Civil Society and Caring

My colleagues at the JDC Elka Institute for Leadership and Governance are doing some really important work bringing Israeli leaders and opinion-makers together to achieve social impact. There are networks of support, learning programs for senior management and more.

I particularly liked this below example of an explanation video on Civil Society and Caring. Even if your Hebrew is rusty (if I can get subtitles figured out then I'll add them) you'll appreciate the way the graphics and texts reinforce basic concepts of caring, action and influence.

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Insert Your Story Here

I’m spending these next few days preparing for a series of presentations next week in Budapest. I’ve been asked to come in and spend a few days with our leadership and management working on presentations, storytelling and fundraising concepts.

Going through my notes and stories, one thing struck me – the most challenging thing about how we tell our stories in the Joint is how personal and individualized they are. The most difficult area we have to focus on, when we teach field staff and others to tell their stories, is helping them choose their stories. Once you start using someone else’s stories, or ideas – it smells fake. And inauthentic stories aren't very inspiring.

All of this came up the other day in a conversation with a colleague who wanted “my” JDC introduction presentation that others could use. The problem is … I don’t have one. Because there isn't one.

You have to talk from your own passion, with your own stories. My awesome story about how we do such-and-such a thing sounds great, but only because I've been there, smelled the perfume, touched the brick and can convey the sound. So I can relay the entire experience authentically. But it's only my story. 

I can’t tell your story as well as you can.

The most fascinating statistic I’ve heard this month

I had a meeting the other week in Israel with Roi Assaf, Head of the Social Department in The Authority for Economic Development of the Minorities Sector, which sits in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Office.

He gave a fascinating presentation on “Governmental Policy towards Economic Development of the Arab Sector.”

One quote, in particular, really struck me … because, in addition to low standards of living and difficult conditions on individual and community  levels, high rates of poverty mean high costs to the country in state welfare services,  lost productivity, lost tax revenue, and low consumer activity. 

So low employment and high poverty have a macro-level impact, not just on the individuals concerned but on the strength and economic vitality of Israel as a whole. 

And then Roi said:
"Arab citizens, despite constituting more than 20% of the population, contribute only 8% to Israel's GDP, at an estimated loss of over NIS 30 billion each year."

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The loveliest video I've seen in ages

100th Anniversary birthday wishes to JDC from the Athens Jewish Community ....

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More on Israeli women

I've looked in the past at challenges faced by disadvantaged women in Israel. It's a really important issue, and not one that's given enough time and focus.

One of the key areas where you can see the challenge is in the field of employment ...

Here's the problem: disadvantaged groups face lots of barriers on the road to employment:
They tend to have very large families, there are often cultural barriers to employment. there are issues of stereotypes and discrimination. Many of these groups have lower education and all kinds of language barriers. They often have much less access to employment opportunities

So how are we doing? It's a mixed story ....

 In 2009-10, 61% of Haredi women worked, significantly up from 47% in 2009-10.

 The most dramatic growth has been with the employment of Ethiopian-Israeli women. In 2001, only 30% of Ethiopian-Israeli women were employed. By 2010, the rate more than doubled to 62%.

 Even among those with less than 12 years of education, employment rose from 26% to 46%.

 The low levels of education of Ethiopians contribute to a very large gap in average monthly earnings - 4,000 NIS compared with 6,400 NIS for all Jewish women.

 Arab-Israeli women face the biggest employment barriers, with only 26% of 25-64 years olds employed in 2009-10, up from 19% in 2001.

 36% of employed Arab-Israeli women work part time, most of whom cannot find full-time employment.

 By contrast, employment gaps are very small for women with academic degrees: 77% for Arab-Israeli women and 83% for Jewish women.

If you want more information and sources on these findings, message me, or contact my colleagues at Myers-JDC-Brookdale. If you want to receive this blog on a regular basis by email (about twice a week, depending on what else I'm up to), sign up in the top-right box where it says "follow" ...

A Century of Service

I love this video ... yashar koach (well done) to my colleagues who created it. Makes me proud ....


Since 1914, JDC has been empowering the most vulnerable Jews around the world, bringing relief to those who need it most, and making a powerful investment in the Jewish people's future. Explore our global impact, from the former Soviet Union to Israel and Europe to North Africa. And join us for our next 100 years!

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Earners and Learners

I had a fascinating meeting with some of my colleagues recently who are dealing with issues of Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) employment in Israel. I knew we were going to have an interesting meeting when one of my colleagues, who herself comes from the Haredi world, framed the entire conversation in one sentence. “Haredi women,” she said, “are a society of earners. Haredi men are a society of learners.”

What’s important to note here, though, is that Ultra-Orthodox society isn’t black-and-white. It’s not monolithic, there’s a huge variety of cultures within. “Haredi” is more of a self-definition … but there are some common themes in all Haredi society:

·        -  Torah is in the center of life

·         - You get married early

·         - Women mostly go to education for employment (95%), so therefore it’s a very crowded and underpaying sector.

