375 Series
The Samuel Bronfman Foundation NewsletterApril 2010
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Press Mentions 

Dana Raucher
Over the past year, The Samuel Bronfman Foundation has been proud to see our grantees share their resources with the broader Jewish community. These connections between organizations and the outside world foster innovation, learning experiences and meaningful relationships. 

MyJewishLearning.com continues to link people with articles and information online, creating an easily accessible way to engage in Jewish learning. As noted in a recent report on the Jewish internet, "The Reality of the Virtual Looking for Jewish Leadership Online" conducted by Dr. Ari Kelman, MyJewishLearning "occupies a prominent and powerful location from which it can influence the circulation of both information and visitors across and through the Jewish virtual sector." MJL continues to seek out new audiences and in September launched Kveller.com, a parenting website, which provides information on raising children through a Jewish lens. Kveller.com also offers online discussion forums for parents to connect and a calendar of events for families to engage in local activities together.
 
Over 600 Hillel student leaders congregated at this year's General Assembly and participated in the Global Day of Jewish Learning, a celebration of Rabbi Steinsaltz's translation and commentary of the Talmud. This day of learning increased participants' understanding of a shared history and helped unify people from diverse backgrounds.

The Curriculum Initiative (TCI) brought hundreds of students, faculty and parents together at their Conference on Judaism in San Francisco where students both led and participated in discussions on Jewish life. Students had the opportunity to ask each other questions and dialogue about what Judaism means to them and how it affects their everyday lives.


We invite you to read more about our recent work and the noteworthy accomplishments of some of our grantees. We wish you all a happy and healthy 2011.
 
Sincerely,
Dana
  
Kveller
Parenting Website Launches
 
Kveller Parenting WebsiteWe were excited to be a part of the launch of KVELLER this September. KVELLER, a website that comes out of partnership between MyJewishLearning and the UJA Federation of New York's Commission On Jewish Identity and Renewal (COJIR), was designed specifically for soon-to be parents and parents with young Jewish children. The site was visited by 30,000 people in its first full month. Read more on the site and its leadership: "Daniel Septimus on Contemporary American Jewish parenting," and "Kvelling in Brownstone Brooklyn - and Beyond"
  
375 Series
with Jeffrey Goldberg
 
Jeffrey GoldbergOn October 21st, the foundation hosted its Fall 375 Series with Jeffrey Goldberg on the topic "The Coming Crisis in Israel-Diaspora Relations." Jeffrey spoke about the growing rift between Israel and Diaspora Jews, particularly how the disparate experiences of Israeli and North American youth are furthering the division. The audience and Jeffrey engaged in a lively debate about the impact of this divide, the concept of Jewish power and universalism vs. particularism.  Jeffrey was joined by BYFI alum and journalist Jonathan Tepperman for an intimate discussion with a group of BYFI alumni afterwards.  

Our next 375 Series will feature editor of The Forward Jane Eisner in conversation with author and former 60 minutes producer Abigail Pogrebin on the topic, "Gender, Power and the Jewish Community" to be held on January 13th. For more information email [email protected]


  
TCI
Conference on Judaism and 2011 Jewbilee
 
TCIOn November 21st The Curriculum Initiative (TCI) hosted a "Conference on Judaism" at Mercy High School in San Francisco, attended by nearly 200 students from 21 different schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Students, parents and educators alike participated in workshops that used Judaism as a lens through which to explore universal issues of faith, spirituality, practice and the way they play out in the lives of young people today. The students relished the opportunity to discuss and explore together some of the "big Jewish questions," and participate in workshops on topics such as the relevance of Jewish law today and the relationship modern Jews have with the state of Israel. You can read a full account of the event from JWeekly.

This fall has brought some exciting changes to the TCI Board including the election of Board President Peter Sheft, the first TCI Board President who is an alumnus of an independent school. Peter is the Managing Director of Zephyr Management, L.P. and has previously served on the boards of the Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst, MAKOR and the New York Association for New Americans. TCI also appointed three new national board members who are also parents of independent school students, representing important voices for the unique work and mission of TCI.
  
BYFI
Professional Leadership
 
My Jewish Learning

The Bronfman Youth Fellowships  in Israel (BYFI) marks a leadership transition this month as longtime Executive Director, Rabbi Shimon Felix, takes on the role of Executive Director Emeritus. The Samuel Bronfman Foundation joins hundreds of BYFI alumni in thanking Shimon for his leadership, wisdom and impact over his two decades with the fellowship.

 

We want to recognize Rebecca (Becky) Voorwinde, BYFI's Director of Alumni Engagement for the past two and a half years, who will carry on the role of co-director for the fellowships and will be responsible for the strategic growth of the fellowship community. BYFI will be launching a search for a second co-director who will be charged with providing Jewish educational guidance to the program and who is committed to inspiring the future of the Jewish community. For more information about this position please contact [email protected].

  
Global Day of Jewish Learning
 
Global Day of Jewish LearningJews all over the world came together on Sunday, November 7th, on the Global Day of Jewish Learning, to celebrate Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's completion of his 45-year quest to produce the first original Talmud commentary and translation since the Middle Ages. The occasion was marked by events and learning opportunities in 370 communities, in 48 different counties with more than 600 individual programs. Matthew Bronfman spoke to a group of students at the General Assembly in New Orleans, where the group studied Jewish text together. Matthew remarked to the audience, "There are many paths to a Jewish life but they all start with learning."
  
Slingshot 2010
 
Slingshot FoundationThe Samuel Bronfman Foundation wants to congratulate its grantees that were selected for the 2010-2011 Slingshot, A Resource Guide to Jewish Innovation, an annual compilation of 50 inspiring and innovative organizations, projects, and programs in the North American Jewish community. Included in this year's guide were AJC Access NYAdvancing Women Professionals, BYFI's Alumni Venture Fund, Hillel's Campus Entrepreneurs and Senior Jewish Educators' Initiative, InterfaithFamily.com, The Jewish Outreach Institute, KESHET, Mechon Hadar and MyJewishLearning.com.
  
Twitter
 
TSBF Twitter PageDid you know The Samuel Bronfman Foundation is now on Twitter? Please follow us for updates about our grantees and events. We would love to continue the conversation online throughout the year - we look forward to hearing from you! @bronfmanfound
 
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