Jewish Philanthropy Podcast: Recent Episodes
Dovid M Cohen
Topic: Looking Outwards Guest: Rabbi Erica Gerson
Bio:
Rabbi Erica Gerson graduated from Amherst College, magna cum laude, and received both rabbinical ordination and a Masters in Religious Education from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Erica served as the inaugural Director of Jewish Life at JCP Downtown in Manhattan before relocating to NJ, where she taught in the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of Rodeph Sholom School, a Reform Jewish day school. Erica is also a member of the international board of United Hatzalah of Israel.
She and her husband are the co-founders of the Rabbi Erica and Mark Gerson L’Chaim Prize, an annual $500,000 award for Outstanding Christian Medical Missionary Service. It is administered by the African Mission Healthcare Foundation, of which Mark is a co-founder.
*In this episode we hear a very unique perspective on Jewish philanthropy including donating significantly to non-Jewish causes and not diversifying too much.
Topic: Leading in Challenging Times Guest: Maayan Aviv
Bio:
Israel is facing multi-generational trauma. NATAL, based in Israel, is a non-profit organization founded 25 years ago. The organization specializes in the field of war-and-terror-related trauma, PTSD and resiliency-building among civil society. American Friends of NATAL (AFN), supports the efforts in Israel. It also engages in innovative collaborations, partnering with US organizations who seek NATAL’s expertise in the field of trauma preparedness and recovery. For example, work is being done in Chicago and Ukraine. Maayan Aviv is CEO of AFN, was in the IDF, and has dedicated her life to Jewish non-profits. *In this episode we learn about balance and how to manage those around us including board members & volunteers. We also hear about having flexibility in leadership and managing expectations.
Topic:A Thoughtful Leader Guest: Arnon Kraft
Bio:
Arnon Kraft's most recent job was Chief Operating Officer at Payoneer, Inc. He previously served as the Chief Executive Officer at Big 4 Strategic Consulting Ltd. from 2019 to 2021. Prior to that, he worked at Microsoft Corp. as the GM-Partner Management & Strategic Sourcing from 2012 to 2018. From 2008 to 2011, he held the position of Vice President-Operations at Modu Ltd. Prior to that he worked at SanDisk. Mr. Kraft obtained an MBA from Tel-Aviv University in 2000 and completed his undergraduate studies at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in 1996. *In this episode we learn the skills necessary to become an impactful manager and skillful worker plus how to multitask effectively.
Topic: Fundraising Strategy Guest: Elizabeth Abel
Bio:
Elizabeth is a thought leader in philanthropy and expert in fundraising. She has led capital campaigns and development initiatives that have collectively raised nearly one billion dollars for education, healthcare, arts and culture, and advocacy organizations. She is a Senior Vice President at CCS Fundraising, a global fundraising consulting firm for nonprofits. Since joining CCS in 2013, Elizabeth has partnered with institutions to plan and implement multi-million-to-billion-dollar campaigns. In this role, she provides counsel on strategic planning, major gifts fundraising, and board engagement. Elizabeth has directed campaign planning studies, served in interim development roles, and managed annual campaigns and special fundraising events. Elizabeth is an Instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, where she teaches a fundraising course to graduate students in the Nonprofit Leadership Program. Elizabeth serves on the Board of the Nonprofit Leadership Program Alumni Association, and in 2020, she was inducted into the School of Social Policy and Practice Alumni Hall of Fame for her work with mission-driven organizations. Elizabeth has been recognized by the New York Jewish Week as a "thought leader in Jewish philanthropy" in their 36 to Watch and by BELLA Magazine as a "Woman of Influence in Philanthropy." You can find Elizabeth offering her fundraising expertise at industry conferences, on nonprofit podcasts, and on social media platforms including LinkedIn and Instagram (@ElizabethBerniAbel). She lives in New York with her husband and their two daughters and is an avid hiker and tea drinker.
*In this important episode we learn the skills necessary to become an impactful solicitor and steward of philanthropy.
Topic: Global Jewry Guest: Sandy Cardin
Bio:
Sanford “Sandy” Cardin is the founder of Global Jewry. A graduate of Harvard University, Sandy is a member of the bar of DC, Florida, Maryland and the United States Supreme Court, as well as the Senior Consultant for Philanthropy and Impact at Cresset Capital.
After a short stint practicing law, Sandy shifted into the NGO world. He started as the Mid-Atlantic Director of the Jerusalem Foundation before moving to Tulsa, OK in 1994 to become the first executive director, then first president, of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.
Sandy spent 25 years guiding the CLSFF before leaving to become the CEO of Our Common Destiny, a global effort to bridge the widening gap between the Jews in Israel and those living elsewhere.
Sandy has served on many Jewish boards, and is currently involved in the JCC Association of North America. He has also held leadership posts at the Council on Foundations and National Center for Family Philanthropy.
Sandy lives with his wife, Melody, in Queenstown, MD.
*In this insightful episode we learn about an incredibly important initiative in these trying times for World Jewry.
Topic: Learning from a Master Guest: Richard M. Joel
Bio:
Richard M. Joel became Yeshiva University’s fourth president on September 21, 2003, and was named Bravmann Family University Professor in April 2010. Over his tenure, President Joel built upon the illustrious tradition of this storied institution by placing a renewed emphasis on the student experience, academic excellence, Torah scholarship and communal involvement. Under his helm, Yeshiva University has built the Jacob and Dreizel Glueck Center for Jewish Study, established the Center for Jewish Future, established the Katz School of Graduate and Professional Studies, and developed programs in order to obtain an EMBA, Masters in Accounting, Masters in Quantitative Economics, Masters and PhD in Applied Mathematics, Masters in Marketing, and Masters in SLP. These initiatives have kept YU in the forefront of leading universities, along with expanding the use of technology by launching online education programs on the high school, college and graduate levels.
With his characteristic charm and wit, President Joel can often be spotted around Yeshiva’s campuses engaging with students and learning about them; one of his great pleasures at Yeshiva is in serving on its faculty and teaching his weekly course. His devotion to the well-being of the students led to the establishing of new student life programs. Following his lead, the university has further developed a culture of warmth. President Joel is renowned as a charismatic leader and a captivating orator, and has traveled globally to dialogue with audiences on values-driven education, communal leadership, and Jewish identity. Just as Yeshiva University has embraced its role as the flagship institution of Modern Orthodoxy, President Joel has in many ways become more than a university president but a true spokesperson for the Jewish people.
Growing up in Yonkers, NY, Joel earned his B.A. and J.D. from New York University where he was a Root-Tilden Scholar; he has received honorary doctorates from Boston Hebrew College and Gratz College. He also served as assistant district attorney and deputy chief of appeals in the Bronx, and Associate Dean and Professor of Law at YU’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. President Joel considers his greatest accomplishment marrying his best friend and partner, Esther, who holds a Ph.D. from Yeshiva’s Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. Together, they have six children, all of whom attended Yeshiva University, and eleven grandchildren, who are the great joy of their lives.
In this insightful episode we learn about an amazing career serving the Jewish community.
Topic: Diaspora Jewry Guest: Chaya Yosovich
Bio:
Chaya is the CEO of the Yael Foundation, a private charitable foundation, established by Uri and Yael Poliavich, dedicated to maintaining and developing Jewish educational institutions around the world. The foundation is committed to enabling Jewish children everywhere to receive a good general education including Jewish values and traditions for the betterment and future of our communities.
Chaya has throughout her illustrious career made big things happen at the intersection of philanthropy and large-scale impact investment.
Her main areas of focus have been: 1. Beit Shemesh- urban-social development. 2. Shema Yisroel FSU- education & community building in the former Soviet bloc and Eastern Europe, and supporting refugees-émigrés in Israel. 3. Israeli Ministry of the Diaspora - building smart strategies for the implementation of a broad program to strengthen Jewish identity and nurture deeper connections between the Jewish Diaspora and Israel.
In this insightful episode we learn about the intersection of Israeli & Diaspora Jewry through the eye of someone who is leading the charge.
Topic: Columbia University & Antisemitism Guest: David Schizer
Bio:
David M. Schizer served as a dean of the Law School from 2004 to 2014 and is one of the nation’s leading tax scholars. His research also focuses on nonprofits, energy law, and corporate governance.He is the author of How to Save the World in Six (Not So Easy) Steps: Bringing Out the Best in Nonprofits. He is a founder and co-director of the Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy, a founder and co-chair of the Center for Israeli Legal Studies, and a founder and co-chair of the Charles Evans Gerber Transactional Studies Center.
At 35, Schizer was the youngest dean in the Law School’s history and the longest serving dean since 1971. During his tenure as dean, Schizer recruited 43 new faculty members, doubled the school’s annual fundraising, led a $353 million capital campaign, helped the Law School navigate the financial crisis, oversaw the construction of Jerome Greene Hall’s ninth floor, significantly reduced the school’s student-faculty ratio, and forged a close relationship with Columbia Business School by introducing an accelerated J.D./MBA program and establishing the Richman Center. He launched centers and programs on national security, intellectual property, climate change, global legal transformation, Israeli law, and other cutting edge issues; fostered innovation in the upper-year curriculum; and increased support for students choosing careers in government and public interest organizations. In addition, Schizer developed partnerships, known as “Global Alliances,” with the University of Oxford, the University of Amsterdam, Sciences Po, and Paris I.
Schizer has won the Willis L.M. Reese Prize for Excellence in Teaching and has served as a visiting professor at Yale, Harvard, and Georgetown. He also has taught at Tokyo University, Hebrew University, the Interdisciplinary Center in Herziliya, and Ono Academic College.
Before joining the Law School faculty in 1998, Schizer was a law clerk for Judge Alex Kozinski on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’59 on the U.S. Supreme Court. Schizer began his career in the tax department of Davis Polk & Wardwell.
While on a three-year leave from the Law School from 2017 to 2019, Schizer served as executive vice president and CEO of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), a century-old international humanitarian organization. Schizer redesigned JDC’s planning process to allocate its $360 million annual budget more strategically, lightened JDC’s infrastructure, relied more on data and on other insights from the business world, increased and diversified JDC’s philanthropic support, and raised the organization’s public profile.
