Productivity Is a Drag. Work Is Divine. By Sara Tillinger Wolkenfeld (The Atlantic)
“As a scholar of Jewish texts, I have spent the past 12 years working with a team of engineers who use machine-learning tools to digitize and expand access to the Jewish canon. Jewish tradition says nothing of ChatGPT, but it is adamant about work. According to the ancient rabbis, meaningful, creative labor is how humans […]
SAPIR High Holidays Reader 2024
“The High Holidays are an opportunity to refresh our minds, spirits, and relationships; to spend time in community; to pray for a rewarding personal and collective future…. As we enter 5785, let us all recommit to the principles above. In that spirit, we are pleased to offer this selection of readings from previous issues, selected […]
Reflecting and Looking Ahead: The Days of Repentance and Jewish Philanthropy, by Doron Kenter (Jewish Funders Network)
“Each year, I sit in Yom Kippur services and consider how my Jewish values affect my work, and I reflect on whether I conduct myself and my work in a way that honors the humility and responsibility that each of us must hold. What do I regret? What can I do better? To what goals […]
To fight ‘general culture of fear’ Jewish Book Council launches efforts supporting authors, books, by Jay Deitcher (eJewish Philanthropy)
“Since Oct. 7, it hasn’t been easy to be an author with ties to Israel. Book awards ceremonies turned into platforms for anti-Israel activists. Protests raged through conferences. Jewish authors had appearances canceled. “Since Oct. 7, it hasn’t been easy to be an author with ties to Israel. Book awards ceremonies turned into platforms for […]
Tools to Foster Dialogue Across Differences in Jewish Non-Profits
“Maimonides Fund, in partnership with the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI), is pleased to announce the launch of a new suite of programming to support viewpoint diversity and dialogue across differences within Jewish organizational settings. Perspectives is an evidence-based learning program that distills rigorous behavioral science research into easily digestible concepts to foster openness to diverse […]
Maimonides Fund Launches Scholar in Residence Program To Meet This Unique Moment in Jewish Life
“Maimonides Fund announced that Rabbi David Wolpe and Dr. Mijal Bitton will become its inaugural Scholars in Residence, commencing in September 2024. Both Scholars are expanding their previous roles with Maimonides Fund – Rabbi Wolpe as Senior Advisor on Viewpoint Diversity Initiatives and Dr. Bitton as a Maimonides Fund Fellow – and will be undertaking […]
The First Tisha B’Av Since October 7, by Benny Lau (SAPIR)
“The pain of this Tisha B’Av comes not only from the horrific events of October 7, but from the burden of our former Covenant of Fate. Here in Israel, our first non-Diaspora destination, the last stop on our exilic journey, the catastrophe of Black Shabbat forced us from the Covenant of Destiny — the clash of the […]
Jewish Masterpiece: Judaea Capta et Israel Liberata, by Philip Getz (SAPIR)
“If a picture is worth a thousand words, it can tell just as many lies. (Or many more in the age of AI.) This is why the context of the Shani Louk photograph is so important. Its meaning 100 years from now will depend on the narrative in which it is placed, and who is […]
‘Independence Day’ Revisited: A Jewish Reflection on Modern Challenges, by Mark Charendoff (eJewish Philanthropy)
“I hadn’t thought about the film until recently as July Fourth approached this summer. For the first time, the film seems very Jewish to me. An unanticipated attack shocks us and reveals a vulnerability that we didn’t know we had. The overwhelming scope of global antisemitism can be dispiriting; each day seems to reveal a […]
The End of History and the Donning of the Kittel, by Mark Charendoff (eJewish Philanthropy)
“The Israelites of the Exodus were embarking on a new chapter — writing, for the first time, the next page in their history. They were actors, not subjects. The world held potential and hope. It was a fresh beginning. Maybe we have the same fresh beginning in front of us. Perhaps history doesn’t proceed in […]