From new program forays to exciting video debuts, our Fellows and Alumni are sprouting amazing things this spring:

NewGround’s teen leadership program featured in local news: Muslim and Jewish teens’ culminating service project fights hunger in Los Angeles. Check out the video here.

Matt Bar of Bible Raps to speak at upcoming Jewish Futures Conference: The June 4th gathering will address – Is Jewish text relevant to today’s youth? Registration is now open.

Elana Naftalin-Kelman of Rosh Pina talks holistic inclusion at ADVANCE: The Ruderman Jewish Disabilities Funding Conference: Elana shared her thoughts at this important convening of funders, organized by the Jewish Funders Network, about what it means to be a truly inclusive Jewish community. Learn more about Rosh Pina’s thoughtful work in this field.

G-dcast creates animated film in 48 hours onsite at the Jewish Funders Network Conference: View behind-the-scenes footage documenting the production journey and the finished film, The Mountain and the Cliff.

Sharsheret debuts new documentary, “One Woman at a Time”, at Annual Benefit: Over 550 supporters, volunteers, and friends were in attendance. View the video and photos from the event.

Just Vision seeks Media and Public Engagement Manager: To learn more about the opportunity, visit JV’s website.

As a “sector-within-a-sector,” the Jewish innovation space must work together if we are to achieve maximal impact. Important conversations about growth, sustainability, and impact cannot take place exclusively behind the closed doors of boardrooms or within the four walls of any one organization.

Read the full article here.

How can we, as the Jewish innovation sector, leverage our collective resources to provide valuable opportunities to our communities’ innovators and emerging leaders? An idea was hatched… and The Collaboratory was borne.

Together with Bikkurim, PresenTense, ROI Community, and UpStart, JVG convened our exceptional program participants from across the country and around the world for an intensive day of fostering relationships, honing skills, and building a real sense of community.

To capture the essence that was this collaborative experiment of a day, we are pleased to share with you The Collaboratory — STORIFIED!

The Collaboratory was made possible by generous support from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and was graciously hosted by Slingshot. It was produced in program partnership with Jumpstart and Makom Hadash.

Inspired by the social entrepreneurs she’s worked with here at JVG, such as Idit Klein, and throughout her career, Lisa Lepson shares her views in the Stanford Social Innovation Review on the impact of social entrepreneurs:

“…That’s how a social entrepreneur can measure their impact. Years after their radical idea is rejected by mainstream organizations, the very same organizations will adopt them and promote these ideas as their own. Success for the social entrepreneur happens when their views are no longer feared but embraced.”

Read the full article here.

Joshua Venture Group is committed to deepening our impact by building on our work with our Fellows and their ventures beyond the two years of the Dual Investment Program. One of the first fruits of this endeavor is the launch of our Alumni pilot program, designed to provide on-going, impactful support to our Alumni, allowing them to focus intently on their most critical needs.

Building on our core competency of providing tailored support for leadership and resource development, we have offered our Alumni the opportunity to work with an executive coach or fundraising consultant on a six-month targeted engagement to advance a specific resource development objective. JVG is providing small grants to engage these supports, and Alumni will contribute financially to the engagements as well.

Eleven Alumni, representing each of our three previous cohorts, are participating in this pilot initiative over the next several months. Collectively, their ventures represent a broad spectrum of early- to “next”-stage ventures, with respect to organizational age (3-12 years), budget (<$100K to >$1.4M), and staff size (1 to 15). Their critical resource development needs include:

• Crafting development strategies both comprehensively and specifically for targeted revenue streams;
• Strategic communication with stakeholders;
• Planning for key organizational hires; and
• Building a strong board of directors.

A graduate of Wellesley College, she holds a Master’s in Strategic Communications from Columbia University and has served as a communications consultant for a number of non-profit organizations in Boston and New York.

Bruce is an attorney with significant experience litigating complex commercial and securities actions. During the 15 years that he has practiced law he has represented large institutional investors in prosecuting several of the largest securities actions ever filed. Bruce has also successfully appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is also a frequent speaker at investor conferences throughout the world and authored articles relating to investor rights, corporate governance reform and fiduciary duties.

Bruce is actively involved as a professional volunteer with Jewish philanthropic activities and organizations in New York City. He previously served as a co-chair of the Young Lawyers Division for UJA and also chaired the Young Leadership Committee benefit for Seeds of Peace. In addition to currently serving on the board of JVG, he is also a member of Natan.

Bruce earned his J.D. degree from The George Washington University Law School in Washington D.C. and his B.A. in Political Science (Honors) from the University of Vermont.

Should we continue to support new initiatives, or focus on those now reaching their “second stage” of growth? Yes. And yes.

JVG’s Lisa Lepson and Slingshot’s Will Schneider present excellent insights on the state of entrepreneurship in the Jewish community in today’s eJewishPhilanthropy. Read the full article here.

Several of our current Fellows and Alumni have recently made headlines for their impactful, groundbreaking work. Here’s a recap of the highlights:

Ronit Avni and her team at Just Vision receive the prestigious PUMA.Creative Impact Award for their film Budrus. The 50,000 Euro award is given annually to the documentary film that has had the most significant positive social impact. This year’s jury included acclaimed filmmakers Danny Glover and Mira Nair. More info is available here.

Matt Bar brings Bible Raps to Long Island school — and the students respond. Solomon Schechter Long Island’s student newspaper covers the event, reporting that, “[Matt] made everything really interesting. He was young and easy to relate to. Learning about stuff through rap is a really good way for kids to listen. He should come back.” Bible Raps and SSLI also plan to collaborate on a music video within the coming weeks, which will debut on the BR website.

Sarah Bassin and NewGround help young Muslims, Jews find common ground. In a recent Voice of America feature highlighting its storytelling event, NewGround demonstrates how the organization is building bridges between Muslims and Jews in LA — and potentially beyond. Read the full article  and learn their stories here.

Risa Alyson Cooper and Shoresh Environmental Programs spark controversy over their food conference. Recently, Jews, secular to orthodox, local rabbis, farmers, and activists converged for the second annual Shoresh Food Conference to discuss and debate how to square thousands of years of tradition with modern-day food ethics. The boundaries of kashrut were questioned! Read more about the controversy – and the intrigue – here.

Eli Winkelman and Challah for Hunger gather their student leaders to bake a difference. The theme of this year’s summit is “Mixing It Up to Bake a Difference.” More than 50 student leaders from across the US, England and Canada joined together to learn, share, and inspire themselves and each other through activities that cultivate individual and collective leadership talent. eJewishPhilanthropy has the story here.

Rabbi Daniel Greyber releases new book, Faith Unravels: A Rabbi’s Struggle with Grief and God. Every year, thousands of young people die, leaving in their wake circles of grieving friends in need of support. Many look to how clergy understand loss but few religious traditions have a defined mourning process—or even a role in mourning—for non-family members. Faith Unravels speaks to the profound pain experienced by a forgotten mourner, not by making an argument about God or by offering a recipe of rituals, but by sharing a profound story of faith lost and regained anew.

Tu B’shvat begins this Friday night. Here are some cool ways JVG Alumni are honoring the Jewish new year of the trees:

Read a new teaching from Wilderness Torah’s Zelig Golden that celebrates our “tallest teachers”. Learn here.

Watch G-dcast’s Honi Comes Full Circle, produced by Sarah Lefton and featuring a special guest appearance by another JVG Alum! View here.

Contribute to Jewish Farm School’s (in partnership with Eden Village Camp) efforts to build the Pardes Brachot Orchard. Support here.

Happy Tu B’shvat from all of us at JVG!

Eight dynamic social entrepreneurs from across North America gathered in Baltimore in early November for the first retreat of the 2012-2014 Dual Investment Program. Focused on articulating their visions, and on building a network of support around those visions, they were challenged to consider the organizational and personal needs required to build healthy, sustainable organizations.

Guided by Yoni Gordis, Fellows explored the power and potential of the energy in the room to peer problem-solve and tap into the knowledge and experience of the group. Nearly one-third of our Alumni joined us to share their wisdom and resources.

After four days of intensive cohort work, we celebrated the kick-off of the program with a festive soiree on the first night of JFNA’s General Assembly. One by one, the Fellows introduced themselves to a packed crowd eager to learn more about these groundbreaking ventures. They were poised, polished, and passionate — and many attendees gushed that this was the place to be to get inspired at the GA.

View photos from our launch event here.

Recognition from Slingshot, The Covenant Foundation, and local press abound! Big news from JVG HQ:

Sarah Lefton (’10) Receives Prestigious Pomegranate Prize: The Covenant Foundation recently honored Sarah with its Pomegranate Prize, awarded annually to a select group of promising Jewish educators for their exceptionalism as emerging professionals in Jewish educational settings across the country. Read more here.

Oregon Jewish Life Features Portland-based JVG Fellows: Sarah Blattner (’12) and Steve Eisenbach-Budner (’12) are featured in the magazine’s November issue — celebrating innovation in the Portland Jewish community. Read the full article in Oregon Jewish Life here.