Schizer serves on the boards of the Ramaz School and the Columbia Law Review, and he also has served on the boards of other nonprofits, as well as public and privately-owned companies, including 92NY, Seacor Holdings Inc. (an NYSE-listed company), Feil Properties, and the owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In this powerful episode we discuss how David is co-leading the anti-semitism task force on campus. On the heels of congressional hearings this week where David appeared, this is a can't miss episode. ***For a complimentary copy of David's new book on non-profits send an email to IsraeliLegalStudies@law.columbia.edu How to Save the World in Six (Not So Easy) Steps: Bringing Out the Best in Nonprofits
Topic: Senator Joseph Lieberman OBM Guest: Rabbi Daniel Cohen
Bio:
Rabbi Cohen has served in the rabbinate for over thirty years and currently serves as senior Rabbi at Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford, CT, the largest modern orthodox synagogue in New England. Rabbi Cohen is author of What Will They Say About You When You Are Gone? Creating a Life of Legacy, and the newly released book The Secret of the Light, published by Union Square Publishing. He is in the midst of writing another book with former NBA All Star and Olympic Gold medalist Allan Houston. Engaging in hundreds of end of life conversations and delivering thousands of eulogies provide him with a unique perspective on the essence of a meaningful life, Rabbi Cohen speaks nationally on leading a life of legacy. He is co-host with Reverend Greg Doll of the nationally syndicated Radio Show, The Rabbi and the Reverend. He enjoys doing magic shows, playing sports, writing, searching for God, and living life with joy and ever-present smile! Rabbi Cohen and Diane are the grateful parents of six daughters and multiple grandchildren.
**A wonderful episode commemorating an extraordinary Jewish role model and a life well lived.
Topic: Sports & Philanthropy Guest: Saul Garlick
Bio:
Saul Garlick’s career has been dedicated to how technology and human connection can intersect to drive engagement and progress in live experiences and education. His interest in merging digital solutions with the power of personal interactions has not only redefined educational models but has also elevated fan experiences at major sports events. As Co-founder & CEO at Fabric, Saul has built Fabric into a fast-emerging leader in the mixed-reality space for live events. Fabric's platform allows teams, leagues, venues, and events to publish and deliver gamified mixed-reality experiences instantly at live events while collecting real-time data and analytics from fans. Fabric’s customers can easily launch loyalty and rewards programs, payment integrations, social interactions, and much more at any time and any place. Fabric is currently working with NBA, MLB, and NHL among others. Fabric underscores the potential of harnessing technology to foster deeper, more immersive human connections during live events.
Prior to Fabric, Saul founded Unleesh, a digital platform that reimagines engagement through an experiential learning management system and custom development agency and ThinkImpact, a global immersion program, emphasizing teamwork and innovation to build new ventures in rural economies. For several years he led the expansion of a charter school network in West Africa from one school to 19 schools, serving 4,000 students.
Saul is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at ArtCenter College of Design and served as Social-Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of Southern California's Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab. He is a board member of the West Coast Sports Medicine Foundation and Johns Hopkins Second Decade Society. Saul is a Truman Scholar and Inc. 30 under 30 entrepreneur, and graduated from Johns Hopkins University and its School of Advanced International Studies. He lives in LA with his wife and two sons.
**In this episode we learn about a fascinating new technological solution in the world of sports.
Saul has been a contributor across multiple philanthropic pursuits.
Topic: Comedy & Philanthropy Guest: Modi Rosenfeld
Bio:
Voted one of the top 10 comedians in New York City by The Hollywood Reporter, Modi is one of the comedy circuit’s most sought after performers. Featured on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, and E! Entertainment, Modi has received rave reviews in The New York Times, Time Out NY and The New York Post. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Modi emigrated with his family to the United States at the age of seven and was raised on Long Island. After graduating from Boston University, he worked as an investment banker until his first open-mic night made him realize that stand-up was his true calling. Equipped with a sharp wit and a knack for reading an audience, Modi has gone on to become a successful fixture in New York's vibrant comedy scene, often doing bits that incorporate his heritage, and he is a hit with diverse Jewish audiences as well as fans of all backgrounds and beliefs.
Now a regular performer at the New York and Los Angeles comedy clubs, Modi also headlines around the country and across the globe.
Modi has played himself on HBO's Crashing and Netflix's When Jews Were Funny. He's also appeared in several feature films and played leading roles in two: Waiting for Woody Allen, which won the LA Film Festival, and Stand Up, a feature-length film. In 2018, Mayor Bill De Blasio declared June 26th 'Mordechi Modi Rosenfeld Day' in the city of New York for his accomplishments and contributions to the artistic community. To clarify a point made in the audio recording about the recommended percentage of charitable contributions, The Jewish Future Promise encourages individuals that if any charitable contributions are made upon passing, whether that be $10 or $10 million, at least 50% will be allocated to Jewish causes and/or the State of Israel. To make the promise, please visit: https://jewishfuturepromise.org/sign-the-promise.
In this riveting episode we learn how to enjoy the art of giving back. Thank you to the Jewish Future Promise for arranging this episode. https://jewishfuturepromise.org/
Topic: Philanthropy in Challenging Times Guest: Michael Bloch
Bio:
Michael Bloch was a senior partner at McKinsey & Company for 23 years where he worked with senior executives and boards of large corporations in more than 10 countries to accelerate their growth, leverage technology for competitive advantage, and transform their support functions.
In parallel, Michael has worked for over a decade with non-profit organizations, helping them define their strategy and implement growth initiatives. Over the years Michael worked on the employment of weaker populations, a new museum, immigration for highly skilled olim, food rescue, woman entrepreneurship, the integration of Haredim into high-tech, the scale-up of educational programs, etc.
Prior to McKinsey, Michael was a researcher at the University of California (Berkeley) and at New York University. Before that, he worked for Unicible (a Swiss outsourcer for the banking industry) where he managed business process redesign and software development projects.
Michael received an M.S. in Business Information Systems and a B.A. in Economics and Business Administration from Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. A citizen of Switzerland, France, and Israel, he is fluent in French, English, and Hebrew.
He is also the current CEO of Israel Impact Partners
https://www.israel-impact.com/
Articles by Michael on Charitable Giving:
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/smart-tzedakah-efficiently-effectively-professionalized-giving-opinion-662342 https://www.jpost.com/judaism/seven-processes-of-smart-tzedakah-that-you-can-do-664011 In this riveting episode we learn the nuts & bolts of how to practice impactful & effective philanthropy.
Topic: The JPP 2023 Year in Review Rabbi Cohen highlights the top episodes of this past season.
Looking forward to 2024 on the JPP!
Topic: A Concierge Rabbi Guest: Rabbi Yehuda Albin
Bio:
Yehuda's story is genuinely remarkable. He grew up as a Reform Jew in Scarsdale, NY, his father was a successful entrepreneur that ran a secular Jewish camp called Ken-Mont and Ken-Wood. He became religious in Jerusalem, after graduating Bowdoin College with the highest honors. Then he studied the Torah and the Talmud for nearly a decade in Jerusalem, before returning to the states, and moving to Chicago. In Chicago he established a Torah teaching and counseling practice, focused on successful business people and professionals. He has been doing this for 30 years wearing two different hats in the process. Yehuda's experience, education, and wisdom, melding the best of two worlds, provide a unique perspective helping people manage business, family and every type of unique problem. His unique, spiritually based, approach to life is a fresh alternative to more traditional counselling and coaching. To get a feel for Yehuda's engaging approach and command of subject matter, you can listen to him at https://www.theemberfoundation.org/ In this episode, we discuss impacting people through personal relationships, deep torah study & philanthropy.
Topic: Israel at War #4: The Capitalist Kibbutz Guest: Oded Hermoni
Bio:
General Partner & Co-Founder; J-Ventures, J-Angels In the past 15 years Oded has invested in many industries as a partner in Rhodium VC, J-Ventures and J-Angel. Most of the investments were in Silicon Valley NYC and Israel.
Oded has been an Entrepreneur, Investor and experienced High Tech Executive and over 40 companies in Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv as a board member, observer, founder, consultant, and manager. Investments include Face.com (FB) Outbrain, Hopstop ( Apple), Hexatier ( Huawei), Storedot, Compass ( Sage), Cabin, AFresh, Yieldmo, Yotpo, Zooz ( PayU), IMGN, MDGO, Phylagen, Macheye, Swiftmile, Home365, Physera.
Oded Hermoni is a leader in connecting the American Jewish community and the many Israelis working in Silicon Valley.
Jerusalem-born Oded began his career as a journalist covering the country’s flourishing technology sector. He soon took an active role in the technology sector himself by founding two start-up companies, one of which was acquired by Yellow Pages in 2006. Oded became a leader of the high-tech industry in Israel, founding the country’s High Tech Industry Association, before he, his wife, Ravit, and their young son relocated to the Bay Area in 2011. Upon arrival, Oded found an already well-established Israeli community on the South Peninsula.
In this episode, we discuss being the child of a hero who died in the Yom Kippur war & how we can create greater connection amongst Jews throughout the world.
Topic: Israel at War #3: Raising Funds for the State of Israel Guest: Howard L. Goldstein
Bio:
Howard is the Chair of the National & International Boards of Israel Bonds.
He is senior partner at Citrin Cooperman, one of the nation's largest professional services firms. With more than 50 years of experience as a certified public accountant, Howard has broad knowledge in all tax strategies and planning for corporations, partnerships, individuals and start-up companies. Howard is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New Jersey Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and State of New Jersey Board of Certified Public Accountants.
In this episode we discuss the importance of Israel bonds at this critical juncture as well as the $1 billion plus raised for Israel since October 7th.
Topic: Israel at War #2: The Battle for our College Campuses Guest: Daniel Lowy
Bio:
Daniel is a seasoned financial expert with a track record for identifying underperforming businesses and executing successful business turnarounds. He received his MBA in Finance & Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School and his Bachelor’s in Economics & Finance and Master’s in Commerce from the University of New South Wales. Daniel has a broad range of executive and investment experience in the U.S. and international marketplace, with a particular focus on healthcare. He serves on the board of the Orthodox Union (OU) & CUNY graduate school of public health.