What we need to do is find ways to respect the Haredi way of life, while developing menus of services that are culturally sensitive and appropriate … to help the learners also become earners, and help the earners move from dependence to independence.


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Are you coming?

Terrific promo video for Chotam - Teach First Israel, supported by JDC (and one of my favorite programs).

Philippines, recovering from typhoon, honored by JDC for WWII rescue effort

By Larry Luxner/JNS.org

WASHINGTON—Thanking one Asian country for its kindness towards Jews faced with annihilation 75 years ago and warning another not to even think about harming Israel, top Jewish officials at a Dec. 11 dinner wrapped up three days of meetings that marked the 100th anniversary of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC).

José L. Cuisía, Philippine ambassador to the United States, accepted the JDC’s Or L’Olam Award on behalf of his country for giving refuge to 1,305 Jews fleeing Nazi Germany during World War II. At the same event, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob “Jack” Lew—the highest-ranking Jew in the Obama administration—cautioned any CEO, general counsel or business executives to “think again” before trying to evade international sanctions against Iran or helping the Islamic Republic acquire nuclear weapons.

About 400 guests attended the JDC centennial dinner at Washington’s Ronald Reagan International Trade Center. The evening, emceed by CNN anchorman Wolf Blitzer, also featured short presentations by noted sexologist Dr. Ruth Westheimer and New York businessman Abe Biderman, who was recently elected co-chairman of the World Jewish Restitution Organization. In addition, participants enjoyed a medley of Israeli songs performed by the University of Maryland’s Kol Sasson choir.

“The Philippines was the only Asian country that voted for the creation of Israel in 1947, and we heroically helped save the lives of many Jews at a time when most other doors were shut,” Cuisía said as he accepted Or L’Olam (Light Unto the World) Award from philanthropist Penny Blumenstein, the new president of JDC.

Among those rescued by the Philippines under its wartime president, Manuel Quezón, were the mother and grandparents of Teaneck, NJ, resident Danny Pins—a disaster-relief expert who currently leads the JDC’s humanitarian efforts in that country.

“While we pay tribute to the Philippines for its role in saving 1,305 people, we Filipinos also pay homage to our Jewish friends for helping save the lives of our people just over a month ago, when Typhoon Haiyan tore across the Philippines, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction,” said Cuisía.

In addition to more than 6,000 killed, Typhoon Haiyan injured at least 27,000 people and displaced an estimated 3.9 million Filipinos from their homes.

“During this period, among the first humanitarian organizations on the ground was the JDC, which raised more than $1.6 million for clean water and sanitation to victims in affected areas,” Cuisía said. “JDC also worked with 148 members of the Israel Defense Forces deployed in the Philippines, assisted in search and rescue, and helped reconstruct damaged buildings and restore water supplies. The JDC also supported the Israeli field hospital that treated 2,800 patients, including 900 children.”

In addition, Israeli doctors performed 60 emergency surgeries and delivered 66 babies, one of whom was a boy named “Israel.”

“There is a great sense of loss and grief across the Philippines. However, we are able to draw on our faith in a just and compassionate God,” said the ambassador. “We see His face, and we certainly feel His presence through the work of our Jewish brothers and sisters. I assure you that the Filipino people will always remember the kind gestures you have extended to us.”

Like Cuisía, Lew was honored by the JDC, which bestowed upon him its Morgenthau Award to commemorate the group’s 100 years of partnership with the U.S. government. The son of Polish immigrants, Lew said the U.S. “has a moral obligation” to use all the diplomatic and economic means at its disposal to make Iran give up its nuclear ambitious—while reserving force as a last resort.

The treasury secretary said that in comparison with the cost global sanctions have imposed on Iran’s economy, the relief package Washington offered Tehran under the interim nuclear deal reached last month in Geneva is “quite modest”—amounting to no more than $7 billion. A Dec. 11 report in Haaretz, however, cited security sources in Israel who said the relief could amount to $20 billion. 

Lew said the current Iran sanctions framework immobilizes $100 billion in Iranian foreign-exchange holdings while causing Iran to lose $30 billion in oil revenues during the six months the interim nuclear deal remains in effect.

“This agreement does not prevent us from implementing existing sanctions or imposing new sanctions. All of our targeted sanctions on Iran’s sponsorship of groups like Hezbollah remain at full strength, so any CEO or businessperson who wants to test our resolve better think again,” he said.

The interim nuclear deal allows Iran to continue production of 3.5-percent enriched uranium while the agreement is in force, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders, as well as advocates for new sanctions in Congress, believe a final deal with Iran should halt all enrichment.

JDC Centennial: Vice President Biden Address

"Everything that is right about America and righteous about the Jewish people is brought to the world by what you do."

We were humbled and profoundly honored by Vice President Joe Biden's remarks at our centennial celebration and grateful to call him a longtime friend of JDC.