions to build meaningful Jewish connections with young Jews who care about social justice; leading, innovating or thinking about Jewish engagement effectiveness as a professional, social entrepreneur, philanthropist, educator; or eager to learn (or share!) where and why service through a Jewish lens is engaging tens of thousands and keeping them engaged, building new forms of Jewish community.

Learn more about the confirmed speakers and breakout sessions, and register here

The Wexner Field Fellowship is a leadership learning opportunity for high potential full-time Jewish communal professionals to deepen their leadership skills and develop a rich network of colleagues.  Up to 15 exceptional professionals will be selected for a three-year program with a cohort of lifelong professional learners that is focused on enriching their ability to exercise leadership as Jewish professionals.

Wexner Field Fellows are matched one-on-one with an executive coach, as well as a Jewish educator to expand their leadership skills and Jewish knowledge respectively based on their individual needs. Additionally, Wexner Field Fellows can also receive financial reimbursement towards individualized professional development.  Fellows join a diverse professional community that encourages learning about one’s self as a leader though interactions with people of varying backgrounds and viewpoints. Wexner Field Fellows benefit from the mentorship of staff and faculty at The Wexner Foundation, as well as the connections to our extensive alumni network which serve as a professional community throughout fellows’ careers. To learn more about the eligibility requirements and awards, and to submit a pre-application for the Field Fellowship, please click here.  This program is initiated in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation.

Bonded by a shared passion for Jewish Outdoor, Food, and Environmental Education (JOFEE), more than 160 professionals from federations, JCCs, camps, independent Jewish organizations, and secular institutions, along with
emerging leaders, funders, and many more community stakeholders, came together at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center earlier this month for the first-ever JOFEE Network Gathering.

Participants were welcomed by Hazon President & CEO Nigel Savage, conference organizer Julie Botnick, and Steven Green of the Jim Joseph Foundation and learned from each other and from leading educators who are pushing the boundaries of dynamic JOFEE programming, both inside and outside of the classroom. JOFEE Fellows—young, talented leaders receiving year-long training and placements at JCC’s and JOFEE organizations across the country—met one-on-one with mentors during the Gathering, which was the culmination for them of three weeks of intensive training. There was hands-on learning about topics from wild edibles to indigenous peoples to shechita; a visioning session where any participant could share thoughts on the future of JOFEE; and a moving presentation from 87-year-old Rabbi Everett Gendler on modern practices of counting the Omer (the Gendler family generously supports the Gendler Grapevine grants; many of the grantees were at the conference). In addition to stalwart organizations such as Hazon, Pearlstone Center, Urban Adamah, and Wilderness Torah, new ventures such as the Jewish Initiative for Animals were introduced to the broader community.

I felt that the most powerful component of the event was the fact that every interaction that I had was full of positivity and mindfulness. I was so impressed and inspired by the number of people who are together on this journey.

– Meg Mastroianni, JOFEE Network Gathering participant

 

The 2014 report, Seeds of Opportunity: A National Study of Immersive JOFEE Education, demonstrated the growing demand for Jewish learning experiences grounded in the relationship between Jewish tradition and the natural world. The report showed that JOFEE programming breathes fresh life into Jewish organizations and fosters an emerging group of leaders and community members who may not have otherwise found connections to the broader Jewish community. As Jewish communities discover the power of JOFEE, the need for skilled leaders and educators increases as well.

This gathering, along with JOFEE Fellowship, are the result of collaborative, cross-organizational efforts to create more professional pathways and to help communities deliver the highest-quality JOFEE programming. Participants left inspired about the growing interest and innovations in JOFEE, and with a commitment to each other to maintain ongoing and impactful relationships to strengthen their growing network.

 

The JOFEE Fellowship training program was one of the most phenomenal training experiences I have been a part of. I feel deeply fortunate to have spent the last three weeks learning, challenging myself, and deepening my connection to Judaism and the natural world — and even more fortunate to have spent this time in a supportive, passionate community of JOFEE educators… Before starting this training, I was unsure of how the program would go, or how committed I felt to the JOFEE world. After three weeks of a wonderfully planned, well-funded, and inspiring program, I can safely say that I have fallen in love with the JOFEE field and plan to stay in it for a long time. This work is essential to the modern Jewish community here in the U.S.