In this episode we discuss Daniel's letter to the President of U of Penn withdrawing his support due to blatant failures of the university to condemn antisemitism & failure to condemn the Hamas atrocities of 10/7. This was in tandem with other noted philanthropists withdrawing support from the Ivy league.
Topic: Israel at War: How Can We Help? Guest: Michal (Miki) Leon
Bio:
Miki is the CEO & Director of her family foundation in Israel. In 'regular times' the foundation focuses on fortifying home-room teachers in Israel to ensure the education of the next generation of Israelis and to ensure nobody is forgotten. In this episode we have a raw heart to heart conversation about recent events in Israel including using philanthropy as a tool to help on the front-lines and in the emergency crisis we find ourselves in.
Learn More at this link:
https://lionff.com/
Topic: Technology & Philanthropy Guest: Adam Nash
Bio:
Adam is the co-founder and CEO of Daffy.org, a not-for-profit community built around a new, modern platform for giving. He is a seasoned executive, investor, and advisor with a long career at companies like Apple, eBay, LinkedIn, Dropbox, and Wealthfront, where he was CEO. He is also an adjunct lecturer at Stanford, where he teaches “Personal Finance for Engineers”. In this episode we discuss:
1) Contradictions-Humility & Hubris
2) Impact of AI
3) Developing a Career: How to Grow
4) Tracking Charitable Giving
5) Helping to become the Ideal Philanthropic Version of Yourself
6) Coaching Personal Finance
and so much more!
Topic: Family Offices & Societal Change Guest: Daniel Goldman
Bio:
Daniel is the founder and Managing Partner at Goldrock Capital. Born in London, Daniel emigrated to Israel in 1992. He now lives in Beit Shemesh, where he was very involved in building and shaping the city. Daniel is active in many organizations that promote understanding and tolerance among all sectors of society. He lives with his wife and five children.
In this episode we discuss:
1) Growing up in New Castle
2) A thirty-year story of Rags to Riches
3) Helping High-Net Worth Families
4) Diverse Sources of Inspiration
5) Changing the sociological landscape in Israel
6) Difference between Tzedaka (Charity & Philanthropy)
and so much more!Topic
Topic: Breaking Barriers While Helping Others Guest: Michelle Greenberg-Kobrin
Bio:
Michelle Greenberg-Kobrin is a Clinical Professor of Law at Cardozo Law School and the Founding Director of the Program on Leadership at the Heyman Center for Corporate Governance. Professor Greenberg-Kobrin is a Lecturer-in-Law at Columbia Law School, where she served as Dean of Students for eleven years. She also holds an appointment at Columbia University's Teachers College in the Klingenstein Center for Independent School Leadership. She teaches in the areas of transactional law, leadership, conflict resolution and negotiation, intellectual property law and educational governance. She served as the Title IX Coordinator at Columbia Law School where she authored sexual harassment policies and oversaw the sexual respect initiative, training hundreds of students each year.
Professor Greenberg-Kobrin also facilitates the Arev Fund, a grantmaking organization whose mission is to use and promote impactful female Jewish philanthropy to spur change, with a particular focus on the advancement of women. Areas of interest include spiritual leadership, communal life, social justice, and education.
Prior to her appointment at Columbia, she was an attorney in the corporate, securities, and financial Institutions group at Arnold & Porter. She received both her BA and her JD from Columbia University, and was a Bruriah Scholar at Midreshet Lindenbaum and a Torat Miriam fellow.
Professor Greenberg-Kobrin trains leaders around the world and lectures and consultants with various universities, organizations, Jewish day schools and private schools on a wide-range of issues, including leadership training, negotiation and conflict resolution, agunot, policy drafting and implementation, sexual assault and harassment prevention, crisis management, work/life balance, faculty development and training and women and Judaism.
She serves on a number of not-for-profit boards and lives in Riverdale, New York with her husband. They are the parents of five children.
In this episode we discuss:
1) Hard Work
2) Memories from Columbia Law School class of 99'
3) Learning in Depth
4) Lessons in Parenting
5) Influencing Students
6) Start-Up Philanthropy
7) Never Saying No
and so much more!
Topic: Overcoming Obstacles Guest: Tamir Goodman
Bio:
Zone190 inventor Tamir Goodman, dubbed “The Jewish Jordan” by Sports Illustrated in 1999, is a former professional basketball player who has become a successful entrepreneur, coach, educator, and motivational speaker.
During high school, Goodman was ranked among the top 25 recruits in the country, and he garnered attention after averaging 35.4 points per game his junior year, all while remaining faithful to his Orthodox Jewish upbringing. He achieved additional notoriety after being named MVP of the prestigious “Capital Classic All-Star Game,” an award won by players like Shaquille O’Neal and Lebron James. Tamir went on to make history as the first Jewish basketball player to play D-I college and professional basketball, while faithfully wearing a yarmulke on the court and without playing on the Jewish Sabbath.
In 2002, Goodman fulfilled his dream of moving to Israel, signing a three-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv and serving in the Israeli Defense Force, which is a requirement of all Israeli citizens. Goodman played in Israel and again in the U.S. until injuries forced his retirement in 2009.
Since retiring, Goodman has established his reputation as a sought-after motivational speaker, coach, and educator. He has coached more than 3,000 basketball players around the world, and has partnered with Houston Rockets small-forward Omri Casspi on a series of basketball camps around the U.S. He is also the cofounder of Coolanu Israel, which strengthens ties to Israel through innovative seminars, sports programs and literature projects for athletes, college students, and coaches.
In this episode we discuss:
1) Being a Kiddush Hashem
2) You can do Anything
3) Having a Coach & Mentor
4) What does G-d Want from me Today?
5) Inspired by Those who Overcome
6) Loving Life
7) The Ultimate Connector
and so much more!
Topic: Becoming Elite Guest: Mike Dube
Bio:
Mike Dube, co-founder and President of Elite Method, has an incredible passion for working with kids and teaching them the skills needed to be successful in life. He stresses character building as much as strength and skill building. Mike is also co-founder of DubeZone, where he served as the inspiration and master trainer to a large coaching staff. Mike is considered an expert coach for his unique ability to connect with and transform every child with whom he works. His energy and enthusiasm is infectious, and he spreads his positive message through volunteerism, motivational speaking, and the charity he co-founded, Sharing Seats, which has given away thousands of event and sporting tickets to children in need. "Coach Mike," as he is affectionately called, is an inspiration to many and is very much looking forward to continuing his passion in helping kids through the development of Elite Method.
In this episode we discuss:
1) Child of Divorce
2) A Passion for Helping Others
3) Giving is the Best Feeling
4) From Kids to CEO's
5) Time is our most precious commodity
6) Living an Inspirational & Meaningful Life
7) Sharing Seats & Gronk
and so much more!
Topic: From Yeshiva to an IPO Guest: Menashe Kestenbaum
Bio:
Menashe is an entrepreneur and industry disruptor based out of Toronto.
He started off his career in the gaming industry leading Enthusiast Gaming from a basement startup in 2015 to an all-time high valuation of $1.4B in 2021.
He's currently focused on disrupting the mental health industry with his new start-up entitled Glimmer.
In this episode we discuss:
1) A Yeshiva Life/Critical Values
2) Not Having Money
3) A Public Persona
4) The Role of Wealth & Financial Resources
5) Charity & Standards of Living
6) The Mental Health Space
and so much more!
Topic: Hatzolah Air Guest: Dr. Avishai Neuman
Bio:
Dr. Neuman is the Medical Director of Hatzolah Air as well as the Director of Centurion Anesthesia. He is a graduate of the Sackler School of Medicine in Israel. He lives in North Woodmere, NY & is an active Hatzolah member & community leader.
See this link to learn more about Hatzolah Air
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369487
In this episode we discuss:
1) A Life of Chesed
2) The passion for saving lives
3) Doubling Down on our Talents
4) Always wanting to be the Giver in any situation
5) The need for & impact of Hatzolah Air
6) Travel Habits of the Jewish community
and so much more!
Topic: Rocket Man Guest: Ari Sacher
Bio:
Ari Sacher is a Rocket Scientist, and has worked in the design and development of missiles for over twenty five years. He has briefed hundreds of US Congressmen on Israeli Missile Defense, including three briefings on Capitol Hill at the invitation of the House Majority Leader and the Israeli Ambassador.
Ari is a highly requested speaker, enabling even the layman to understand “rocket science”. Ari has appeared on CNN, Fox News, i24news, and the Discovery Channel.
Ari has also been a scholar in residence in numerous synagogues and schools in the USA, Canada, UK, South Africa and Australia. He is a riveting speaker, using his experience in the defense industry to explain Judaism to the young and old alike in a way that is simultaneously enlightening and entertaining.
Ari came on aliya from the USA in 1982. He lives in Moreshet in the Western Galilee along with his wife, eight children, and ten grandchildren. He currently works in the Land and Naval Warfare Division at Rafael, where he is responsible for system development.
In this episode we discuss:
1) The Technion
2) The importance of Deterrence
3) Sacrifice
4) Mission Driven Life
5) Centrality of Torah, Am Yisroel & Family
6) Offense & Defense
7) The Needy that are close to us
and so much more!
Topic: It's Still Rock n Roll to Me!
Guest: David Fishof
Bio:
Whether he’s producing a tour, assembling an All-Starr band with Ringo Starr, or writing a best-selling book, there’s one thing David Fishof is always doing: dreaming. Hailed as one of the most creative and innovative entertainment producers in the world, Fishof has been responsible for some of the most original, successful, and exciting live shows ever brought to the stage. But of all the shows he’s put on over his 40-plus year career, there’s one production that stands out from all the rest: Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp.
After years of good fortune working with veteran rockers like Roger Daltrey, Ringo Starr, The Monkees, Levon Helm, Joe Walsh, the late Jack Bruce and so many more superstars, Fishof decided it was time to share his experiences with rock fans around the world. And so, in 1997, he debuted the rock camp—a place where regular people can reconnect with their passion for music alongside the most famous names in the business.
