Weekly Round-up February 4-9
Dear Colleagues,
There was a flurry of activity this week on Capitol Hill as both the House and Senate took up bills for military assistance to Israel. The House narrowly voted down the $17.6 billion Republican-led bill as Democrats insisted on incorporating assistance to Ukrainea and international humanitarian funding. However, the Senate bill, which includes $14.1 billion for Israel, $400 million in Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funds, $60.1 billion for Ukraine, and $10 billion in humanitarian aid, hasadvanced. The passage of aid to Israel and a higher level of funding for the NSGP were major goals of our Advocacy Fly-In last week; we will continue to monitor this situation closely.
Over 250 Federation professionals and lay leaders–including members of our Board of Trustees, CEOs, local Allocations Committee Chairs, Senior Planners and Israel professionals–met this week to learn, plan, and collaborate vis-a-vis our Israel allocations work. We discussed the incredible impact of our allocations to date, aligned on where we are in the process, and shared ideas for strategies going forward. Participants shared that they came away with a deeper belief in the power of our system, along with a desire to deepen our collaboration even further. To read the email that was sent out to the participants after the gathering, including a slew of resources, recordings, and links, click here.
Our Israel and Overseas Committee’s Core Allocations Task Force also released a new report detailing the crucial role that Federation core funding plays in the ongoing, lifesaving work of both the Jewish Agency for Israel and JDC. Please also review the three letters sent by Julie Platt and Eric Fingerhut to the Jewish Agency for Israel, JDC, and World ORT that explicate the total funding by the Federation system to each organization last year. The I&O Committee’s Designated Allocations Task Force also crafted an innovative model portfolio to guide investment in helping Ethiopian Olim acculturate into Israeli society.
Our Israel Emergency Campaign has now raised a total of more than $780 million and allocated close to $350 million. For details, click here. Read this spotlight on how our funds are also granting close to $300,000 to three LGBTQ+ organizations in Israel that help victims cope with the loss and devastation of the 10/7 massacres. And click here for the latest update from our Israel office.
We commended Morningstar this week for committing to make changes outlined in an independent expert report on how the investment giant can reduce anti-Israel bias in its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governmental) financial ratings. We have worked for more than two years with a coalition of organizations that has won major concessions from the company toward reducing its anti-Israel bias. These efforts have already resulted in a 94% reduction of so-called “controversy ratings” for Israeli companies and companies that do business in Israel.
For additional updates and reminders, please see below:
Federation Annual Financial Survey: This survey, which used to be called the Revenue Survey, will be sent to Federation CEOs and CFOs on Tuesday, February 13. New sections in the revamped survey will enable Jewish Federations to make data-informed decisions and to institute best practices. The survey includes questions on how Federations and foundations allocate their money and what expenses they have; it will also ask for annual campaign revenue to enable us to calculate dues in a fair and equitable way. As always, there are options of how to participate. Contact Jessica Mehlman with any questions.
Future of Israel Educational Travel: The Israel Educational Travel Alliance (IETA), the consortium of over 100 Israel educational travel organizations housed at Jewish Federations of North America, will hold a convening in Washington, DC from Wednesday, February 28 to Friday, March 1 to assess the future of the field of Israel educational immersive travel in the wake of 10/7. We welcome all Federation professionals who are involved with Israel-immersive experiences to participate. Register here. For more information, take a look at the FAQs or contact Melody DeSanto for more information.
A Deep Dive into Fiscal Year 2025 Community Project Funding: Earmarks 101: In preparation for the Congressional appropriations process in Fiscal Year 2025, we will present a webinar with two experts, Andrew Usyk and Bill Dunkhe, both from the firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, on Thursday, February 22 at 1 pm ET. Click here to register. Usyk and Dunkhe will outline the rules for Community Project Funding Requests (Earmarks) and explain the project guidelines and submission processes. Virtual drop-in office hours will be then made available the next day (Friday, February 23 11 AM – 1 PM ET) to answer any remaining questions. Click here to join that zoom.
Drop-In Jewish Learning: Does Judaism have an essence? If so, could it be love? Chief Jewish Learning Officer Rabbi Mike Uram will answer this and any other question you might have about Judaism. Join him on Tuesday, February 13 from 3 to 4 pm ET. Feel free to drop in and out as your schedule permits. Click here to register.
Black-Jewish Relations: What's Working? Learn how to cultivate allyship across differences in a cutting-edge program on Tuesday, February 13 at 2 pm moderated by JEDI Director of Community Safety and Belonging, Nate Looney. Monica Gebell of Rochester and Jacqueline Lipsius will be featured panelists, along with Jeremy Brok of Lead St. Louis. Click here to register.
Jewish Disability Advocacy Day: Jewish Federations, along with the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC) and the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA), will host the 14th annual Jewish Disability Advocacy Day on Wednesday, February 28 from 1 pm-2:30 pm ET. For all the details, including a registration link, click here. Email JDAD@jewishfederations.org with any questions.
People Management Training Program: The Mandel Center introduces Essentials of Federation Management, a program designed to foster the learning and growth of frontline and mid- to senior-level people managers as they drive the highest engagement and productivity from their teams. To register for the first online training, which is geared to frontline managers and which starts this month, click here. To learn more about both our online and regional in-person offerings of this program, read thisFAQ. Please click here to learn more about all of our innovative professional development programs.
Jewish Changemakers Fellowship: The Jewish Changemakers Fellowship engages young Jewish adults ages 20-25 in a six-week online leadership experience. Participants will meet inspiring professionals and peers in a fellowship that aims to expand their networks, hone their leadership skills, and jumpstart their careers. Current Jewish professionals are invited to join our new Jewish professional cohort. Applications close on Sunday, February 18 for the spring session, which begins on Monday, March 4. Nominate someone to be a Fellow or apply yourself! Learn more here or email Lauren Silverman with any questions.
Shabbat Shalom,
Shira Hutt
Executive Vice President
Jewish Federations of North America