Slingshot Guide Names 12 JVG’ers Most Innovative in North America: Mazal tov to the following Fellows and Alumni, including 7 out of 8 of our most recent Alumni, listed in the 2012-2013 Slingshot Guide:

• Bible Raps (’12)
• Challah for Hunger (’10)
• G-dcast (’10)
• Jewish Farm School (’10)
• Jewish Meditation Center (’10)
• Kavana Cooperative (’10)
• Keshet (’03) - Standard Bearer
• Kevah (’12)
• Matan (’01)
• Sharsheret (’03) - Standard Bearer
• Uri L’Tzedek (’10)
• Wilderness Torah (’10)

And In Case You Missed It…

More recent press about JVG Fellows, Alumni, and partners:

• Ashoka Receives $250,000 Challenge Grant to Advance Social Entrepreneurship in Israel and the Jewish World
• Repair Interview: Steve Eisenbach-Budner on Building Justice with Tivnu
• Rosh Pina: Cornerstone of Special Needs Inclusion in the Jewish Community
• An Oral History of JDub Records
• Keshet Awarded $540,000 from Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund of San Francisco
• Jewish Meditation Center Innovates to Become More Sustainable

JVG’s “dual investment” program model is profiled by Geri Stengel, as she illuminates the elements of a successful business plan competition.

Read the full article here.

In the November 2012 issue of Oregon Jewish Life:

The innovation and creativity that has flourished in Portland’s Jewish community lately is now attracting national attention. Two Portlanders – Steve Eisenbach-Budner and Sarah Blattner – recently brought home prestigious national awards.

Read more about JVG’s two Portland-based Fellows and their innovative projects here.

With the new year comes new and exciting developments from the field:

Sarah Bassin (’12): NewGround was named a Finalist in the Los Angeles Social Venture Partners’ Social Innovation Fast Pitch competition!

Zhenya Plechkina (’10): For the development of programming geared toward 8-13 year-olds, Zshuk was awarded a $22,000 grant from Genesis Philanthropy Group.

Mitch Braff (’03): Monday, October 19th, marked the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation’s world premiere of The Reunion, a powerful documentary narrated by Liev Schreiber. Watch the inspiring trailer here.

Idit Klein (’03): In support of plans to expand community-building, engagement, and programming opportunities in the Bay Area, Keshet was awarded $540,000 by the San Francisco-based Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.

Nati Passow (’10): Jewish Farm School launched its newest initiative, Feast Forward, a video series bringing image, spirituality, knowledge, and action together. Check out the very first video in the series, A Prayer for Rain.

Sara Heitler Bamberger (’12): This Fall, Kevah announced a new partnership with LimmudLA to create Los Angeles-based micro-communities to participate in peer-led vibrant conversation around Jewish learning of classical Jewish texts.

Sarah Lefton (’10) & Eli Winkelman (’10): Both G-dcast and Challah for Hunger are hiring for multiple brand-new positions.

Rochelle Shoretz (’03): More than 400 women, men, kids, and college students joined Team Sharsheret at the Making Strides Walk in NYC’s Central Park on October 21st. View photos from the walk here.

Rachel Nussbaum (’10): Hot off the press, Kavana Cooperative has released its annual report for ’11-’12.

Rabbi Ari Weiss (’10): Uri L’Tzedek launched its Synagogue Affiliate Program, a partnership that includes resources to run social justice programs, incorporation of social justice into the pulpit and educational programs, and a platform for a community of social-justice orientated spiritual leaders, with six Synagogue Affiliates.

When it comes to inclusion, Ruderman Fellow Elana Naftalin-Kelman wants to create “deep change” in Jewish organizations:

Elana’s vision is that each Jewish organization that wants to earn certification will engage in a year-long process that involves all levels of the institution, from the physical plant, to the curriculum (if it is a school) or year-round Shabbat/Holiday inclusion (if it a synagogue) and so forth. A team of specialists  will be brought in as needed to provide expertise. Synagogues will pay a nominal fee to participate, and each institution will create its own customized plan on “becoming a place that is known to be welcoming to people of all abilities.”

The Jewish Journal recently blogged about Elana, her new project, and her vision for moving the needle on inclusion. Read the full article here.

Like apples and honey, working together to move the needle on inclusion yields sweet rewards. Lisa Lepson guest posts on Zeh Lezeh, reflecting on JVG’s partnership with the Ruderman Family Foundation thus far, and how our winning combination will help nurture the 2012-2014 Ruderman Fellow, Elana Naftalin-Kelman, and her venture, Rosh Pina.

Read the full blog post here.

We are pleased to partner with The AVI CHAI Foundation to support two Fellows working to enhance the field of day school education. Lisa Lepson guest posts on AVI CHAI’s blog this month, to share the right ingredients for growing innovation in day school education.

Read the complete blog post here.

The 2012-2014 Fellows are:

• Sara Heitler Bamberger, Kevah
• Matt Bar, Bible Raps
• Rabbi Sarah Bassin, NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change
• Sarah Blattner, Tamritz: Digital Badging
• Hyim Brandes, Online Jewish Academy
• Risa Alyson Cooper, Bela Farm at Shoresh
• Steve Eisenbach-Budner, Tivnu: Building Justice
• Elana Naftalin-Kelman, Rosh Pina

We are thrilled to announce the new cohort of the 2012-2014 Dual Investment Program!

This spring, we invited Jewish activists, intellectuals, and community builders from across North America to apply to receive over $100,000 in funding and support to realize their visions to transform the Jewish landscape. Amazingly, more than 150 aspiring social entrepreneurs answered our call.

After an extensive review process, and meeting with an exceptional group of finalists, we have selected eight Fellows who demonstrate bold visions for impactful ventures and the leadership qualities needed to build entrepreneurial initiatives. They represent some of the Jewish community’s best and brightest, and together, form a portfolio of entrepreneurial responses that work toward creating just, vibrant and inclusive Jewish communities.

***

The 2012-2014 Fellows are:

• Sara Heitler Bamberger, Kevah
• Matt Bar, Bible Raps
• Rabbi Sarah Bassin, NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change
• Sarah Blattner, Tamritz: Digital Badging
• Hyim Brandes, Online Jewish Academy
• Risa Alyson Cooper, Bela Farm at Shoresh
• Steve Eisenbach-Budner, Tivnu: Building Justice
• Elana Naftalin-Kelman, Rosh Pina

We encourage you to learn more about our Fellows and their ventures here.

***

New for this cohort: For the first time, JVG is partnering with The AVI CHAI Foundation and The Ruderman Family Foundation to co-support several Fellows whose work focuses on day school education and inclusion for people with disabilities. We are pleased to be working with these partners to advance breakthrough ideas that address important issues in our community.

Save the date: For those of you planning to attend JFNA’s General Assembly in Baltimore this year, we cordially invite you to join us on the evening of Sunday, November 11th, for a celebratory event in honor of the 2012-2014 Fellows. You’ll have the opportunity to interact with the Fellows and learn more about the work they are doing. Specific details regarding time and location will be announced closer to the event.

On behalf of our staff and board, we thank you for your continued support, and look forward to sharing more about our Fellows’ journeys with you as the Program progresses!

Bio
Matt Bar is founder and executive director of Bible Raps, a non-profit born from Matt’s desire to engage his Hebrew School classes on a deeper and more contemporary level. Bible Raps launched out of Bar’s participation in the PresenTense Institute during the summer of 2007. He continued to further his Jewish education during his year of study in 2008 at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. In 2011, Bar was named to The New York Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36″ list. Prior to founding Bible Raps, Bar was featured on MTV and NBC, opened for Grammy winning group Outkast, and performed at numerous clubs and venues as a folk rapper. Matt currently resides in Philadelphia with his fiancée, Rebecca Karp.

Bio
Hyim Brandes, co-founder and executive director of Online Jewish Academy, is an innovator, educator, and social entrepreneur working at the intersection of Jewish education, community, and technology. Hyim began working as a Jewish educator at Camp Alonim and the Brandeis-Bardin Institute. While studying history at UC Berkeley, he taught at Hebrew schools throughout the Bay Area. Upon his graduation from Berkeley, Hyim studied in Israel for two years at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies and then returned home to join the founding faculty at the New Community Jewish High School (NCJHS) in Los Angeles. In 2003, he moved to New York and began working as a Jewish Educational Technology consultant and founded JewishGeography.net, a Jewish social network. In 2008, he and his wife Sara returned to L.A., where they are the proud parents of two wonderful children.

Kevah catalyzes and supports a grassroots Jewish learning movement that engages Jewish identity and builds community through the study of classical Jewish texts. Kevah supports a national, pluralistic network of self-organized Torah study groups. It works closely with educators, group organizers, and participants to create a consistently high-quality learning experience. Kevah does this by identifying, training, and supporting Jewish educators; developing and sharing curricular resources; and providing groups a high level of ongoing support. Kevah builds community through Jewish conversations, and empowers adults to take ownership of their Jewish and spiritual lives.

Bio
Sara Heitler Bamberger is the founder, executive director, and one of the educators for Kevah. She has a BA in Religious Studies from Yale and a Master’s in International Relations from Georgetown. She has also studied at Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. Prior to her work at Kevah, Sara has a long history of launching new educational ventures. Sara was the founder and director of the Religion, Politics and Globalization Program at UC Berkeley, and the founding director of The Curriculum Initiative, an organization that supports Jewish students in private schools around the country. She was also a founding staff member of Gann Academy, a pluralistic Jewish high school in the Boston area. Sara was born and bred in Colorado and now lives in Berkeley with her husband Ken Bamberger, a law professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, and their four children.

Bio
Rabbi Sarah Bassin serves as the executive director of NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change. She grew up in Overland Park, Kansas and graduated summa cum laude with a BA in religion and history from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. Sarah then worked as a programming professional at Princeton University’s Hillel, where she helped form the first American Jewish Committee (AJC) college chapter. Deeply interested in interfaith relations, Sarah entered the rabbinic program at Hebrew Union College with the intention of pursuing a rabbinate in community relations. While living in Israel during her studies, Sarah became a participant and facilitator for Encounter, helping Jewish leaders better understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She traveled to Iran in November 2008 as part of a civilian diplomacy delegation through the Fellowship of Reconciliation. Having served as student rabbi of Congregation Bamidbar Shel Ma’alah in Victorville, CA, and as rabbinic intern at the Board of Rabbis of Southern California, Sarah spent the last portion of her rabbinic training as the program manager at the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement, where she implemented the first comprehensive survey on Muslim-Jewish relations in the U.S. She received a certificate in Jewish Communal Service and rabbinic ordination in 2011.