A quarter century later, the camp has given more than 7,000 folks from around the world a chance to live the rock star dream. Campers get to meet and jam with their musical idols—including Joe Perry, Roger Daltrey, Gene Simmons, Nancy Wilson, and the late Jeff Beck—in some of the most legendary venues on Earth, from Abbey Road Studios in London, to the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood, to the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas.
In addition to founding Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp, Fishof’s career highlights include reuniting The Monkees for their blowout reunion tour in 1986, and producing Dirty Dancing: The Concert Tour, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Tour, the Happy Together Tours, Classic Superfest, American Gladiators Live Tour, and the British Rock Symphony (which featured Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper, and Jon Anderson). Fishof also worked with Ringo Starr to create the All Starr Band, and over its fifteen-year existence, Fishof has produced eight All Star Band tours.
In January 2023, Fishof announced a development deal with Fox for a comedy TV show called “Rock Camp” following a down on his luck rock star, who after a series of screw-ups, begrudgingly goes to teach at Rock Camp — a summer camp where anyone can live out their fantasy of shredding next to their favorite rockers — in order to satisfy a court mandate and save his reputation. Fishof joins producers Steve Basilone (“The Goldbergs”) and Jeff Rowe on the endeavor.
1) Torah Inspiration
2) Pride in Family & Judaism
3) Fame & Fortune
4) Pivot to Music
5) Fantasy Camp
6) Reflection
and so much more!
Topic: The Art of Philanthropy
Guest: Shawna Goodman-Sone
Bio:
Shawna Goodman-Sone obtained a BA in Art History from McGill University and was awarded the McGill Scarlet Key for outstanding leadership and positive impact. She graduated from the Natural Gourmet Cooking School and the Institute of Culinary Education, both in New York City. Upon graduation, she has given classes, catered and cooked for clients in New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, Montreal and Israel. She acted as editor of the cookbook, Panache: Montreal’s Flair for Kosher Cooking,a project of the Auxiliary of the Sir Mortimer B. David Jewish General Hospital.
Shawna is currently living in Ra’anana, Israel combining her love for food and philanthropy in creating classes that celebrate Israel’s abundance while raising awareness of local charitable organizations. She is a Board member of the Foundation for Jewish Camp, the Jewish Funders Network and Gvahim which supports the integration of new arrivals in Israel. She is also the Chairman of the Goodman Family Foundation.
1) Montreal Roots
2) Federation & Everything Jewish
3) Losing a Parent
4) 'Medinat Rannana'
5) Not 'Taking Up Space'
6) Food & Philanthropy
7) A Metamorphosis in the Israel Summer Experience
and so much more!
Topic: An Unstoppable Drive
Guest: Adam Neuman
Bio:
Adam Neuman serves the Big Ten Conference as Chief of Staff, Strategy and Operations & Deputy General Counsel as a member of the conference's Senior Leadership Team. Neuman serves as a strategic aide to both the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP/C) and the Big Ten Conference Commissioner in creating a movement of leadership in sports, academics and social responsibility throughout intercollegiate sports. Neuman joined the Big Ten Conference in January 2020 and played a strategic role in helping the conference navigate the most complex times in its 125-year history by assuming a leadership role in helping the conference navigate a global health pandemic. Neuman helped establish the Taskforce for Emerging Infectious Diseases and played a key role in the negotiations and implementation of a comprehensive COVID-19 testing program to help student-athletes, coaches and staff return to competition safely. His previous legal experience was with Simpson Thacher and Bartlett LLP as a corporate associate in their capital markets division. Prior, Neuman served as the lead speechwriter for the president of Yeshiva University. Neuman earned a joint juris doctorate and master’s degree in public administration from the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated magna cum laude from Yeshiva University with a bachelor’s degree in political science, receiving both the Phillip Lieberman Award for character and service, and an award for excellence in political science.
1) Vision & Ambition
2) Outworking Everyone in the Room
3) Sensitivity to the environment around you
4) Mental Health as a Priority on Campus
5) Minnesota Vikings
6) Young Israel of the West Side
and so much more!
Topic: Lessons from a CEO
Guest: Bruce Schanzer
Bio:
Bruce Schanzer is Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Erez Asset Management, LLC, a fund manager focused on real estate investment opportunities in both public and private capital markets. Prior to forming Erez in August 2022, Mr. Schanzer was President, CEO and a director of Cedar Realty Trust (NYSE: CDR), a real estate investment trust focused on the ownership, operation, and redevelopment of grocery-anchored shopping centers in the Washington, DC to Boston corridor.
Before joining Cedar in 2011, he held real estate investment banking positions at Goldman Sachs & Co and at Merrill Lynch. Prior thereto, Schanzer worked as a real estate attorney in New York. He received an M.B.A. in finance and accounting from the University of Chicago (now known as the Booth School of Business); a J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he also served as a member of the Law Review; and a B.A from Yeshiva College, where he is currently a member of the board of trustees. Schanzer has also served as a member of the board of governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. He is presently a member of the board of trustees of SAR Academy in Riverdale, NY & the board of advisors of New York Medical College.
1) Promoting Your Wife
2) Having a prescient mentor
3) Gaining the courage of conviction
4) Going through tough times, public embarrassment
5) Music and the depth of a day of rest
6) Leadership & Impact
7) The Yarmulka Debate
and so much more!
Topic: What is a Chief Heart Officer?
Guest: Claude Silver
Claude Silver’s life’s purpose is to be of joyful service and unlock emotional optimism in all.
Cultivating Emotional Optimism is the most effective tool in revealing the greatness that resides within people. The key lies in the heart.
Claude is the first-ever Chief Heart Officer. She takes her calling seriously and it has led her down a path of working with and working for close to 1,000 employees at VaynerMedia to integrate heart into their professional lives and become the best version of themselves and best leaders they can be.
There has never been a better time to concentrate on bringing humanity, emotional intelligence, equity, and diversity into the workplace; cultivating cultures, connections and communication-this is what will take teams to the next level of success in all areas of business, and it all begins and ends with heart.
As a motivational speaker, thought leader and industry trend setter, Claude focus on teaching people and organizations how to disrupt the traditional HR model with the use of emotional optimism and heart-centered leadership to develop elite performance, create cultures of belonging, empower teams to be purpose-driven, efficient, and strong, and infuses companies with empathy, humanity, and joy.
In this episode:
1) Being at Home at Work
2) Meeting Gary Vaynerchuk
3) A longer pathway that is shorter in the end
4) Holding people close & working alongside them
5) Investing & Caring for the weakest members of society
6) Modeling for others
and so much more!
Bonus Episode: Commemorating the 6th Yahrzeit of
Hagaon HaRav Moshe Shapiro zt'l
Guest:
Rabbi Yechezkel Hartman
Rabbi Hartman has been delivering Shiurim and lectures on a variety of Torah Topics for the past 15 years. He studied in Yeshivas Chevron in Yerushalayim, and was a close Talmid of Rav Moshe Shapira zt’l.
Rabbi Hartman's Shiurim include a daily Daf Yomi and Short Machshava on the Daf, and a weekly Practical halacha shiur, Parsha B'Iyun shiur, as well as his renowned Machshava on the Parsha/Yom Tov Shiur, based on the teachings of his Rebbi.
Rabbi Hartman is the author of Sefer Ma’ane Yechezkel on Chumash and (soon to be published) Shiurei Rav Moshe Shapira on Agados of Raba Bar Bar Chanah, as well as several periodic publications.
He holds an MBA from Columbia University and works in real estate.
In this episode:
1) Meeting R' Moshe as a child
2) Seeing the Forest from the Trees
3) My Father's Rebbe
4) Shidduchim Insights
5) Sharing Torah with one & all
6) Desiring/Asking for Greatness from one & all
7) See What Others Don't See/Being Wise
and so much more!
Topic: The Year in Review/2022 Guest: Rabbi Dovid M. Cohen (solo) Bio: Rabbi Cohen is the host of the JPP. He's a fundraiser, someone deeply committed to philanthropy and making a positive game-changing impact on the world. In this episode we explore: 1. Top 5 Episodes from the 2022 Season
-
Fake it Until You Make-It
-
Persistence v. Annoyance
-
Passion for the Cause
-
Leveraging in Times of Plenty
-
Crossing Lines/Boundaries
Topic: Thoughtful Philanthropy Guest: Emily Kane Miller Bio: Emily is the founder and CEO of Ethos Giving. Equal parts head and heart, Emily has spent her career working for social change. With deep experience in government, advocacy, nonprofit, corporate, and philanthropic work, Emily has a unique ability to envision and steward philanthropic contributions that maximize benefit and value for all.
Previously, she served as Vice President of Philanthropy & Community Affairs at The Wonderful Company. Emily led the organization’s award-winning philanthropic efforts, which ranged from paradigm-changing, place-based work, to branded community giving programs, to transformative institutional contributions.
Emily was formerly legal counsel and Director for Government Affairs at Wonderful, where she worked on a host of issues pertaining to regulatory, governmental, and philanthropic affairs—including agriculture, food law, education, affordable housing and nutrition—at the state, federal, and international levels.
Prior to her tenure at Wonderful, Emily served in a variety of capacities in California and Washington, D.C. for both government and advocacy groups. She holds a BA from the University of California Los Angeles, and a JD from the University of Arizona School of Law. Emily lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two children.
In this episode we explore: 1. A life of Meaning
-
Impact & Alignment
-
Husband/Wife Tag-Team
-
Lessons from a Bar-Exam
-
How to do Philanthropy Better
-
Building a Business
and much more!
Topic: Fundraising Tips from a Master Guest: Dan Forman Bio: Dan Forman is currently Senior Philanthropic Advisor at Yeshiva University and previously served as Vice President for Institutional Advancement from 1995-2016. During his tenure as
Vice President, Dan directed two comprehensive campaigns that generated more than $1.6
billion for YU and its Schools. Prior to YU, Dan was Executive Director of the 1986-1995
CapItal Campaign at NY UJA-FEDERATION which generated $1.2 billion as well as directed
the principal gifts department of its Annual Campaign raising $80 million per annum. Dan was
also Executive Director of UJA-FEDERATION’S Westchester Division as well as Jewish
Community Centers in Mt. Vernon, NY and Boston, Mass. Dan has taught strategic planning and fundraising at Columbia University’s Graduate School of
Business, YU’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work, The New School, Brandeis University,
Marymount College, and Leslie College. He also currently provides philanthropic advisory
services to a select number of institutions. His undergraduate degrees from SUNY of Buffalo include a BA in History, BS in Social Work,
and a BS in Photography. He received an MSW from Boston University School of Social Work
with a concentration in Administration. Dan also was a graduate of Columbia University’s
Graduate School of Business Institute of Nonprofit Management where he later taught for ten
years. More recently, Dan and other colleagues helped launch YU’s Certificate Program in
Jewish Philanthropy focused on training new professionals in the field of development. Dan has
been a guest speaker and panelist at numerous conferences and workshops on fundraising,
leadership development, capital campaigns, and nonprofit management.