– Bailey Lininger, Tamarack JOFEE Fellow

With an increasingly strong network, field leaders are poised to bring JOFEE to more participants and communities, and to support individuals, organizations, and institutions who care deeply about this vibrant form of Jewish life and learning.

The Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded multiple grants to support the research that led to the JOFEE report (Seeds of Opportunity: A National Study of Immersive Jewish Outdoor, Food, and Environmental Education (JOFEE) and to support the JOFEE Fellowship, including grants to Hazon, Pearlstone Center (MD), Urban Adamah, and Wilderness Torah (CA).

Earlier this year, the first-ever national CEO Onboarding program for chief executive-level organizational leaders in the American Jewish community launched with its initial cohort. The eleven members of cohort one—a diverse representation of federations, service agencies, and other organizations that connect Jewish individuals and families to contemporary Jewish life experiences—already have held virtual convenings and begun one-on-one coaching and mentorship with experienced CEOs, thought leaders, and expert consultants. One of the most compelling parts of CEO Onboarding is the strength of our cohort.

One of the most compelling parts of CEO Onboarding is the strength of our cohort. We come from different backgrounds and experiences, but we now are growing together as a powerful network. I know these colleagues will be resources to whom I can reach out long after the program officially concludes. And it is incredibly gratifying to know we are being invested in in this way, given the opportunity to learn together and to learn from veteran leaders both inside and outside of our field.

–  Stefanie Rhodes, Slingshot Fund, member of CEO Onboarding Cohort One

From June 5 – 7, CEO Onboarding will bring the entire cohort together for the program’s first in-person convening in Chicago. This gathering includes some sessions geared specifically to leaders of Jewish organizations and other sessions on leadership strategies and approaches relevant to any field. Among the areas of focus and skill building is one on Adaptive Leadership led by Marty Linsky, Co-Founder, Cambridge Leadership Associates, and Karen Lehman, Principal, Adaptive Leadership LLC; a session on the Psychology of Giving led by Marian Stern, Principal, Projects in Philanthropy; a session on critical work in Financial Planning and Fiduciary Responsibility led by Hilda Polanco CPA, CCSA, Founder and Managing Director, Fiscal Management Associates; and a discussion on Israel and the American Jewish Community led by Ariel Roth, Ph.D., CEO, The Israel Institute and John Ruskay, Ph.D., CEO, Emeritus, UJA Federation of New York; among others. The convening was originally scheduled to be in North Carolina, but has been moved after the state passed its anti-LGBTQ law.

Over the next decade, literally hundreds of Jewish 501c3 organizations in the United States will hire new CEOs—creating both significant organizational uncertainty, but also unique windows of opportunity to equip incoming leaders with enhanced skills to achieve and to maintain organizational excellence. CEO Onboarding invests in new CEOs within their critical first 18 months in their new position to capitalize on this opportunity. The program incorporates executive coaching, in-person convenings, and a unique on-the-ground Israel experience in a holistic approach to professional development for a distinguished group of communal organization CEOs.

Cohort one members are:

CEO Onboarding is stewarded by TBF Consulting, a management consulting practice that emphasizes leadership development and transformational change. CEO Onboarding is funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation and other funders and is being operated in partnership with Leading Edge.

It’s not that the Jewish piece makes me like volunteering more, the volunteering makes me like my Judaism more.
– Volunteer with Repair the World

Since 2009, Repair the World has worked to make volunteer service a defining element of American Jewish life. Through Repair, tens of thousands of young adults engage in meaningful service opportunities infused with Jewish values and learning that help make the world a better place.

Repair the World’s flagship Communities program, launched in 2013, is a driving force behind this national Jewish service movement. Focused on food and education justice, the program places full-time fellows in cities (Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and New York City) to build volunteer initiatives alongside local non-profit organizations. As fellows and volunteers help communities in need, they also engage in Jewish and civic learning about personal reflection about their service work.

Building Jewish Community through Volunteer Service—a summary of an independent evaluation of the first two years of the program—shows that the Communities’ model is bearing fruit. The program’s efforts to connect Jewish volunteers with pressing local needs drives positive outcomes both for Jewish engagement and for serving communities. An especially critical finding is that these service opportunities are highly attractive to young Jewish adults who have had little or no previous engagement in Jewish life. Other important findings from the summary report are that:

• Service through a Jewish lens can be “sticky” and keep participants engaged.
• Participants build new forms of Jewish communities around their service.
• Service connects meaningfully to Jewish identity formation and Jewish values.
• One-time and ongoing volunteers positively impact each other.