Bio
Sarah Blattner is the founder and executive director of Tamritz. She is an educator and technologist with 20 years experience. Jewish camping experiences combined with Jewish youth group work inspired Sarah to pursue a Master of Arts in Secondary Education at The Ohio State University. Sarah caught the technology bug early in her career and pursued deeper learning in educational technology at Johns Hopkins University, where she earned a Post-Graduate Degree Certificate in Multimedia and Internet-based Instruction. Sarah also led the National Teacher Training Institute, a technology professional development initiative created by Maryland Public Television (MPT). She wrote for the Annenberg/CPB Envisioning Literature professional development video series while at MPT. She brings a broad perspective on Jewish day school education, informed by her experiences as educator and parent in Baltimore, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Portland Jewish day schools. When she isn’t posting on a blog, collaborating on a wiki or tweeting, she spends her time hiking, writing and reading young adult literature.

Bio
Elana has been working at the intersection of special education and Jewish education for over 15 years. She directs the Tikvah program for kids with special needs at Camp Ramah in California, which includes a camper program, a vocational program for young adults, and a camp for families that have children with special needs. Elana has consulted with multiple Jewish institutions to aid them in thinking about how to be more inclusive of Jews of all abilities. She has taught professional development courses in differentiated instruction, behavior management and teaching Hebrew. She was the co-founder of Edah, a Jewish after school program located in Berkeley, California, and lives there with her husband and three boys, Yair, Nevo and Etai.

Bio
Steve Eisenbach-Budner is the founder and director of Tivnu: Building Justice. Throughout his life, he has worked to create relevant and holistic Jewish communities that address the social, spiritual, and political facets of contemporary Jewish identity. He has worked in the construction field for over twenty years as a carpenter, general contractor and construction trainer. From 2002-2012, Steve worked with the at-risk young adults of Portland YouthBuilders, a job-training and life-skills program. He taught and mentored hundreds of students while they built homes for low-income families, developed leadership skills and, for some, experienced a supportive community for the first time. Steve founded Tivnu: Building Justice to enable Jews from across the communal spectrum to integrate their Jewish identities with their commitments to creating communities in which the basic needs of all people are met. Having been raised in an affordable housing complex in New York City, he knows firsthand the centrality of housing to family and community stability and cohesion. Steve, his life partner Deborah and their three children, Tamir, Lev and RozaBess, make their home in Portland, Oregon.

Bio
Risa Alyson Cooper in an educator, environmentalist, and pickled radish enthusiast. She completed her BA Honours at Queen’s University in Comparative Religious Studies, and her MA at the Centre for the Study of Religion at the University of Toronto, focusing on Contemporary Jewish Environmental Ethics. Upon graduating, Risa moved to rural Connecticut, where she worked as a Jewish environmental educator at the Teva Learning Center. She then transitioned into small-scale organic farming as a member of the Adamah Jewish Farming Fellowship, where she grew vegetables, worked in a raw goat-milk dairy, and dabbled in the art of fermentation. In 2008, Risa returned to her native Toronto to serve as the executive director of Shoresh, and to establish Shoresh’s Kavanah Garden, bringing together her experience in Jewish outdoor education and her love for Canadian soil and the plants and people that it sustains. Risa believes that growing food sustainably is an expression of her deeply-rooted Jewish ethics, and she is eager to welcome Bela Farm’s first herd of goats.

This spring, more than 150 applicants from across the United States and Canada answered our call — up from 131 applicants in 2010. Their backgrounds, areas of focus, and visions for building their ventures reflect the rich diversity and dynamism of the North American Jewish community.

Similarly to 2010, we’ve taken a closer look at this year’s applicants, and are pleased to share our findings and insights with you. Creative Thinkers and Bold Visions explores these emergent leaders and the ventures behind their visions for creating a more just, vibrant, and inclusive Jewish community. Our applicant pool represents 25 states and 3 provinces, spans 22-68 years old, and champions issues from arts and new media to inclusion and leadership development.

To learn more about the 2012 applicants and their ventures, click here.

From announcing significant funding commitments to introducing new programming, here’s a look at some of their most recent activities, accomplishments, and contributions:

• Sam Ball: Together with iOnPoverty, Citizen Film is producing candid, filmed conversations with host Jonathan Lewis and accomplished social entrepreneurs. These conversations are streaming free online at ionpoverty.tv. Through the BUILT community photo project, CF also invites young artists and urban wanderers to take pictures inspired by the rules of constructing sukkot, and to post them here. All are encouraged to contribute!

 

• Mitch Braff: Winners were recently announced for Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation‘s annual youth writing contest. Students were asked to write about the lessons that can be learned from partisans’ experiences to inspire people today to make the world a better place. This year’s contest focused on Jewish partisan women. You can read the winning submissions here. To start the 2013 school year, JPEF also has new materials available for educators.

 

• Zelig Golden: With the high holidays approaching, Wilderness Torah offers multiple opportunities to connect and reflect. Prepare for Yom Kippur with focused time in nature to reflect, forgive, and pray during WT’s Days of Awe Wilderness Encounter. You can also join WT’s multi-generational community on October 4th-8th for the sixth annual Sukkot on the Farm Festival – a four-night camp out and celebration of the fall harvest at Green Oaks Creek Farm in Pescadero, CA. Come co-create the village and enjoy the Columbus Day weekend with farm-fresh organic food, Shabbat and Sukkot celebration, bonfires, music, learning, kids activities, meditation, movement, and more.

 

• Sarah Lefton: Twelve talented young animators and storytellers convened for a week of collaborative, chevruta-style filmmaking as part of G-dcast‘s newest offering — Studio G-dcast. Sarah and her team also brought DIY animation learning to Camp Ramah in Wisconsin this summer. View the campers’ completed video here, and learn how you can bring tailored programming like this to your institution.

 

• Nati Passow: Coming off another spectacular summer on the Farm at Eden Village, Jewish Farm School invites you to join them for a new fall program series – Farm and Forest Homeschool — a full season of farm-to-table and wilderness programming in a supportive Jewish environment for ages 4 through 14. For a complete list of fall programs on the farm, visit the JFS website. If you’re curious about what it’s to work on the farm, watch this short film created by Shawn Marco, one of JFS’s farm education apprentices.

 

• Zhenya Plechkina: Showcasing the work of its highly successful interactive theater endeavors, Zshuk has released a new video, Magic Blanket. Zshuk is also pleased to announce that Zhenya will be joining the Jewish Journey faculty at the JCC in Manhattan in Spring 2013.

 

• Meredith Polsky: Forty congregational school teachers, mostly from the New York Metropolitan area, recently came together for the Matan Institute. Designed to better equip congregational school teachers to address the various learning needs of their students, the Institute is part of Matan’s ongoing effort to provide in-depth special needs training opportunities for current and future Jewish education professionals. You can read more about Matan’s important work in the NJ Jewish Standard and the NY Jewish Week.

 

• Rochelle Shoretz: In addition to recent press coverage in The Jewish Week and Jspace, Sharsheret is developing a new program to address financial wellness during a health crisis, to be held on Wednesday, November 7th. For more information, contact Adina Fleischmann. You can also join Team Sharsheret on Sunday, October 21, at the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Central Park 5-mile Walk. To register, visit this page, click on “Sign Up”, select “Join An Existing Team”, and then choose “Sharsheret Breast Cancer Organization”.

 

• Rabbi Ari Weiss: This summer, Uri L’Tzedek announced that it was awarded $50,000 from the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation — one of the premier funders of Jewish social justice. The organization also released its latest holiday supplement for Tisha B’av, Rising in the Night: Compassion & Justice in a Time of Despair. Lastly (but certainly not least!), ULT welcomed Yael Keller as its new program associate in the New York office. To read more about Yael, visit ULT’s website.

 

• Eli Winkelman: Just last week, Challah for Hunger welcomed its newest chapter at the University of Arizona. This brings CfH’s chapter total to an impressive 52 chapters internationally!

 

Did you miss the webinar: Intro to JVG’s 2012-2014 Ruderman Fellow? Want to learn more about this opportunity?

Materials from the webinar are now available!

• Download the Presentation Slides
• View the Session Recording

After reviewing the materials above, our Application Resources, and FAQs, if you still have questions, please feel free to contact us via email or through our contact form.

Joshua Venture Group (JVG) announces the opportunity to apply to become the 2012-2014 Ruderman Fellow!

JVG seeks to support a committed, passionate social entrepreneur who has a groundbreaking idea that will shift the Jewish communal landscape through advancing inclusion and public awareness of people with disabilities.

Through this unique opportunity in partnership with the Ruderman Family Foundation, the 2012-2014 Ruderman Fellow will join JVG’s soon-to-be-launched 2012-2014 Dual Investment Program, in which emerging leaders receive over $100,000 in funding, technical support, and skills development.

Applications for the 2012-2014 Ruderman Fellow are now available, and must be submitted by 1:00pm ET on Friday, July 20th, 2012. Please follow this link to apply.

What makes a compelling project:

The mission of Joshua Venture Group is rooted in the concept of a dual investment — in visionary leaders and in groundbreaking ideas. The strength of the applicant and the potential of the idea are equally considered in our Fellow selection process.