In this episode we explore: 1. The Art of the Ask
-
Using lay leaders to your advantage
-
Wonderful Mentors
-
Covid Fundraising
-
Long-Term Fundraising/Capital Campaigns
-
A Rewarding Meaningful Profession
and much more!
Topic: A Big-Hearted Brain Surgeon Guest: Dr. Howard Weiner Bio: Dr. Weiner is Chief of Neurosurgery at Texas Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Weiner has become one of the country’s leading pediatric epilepsy surgeons, attracting patients from across the United States and abroad because of his innovative approach. Over the last 20 years, he has become a recognized national and international leader in the surgical treatment of childhood epilepsy, and has been a pioneer in advancing the care of children with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, for which he is considered one of the world’s leading experts. His expertise also includes the operative treatment of childhood brain tumors, spasticity, hydrocephalus, congenital malformations, tethered cord, chiari malformation, craniosynostosis, and spina bifida.
In this episode we explore:
1. The 5am Club
-
Finding Balance in a Frenetic World
-
Mentorship
-
Family as the Priority
-
What is Perfection?
-
Work Hard/Be Nice
and much more!
Topic: Meeting Up Guest: David Siegel Bio: David Siegel is the CEO of Meetup, the largest platform for finding and building local community. He has over 20 years of experience as a technology and digital media executive leading organizations through innovative product development, rapid revenue growth, and digital traffic acceleration. Prior to joining Meetup, David was CEO of Investopedia and before that, President of Seeking Alpha.
David holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics & Economics and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia University where he teaches strategic planning and entrepreneurship. He hosts the podcast Keep Connected, which is dedicated to the power of community. David’s book, Decide & Conquer, (HarperCollins) lays out the framework for decision-making that leaders can use to ensure organizational and personal success.
In this episode we explore:
1. No Regrets
-
Work Ethic
-
Work/Life Balance
-
CEO skill-set
-
Secrets of Mentorship
-
Adam Neumann & WeWork Culture
and much more!
Topic: A Global Lawyer Guest: Jeremy Lustman Bio: Jeremy Lustman helps lead DLA Piper's global Israel country group.
Jeremy spends much of his time physically on the ground in Israel, where he has developed a strong international network of Israeli companies, investors, entrepreneurs, bankers, accountants and local lawyers. He currently coordinates and helps lead DLA Piper's development efforts and initiatives cultivating international business emanating from Israel, serves as a liaison for Israeli clients seeking legal guidance in non-Israeli jurisdictions where DLA Piper has a presence, and provides guidance to non-Israeli clients evaluating business relationships and strategic partners within Israel.
Jeremy directly represents and oversees a significant number of key Israeli relationships that have touched upon more than 35 different international jurisdictions and more than 40 DLA Piper global offices. These clients cover virtually all sectors of the Israeli economy, including leading venture capital and private equity funds, institutional real estate investors and multiple companies in the biotech, high tech (software, Internet and semiconductors), telecommunications, industrial, food/beverage, agro-tech, defense, homeland security and gaming sectors.
In addition, Jeremy maintains a focused US-component of his practice that operates at the intersection of corporate, real estate and hospitality law. He assists public and private companies, private equity funds and cash flow lenders in business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, senior and mezzanine debt financings, equity investments and joint ventures. In addition, Jeremy has significant experience in the hospitality industry, including transactions on hotels involving franchise and management portfolios (development and ongoing operations) as well as joint ventures and equity investments in hotel/resort projects. He also provides general corporate representation to a number of clients, among them real estate development companies.
In this episode we explore:
-
Learning from Others
-
Rabbinic Influences
-
Challenges & Opportunities of Aliya
-
Sacrifice & Opening Doors
-
How to Build a Powerful Network
-
United Hatzalah & Unifying the Israeli Legal Community
-
A Global Perspective
and much more!
Topic: Kindness on Every Level Guest: Adele Goldberg Bio: Adele is the executive director of Friends of Yad Sarah, the U.S.-based support organization for Yad Sarah, the largest volunteer-staffed organization in Israel.
Yad Sarah provides a vital array of compassionate health and home care services for people of all ages. Its programs and services are dynamic and multi-faceted, from lending equipment - such as wheelchairs and oxygen machines - to caring for children and adults with disabilities.
Yad Sarah currently has 122 branches throughout Israel and is staffed by more than 7,000 volunteers who provide services for more than 800,000 individuals annually.
Yad Sarah’s annual operating budget is financed almost exclusively by donations. Adele works to secure contributions from US-based donors. Over the course of her nineteen-year career at Yad Sarah, Adele has raised more than $40 million to support Yad Sarah’s critical services.
Adele’s wisdom and insights have been featured in the Washington Jewish Week, E Jewish Philanthropy, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, The Times of Israel, and more. Her leadership and accomplishments make her a role model for Jewish audiences across America.
In this Episode we explore: 1. Holocaust Inspiration
-
Classic Fundraising: It's About the Donor
-
The American/Israel Dynamic
-
Touching the Fabric of the Organization
-
Stories Tell the Story
-
Trust & Credibility
and much more
Topic: Leveraging Impact Guest: Na'ama Ore Bio: Na'ama Ore, is the CEO of SparkIL. SparkIL is a new first-of-its-kind peer-to-peer lending platform where individuals can give interest-free loans to small businesses in Israel (see press release attached). As such, it's poised to change the face of the way small-gift donors contribute philanthropically in the Jewish world. These small interest-free loans not only help struggling businesses get off the ground in a difficult economy, but in doing so, also pave the way for individual lenders to connect with Israelis on a personal level. As a distinguished leader who previously served as regional director of the Israeli-American Council's Boston office, Ore explains how these small loans can be life-changing for those who live on the margins of Israeli society. In this Episode we explore: 1. Impact of Family
-
Graceful Transitions
-
Always Growing
-
Women Supporting Women
-
Impact Investing/Grass-Roots Effort
-
Quantity & Quality
-
The highest form of Charity
and much more
https://www.sparkil.org/
Topic: Together Again: Reimagining the Relationships that Anchor Our Lives (Mosaica Press 2022) Guests: Rabbi Dovid M. Cohen in conversation with Greg Zuckerman of the WSJ on the launch of Rabbi Cohen's new book on relationships. Bio: Gregory Zuckerman (www.gregoryzuckerman.com) is a Special Writer at The Wall Street Journal, a 20-year veteran of the paper and a three-time winner of the Gerald Loeb award — the highest honor in business journalism. Greg is the author of The Frackers: The Outrageous Inside Story of the New Billionaire Wildcatters, a national bestsellernamed among the best books of 2014 by The Financial Times and Forbes Magazine, and The Greatest Trade Ever: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How John Paulson Defied Wall Street and Made Financial History, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller published December 2010.
At the Journal, Greg writes about big financial firms, personalities and trades, hedge funds, the energy revolution and other investing and business topics. Greg appears regularly on CNBC, Fox Business, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg Television and various television networks. He makes regular appearances on National Public Radio, BBC, ABC Radio, Bloomberg Radio, and radio stations around the globe. Greg gives speeches to business groups on a variety of topics.
A graduate of Brandeis University, Greg lives with his wife and two sons in West Orange, N.J., where they enjoy the Yankees in the summer, root for the Giants in the fall, and reminisce about Linsanity in the winter. Follow him on Twitter @gzuckerman.
In this Episode we explore:
-
Why Rabbi Cohen wrote this book
-
The three people the book is dedicated to
-
Chief Rabbi Sacks, Justice Scalia & RBG
-
Mentors, Teachers, Students
-
Prayer post the Pandemic
-
Father & Son
-
Life Altering Challenges
and much more
Book is available at www.rabbi.dovidmcohen.com
& Amazon & Mosaica Press & Jewish bookstores.
Topic: Transformative Leadership Guest: Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman Bio: Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman began his tenure as Yeshiva University’s fifth president in June 2017.
Under his visionary leadership, Dr. Berman has laid the foundation for the next great era of Yeshiva University.
Through a bold academic plan, he has articulated a new business model with investments in key areas such as science and technology, entrepreneurship and innovation, values and leadership and market ready graduates with great jobs and impactful careers. During his tenure, the university has introduced over 20 new graduate degrees in emerging fields including artificial intelligence, cyber security, physician assistant, biotech management, real estate management, special education, marriage and family therapy, MBA and Masters in Holocaust and Genocide Education. He spearheaded efforts to establish new academic centers such as the Emil A. and Jenny Fish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. These efforts have produced significant growth in enrollment as well as in philanthropic gifts including funding for the Shevet Glaubach Center for Career Strategy and Professional Development, the Innovation Lab, new physician assistant and occupational therapy labs as well as state of the art computer science labs. Under his leadership, Yeshiva University has risen 29 places in the U.S. News & World Report.
Dr. Berman is widely published in outlets such as Forbes, Newsweek, and the Wall Street Journal. A gifted leader, scholar, and orator, Dr. Berman graduated with distinction from four of Yeshiva University’s schools. He earned his B.A. from Yeshiva College, his M.A. in Medieval Jewish Philosophy from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, and his rabbinical ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). His studies also included two years of learning at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel, under the tutelage of the seminal Jewish thinker and leader Rabbi Dr. Aharon Lichtenstein. After making aliyah to Israel in 2008, Dr. Berman completed his higher education with a Ph.D. in Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, supervised by renowned philosopher Professor Moshe Halbertal.