Repair’s program in Pittsburgh is empowering young adults to help others, to organize, to learn and to connect with peers. We like seeing these young adults feel more connected to Jewish values, and we really like knowing that these activities are turning into deeper, more ongoing forms of connection and community.
– Jeff Finkelstein, President/CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh

Part of the Slingshot Class of 2016 in recognition of its innovative approach to Jewish life and engagement, Repair the World is the only organization devoted exclusively to engaging young Jewish adults as volunteers. Repair will hold a Jewish Service Summit September 15^th in New York to bring people together to further explore volunteer service infused with Jewish values. Stay tuned for more information.

The Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded $10 million to Repair the World. Read Building Jewish Community through Volunteer Service.

Building on the success of Specialty Camps Incubator I and II, Foundation for Jewish Camp and the Jim Joseph Foundation announced Incubator III, which will create four new Jewish specialty camps and continue the effort to achieve the joint vision of both foundations: to increase experiential Jewish learning, strengthen Jewish continuity, and foster strong Jewish social networks among Jewish children and teens.

Specialty Camps Incubator offers a forum to pilot new educational models by integrating Jewish learning with activities that kids are passionate about – the environment, performing arts, sports, and outdoor adventure.  The Incubator also successfully establishes new sustainable business models for Jewish camps by not requiring burdensome capital investment since the camps are required to rent existing properties.

Incubator III will launch four new Jewish specialty camps, provide funding to the new camps during their planning, start-up and first three years of operation, and evaluate the progress of each camp’s development.  Each new camp will receive start-up investment and operational funding for three years of up to $1.4 million, pegged to performance goals.

The first two Specialty Camps Incubators, funded initially by the Jim Joseph Foundation and then later joined by The AVI CHAI Foundation, was modeled on a business incubator, formed to accelerate the launch of entrepreneurial ventures.  The camps launched through Incubator I and II have already served more than 5,000 unique campers in six years.

“The Specialty Camps Incubators have raised the profile of Jewish camp and has allowed the field to continue to expand, grow, and attract children and teens from all backgrounds,” explains Jeremy J. Fingerman, CEO, FJC.  “We are grateful for the Jim Joseph Foundation’s incredible investment in our field.”

FJC expects these four new specialty camps will serve annually, in aggregate, 1,200 campers and 160 college-aged counselors by the conclusion of the grant period (December 2020, after three summers).  The experienced Incubator team will provide expert training and mentoring to support the Specialty Camp Incubator III cohort as they plan and implement their vision for new models of Jewish specialty camps.

“Specialty camps continue to gain in popularity and have proven to be a very worthy investment,” adds Al Levitt, President of the Board of Directors of the Jim Joseph Foundation. “Now, we can apply previous lessons learned as we launch four new specialty camps with innovative ideas in underserved areas. With FJC’s leadership and expertise in the field, these camps will be positioned to incorporate experiential Jewish learning along with excellence in programming.”

FJC is now accepting proposals for four new specialty camps. The RFP can be found at:  www.JewishCamp.org/incubator.  

The Jim Joseph Foundation grant supporting Specialty Camps Incubator III is for up to $10 million.

A new resource from the Yiddish Book Center helps teachers make Jewish literature and culture more accessible for students of nearly all ages. Developed after the Center’s Great Jewish Books Teacher Workshop in 2015, the website www.teachgreatjewishbooks.org is an ever-growing collection of textual, audio, and visual materials designed to support those who teach modern Jewish literature and culture.

The resource kits were created by elementary, middle, and high school teachers, and by college professors, from across the U.S. and Canada. Each kit explores a thought-provoking text or theme and includes primary and secondary sources—poems, photographs, audio recordings, film excerpts, and songs—as well as a guide to using them in the classroom, making it easy for teachers to enrich and expand their curricula.