Potential projects within the field of advancing inclusion and public awareness of people with disabilities may include:

• Innovative use of social media by and for the Jewish disability community.
• Addressing issues related to employment within the Jewish community.
• Any issue of importance regarding disabilities in the Jewish community with the exception of Jewish education.

JVG is seeking projects that:

• Are entrepreneurially driven: The visionary behind the project, including those residing within larger institutions, must possess these qualities.
• Challenge the status quo: Beyond delivering a successful product or service, the project should provide an fresh and innovative approach to advancing inclusion and public awareness of people with disabilities. Think: Paradigm shift.
• Have potential for broader transformative impact: The project should demonstrate potential to revolutionize the way the Jewish community advances inclusion and public awareness of people with disabilities — impacting the field as a whole.
• Meet our eligibility criteria: Applicants interested in applying must meet our Leadership and Venture criteria.

Have more questions?

• Download the presentation slides from our recent webinar
• View the webinar recording to learn more about the opportunity from Executive Director Lisa Lepson
• Watch our past webinars for more information about the program
• Review our FAQs

**Please contact us by Friday, July 6th, if you require arrangements to make the webinar accessible.

Our congratulations – and deep appreciation – go out to this year’s 36 Under 36, including JVG Fellow Rabbi Ari Weiss of Uri L’Tzedek!

View the full list from the Jewish Week.

In this week’s JTA, experience a taste of Shavuot on the Mountain, and learn how Wilderness Torah is reengaging people from around the world with Judaism, nature, and the relationship between the two.

Read the full article here.

A Jewish Meditation Center (JMC) newcomer-turned-regular reflects on what drew her to the Brooklyn-based community and to an inherently Jewish contemplative practice — and what keeps her connected to both.

Read the full article in Tablet.

As part of the culminating retreat for the 2010-2012 Dual Investment Program, JVG partnered with Jumpstart and Limmud LA to (re-)introduce the varied flavors and perspectives of our Fellows to the Los Angeles community, and to spark what we hope to be a continued conversation around ways to bring innovative programming – and support for it – to communities across North America.

Did you miss the event, or want to relive the magic over again?

• Read an overview of the evening from the Jewish Journal;
• View photos from the event;
• Watch Rob Eshman’s inspiring closing remarks

You are welcome to resume completing and submitting your application at apply.joshuaventuregroup.org.

As a reminder, applications must be submitted by 5:00pm EST on Thursday, April 19th.

To help answer some of your questions, below are some quick solutions to our two most commonly reported issues yesterday:

• Form not loading: There have been reported instances of forms not loading properly in Internet Explorer. While we investigate this issue, please try to work in an alternate browser (Firefox, Chrome, Safari). If you are unable to access a different browser, please let us know ASAP.
• Character limit error: If you are working in Microsoft Word, Open Office, or another word processor, and then copying and pasting into the application, please be aware that any special characters – including hyphens, bullets, quotation marks, and apostrophes – are counted differently in our application, once you hit the save button. This is a common word-processor-to-plain-text-field issue.

  As a work-around, please edit these special characters once you paste into the application form fields. You can replace any bullets with asterisks, and swap out hyphens, quotation marks, and apostrophes by simply deleting and re-entering these characters directly into the form. This should resolve some of the “mysterious” errors with the character count — and help you avoid making edit after edit to your responses!

If you have any questions, or need additional assistance, please be in touch with us directly at info[@]joshuaventuregroup.org.

We appreciate your patience as we work through these technical issues, and very much look forward to reading your applications soon!

What is the Dual Investment Program? What do Fellows receive and experience as part of the program? What is the process for applying? What is JVG looking for? What can you tell me about the day school Fellow opportunity?

Answers to these questions and more are explored as Lisa Lepson reviews the components of the Dual Investment Program and the process to apply for the 2012-2014 cohort.

Watch the video above or follow this link. Presentation slides are also available to download.

Making the Case

Lisa Lepson reviews the elements of a social impact business plan that comprise the Venture Concept Paper.

• Analyze the market for your idea
• Determine your value proposition
• Understand the competitive landscape
• Assess how to work collaboratively with like organizations
• Familiarize yourself with outcomes measurement

Watch the video above or follow this link. Presentation slides are also available to download.

Interested in learning more?

Registration for upcoming webinars in this series can be found here.

Each year I wrestle with the Passover story: “Now we are slaves. Next year, may we all be free.” What does it mean to be slaves? What would it mean to be free?

In a March 15, 2012, op-ed in the J., Zelig Golden of Wilderness Torah reflects on how spending Passover in the Desert reawakens ancient memory.

Read the full article here.

Do you have an idea to transform Jewish education, spiritual practice, or cultural experience?

Apply now for Joshua Venture Group’s Dual Investment Program and receive over $100,000 in funding, technical support, and skills development to grow your groundbreaking idea into a sustainable venture that will transform the Jewish landscape.

Over 2 years, the Dual Investment Program provides social entrepreneurs with:

• Funding – $40,000/year in unrestricted funding and $7,000/year in professional & organizational development support.
• Skills Building – Annual retreats, workshops, and individual coaching for more effective leadership.
• Connection – The JVG community and its networks are collaborative, supportive, and accessible.
• Amplification – More prominent recognition on a national stage.

New aspects of the Dual Investment Program this year include:

• Canadian entrepreneurs are now welcome to apply! For a complete list of eligibility criteria, click here.
• Day school innovators are encouraged to apply! JVG is partnering with The AVI CHAI Foundation to support a Fellow working to enhance the field of day school education. For more info, click here.

Learn More. Apply Now.

• Applications for the 2012-2014 Dual Investment Program are now available.
• Submission deadline is 5:00pm EST on Tuesday, April 17th.
• Join us for information calls and webinars in March and April. Click here for the full schedule.

What will you do this year to turn the world upside down? To change it for the better?

This Purim, our Fellows offer up a few ways to get into the holiday spirit:

Get inspired to stand up for what you believe in! Watch good trump evil in the most awesome of ways in G-dcast’s Princess of Persia video.

Get contemplative with a beautiful, thought-provoking writing meditation provided by the Jewish Meditation Center of Brooklyn.

Get action-oriented and download a copy of Ve-Nahafoch Hu: Making Your Way Through an Upside-Down World, Uri L’Tzedek’s new Purim supplement.

Get creative with your kids at Zshuk Art Initiative’s puppet-making workshop at JCC Manhattan this Sunday, March 11th, following The Purim Spiel Shadow Puppet Theater.

Have a happy, happy Purim from all of us at JVG!

The Natan Fund recently announced its grant recipients for 2012 — a list that includes three JVG Fellows and two Alumni.

G-dcast, Jewish Farm School, and Uri L’Tzedek have each been awarded general operating support for their work as Emerging Models of Jewish Connection. For its exciting new foray into the new media scene, Jewish Farm School has been awarded additional funding to support the creation of Feast FWD. G-dcast has also received new media funding to support its projects.

Among Natan’s Advancing Inclusiveness grantees include Matan: The Gift of Learning for Every Child and Keshet, whose outstanding founding executive directors are alumni from our 2001 and 2003 cohorts, respectively.

We congratulate our Fellows and Alumni, along with all the recipients.

The Natan Fund supports emerging organizations and individuals in Jewish communities across the world. In 2012, they are awarding nearly $1 million in support to almost 50 organizations worldwide. To learn more about Natan, visit their website.

We are pleased to share with you that the application process for the 2012-2014 Dual Investment Program will begin in March 2012. The exact timeline and criteria for applying will be posted once the application becomes available.

For more information about the Dual Investment Program, please click here. You can also learn more about the complete group of applicants from the 2010-2012 Program here.

We’ll be in touch with more details about the process in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Jonathan Horowitz serves as a Program Officer in the philanthropic services group at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Jonathan manages the grantmaking programs for foundations working across a diverse range of funding areas, including arts and culture, disability issues, workforce development, and capacity building for the nonprofit sector. Before coming to J.P. Morgan, he worked as a Program Manager for the Jewish Funders Network, where he facilitated networking and funding collaborations among philanthropists with shared interests. Jonathan previously worked as the Meyerhoff Fellow for Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, where he created and implemented new educational programming for the organization. He serves on the board of Hillel at Brandeis University and on the executive committee for NYC Workforce Funders. Jonathan graduated from Brandeis University with a B.A. in Politics and English and is currently pursuing an M.P.A at New York University.

Amy Tobin has worked with nonprofit community, arts, and activist organizations for over 17 years. She is committed to fostering communities and social change through collaborative programs and arts events, generally doing anything possible to bring people together in physical proximity.

As the first Executive Director of the David Brower Center since 2007, Amy has been responsible for translating a broad vision into an award-winning destination for environmental and social action. She has overseen every aspect of start-up organizational development, establishing the Center’s gallery and exhibition program, leasing 24,000 square feet of progressive office space, and creating a thriving conference center that has hosted over 700 events.

Amy was the founding Artistic Director of The Hub at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. She has also served as a development and program consultant to arts and Jewish nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City, and has produced hundreds of community events, benefits, and shows.

Amy received the Joshua Venture Fellowship for Jewish social entrepreneurs in 2001. She serves on the steering committee for the Nonprofit Centers Network and the board of the Downtown Berkeley Association.

Amy is also a writer, vocalist, and performer. She has released two albums and tours nationally with The Esther Show, a cabaret rock opera and modern interpretation of the biblical Book of Esther.

JVG Fellows and Alumni continue to receive attention for their important and valuable work. Some recent highlights include:

Sam Ball’s Citizen Film was recently awarded a $20,000 Ignition Grant from the Covenant Foundation to create a program designed to equip university Jewish Studies educators and students with the skills to incorporate digital media and storytelling into their scholarship. Additionally, Citizen Film will be premiering its latest documentary film, Joann Safar Draws from Memory, at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center in NYC on January 25, 2012. Click here for details on the film and screening, or visit the Citizen Film website to learn more about their work.