Dr. Berman has a broad range of distinguished experience in the worlds of higher education and Jewish communal life. He led The Jewish Center in New York City as its Rabbi, served as Instructor of Talmud at Yeshiva College and Herzog College, served on the executive council at Herzog College and was chief executive (Rosh Ha-Merkaz) of Hechal Shlomo – Center of Jewish Heritage in Jerusalem.
Dr. Berman is an active and erudite spokesman for the Jewish community. He lectures widely throughout the U.S. and Israel and has written numerous articles on subjects addressing contemporary Jewish thought, modern philosophy and trends in higher education. He is married to Anita Berman and they have five children.
In this riveting interview, we cover:
1. Being a Servant of G-d
-
YU on the Rise
-
How the World at-Large perceives YU
-
Gut Decisions
-
Doctoral Study
-
CEO/Business Modeling
-
Rise-Up Campaign & the Quest for 613 'Mitzvos'
-
Life is Short/Different Phases
And so much more!
**Topic: Power with Heart: A Modern Hero**
**Guest: Maj General Doron Almog** Bio: Doron is the new Chairman-elect of the Jewish Agency. A decorated soldier and international inclusion icon, Major General (Res.) Doron Almog battled the status quo for years to secure the best possible care for his son, Eran, who was born with severe autism and developmental delays. Though Eran lost his battle with Castleman’s disease in 2007 at the age of 23, his memory fuels Doron’s continued commitment to securing the highest-level specialized care for Israel’s disability community and advancing disability inclusion, equity and access around the globe.
In May 2016, Doron was awarded with the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement and contributions to society and the state at the closing event of Israel’s Independence Day activities. The Israel Prize committee chose Doron for leading a revolution to advance the caring of Israel’s most vulnerable population and bringing about a crucial change in societal perception of individuals with disabilities.
Doron’s brother, Eran, fell in the Yom Kippur War while serving as commander of a tank unit defending the Golan Heights. Despite this devastating loss, Doron served the majority of his IDF service fighting for or commanding elite units. He gained renown for his role as the first Israeli paratrooper reconnaissance commander to land at the daring rescue mission in Entebbe in 1976, and later for his participation in Operation Moses, which brought thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel in the 1980s. As the head of the IDF’s Southern Command from 2000-2003, he protected Israel’s southern border from infiltration by terrorists from Gaza.
Drawing on his personal loss, military experience, and exceptional leadership abilities, Doron works diligently to affect societal change and create a brighter future for individuals with special needs through the enhancement and expansion of ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran, the rehabilitative village in Israel’s south established in memory of his son. ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran serves as a model of diversity and acceptance and a crucial rehabilitative resource center, providing a host of rehabilitative solutions for individuals from all backgrounds and levels of need.
Doron works within the village and well beyond its borders to empower individuals with disabilities and advance society as a whole through the promotion of inclusive activities, gainful employment and comprehensive rehabilitative offering for all.
In this incredible episode, we explore:
1. Yom Kippur War
-
The Loss of a Brother
-
Responsibility to the Nation
-
Victory Entebbe
-
Defending the Weakest in Society
-
Uniting the Jewish People
-
Living with Incredible Purpose
-
The Next Chapter: Jewish Agency
And so much more!
Topic: Passion with Vision
**Guest:** Bruce Pearl Bio: Bruce Pearl is an American college basketball coach, and the head coach of the Auburn Tigers men's basketball program. He previously served as the head coach at Tennessee, Milwaukee, and Southern Indiana. Pearl led Southern Indiana to a Division II national championship in 1995 and was named Division II Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He has won four conference championships and three conference tournament championships as a Division I head coach, and has made ten NCAA Tournament appearances and one Final Four. Pearl was named Coach of the Year by Sporting News in 2006 and was awarded the Adolph Rupp Cup in 2008. He also served as the head coach for the Maccabi USA men's basketball team that won the gold medal at the 2009 Maccabiah Games.
In this episode, we explore: 1. Israel as the Jewish Homeland
-
Teacher & Leader
-
My Hebrew Name
-
What I see That You Don't
-
Boston Celtics NBA Champs?
-
Giving of Oneself: With Privilege Comes Responsibility
-
Wearing my Passion on my Sleeve w/o Apology
And much more!
**Topic: Religion, Unity & Change**
**Guest: Steve Sarowitz** **Bio:** Steve Sarowitz is Founder and Chairman of Paylocity (Nasdaq: PCTY), a leading U.S. provider of payroll and HR solutions. In addition, Steve also serves as Director of Payescape, a UK payroll provide, and partner in Wayfarer Entertainment. He is also an international philanthropist with an interest in promoting unity by and promoting universal education and advocating for the elimination of racism, sexism, nationalism and religious prejudice. He also serves on the board of NCAT, an organization that builds state-of-the art training centers in urban areas. Steve served as Executive Producer for the award-winning documentary Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise and The Gate: Dawn of the Bahai Faith, a groundbreaking documentary about the founding of the Baha’i Faith. Steve is an avid runner who has been inducted into the Chicago Area Runners Association Hall of Fame. Steve is married with 2 children and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Illinois. Steve is a passionate Baha'i who has given presentations about the Baha'i Faith and its vision of world unity at several universities, the Parliament of the World's Religions and other venues around the world.
In this out of the box episode, we explore:
1. Filmmaker: Movies as change-agent
-
Chinese Restaurants
-
Warren Buffet as a model of simplicity
-
Sales Tips
-
Spirituality and the Role of the Bahai Faith
-
The Oneness of G-d & of all Humanity
-
Breaking Bread
-
Forbes & Billionaire Status
And much more!
Topic: Changing the Landscape of Women in Orthodoxy
Guest: Ann Pava
Ann Pava, President of Micah Philanthropies, is an activist, philanthropist, and thought leader. A natural community builder, Ann strives to embody the core Jewish values that animate her work, as expressed by the prophet Micah - “Only to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”
As a philanthropist, Ann takes the lead in innovative giving while making all who participate feel counted, and treats all those they support as valued partners. As an activist, she has the unique ability to bring all types of people together, analyze challenges, and devise solutions. Ann believes that one of the strongest avenues to success for any organization is a strong lay and professional partnership. She is an articulate and passionate ambassador for the organizations and leaders she supports. A hallmark of her success over her career is her ability to inspire, mentor, and empower others, especially women, to lead and to make the world a better place.
Ann is the immediate past chair of Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools and a past chair of National Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). She is Founding Chair of the Hebrew High School of New England, and past chair of the Jewish Federation of Western MA. She currently serves on the boards of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance,(JOFA) Yeshivat Maharat, Prizmah, JFNA, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford. She serves as Committee Chair for the Graduate Program for Advanced Talmud Studies for Women (GPATS) at Yeshiva University.
Ann is a past recipient of the JFNA Kipnes-Wilson Friedland Award for outstanding women philanthropists. She also received the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s Lay Leadership Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. She and Jeremy received the Connecticut ADL Torch of Liberty Award.
Ann enjoys spending time with her husband Jeremy and their beautiful family including their three married children and three grandchildren and has become the world’s best babysitter. She is a new and determined runner, an avid reader of any type of fiction, and loves to cook for company.
In this new episode, we cover:
1. Kindness as a guiding light
-
Loving the Underdog
-
The Beauty of Giving
-
The influence & inspiration of Harold Grinspoon
-
How to Ask for & How to Give Money
-
Big Tent Approach
-
A Different ball game in Jewish Life
-
Impacting Schools & Shuls
And a whole lot more!
Topic: 'Vienna Waits for You'
Guest: Rabbi Josh Blass
Rabbi Blass is a Mashgiach Ruchani at RIETS at Yeshiva University, where he has been serving for the last 17 years. He also recently completed serving 15 years as rabbi of Kehillas Beis Yehuda in Monsey, NY.
Rabbi Blass received his semikha from RIETS and a Masters in Jewish Philosophy from the Bernard Revel Graduate School for Jewish Studies. He is now completing a Masters degree in Social Work with an eye toward private practice.
Since receiving his ordination, Rabbi Blass has taught in a number of high schools, including MTA and Bruriah. In the year 2000, he became the Rav of the Albert Einstein School of Medicine where he worked for four years, before joining Kehillas Beis Yehuda. During his tenure in Monsey, Rabbi Blass has been involved in an advisory or leadership capacity with a number of organizations including Tomche Shabbos, Project Tikvah, the Chevra Kadisha, RCA Beis Din and others.
He is also very involved in the world of shidduchim and guiding students at YU on issues of dating and as a chosson teacher.
He recently helped lead a mission of YU students to Vienna to lend support to refugees who recently fled Ukraine.
In this bonus episode, we cover:
1. A Life of meaning & giving
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Deep roots of commitment to others
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Taking intitiave and hearing the call
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The growth mindset
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The beauty, majesty & irony of Vienna
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Impacting Students & Refugees
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How Others Can Also Help
And a whole lot more!
Topic: Wearing His Heart on His Sleeve
**Guest: Eli** Verschleiser **Bio:** Chairman at The Verschleiser Family Foundation, OurPlace, & Magenu.org When one realizes that we only live once, & do not take our cash along, they then obtain the ability to make a real difference. Eli's world is dedicated to Philanthropy, Fighting for the Underdog, & helping others get another chance. (A bit of Real Estate Finance, Acquisition, and Investments on the side) **In this heart-tugging episode, we explore:**
1. The Impact of a Rebbe
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Living on the Streets
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The shocking reality of abuse in our communities
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Not really being able to stand in the shoes of another
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Can One Give Away Too Much?
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The Influence of an Amazing Wife
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Different Forms of Education
And much more!
Topic: Conspiracy U
**Guest: Scott Shay** **Bio:** Scott A. Shay is a leading businessman, thought leader, and author of several widely read books on profound issues facing the Jewish community. Scott is the co-founder and Chairman of
Signature Bank, well known as one of the best banks in New York for private business owners.
Scott earned a BA in Economics and a Masters in Management from Northwestern University, a valuable experience due to the commitment of his professors to high academic standards and the ideals of the university’s motto.
His third book, Conspiracy U: A Case Study, utilizes this motto as a backdrop to illustrate how his alma mater and academia in general have departed from these standards and ideals, sacrificing academic integrity and trustworthy scholarship in favor of Conspiracy Theories.
