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So, what should our outcomes be? First, Jewish learning is an end in itself. Our tradition values education as one of the most essential aspects of being a Jew. About that there is no question, no matter what its impact may be on later Jewish identity. Second, giving young people the best possible Jewish education increases the likelihood that being Jewish will speak to them in their personal lives. It can become a source of values and ideas, some of which will run counter to the weaknesses of the culture in which we live. We want to cultivate those dispositions in the people that we educate, and we believe as educators that Judaism as a religion and Jewish culture in its broadest sense offers a tradition of wisdom and practice that can make a difference in an individual’s life and in bettering the state of the world.

In just a few days, Jewish philanthropists, foundation professionals and communal leaders will join together in Atlanta at the Jewish Funders Network (JFN) 2017 conference. We will learn, question, and explore a range of topics of import to our collective work. For our foundations – the Jim Joseph Foundation and William Davidson Foundation – JFN 2017 will provide a special opportunity to share and discuss just-released findings from Smart Money: Recommendations for an Educational Technology and Digital Engagement Investment Strategy, a new report based on research conducted by Lewis J. Bernstein and Associates this past year.

The Jim Joseph Foundation is conducting its first-ever Request for Proposals (RFP) in two grantmaking areas: 1) Cohort-Based Educator Professional Development Programs in Jewish Education and 2) Leadership Development for Current and Future Leaders in Jewish Education. This RFP process will begin with submissions of Letters of Interest (LOI). The Foundation views the RFPs as an experiment and an opportunity to identify a diverse group of exceptional programs in these areas. Throughout this process, the Foundation also will continue its previous grantmaking activities.

The Jerusalem Unity Prize named Limmud, the international network of Jewish learning communities, and its first non-Jewish winner. Limmud was awarded in the Diaspora category and Dr. Janaan Frajj Falah, who has worked to advance initiatives that bridge social gaps between women of diverse backgrounds in Israel’s North, was one of two winners in the local category. Falah was joined by Kehilat Hadar, based in Haifa, which promotes social and cultural harmony between local groups of various religions and ethnicities. The national prize winner is Tzav Pius, a group that works to bridge the religious-secular divide in Israel.