Mitch Braff‘s organization, the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation (JPEF), put together a groundbreaking event in November 2011, convening and honoring 55 Jewish partisans who fought the Nazi regime despite incredible hardship and oppression. Read the full article detailing the event here.

Rochelle Shoretz, JVG board member and founder/executive director of Sharsheret, was featured in the online magazine Cancer Today. Click here to read her moving personal story and the inspiration behind the founding of Sharsheret.

Daniel Greyber was formally installed as the new rabbi at Beth El Synagogue in Durham, North Carolina, as the congregation celebrated its 125th anniversary in January 2012. Read about the weekend’s activities in The Herald-Sun.

Sarah Lefton and G-dcast are off to an exciting start to 2012 as the recipient of a $100,000 Signature grant from the Covenant Foundation, and with a recent profile of the organization and its founder featured in The New York Jewish Week.

Nati Passow‘s Jewish Farm School and Eli Winkelman‘s Challah for Hunger were both featured this past Fall in the ABC documentary A Peace of Bread: Faith, Food, and the Future, exploring hunger and how faith leaders are tackling the issue. Click here to learn more about the project.

Uri L’Tzedek made the news for its successful protest against Israeli food company Tnuva and local distributor Flaum Appetizing Corp. Click here to learn about the issues.

Six of JVG’s current Fellows’ and four of our alumni’s ventures were recognized in the 2011-2012 edition of the Slingshot Resource Guide for Jewish Innovation. To learn more about their accomplishments, click here.

In the last year and a half, our eight Fellows and their ventures have made great strides as part of the Dual Investment Program. As a new calendar year begins, our Fellows reflect on an amazing few months and look ahead to next steps for their ventures in 2012:

Eli Winkelman and Challah for Hunger
Challah for Hunger is entering the new year after a successful Fall season, with 45 chapters spanning 25 states and 3 countries. Chapters reported baking a total of 7,823 loaves of challah in the Fall, raising nearly $30,000 for philanthropic causes. In the past two years, CfH has been approached by over 100 groups or individuals interested in starting chapters of their own, and this past year, CfH approved its first high school chapter at Phoenix Hebrew High. CfH was awarded a grant from the Slingshot Fund and Executive Director Eli Winkelman was honored in early January with the Henry Elkeslassy Award.

Nati Passow and Jewish Farm School
In its second season on the farm at Eden Village Camp, JFS hosted over 2,000 individuals in a wide range of innovative farm-based workshops, such as bee keeping, natural building, and herbal medicine. JFS grew over 3,000 pounds of organic produce and donated nearly 500 pounds to the Fishkill Food Pantry. JFS hosted educator trainings for the Jewish Theological Seminary and The Jewish Education Project, as well as gathered over 80 students for Jewish service learning trips. JFS continues to expand is programmatic offerings in the Jewish community through the launch of a new curriculum, a Rabbinic Internship Program with Hebrew College in Boston, and an Urban Agriculture and Food Justice trip in Philadelphia.

Ari Weiss and Uri L’Tzedek
At of the end of 2011, Uri L’Tzedek awarded the Tav HaYosher to over 100 restaurants in 13 locations in the United States and Canada and reached over 20,000 individuals in 200 programs it hosted or co-sponsored nationwide. To date, Uri L’Tzedek has produced over 100 op-eds in print media and created cutting edge social justice materials like the Social Justice Haggadah Supplement. The organization has added two full-time staff members and one part-time staff, which has allowed Uri L’Tzedek to continue to invest in emerging leaders as fellows, interns, committee heads, and Tav HaYosher compliance officers.  Additionally, Uri L’Tzedek organized and led a successful protest to put pressure on Israeli company Tnuva to drop its local distributor, which was accused of unethical working conditions. Following the August protest, Tnuva announced it would not renew its contract with Flaum Appetizing Corp. To conclude an incredible year of success, Uri L’Tzedek was listed in the Slingshot Guide for the third consecutive year.

Zelig Golden and Wilderness Torah
Fall 2011 saw the launch of B’naiture, the B’nai Mitzvah Nature Mentorship, with 20 participants, and Sukkot on the Farm sold out two months in advance with 250 participants–up almost 100 participants from last year. Additionally, Wilderness Torah held its first annual fundraiser Shine: A Celebration of Light and Giving. Guests saw the debut of WT’s new promotional video and helped raise half of the venture’s year-end fundraising goal. At the end of December, WT announced the launch of B’hootz (“Outside”), an expanded children’s year-round Jewish nature experience. Looking to 2012, Wilderness Torah is committed to serving over 1,500 individuals through programming, developing written curriculum for B’naiture and for Festivals, and re-branding the organization with new visuals to match its flourishing programming. Registration is now open for its upcoming festivals: Tu B’shvat in the Redwoods and Passover in the Desert.

Rachel Nussbaum and The Kavana Cooperative
The Kavana Cooperative continues to gain national attention, with Rachel being named to Newsweek’s “50 Most Influential Rabbis” in 2011 and Kavana appearing in Slingshot for the third time!  As the Kavana Cooperative celebrates its five-year anniversary, it continues to engage its members in an intensely local, intimate and flexible new Jewish community model with a variety of programs, including a Hebrew Immersion preschool, an innovative afterschool and b’nai mitzvah program, and adult programming in education, spirituality, and social justice. Kavana is also making waves, developing a “Kavana in a Box” tool-kit to enable groups across the country to replicate some of its best practices.

Alison Laichter and the Jewish Meditation Center
The Jewish Meditation Center of Brooklyn (JMC) continues to build its collaborative ventures with other amazing Jewish organizations to bring the NYC community a variety of introspective and engaging events. Participants rang in the New Year at a midnight meditation during a week-long silent JMC-cosponsored meditation retreat. Upcoming events include “A Taste of Jewish Meditation” at the East End Synagogue’s Simchat Shabbat, and the JMC’s 3rd annual Tu B’Shvat Seder, co-hosted this year with Brooklyn Jews and Pursue. Programming for 2012 will expand the grassroots-led practice community with its third Sit Leader training at the end of February, through which active JMC participants are engaged to go deeper with their practice and their Jewish learning. The JMC continues to offer weekly Jewish meditation sits in Brooklyn on Wednesdays, monthly Beginner Night Sits the first Wednesday of each month, and a growing archive of inspiring kavanot (intentions) based on the weekly parsha.

Zhenya Plechkina and Zshuk Art Initiative
It has been a busy season for Zshuk Art Initiative. The Fall semester’s programming line-up was filled with new and exciting activities that emphasized Jewish learning and art for both children and parents at locations in two different New York boroughs. Each of these locations was also host to an “Artist and Me” program, featuring musicians, dramatists, and visual artists. After participating in the Sea Monster March at the New York Aquarium in the Fall, Zshuk celebrated Chanukah with its first annual fundraiser.

JVG Fellows convened this past December for their third full retreat as part of the 2010-2012 Dual Investment Program. Held in Long Island City and overlooking the Manhattan skyline, the retreat focused on issues of growth and sustainability, with special attention to the development of a strong board to support growth and to help sustain an organization.

Fellows heard from JVG board members and alumni, industry experts, and seasoned entrepreneurs, including an Ashoka Fellow and professionals from the Blue Ridge and Robin Hood Foundations. Through one-on-one coaching, peer consultation, and group facilitation sessions, the Fellows were challenged to think critically and strategically about the direction of their respective ventures, and about the assets needed to move their visions forward.

Special event. After spending four intensive days thinking through growth models, board development, and organizational direction, the retreat culminated with an intimate and celebratory event, hosted at the Nathan Cummings Foundation. Surrounded by a distinguished group of guests – including past, current, and potential future supporters of their ventures, as well as other influential communal leaders – the Fellows shared their visions for their ventures moving forward. Their collective presentation was followed by a candid discussion about the challenges and opportunities facing these young ventures, and how the community can best support their efforts.

A highlight of the evening (for JVG staff, at least!) was watching the respect and support that these eight entrepreneurs have for each other. Over the past year and a half, they have experienced setbacks and triumphs, growing pains and celebrations together. The cohort has become a community, and we know that this will help sustain each of the Fellows long after the 2010-2012 Dual Investment Program formally closes this coming May.

The Slingshot Guide is an annual publication of the Slingshot Fund, acknowledging the 50 “most inspiring and innovative organizations, projects, and programs” in the North American Jewish community. Organizations that apply or are nominated are evaluated by 36 foundation professionals, and are judged against four criteria: Innovation, Impact, Strong Leadership, and Organizational Effectiveness.

Congratulations to our current Fellows:

• Eli Winkelman’s Challah for Hunger
• Sarah Lefton’s G-dcast
• Alison Laichter’s Jewish Meditation Center of Brooklyn
• Rachel Nussbaum’s The Kavana Cooperative
• Ari Weiss’s Uri L’Tzedek
• Zelig Golden’s Wilderness Torah

And congratulations to our alumni, whose projects continue to inspire and impact:

• Meredith Polsky’s Matan
• Mitch Braff’s Jewish Partisan Education Foundation
• Idit Klein’s Keshet

Finally, a big mazal tov to one of only 10 “Slingshot Standard Bearers,” Sharsheret, whose founder and executive director, Rochelle Shoretz, is a JVGroup alum and current board member. The Slingshot Standard Bearers were selected by Slingshot‘s evaluators for sustainability and for continually attaining the core criteria of innovation, impact, leadership, and organizational efficacy. Each Standard Bearer has appeared in at least five previous editions of the Slingshot Guide.

