Press Release

Rare Philanthropic Flow Reversal:

Israeli NADAV Foundation Awards Grants to North American NGOs Focusing on Innovative Work to Build Jewish Peoplehood

(Tel Aviv, Israel - January 25, 2010) The Israeli NADAV Foundation announced today the recipients of its “Jewish Peoplehood Innovation Grants” given to North American NGOs working to connect Jews from different places and perspectives in order to build collective Jewish identity and strengthen the global Jewish community. 

The six recipients, selected from 46 applicants, will each receive up to $10,000 to implement programs that build a connection with the larger Jewish collective. The six grant recipients are: Hillel at Baruch, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, The Jewish Outreach Institute, Jumpstart, Mechon Hadar and The Michael Ann Russell Jewish Community Center of Miami.

'The Jewish Peoplehood Innovation Grants' are being awarded by The NADAV Foundation to help foster Jewish identity worldwide through knowledge of history, culture and religion, while enhancing the sense of belonging to and responsibility for the larger Jewish collective. 

“Our aim was to encourage and support projects with the capacity to radiate beyond the specific initiative itself – either by serving as a model or by touching people who will go into leadership positions”, said NADAV Foundation President, Irina Nevzlin Kogan. “Jewish Peoplehood is a global concept, and it’s important that our grant dollars reflect this and reach beyond Israel.  To our knowledge this is the first time a foundation founded and run by Israelis is awarding grants in North America.“

About the winners:

  • Hillel at Baruch - To run a joint learning and service project in partnership with Tel Aviv University Hillel and Hillel Kiev. hillelatbaruch.org
  • Jewish Outreach Institute's Mothers Circle Program - To develop a unit on Jewish Peoplehood and Israel to be offered in a course for non-Jewish women who are raising Jewish children. joi.org
  • Jumpstart - To create a Jewish Innovation Database which develops connections among people in different fields and locales around shared interests. jewishjumpstart.org  
  • Kulanu - A program for high school students based at the Michael Ann Russell JCC in Miami which develops international connections among Jewish teens. marjcc.org
  • Mechon Hadar - To support participation of international students in a summer fellowship program at this traditional, egalitarian yeshiva in New York which attracts students in their 20’s and 30’s from around the world and across denominations and levels of Jewish education. mechonhadar.org
  • Reverse Mifgash - A birthright alumni program run by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington that brings American, Israeli and Muscovite alum together for a 10 day experience in the Washington DC area. shalomdc.org

 

About the NADAV Foundation - Founded in 2003 by Leonid Nevzlin and his partners, the NADAV Foundation works to support initiatives to strengthen Jewish Peoplehood, build substantive and pluralistic collective Jewish identity, and create lasting connections among Jews the world over. For more information: nadavfund.org.il 

For additional information contact:

Arik Puder, the NADAV Foundation spokesman

+972.52.5820820

arikpuder@gmail.com