Scott is a distinguished leader in the Jewish community and an avid student of religion and its application to the world outside of the synagogue, church, or mosque. These interests are reflected in Conspiracy U, as well as his previous two books, In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism and Getting Our Groove Back: How to Energize American Jewry.
In this riveting episode, we explore:
1. Holocaust Roots
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Intellectually Dishonest
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Playing with a Delicate Psyche
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Running a Bank in 2022
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Putin & Ukraine
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Writing Multiple Books
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Living an Impactful Life
And much more!
Topic: Risk & Reward
**Guest: Ezra S. L****e****vine** **Bio:** Ezra is CEO of Collectable, the #1 fractional investment platform for sports. He is a former Portfolio Manager at Hilltop Park, a NYC-based hedge fund in the Sports, Media, Consumer and Entertainment industries. He was also CFO & CSO of The Spring League. He has an MBA from NYU Stern. Levine has been featured by BusinessInsider, Barstool, Bloomberg, CNN, Yahoo Finance, Forbes, Sportico, and more.
In this riveting episode, we explore:
1. The Rabbi's Son
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Love for Sports & Markets
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The Gift of Stuttering
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Kevin Garnett & Emmitt Smith/Big Announcement
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Food & Shelter
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Family as Core & an Oasis
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Mom's Not Such Good Advice
And much more!
Topic: From Disney to a Torah Life
**Guest: Saul Blinkoff** **Bio:** Saul began his career as an animator for the **WALT DISNEY STUDIOS** working on the hit films ***Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, & Tarzan.*** He made his directorial debut with the hip action-adventure series ***Spy Groove*** for **MTV**. Shortly thereafter, he re-joined **DISNEY**, directing the films ***Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo & Kronk's New Groove****-* starring Eartha Kitt & David Spade. Saul also consulted in development on the **DISNEY** films: ***Tinkerbell, Fox and The Hound II, Brother Bear II, Cinderella III, and Dumbo II.*** Saul has directed high profile commercials for clients such as ***Best Buy, Dunkin' Donuts, ESPN, Subway, Mercedes Benz, EA Sports*** **& Build-A-Bear** and has consulted for animation studios internationally in London, Tel Aviv, Toronto, Seoul, Dublin, Vancouver & China. Saul was a Director on the smash hit **DISNEY** show ***Doc McStuffins***, Supervising Director on ***The Numberlys*** and Consulting Producer on ***The Stinky & Dirty*** ***Show;*** bothfor **AMAZON**. For **NETFLIX**, Saul was Consulting Director on the hit show ***Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures*** and was Supervising Director on ***Llama Llama*** starring Jennifer Garner. Currently, Saul is the Supervising Producer on the **DREAMWORKS** hit show ***Madagascar: A Little Wild*** on **HULU/PEACOCK.**
Saul speaks around the world sharing practical tools for success, meaning and fulfillment in all aspects of life! He also hosts the inspirational weekly podcast; Life of AWESOME!
Saul lives in Los Angeles with his wife Marion and their four children.
In this fascinating episode, we cover:
1. Growing Up on Long Island
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Wanting to be an Animator
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The Lion King
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The Challenges of a life in LA/Hollywood
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R' Noach Weinberg and the Power of Aish
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Being a Seeker of Truth/Wanting things Badly
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Framing Challenges-Even Jeff Bezos has Them
And much more!
Topic: A Jack of Many Trades
**Guest: Philip Rosen** **Bio:** **Philip Rosen is Co-Head of the Weil Gotshal Real Estate practice and the Firm’s Infrastructure practice. Philip is a leading authority in the mergers and acquisitions of real estate companies, both public and private and both as part of restructurings and not. He is also one of the top real estate finance lawyers and has long been considered one of the leading lawyers in the debt restructuring space. He is one of the top private equity lawyers in the property arena, representing numerous private equity and hedge funds and institutions in their larger and more complicated transactions. Philip also has a top reputation in a broad spectrum of other transaction areas, including real estate investment trusts, joint ventures, and property and debt portfolio acquisitions. He also heads the Firm’s renowned hospitality and gaming practices. Finally, he is one of the country’s leading authorities on doing business in the Middle East. He is also an active philanthropist and leader of various game-changing jewish organizations.**
In this fascinating episode, we cover:
1. Family, the Jewish People & Israel
-
Bibi Netanyahu
-
Abraham Accords
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Disneyland of the Middle East
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Paul Reichmann & Sheldon Adelson
-
Republicans v. Progressives
-
A Classic Airplane story
And much more!
Topic: A LifeTime of Service
**Guest:** Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat **Bio:** Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat heads the international practice of Covington and Burling. His work at Covington focuses on resolving international trade problems and business disputes with the US and foreign governments, and international business transactions and regulations on behalf of US companies and others around the world.
During a decade and a half of public service in three US administrations, Ambassador Eizenstat has held a number of key senior positions, including chief White House domestic policy adviser to President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981); U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs, and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton Administration (1993-2001).
Much of the interest in providing belated justice for victims of the Holocaust and other victims of Nazi tyranny during World War II was the result of his leadership of the Clinton Administration as Special Representative of the President and Secretary of State on Holocaust-Era Issues. He successfully negotiated major agreements with the Swiss, Germans, Austrian and French, and other European countries, covering restitution of property, payment for slave and forced laborers, recovery of looted art, bank accounts, and payment of insurance policies. His book on these events, Imperfect Justice: Looted Assets, Slave Labor, and the Unfinished Business of World War II, has been favorably received in publications like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Business Week, and Publisher’s Weekly. It has been translated into German, French, Czech and Hebrew.
In this informative episode, we cover:
1. Growing up in the South
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Relationship with President Carter
-
Carter & Israel
-
Holocaust focus and conviction
-
Role of a US Ambassador
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Dealing with loss and devotion to family
-
Key friendships & relationships
And much more!
Topic: Banking for 2022 and Beyond Guest: Yaakov Gade Bio: Yaakov Gade is Founder, President and CEO of Cross River Bank, having served as Chairman for the company since its inception in 2008. Gade’s vision is steering Cross River as an innovation-driven, state-chartered bank and provider of trusted financial solutions, to the marketplace lending and next-generation payment processing arenas.
Gade graduated from the MBA Institute IMIP (Groupe IPESUP) in Paris, with a Masters of Science in International Management. In 1990 he began his career at Citicorp Venture Capital. Later on he served as CFO of First Meridian Mortgage, and was Co-Founder and Managing Director of Chela Technology Partners. In addition, he was Technology Investment Banker at Barclays Capital, and FIG Investment Banker at Bear Stearns.
In this informative discussion, we cover:
1. From Paris to New York
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The uniqueness of Cross River
-
Supporting the Israeli economy through job training
-
Getting up very early
-
The influence of Chief Rabbi Sacks z'l
-
How to manage people with a positive vibe
-
Surviving & Thriving through a Pandemic
And a whole lot more!
Topic: The New Art Scroll Book Guest: Y. Dov Meyer Bio: Dov has been with Terra Firma Capital Corporation since 2011, as CEO. In his current role as Executive Chairman, Dov assists with the strategy of the company and supports the CEO with the growth and overall performance. Dov has over 20 years of real estate and public market experience.
Prior to joining Terra Firma, Dov held a number of positions with the Paul Reichmann Group of Companies such as Founder and Chief Investment Officer of IPC US REIT where he was responsible for acquiring, financing and ultimately selling over $2 billion of real estate assets. In addition, immediately prior to joining Terra Firma Dov was Managing Director of Harbor Group International and was responsible for managing a debt opportunity fund that traded in CMBS notes following the 2008 debt crisis.
Dov holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Toronto and an LLB from Bar Ilan University in Israel. He is also the Co-Chairman of World Bnei Akiva.
**In this inspiring discussion, we cover:**
1. Paul Reichmann v Moshe Reichmann
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Elegance & Class
-
Supporting Torah
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Smartest Man in the Room
-
Making a Comeback/Giving Until it Hurts
-
A Different Type of Gadol Biography
-
Amazing Roots: Standing on the Shoulders that Come before Us.
And so much more!
Topic: Omaha & The Oracle Guest: Robert Eisenberg Bio: Bob Eisenberg, originally from Omaha, Nebraska, holds a degree from Columbia College and a Masters from Harvard University as well as a law degree from Creighton University. Bob is an author of two books and a private investor. He has lectured in over 90 venues on contemporary Hasidic society. He has also owned several businesses including the landmark nightclub and Club 415. He is the proud father of 2 children and one grandchild.
In this eye-opening discussion, we cover:
1. Survival and the Holocaust
-
Education and Academia
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Silver markets, investing and Warren Buffet
-
Making a real difference in the world
-
Writing books and exploration
-
Climate change
-
Medical research
And so much more!
Topic: Seeing in the Darkness Guest: Sanford D. Greenberg Bio: Sanford D. Greenberg is Chairman of the Board of Governors of Johns Hopkins University’s Wilmer Eye Institute, the largest clinical and research enterprise in ophthalmology in the United States.
He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a Trustee Emeritus of Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine, which incorporates the School of Medicine and the Hospital.
He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Sue; they have three children and four grandchildren.
In this inspirational discussion, we cover:
1. Family & Friends
-
Losing Vision/Gaining Insight
-
Academic Pedigree
-
A Young Man in the White House
-
Seeing the Good in Everything & Everyone
-
Building a Business
-
Johns Hopkins and Changing the World
And so much more!
Topic: Being a Giver Guest: Audrey Jacobs Bio: Audrey Jacobs is a Vice President and Wealth Advisor in the San Diego office of Bernstein Private Wealth Management, creating holistic and customized analyses for high-net-worth families, individuals, trusts, foundations, and endowments. She works closely with clients and their professional advisors on complex planning issues such as pre-transaction planning, multigenerational wealth transfer, philanthropy, retirement planning, and asset allocation.
Prior to joining the firm in 2018, Audrey was a founding partner of OurCrowd, a global platform to invest in Israeli and global startups. Previously, she established the local chapter of StandWithUs, an Israel advocacy organization. Audrey earned a BA, cum laude, in political science and English and completed the Executive Education Program in finance and accounting at Columbia Business School.