At Joshua Venture Group, we choose eight promising social entrepreneurs to fund and nurture over two years. Fueled by their passion for the Jewish people and for their respective areas of interest, such as social justice, art, education, the environment or meditation, they are riveted on realizing their dreams. Sometimes I wonder, “What inspired the vision for these projects? Where they did discover the confidence to follow their dreams?” Much of it comes from within, but perhaps they have also decided to pursue their passions against the odds, in part, because of our work within the innovation sector, providing role models, opportunities, resources, and hope to many, as well as intensive guidance and support to a more limited group.

This summer I had the unique opportunity to broaden our reach even more – to introduce young people to opportunities in social entrepreneurship and to role models, and to instill some confidence that they, too, could be changemakers – in their own communities, however they defined them.

For four and a half weeks, I commuted to Waltham to design and teach a course on Social Entrepreneurship. This course at Genesis at Brandeis was the first of its kind in any pre-college program and was modeled off of new courses taught in universities today.

In this course, I guided thirteen high school juniors and seniors through a journey to explore Social Change through a multitude of vehicles, learning about themselves as changemakers, and envisioning their own ventures to change the world. The students were awed by guest speakers and site visits, such as Idit Klein of Keshet and Aliza Kline of Mayyim Hayyim. We met over a dozen entrepreneurs who have started businesses, non-profits, and social enterprises all dedicated to making the world a better place in some way, whether in a local community, the Jewish community, or internationally.

At the beginning of this course, many of the students were looking forward to learning business and entrepreneurial skills, without even having a sense of what social entrepreneurship meant or entailed. I watched them transform not only through the knowledge they gained of what was possible – both within and outside of the Jewish community – but also through working on their final projects. Tasked with developing a social venture plan, they brightened with the knowledge and excitement that they, too, could be a part of making real, palpable change.

Although JVG only has resources to support eight social entrepreneurs at a time, a total of 24 to date, the impact of our work goes far beyond the ever widening reach of the work of Just Vision, Sharsheret, G-dcast, Zshuk and all of our other alumni and current fellows. By highlighting the work of social entrepreneurs and the methods and passions beyond their impact – in concentrated ways such as this course, and more widely through conferences, media and other promotion and awareness – we are inspiring the next generation that they, too, can take action – that individually and collectively, we can all be changemakers.

author: Lisa Lepson, Executive Director

During a recent trip to Miami, we were encouraged (and not surprised!) to experience the energy and passion of emerging leaders on the ground. Meeting with federation young leadership and local innovators, we were truly inspired by their work and by their visions for the Jewish community.

Our first stop was the JFNA National Young Leadership Cabinet retreat, where JVG Executive Director Lisa Lepson was invited to participate, along with other leaders in the Jewish innovation and social change sector, in a round-robin series of conversations with Cabinet members. Together with Roben Kantor of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, Lisa was able to dialogue openly with young leaders about community engagement and innovation. In these small group sessions, YLC members deeply engaged in questions of how to bring not just innovation, but also dynamic mentoring relationships, relevant content to all generations, and better communication across these generations, to their home communities.

The conversations started with Federation’s national young leadership then continued with some of Miami’s own local emerging leaders. Partnering with Birthright NEXT South Florida, and accompanied by our friend and colleague Roben Kantor once again, we gathered together close to a dozen incredible young innovators to discuss innovation in the Jewish community at both the local and national levels. It was remarkable to bring them together – many of whom had not previously met each other – and to share with them resources available on the national scene. They were an impressive group, and we look forward to seeing their impact on the Miami community and beyond in the near future.

From September 6th-9th, innovators from across the globe convened in San Francisco for SOCAP 2011. SOCAP is a multi-platform organization dedicated to the flow of capital towards social good. Its event series connects innovators worldwide – investors, foundations, institutions and social entrepreneurs – to build a market at the intersection of money and meaning. JVG Executive Director Lisa Lepson was invited to speak at this year’s conference, as a panelist on the topic of Spirituality and Social Enterprise: What’s Your Motivation?

Although quite daunting to be the lone Jewish representative with social entrepreneurs and funders whose work is inspired by their Muslim, Zen Buddhist, Jesuit, Episcopalian and Evangelical Christian backgrounds and faiths, it was a great opportunity to share how the Jewish values of Tzedakah, Tikkun Olam, and G’milut Hasidim influence and inspire JVG and our Fellows’ work for social change.

Sitting next to Matt Flannery, the Founder of Kiva, an online microfinance organization, Lisa shared some of the concepts behind Maimonides’ “ladder of giving”, and he was pleased to hear that interest-free loans – a service that his organization provides – are among Maimonides’ highest standard.

It was also fascinating to learn about other models for accelerators and incubators at the conference, and how they mentor and support their social entrepreneurs. For example, after Village Capital’s 15-day incubator retreat, the entrepreneurs rate each other, and the two who rate the highest by their peers each receive 100K in seed funding.

Learning from our colleagues in the greater social entrepreneurship sector was incredibly valuable, as was connecting them with the Jewish values that inspire our work. We look forward to other opportunities to collaborate, share with, and learn from those who continue to set the bar high for effecting real, sustainable change.

What is Jewish meditation, and how can a Jewish contemplative practice breathe new life into Jewish texts?  Explore these questions and more in this Huffington Post piece, featuring JVG Fellow Alison Laichter and the Jewish Meditation Center!

Read the full article here.

In a special feature of Austin Woman Magazine, ten entrepreneurial women under the age of 30 have been highlighted for their work in starting their own businesses and in advancing various causes. Among this talented group is JVG Fellow Eli Winkelman, whose venture, Challah for Hunger, has raised and donated more than $250,000 since its inception.

Read the full article here.

The recent news of JDub’s closure has drawn responses, reflections, and recommendations from all corners of Jewish communal life. For many, JDub was more than just “[forging] vibrant connections to Judaism through music, art and cultural events”; it was a symbol of success for Jewish startups, and an aspirational model for other Jewish social entrepreneurs seeking to realize their own visions.

JVG’s Lisa Lepson, executive director, and Rochelle Shoretz, alumna and board member, contribute their thoughts on JDub’s decision to close, and on its implications for other young ventures and for the community’s funding priorities, in the Jewish Week.

Read the full article here.

JVG Alumnus and biodynamic farmer extraordinaire Daron Joffe, better known as Farmer D, talks food distribution, edible landscapes, communal partnerships, and what he terms “New Urbanism”.

Read the full article here.

• Rochelle Shoretz: Current JVG board member and program alumna, Rochelle is the visionary behind Sharsheret, a national organization supporting young Jewish women and their families facing breast cancer; and
• Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum: As one of our current Fellows, Rachel is redefining what it means to build and sustain a meaningful Jewish community through her work in founding and directing the Kavana Cooperative.

We tip our hats to these inspiring and passionate leaders, and to all those named to this year’s Big Jewcy: 2011.  For more information about the entire list o’ 100, click here.

The special featured the Jewish Farm School, based at Eden Village Camp, in Putnam Valley, NY, an environmental organization whose mission is to practice and promote sustainable agriculture using methods based on Jewish traditions. The school’s co-founders, Nati Passow (JVG Fellow) and Simcha Schwartz, talked about how they are empowering future generations to see food as a vehicle for social and environmental justice, and how the school offers educational opportunities through farm-based service learning experiences in New York and across the United States.

To view the video directly on the JFS site, click here. The JFS segment starts 11 minutes in.

You can view Lisa’s presentation here.

The Daily Beast and Newsweek recently released their list of the top leaders of America’s Jewish clergy. We’re thrilled to share that one of our Fellows, Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum, has been named to this list of influencers and changemakers. Mazal tov to her, and to the incredible work she and the Kavana Cooperative are doing in Seattle:

“A Seattle rabbi who is upending what it means to be part of a synagogue, Nussbaum co-founded The Kavana Cooperative five years ago – a collective which draws self-starters from the under-40 set who want to take ownership of their own education and ritual…”

The full article announcing the Top 50 Influential Rabbis can be found here — or you can head straight to the gallery!

In the 13th issue of PresenTense Magazine, Dori Frumin Kirshner and Meredith Englander Polsky of Matan share the story of Jennifer Levine and her work to re-imagine a religious school environment that supports all learners.

You can read the full article here.

The role of academia in nurturing the growth of emerging changemakers is paramount, and it is with great excitement that we look to partner with Genesis at Brandeis University on shaping and teaching the program’s first course on Social Entrepreneurship this summer. The wealth of knowledge we gained from attending the AshokaU Conference will be valuable in developing a truly meaningful experience for Genesis participants.

The Jewish Federations of North America shook up its strategy for young adult engagement with the unveiling of TribeFest, a convening for the 22- to 45-year-old crowd to experience “the richness of Jewish music, food, arts and culture”.

In addition to hearing the poetic stylings of the Hebrew Mamita and the heartfelt and inspiring words of Mayim Bialik, attendees had the opportunity to learn about food justice from our own Lisa Lepson, along with Pursue‘s Jocelyn Berger and Suzanne Lipkin. What was more impactful than the session itself, though, were the stories of action to come out of the discussion.

After attending the Noshing on Food Justice session, members of the San Diego Jewish community decided to host a “Food Justice” Shabbat Dinner. With over 40 in attendance, guests noshed on food purchased primarily from local farmers markets and heard from one of their peers about how to be more socially conscious of and informed about this issue. Overall, it was a resounding success!

A video highlighting the Food Justice Shabbat Dinner experience can be found here.

Over 2000 people were in attendance for this year’s Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC), hosted by NTEN, to discuss all things #nptech for communications, program, and IT professionals, as well as for nonprofit executives.