 The Yiddish Book Center also is accepting applications now through April 15, 2016 for its summer workshop, taking place July 17-22, 2016 in Amherst, Massachusetts. Join other teachers of Jewish secondary and supplementary schools interested in enriching their curricula with materials that reflect the variety and depth of modern Jewish literature and culture. Participants come from a wide range of schools and educational programs around the country and teach literature, history, Jewish studies, theater, film, and other subjects. The Workshop is fully subsidized for participants.

Before this program, I was feeling uninspired and not at all excited about teaching American Literature this coming year. I came away with a million new ideas and ways to present them! I will plan a short story unit, a poetry unit, and a research unit based on what I covered at this program. I will incorporate important Jewish literature into my curricula at every level and I also learned new ways to present multi­media and guide my students to present in a variety of formats.
                                                                                                                                                                       –   Educator after the 2015 Workshop

 The Jim Joseph Foundation grant to the Great Jewish Books Teacher Workshop was awarded in 2014 to support workshops in 2015 and 2016, along with follow-up programs.

UJA-Federation of New York knows that Jewish day schools play a vital role in fostering a knowledgeable and engaged Jewish community, and inspiring the next generation of leaders. At the same time, the cost of a day school education presents a challenge to many families. To alleviate this burden, while helping to ensure that schools have the ability to run academically excellent programs, UJA-Federation of New York launched the Day School Challenge Fund. This initiative aims to

jump start the development of endowments—and change communal norms around endowment giving—for day schools in the New York metropolitan area.

The Day School Challenge Fund utilizes a proven development strategy designed to make excellent Jewish learning more affordable and accessible to families. Different than a contribution to be used immediately, endowments help schools achieve financial stability, increased affordability, and educational excellence for years to come. Endowment funds raised by schools are matched by commitments from foundations and individual donors.

This is a groundbreaking initiative for families with children in Yeshivas and day schools. It will help secure the future of our children’s education for generations to come. I cannot think of anything more vital to Jewish continuity.
  –  Rabbi Yaakov Bender, Dean, Yeshiva Darchei Torah

Now, the 20 current participating schools—representing the diverse spectrum of Jewish day schools in terms of denomination, size, and location—are in the planning stage of their campaigns. The inaugural Day School Challenge Fund conference in early February, which heads of schools, development directors, and board lay leaders attended, inspired, motivated, and educated the schools’ leadership to go out and successfully raise endowment funds. At the conference, school leaders further developed relationships with each other, learned about different endowment development practices, and strengthened their ability to make the case for endowment giving. Other schools are considering joining the initiative as well.

At Schechter Westchester, we are in the midst of very exciting innovations in such areas as computer science, engineering, the arts, and experiential Jewish education. Year-to-year financial pressures and enrollment fluctuations make it difficult, however, for a tuition-driven school to invest adequately in such program development. A substantial endowment will provide the long-term stability and certainty that are required to achieve the peerless program that we seek to develop and keep it accessible to as many families as possible—and the extraordinary generosity of UJA-Federation and its funding partners, through the Day School Challenge Fund, has provided the stimulus that our school community needs to dedicate ourselves fully to this effort.
  – Michael A. Kay, Head of School, Solomon Schechter School of Westchester

From left to right: Sara Nathan, Chair of UJA-Federation’s Commission on Jewish Identity and Renewal; Alisa Doctoroff, President of UJA-Federation and Jim Joseph Foundation Board Member; and Paula Gottesman, President, Paula and Jerry Gottesman Family Supporting Foundation, and Chair, Greater MetroWest Day School Advisory Council

The Day School Challenge Fund is an unparalleled opportunity for schools to incentivize past, present, and prospective donors to make meaningful endowment gifts. Throughout the initiative, the schools will continue to receive support through UJA-Federation’s comprehensive training program that includes webinars, conferences, and individualized strategic consulting sessions for each participating school.

The Jim Joseph Foundation is one of eight funders that have contributed to UJA Federation of New York for the Day School Challenge Fund, totaling $51 million in matching funds that will be part of a total endowment of nearly $150 million.

Earlier this month, national and local leaders from across the Jewish world gathered in Baltimore to network, to learn from one another, and to hear about the latest developments in Jewish teen education and engagement. The 2016 Summit on Jewish Teens addressed areas such as teen leadership development, diversity and inclusion, “tikkun olam,” teen entrepreneurship, teens and tech, and Israel, along with other teen engagement and education areas.

