From Mexico to the Jim Joseph Foundation: Welcome to the World of Grantmaking

Insights from One of the Foundation’s Newest Team Members

I’m from Mexico City, where I grew up in a small-ish but mighty Jewish community. My parents are active lay leaders and have worked in several organizations within the Jewish community to support both Israel and Mexico for most of their lives. I’ve always actively participated in Jewish communal life, but am only now working as a Jewish professional in the U.S.

The Mexican Jewish community has around 44,000 people, with “sub-communities” of Ashkenazi (Eastern-European origins), Sefaradi (Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Turkish origins), Shami (Damascus origins), and Halebi (Aleppo origins) Jews. Each has its synagogues, schools, and institutions, yet all are overseen by a Central Committee and all participate in umbrella organizations like Keren Hayesod and WIZO. Everyone has access to communal institutions and services, like the Jewish Sports Center. In this way, each sub-community can maintain its distinct traditions and customs while working together to create a stronger, broader Jewish community.

Even though I’ve lived in the U.S. for six years and have been part of Jewish life here, there are nuances to the American community that I am only now beginning to understand. It’s very different when a Jewish community has millions of people (like in the U.S.) compared to just tens of thousands where everyone seemingly knows, or knows of, each other (like in Mexico). I even ran into my dad’s architect at this year’s BBYO International Convention (IC)! He was accompanying the first Mexican delegation to participate at an IC.

Now as a Program Officer at the Jim Joseph Foundation, part of my onboarding is to increase my understanding of the multifaceted American Jewish community while using my experience from Mexico (and other countries where I’ve had the privilege to live and study) to enhance my work. Having several perspectives and a broader worldview, I believe, enables me to better support the grantee-partners with whom I engage. I’m on a learning tour that is fascinating and eye opening in many ways.

I’ve learned from Prizmah about the impact of Jewish Day Schools and challenges they face in the American Jewish community (in Mexico, 90% of Jewish kids go to Jewish schools). I’ve seen the leadership and community-building skills teens acquire with BBYO. I visited Hillels at Berkeley and Stanford and saw how staff help make the college experience meaningful for Jewish students (especially after October 7) while also helping them learn what kind of Jewish life they can create as independent adults. I’ve made art with the Jewish Studio Project to help me process grief and uncertainty. I studied with Hadar and became curious about aspects of Judaism I didn’t even know existed. I’ve learned about AI and the impact of social media on antisemitism with 70 Faces Media, and breathe a little deeper every time I listen to Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi on Shalom Hartman Institute’s For the Sake of Heaven podcast. I’m looking forward to visiting more grantees and understanding their work in greater depth.

At the same time, when I work with grantee-partners I also bring to bear my past experience in several entrepreneurial ventures, mainly in adult education. As a CEO seeking funding, I experienced firsthand the strong bond a positive grantee-funder relationship can build. I understand the joys, pains, and multiple roles that founders of small (and not-so-small) organizations must take on. I am happy to have learned that a key element of the Foundation’s grantmaking approach is to build strong, honest, and fruitful relationships with grantee-partners. My experience helps me empathize more with our grantees, especially in our Build Grants portfolio that aims to support newer and growing organizations. I am especially excited about our growing capacity building work, in which I am exploring new areas to support grantees while also leaning on my facilitator and entrepreneur background to tailor services to their needs.

Particularly after October 7^th, we see the enormous efforts (and myriad challenges) of grantee-partners to support Jewish learning and engagement—and the educators and leaders who make it possible. It is both a personal and professional honor to do my part and see the ripple effects of our work.

I have been immersed in this work for six months, and my learning has only begun. It is a privilege to work with incredibly knowledgeable and kind team members and mentors at the Jim Joseph Foundation, colleagues from other foundations, and grantee-partners. Every time I talk with a grantee, attend a conference or site visit, or read new research, I think ‘what a fantastic infrastructure the Jewish community has built, in Israel, Mexico, the US, and the rest of the Diaspora, that enables all these organizations to exist, flourish and make our lives better’. Kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, indeed.

Orly Goldsmith is a Program Officer at the Jim Joseph Foundation