Amid the vibrant discussions about tricks of the trade, best products and best practices, was a strong contingent from the Jewish nonprofit world. Darim Online and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation went above and beyond to mobilize our community to attend, and to provide us with rich opportunities to connect with and learn from each other while gathered together at NTC.

We convened as a group to hear from experts in the field, exploring broad visions for, deep reflections on, and brass tacks around how the Jewish community is currently – and must strive toward more actively – leveraging technology to benefit our efforts and to create meaningful impact. Then, on Friday night, we were able to come together as a community for an intimate, inviting Shabbat dinner experience. It was enlightening to be among contemporaries so willing to connect, share best practices, and learn from each other.

NTEN and its signature conference, NTC, are a jewel unto the nonprofit world. Whether you’re seeking information on open source content management systems or project management tools, or really trying to understand how to effectively use social media, they have their ear to the ground and want to share their knowledge with you!

You can access an aggregation of materials and reflections from 2011NTC here.

The annual Jewish Funders Network Conference was recently held in Philadelphia, bringing together philanthropists and foundation professionals to discuss The Power of Narrative to Drive Change.

JVG Executive Director Lisa Lepson joined Lisa Eisen of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, as well as Frank Luntz and Guy Rolnik, on the event’s Monday morning plenary panel. Lisa Lepson spoke about the power of creating and facilitating a shorysharing culture, while Lisa Eisen shared her thoughts on 4 Principles of Effective Storytelling.

You can read Lisa Lepson’s full remarks here.

The themes that resonate this Spring with our Fellows are people, programming and products. These entrepreneurs are continually seeking to surround themselves with the best people to add to their teams and to their braintrusts. They develop and deliver robust programming that speaks to their missions — and resonates with their audiences. They are also creating and sharing tangible products for people to incorporate meaningful, personal practices into their own lives and homes.

From resources and opportunities to enrich your Passover holiday, to upcoming programming that you won’t want to miss, learn more about the experiences our Fellows are creating on the ground:

Alison Laichter was featured in the most recent issue of PresenTense Magazine, reflecting on Spirituality and Activism. In preparation for the upcoming holiday, the Jewish Meditation Center will be sharing its 2011 Passover Hagaddah Insert — so be on the lookout for that coming your way soon!

Ari Weiss recently hired Uri L’Tzedek’s third full-time staff member, Raizel Druxman, to serve as the organization’s first Program Director. Uri L’Tzedek also just released its Food and Justice Hagaddah Supplement — the perfect edition to any Seder.

Eli Winkelman recently welcomed Kate Forester of Repair the World to the Challah for Hunger Board of Directors. In addition, so far this semester, CfH chapters have baked nearly 5,000 loaves of challah, raising over $17,000 for the AJWS Sudan Relief and Advocacy Fund and for other social justice organizations around the world.

Nati Passow‘s Jewish Farm School just came off an incredible month of Alternative Break Trips. You can read reflections from a past participant here. Up next, they have an exciting array of programs – from Maple Sugaring to Beekeeping – available this Spring.

Rachel Nussbaum (along with fellow Fellow Sarah Lefton!) was featured in the Spring 2011 edition of Jewish Women International Magazine, reflecting on alternative prayer communities. Kavana will also be celebrating its fifth anniversary this summer — mazal tov!

Sarah Lefton‘s G-dcast recently moved its offices to a great space in downtown San Francisco. You can also “get educated” about the Four Sons via G-dcast’s Pesach episode.

Zelig Golden‘s Wilderness Torah is gearing up for an exciting season of programming: 140 people are co-creating a rustic village near Death Valley for the upcoming Passover in the Desert; its Hebrew Homesteading series debuted this Spring; and its B’nai Mitzvah Nature Program is set to launch this September, with support from a recent Covenant Foundation Ignition Grant!

Zhenya Plechkina recently returned from Israel, where Zshuk Art Initiative volunteered to create a mural for the Yemin Orde Youth Village. Just before Passover, on Sunday, April 17th, Zshuk will debut the first interactive show for Russian-speaking Jewish families: The Besht’s Magical Journey.

The Jewish Daily Forward‘s arts and culture blog profiles G-dcast and its founder, JVGroup Fellow Sarah Lefton.  Learn how this “Jewish educational entrepreneur” and her team are pioneering how interactive technology can be used to revitalize the teaching, understanding, and accessibility of Jewish texts.

Read the full article here.

View the full video here.

It has been remarkable to see all that our Fellows have accomplished over the past eight months since the Dual Investment Program began, and how their ventures continue to evolve, impress, and inspire. In addition to being leaders of their respective ventures, they can also now call themselves, among other things, major grant recipients, conference presenters, curriculum publishers, and — for many — team members.

One of the most difficult and most rewarding accomplishments in the early stages of any organization is developing the capacity to bring on a second staff member. We are thrilled to report that since last June, five of our Fellows have welcomed new professionals to their teams — four of whom filled newly created positions.

More of our Fellows’ most recent developments include:

Reaching organizational milestones and securing foundation support.

• Eli Winkelman’s Challah for Hunger estimates that its chapters collectively raised $50,000 in donations during the Fall 2010 semester alone.
• Alison Laichter’s Jewish Meditation Center and Nati Passow’s Jewish Farm School were among the Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation’s most recent grant recipients.
• Zelig Golden’s Wilderness Torah recently received a $20,000 ignition grant from The Covenant Foundation.
• Zhenya Plechkina’s Zshuk Children’s Art Initiative was recently awarded a grant from COJECO’s Center Without Walls, in partnership with Genesis Philanthropy Group, to develop an exciting new family outreach initiative.
• Among Natan’s 2011 grantees were three of our Fellows’ ventures: Ari Weiss’s Uri L’Tzedek, Nati Passow’s Jewish Farm School, and Sarah Lefton’s G-dcast.

Developing and enhancing programmatic offerings.

• Alison Laichter’s Jewish Meditation Center celebrated Tu B’Shvat by hosting a meditative seder with Brooklyn Jews, drawing over 80 participants.   A liberating contemplative Passover Seder is now being planned for this April.
• Zhenya Plechkina’s Zshuk Children’s Art Initiative welcomed over 100 individuals and families to its interactive installation Solomon’s Chair at Hannah Senesh Community Day School in Brooklyn last month.
• Sarah Lefton’s G-dcast launched a webstore where individuals, parents, and educators can purchase DVDs of the entire Torah series, as well as its newly-released Teachers’ Guide.
• Rachel Nussbaum‘s Kavana Cooperative is partnering with Jewish Family Service of Seattle to offer two “Parenting with Intention” workshops in March, with one specifically geared for interfaith couples.
• Nati Passow’s Jewish Farm School is currently seeking applicants for Anafim: The Sustainable Food and Farming Internship, for high school seniors and gap year students.

Growing professional teams and fostering collaboration.

• Nati Passow’s Jewish Farm School recently brought on its third full-time staff member, Rabbi Jacob Fine, as the organization’s first Rabbi and Director of Programs.
• Eli Winkelman’s Challah for Hunger has expanded its professional and volunteer teams, welcoming Rachel Glicksman as its first full-time hire and a new group of national-level interns and managers.
• Zelig Golden’s Wilderness Torah recently welcomed Sarai Shapiro as the organization’s first Program Coordinator.
• Kavana Cooperative‘s educational coordinator, Maxine Alloway, was featured in a recent Sh’ma piece about new thinking in congregational education.
• Sarah Lefton of G-dcast has been connecting with educators, speaking at the NATE (National Association of Temple Educators) and NAJDS (North American Jewish Day School) Conferences.
• Ari Weiss’s Uri L’Tzedek is currently searching to bring on a third staff member as Program Director.

How do we leverage new media to enhance Jewish education and to enrich Jewish life? The Jewish Week‘s Gary Rosenblatt explores this question as he reflects on a new media panel discussion hosted by Natan last month. JVGroup Fellow Sarah Lefton of G-dcast, and moderator of the panel, is among the Jewish new media enthusiasts to weigh in.

Read the full article here.

For more information about Natan’s grant areas and grantees, visit their website.

The Chicago Tribune highlights the efforts of JVGroup Fellow Ari Weiss and Uri L’Tzedek to bring its ethical seal for kosher restaurants, Tav HaYosher, to the local community.

Read the full article here.

The greater community is abuzz about the growing Jewish environmental movement, and the holiday of Tu B’Shvat serves as the perfect backdrop for further reflection. Recently published in Huffington Post, hear from various pioneers in the field, including Wilderness Torah Executive Director and JVGroup Fellow Zelig Golden, about the deep roots of Jewish environmentalism and how we can expect this seedling of a movement to fully bloom within the coming years.

Read the full article here.

JVGroup Fellow Ari Weiss and Uri L’Tzedek are proud to announce an exciting new award campaign to recognize ethical Jewish business leaders. Learn more about the Yosher Award and how you can nominate a business leader in your community:

Do you know an observant Jewish businessperson who is a moral exemplar committed to ethical business practices? One that operates beyond basic legal, market or industry standards? Do they apply justice and righteousness to all of their dealings and imbue their work environment with Torah values? If so, they should be celebrated for their commitment to Yashrut – the combination of justice, fairness and integrity in all business and social transactions.

Uri L’Tzedek is launching a groundbreaking new Award Campaign – The Annual Yosher Award – that seeks to recognize these Jewish business heroes. It doesn’t take long to nominate and in doing so you can help spread the word that Yashrut matters! There will be an award ceremony wherein the award winner will be nationally recognized and will inspire a greater discourse on Jewish ethical practices.

The Nomination form can be found here.