Along with Maimonides Fund, The Marcus Foundation, Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Awards

Committee, and Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, the Jim Joseph Foundation was pleased to serve as a host of the Summit.

The Summit is only one example of the Foundation’s commitment to supporting dynamic teen Jewish learning experiences and to advancing this field. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than $37 million to community-based initiatives within the framework of the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative—which includes national and local funders from ten communities working together to expand and deepen Jewish teen learning and engagement.

Members of the Foundation professional team visit frequently with the communities to learn more about each initiative and the new offerings available to teens. Recent and upcoming visits to Los Angeles, New York, and Denver/Boulder are representative of initiatives at different stages of implementation—all of which already are changing the landscape of teen Jewish life in their communities. Other communities with community-based teen initiatives underway include Boston, Chicago, Baltimore, and San Diego.

The Foundation deeply appreciated seeing practitioners, researchers, funders, and other education and communal leaders at the Summit, and it will continue to share lessons learned about Jewish teen education with the field.

The first-ever national CEO Onboarding program designed for high-level organizational leaders in the American Jewish community is now accepting applications. Learn more at leadingedge.org/CEOonboarding or download the flier to the right.

It’s no secret that the vibrant, immersive environment of Jewish summer camp is one of the most meaningful and resonate learning experiences for youth today. For 17 years, Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) has supported Jewish overnight camps across the country, working with camps from various backgrounds and practice to promote excellence in their management, programming, marketing and enrollment.

FJC’s newest initiative, Hiddur—which in Hebrew refers to the concept of beautifying or enhancing a Jewish ritual by appealing to the senses—is a pilot project focused on helping camps deliver even more substantive and effective Jewish educational experiences that align with each camp’s unique Jewish mission.

Over the last several years camps have significantly improved their Jewish learning offerings. Yet FJC recognizes that Jewish education at many camps is still a work in progress with great opportunity. The Hiddur Initiative is designed to capitalize on this by pairing camps with expert coaches to create new ways to change and expand Jewish culture at camp. The first Hiddur cohort of eight camps will focus on the specific Jewish experiential learning outcomes they want to see in their campers, staff, and camp community.  What do the camps want these audiences to know, value, and do differently after having spent time in their camp? What activities will foster these outcomes? Hiddur will help answer these questions—both on paper and in practice—and will focus on outcomes in a range of ritual areas:

 Klal Yisrael: Jewish Peoplehood — Shomrei Adama: Nature and Environment — Ivrit: Hebrew Language — Eretz Yisrael: Connection to Israel — Marking Sacred Time — Tikkun Olam: Social Justice — Tikkun Middot: Personal Ethics — Spirituality and Mindfulness

An ambitious list to be sure. But Hiddur will help camps establish and enhance systems so they can realize their Jewish missions. Utilizing the cohort-framework proven successful in past FJC initiatives, the inaugural Hiddur camps have committed to a three-year process of learning and growth. The coaches—all seasoned leaders in the field of Jewish camp and organizational life—will guide the camps to enhance Jewish experiential education. Each camp will form a Hiddur team, including professional and lay leadership, to ensure that their Hiddur efforts align with and impact the broader vision of the camp community. Camps will also have access to Ignition Grants to fund new Jewish initiatives.

The inaugural Hiddur cohort is comprised of B’nai B’rith Camp in Neotsu, OR; B’nai B’rith Perlman Camp in Lake Como, PA; Camp Daisy & Harry Stein in Prescott, AZ; Camp Judaea in Hendersonville, NC; Camp Sabra in Rocky Mt., MO; Camp Tel Noar in Hampstead, NH; Emma Kaufmann Camp in Morgantown, WV; and Herzl Camp in Webster, WI.

As a Community of Practice in Hiddur, these camps will share experiences and learn together to offer the best Jewish experiential learning. Both FJC and the Jim Joseph Foundation believe that learnings from Hiddur will be utilized by camps outside of the pilot program as well. And with almost 80,000 campers and 11,000 college-aged counselors annually, Jewish camp continues to grow. With the support of FJC, these youth will engage in some of the most meaningful, effective, and fun Jewish learning—shaping them for the rest of their lives.

The Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded numerous grants to the Foundation for Jewish Camp. Its grant to Hiddur is for up to $774,970 over three years.