Nati Passow, Jewish Farm School

Location: New York, NY

Website: http://www.jewishfarmschool.org

Contact info: info@jewishfarmschool.org

Shine Along: Apply now for Anafim: The Sustainable Food and Farm Internship for High School Seniors

Publicity Links:

Watch Jewish Farm School featured in Liz Neumark’s Column on Huffington Post

Nati presents his expertise on the Jewish Farming movement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Uri L’Tzedek‘s Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz and Rabbi Ari Weiss celebrated the second night of Chanukah at the White House. The evening included an address from the President, the lighting of the Chanukiah, and of course the smell of latkes!  Pictured here is JVGroup Fellow Ari Weiss with Vice President Joe Biden.  What an amazing event to be a part of!

Zelig Golden, Wilderness Torah

Location: Oakland, CA

Website: http://www.wildernesstorah.org

Contact info: info@wildernesstorah.org

Shine Along: Register now for Tu B’Shvat in the Redwoods

Publicity Links:

Tablet Magazine sites Wilderness Torah as one of a growing community of Jewish Environmental Reinventions

Zelig writes of the importance of reconnecting with nature in a Jewish context for Zeek

Zhenya Plechkina, Zshuk: Children’s Art Initiative

Location: Brookly, NY

Website: http://www.zshuk.com

Contact info: info@zshuk.com

Shine Along: Submit your child’s artwork for inclusion in Zshuk’s first publication (debuts early 2011)

Publicity Links:

Watch the mounting and execution of Zshuk’s Art Installation; Solomon’s Chair on youtube

View footage taken during Zshuk’s Hannukah Projects at various Brooklyn Community Centers

Sarah Lefton, G-dcast

Location: San Francisco, CA

Website: http://www.g-dcast.com

Contact info: info@g-dcast.com

Shine Along: Watch G-dcast’s Chanukah video

Publicity Links:

Sarah and G-dcast in the San Francisco Examiner

A conversation with Sarah and Artists on Demand

Rachel Nussbaum, Kavana Cooperative

Location: Seattle, WA

Website: http://www.kavana.org

Contact info: info@kavana.org

Shine Along: Join Kavana Cooperative for a Sushi celebration Chanukah in a Roll

Publicity Links:

Rachel is interviewed by JESNA’s Steven Kraus

Kavana Cooperative is included in the 2010-2011 Slingshot Guide

Eli WInkelman, Challah for Hunger

Location: Austin, TX

Website: http://www.challahforhunger.org

Contact info: eli@challahforhunger.org

Shine Along: Be a part of one of Challah for Hunger’s local teams

Publicity Links:

Eli and Challah for Hunger featured in the Jerusalem Post

Challah for Hunger featured in The Jew and the Carrot blog in The Forward

8 Lights of Chanukah: Day 2

Rabbi Ari Weiss, Uri L’Tzedek

Location: New York, NY

Website: www.utzedek.org

Contact info: info@utzedek.org

Shine Along: Join Uri L’Tzedek’s Micro-Lending Team

Publicity Links:

Uri L’Tzedek in PBS documentary The Calling

Ari partners with Canadian Jewish students as reported in Shalom Life

8 Lights of Chanukah: Day 1

Alison Laichter, Jewish Meditation Center

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Website: www.jmcbrooklyn.org

Contact info: info@jmcbrooklyn.org

Shine Along: Join the JMC tonight, December 2, for Getting in the Mood for Chanukah

Publicity Links:

Alison’s D’var Torah for Parshat Toldot on Punk Torah

Brooklyn Eagle Reports on JMC’s Honor: One of Most Innovative Nonprofits

In celebration of Jewish Book Month, The Arty Semite has partnered with the Jewish Education Service of North America (JESNA) and the Jewish Book Council to present “30 Days, 30 Texts,” a series of reflections by community leaders on the books that influenced their Jewish journeys. In its latest post, Ari Weiss writes about “Nine Talmudic Readings” by Emmanuel Levinas.

Read the full post here.

In the latest issue of PresenTense Magazine, Nati Passow, executive director of Jewish Farm School and JVGroup Fellow, ruminates on the growing movement of Jewish environmentalism, and the mainstream community’s embrace of it:

Through both education and identity building, the Jewish environmental movement has taken firm root in the mainstream community. This trend is seen through some major accomplishments in the past few years: two of the eight Joshua Venture fellows are leading environmental projects (I’m one of them); Hazon’s food blog, the Jew and the Carrot, recently merged with the Jewish Daily Forward newspaper; the Jewish Greening Fellowship, a program designed to bring environmental change to Jewish institutions, has been renewed for a second cohort; and Jewish environmental initiatives are sprouting up in communities around the country. Many of these projects are being organized on a small and local level, drawing inspiration and resources from the larger, national projects.

Read the full article here.

The release of Picking a Needle out of a Haystack has caught the attention of our friends at Ashoka. Ashoka U’s November 15th blog post reflects on our own process of self-reflection, and commends our work on describing the competencies that we think define changemakers.

Read the full post here.

Social entrepreneurs change the world. Joshua Venture Group was founded on this premise, and our program is as much about cultivating social entrepreneurial talent as it is about growing sustainable ventures. But the question is: what makes someone a social entrepreneur?

As we re-launched our Dual Investment Program in Fall 2009, we pushed ourselves to question what we know and don’t know about the inherent qualities that define social entrepreneurs, and embarked on a process to better understand and identify what we were looking for.

We found that we benefited from looking at frameworks from the corporate human capital arena, and invite you to share in our process and learnings by reading the full report here.

The Slingshot Guide, now in its sixth year of publication, identifies 50 of the most innovative and effective projects happening in the Jewish community today.  Among those highlighted in this year’s guide, officially released on Monday, October 18th, include six of our Fellows and their ventures:

• Alison Laichter’s Jewish Meditation Center
• Ari Weiss’s Uri L’Tzedek
• Eli Winkelman’s Challah for Hunger
• Nati Passow’s Jewish Farm School
• Rachel Nussbaum’s Kavana Cooperative
• Sarah Lefton’s G-dcast

The Conversation: Jewish in America, a project of The Jewish Week, convenes a diverse group of 50+ American Jews who are leaders or potential leaders in their respective fields to explore the future of our community and what it means to be Jewish in the 21st Century.  Three of our Fellows participated in this year’s convening, held from October 17-19 in Baltimore, MD:

• Rachel Nussbaum of Kavana Cooperative
• Zelig Golden of Wilderness Torah
• Zhenya Plechkina of Zshuk: Jewish Children’s Art Initiative

We look forward to seeing our Fellows continue to break new ground and to positively impact the Jewish world!

To read the complete press release, please click here.

Since the Dual Investment Program (DIP) began back in June, our Fellows have been more than busy! Retreats, workshops, consultative and coaching services, professional networking, and organizational planning are among the resources to which Fellows have been exposed over these past three months alone, and it is thrilling to see how their ventures have progressed thus far.

Here are some of their most recent developments:

Reaching organizational milestones.

• Zhenya Plechkina’s Jewish Children’s Art Initiative has launched its new website, and has unveiled a new name: Zshuk. Visit zshuk.com to learn more about this venture’s exciting developments (and the story behind its unique name!).
• Alison Laichter’s Jewish Meditation Center recently celebrated its one-year anniversary with its second annual event: Beer, Jews, and Meditation.
• Eli Winkelman’s Challah for Hunger is organizing its first ever National Leadership Summit in early October, set to bring together representatives from each of its over 30 chapters.

Developing and enhancing programmatic offerings.

• Sarah Lefton’s G-dcast has released its first three of eight new holiday videos - Shofar Callin’, Overboard, and Back to Basics – to start the new year.
• Rachel Nussbaum‘s Kavana Cooperative is preparing to launch two additional pilot sites of its after-school Hebrew immersion and Judaic learning program, Moadon Yeladim, which has seen participation grow from 5 students to 19 students over the past three years.
• Ari Weiss’s Uri L’Tzedek has expanded to the West Coast, and will launch its LA-based Social Justice Beit Midrash this Fall.
• Zelig Golden’s Wilderness Torah is gearing up for its sold-out Sukkot on the Farm Festival, a three-night campout and celebration to be attended by over 160 participants, and for the launch of Gan Torah, a new Jewish nature program for children grades 4-6.

Growing professional teams and fostering new partnerships.

• Ari Weiss’s Uri L’Tzedek recently brought on Hillary Levison as its Associate Director of Operations, a newly created position.
• Eli Winkelman’s Challah for Hunger is finalizing plans to expand its full-time staff to include an Associate Director position.
• Nati Passow’s Jewish Farm School partnered with Eden Village Camp in Putnam Valley, NY, this summer, and will continue to provide new programming for children, families, and adults there this Fall.
• Rachel Nussbaum and Sarah Lefton are collaborating on children’s education, as Kavana‘s new program for middle-schoolers will among the few groups piloting G-dcast‘s Parshat HaShavuah curriculum.

Making headlines.

• Alison Laichter, Nati Passow, and Eli Winkelman were among the young leaders recognized earlier this year as part of The Jewish Week’s 36 Under 36.
• Sarah Lefton and Eli Winkelman attended the White House’s reception in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month in May, and both were named to the Jewcy 100 in June.
• Bikkurim named Alison Laichter’s Jewish Meditation Center as one of two new groups that it will incubate starting this Fall.
• Zelig Golden, Rachel Nussbaum, Zhenya Plechkina, and Eli Winkelman, along with Uri L’Tzedek’s Shmuly Yanklowitz, were invited to take part in The Jewish Week’s The Conversation, a gathering of thinkers, leaders, and innovators in the Jewish community, which will convene this October.