Audrey has been an active leader and philanthropist in the Jewish community and the arts for over 25 years. She’s also an active connector and matchmaker as featured in her TEDx Talk, “How to be a Matchmaker in Work, Life and Love.” She is also the founder of the San Diego Israel Coalition and Audrey’s Tent. Audrey serves on the global board for Partners in Torah. She has received awards and fellowships by the National Endowment for the Arts, L.E.A.D. San Diego Woman of Valor, and the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship.
In this inspiring discussion, we cover:
1. Mission Statement
-
Strong Women
-
Don't Overstay the Welcome
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'Ego' and Edging God Out
-
Partners in Torah
-
What is Legacy
-
Humility and the Value of Money
And much more!
Topic: The Rabbi Who Raised A Billion Dollars Guest: Rabbi Meyer H. May Bio: Rabbi Meyer H. May is the Executive Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museums of Tolerance, having joined the Center in the fall of 1978, its second year. As Executive Director for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Rabbi May has traveled throughout the world meeting with heads of state and leading government officials, as well as some of the most prominent corporate leaders and philanthropists of our time.
As the chief development officer of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Rabbi May and his team have raised well over $1 billion in support of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and its multi-faceted divisions. Specifically, Rabbi May directs the Center’s capital expansion campaigns and its annual $28 million international fund-raising campaigns. He is currently guiding the $290 million capital campaign and $50 million endowment to build the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem.
Rabbi May also supervises the Center’s regional offices and all Simon Wiesenthal Center special events, coordinates major gift fund-raising with the Center’s membership development and online campaigns and oversees its highly successful planned giving program. Rabbi May also heads the Center’s legislative effort, which to-date, has resulted in more than $139 million in Federal, State and City appropriations to the Center and its Museums of Tolerance. He is currently focusing on the Center’s long-term endowment and on further capitalizing the Center’s Academy-Award® winning Moriah Films media division.
Rabbi May is past-President of the Rabbinical Council of California and serves on a number of non-profit boards; among them Artscroll’s Mesorah Heritage Foundation and the Canadian and United Kingdom Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
Raised on the East Coast, Rabbi May graduated in 1976 from Nova University with an M.S. in guidance and counseling. He was ordained in New York in 1977 by the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University. In the Spring of 1978, Rabbi May received his Officer’s Commission and served as a U.S. Army Chaplain (Reserves).
Rabbi May is married to the former Shulamith Filler, a renowned educator in Los Angeles; and together they have seven children, thirty-eight terrific (and spoiled) grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren!
**In this exciting interview, we cover:**
1. Art Scroll & Rabbi Zlotowitz
-
The Sun & The Moon
-
Statesmanship with Integrity
-
Raising Money for 'Other' Causes
-
Game-Changers/SWC Museum in Israel
-
Health & Exercise
-
Finding the Elusive Work/Family Balance
-
Not Believing the Hype
And so much more!
Topic: Creating on Multiple Fronts Guest: Ben Wiener Bio: Ben Wiener is a Venture Enthusiast, entrepreneur and Managing Partner of Jumpspeed Ventures, a micro-fund based in Jerusalem, Israel.
Ben began his career in law as a clerk on the Israel Supreme Court and a practicing corporate lawyer, then co-founded his first software start-up in 1999. He has co-founded and managed a number of startup ventures
and also served as VP of International Business Development at IDT Corp. (NYSE: IDT) where he led M&A transactions and was part of IDT's Venture Services group.
Ben founded Jumpspeed Ventures, a Jerusalem-based micro-fund, in late 2013. Jumpseed addresses the mismatch of supply and demand for early-stage capital in the Capital of the Startup Nation.
In this riveting interview, we cover:
1. Jerusalem the Center of the Universe
-
Tail of the Lion
-
Virtual Mentorship
-
Gratitude
-
Being a Contrarian
-
Pregnant with Twin Novels
-
How to Pitch Anything Effectively
And so much more!
Topic: Wounded Warriors Guest: Jeremy Chwat Bio: Jeremy Chwat is a senior Nonprofit Executive who drives innovative and impactful program delivery, at large scales, while fostering systemic change to address complex mission challenges. He honed his skills as a founder and former Chief Program Officer and Chief Strategy officer at Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), where he oversaw the organization's 20+ programs and services for veterans and their families. Jeremy was responsible for a team of over 250 staff members and over $150M in budget. Today, he assists non-profits of differing size to grow their revenue, programming or strategic positioning within their respective space.
Jeremy played a leading role in WWP’s efforts to pass the Traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (TSGLI) legislation, which provides insurance benefits to wounded members of our armed forces; as well as in WWP’s advocacy for enactment and implementation of the Family Caregiver Program of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act 2010.
He oversaw the organization’s strategy and innovation, government relations, communications, and partnerships and investments. Prior to serving as CSO he spent years as WWP's chief programs officer (CPO), overseeing WWP programs and services across four pillars — engagement, mind, body, and economic empowerment.
In this unique interview, we cover: 1. A Public Servant
-
The American Military
-
Jack of All Trades
-
Sports Fanatic
-
Dealing with Challenges close to home
-
Leading a Prominent Congregation in difficult times
-
A Virtual Synagogue
Topic: Seeing Beyond Guest: Michael Lustig Bio: Michael Lustig retired after a 25-year career on Wall Street, and now devotes the majority of his time and energies toward non-profit & impact-related enterprises
Prior to retiring, Michael spent most of his career at BlackRock where he was a Senior Managing Director overseeing Structured Mortgage & Derivative Products trading, and was the portfolio manager overseeing the Federal Reserve's managed assets arising from their activities during the market crisis of 2008-9. He subsequently managed the Cash Collateral accounts for BlackRock’s Securities Lending business.
Michael serves on a number of non-profit Boards and is an impact investor on the Board of GigaWatt Global, a solar energy company that built the first large-scale grid-connected field in East Africa (with more in-process!), as well as maintaining several other corporate Advisory & Board positions. He has also curated a number of exhibits at The Society of Illustrators (the most recent one: https://www.societyillustrators.org/exhibits/tony-harris).
https://www.jfunders.org/greenbook_a_guide_to_jewish_impact_investing
In this exciting interview, we cover: 1. A Stable Family Life
-
What is Mentoring?
-
The Financial Crisis
-
Impact Investing
-
UJA/Jewish Mutual Fund
-
NFT Projects
-
Fractional shares in Alternative investments
-
Creating Job Opportunities
And so much more!
**Topic: Gimmel Tammuz/Yahrzeit Lubavitcher Rebbe zt'l** **Guest: Rabbi Zalman Wolowik** **Bio:** In September of 1995, Rabbi S. Zalman Wolowik and his wife Chanie arrived in the Five Towns with one goal in mind: to establish a Chabad Center to serve the Five Towns and surrounding communities. Rabbi Zalman Wolowik was born and raised in Montreal and pursued his post-high school studies in New York and Israel, where he received Rabbinic Ordination. He also received dayanut, the ability to serve in Beit Din (Rabbinic court) from Rabbi Hirschprung, Chief Rabbi of Canada. In 1994, after spending a year in Gorky, Russia, enriching the Jewish community, he married Chanie Kotlarsky who was born and raised in Brooklyn and also spent time in Russia. Born into a prestigious Chabad family, she always knew she would be involved in a Chabad Center, which they found themselves directing just a short year later.
Filled with enthusiasm and inspired by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Wolowik began to assess the needs of the community and to determine how they could make a positive impact on Jewish life in the Five Towns. People wondered and asked what they were doing here and how long they'd stay. "It's a one-way trip we take,” explained Wolowik. “It's a lifetime investment that we do. There's no return."
Rabbi Wolowik is the personal Rabbi of former Ambassador David Friedman and played a spiritual role in the inauguration of the US Embassy in Jerusalem in 2018.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Born as a Shaliach
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Chabad is about Torah
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The significance of Gimmel Tammuz
-
The Rabbi of the Ambassador
-
Levi Yitzcahk library
-
Finding more time in the Day
-
Continuing to Build and bring Redemption
And so much more!
Topic: Daily Giving Guest: Dr. Jonathan Donath Bio: Dr. Jonathan Donath is a graduate of the University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic. He graduated Summa Cum Laude and was the valedictorian of his class. He also has his Masters degree in Human Nutrition.
Dr. Donath is certified and specializes in Active Release Technique (ART). ART is one of the most effective treatments available for treating soft tissue injuries. This hands-on, non-invasive method is designed to break up adhesions and scar tissue that typically result from repetitive stress, overuse, and trauma.
Dr. Donath is the founder and president of the revolutionary daily giving organization and concept dailygiving.org. In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Growing up in the cold
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Holocaust Roots
-
Treating Professional Athletes & Roshei Yeshiva
-
Why Charity as a special Mitzvah?
-
Looking for a Daily connection
-
A Busy Man gets things done
-
Impact & Reach
And so much more!
Topic: Entrepreneurial Philanthropy Guest: Louis Mayberg Bio: Louis Mayberg’s career spans over 38 years in the financial services and investment industries. Currently he is CEO of CyLogic Inc. a cloud computing infrastructure and end point protection provider. He is a co-founder and principal of ProShares and ProFunds, Exchange Traded Funds and Mutual Funds where he served as president. In 1986, he co-founded National Capital Companies, LLC and managed its financial services hedge fund.
Mr. Mayberg also spent more than a decade working on inner city urban renewal projects helping low income working families purchase affordable homes.
A Trustee of the Mayberg Foundation, Mr. Mayberg is an active community volunteer and philanthropist, serving on international, national and local boards. Currently he is a member of Aish Hatorah’s Amutah and Vaad and is Hillel board chair at his alma mater, George Washington University.
As an entrepreneurial philanthropist he counts among his most impactful initiatives Momentum (formerly the JWRP), Jewish Education Innovation Challenge, Mayberg Center for Jewish Education. Leadership at George Washington University, Securing America’s Future Energy and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
Mr. Mayberg has published thought pieces about the Jewish philanthropic sector for The Jerusalem Post and Washington Jewish Week.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. A Jewish Upbringing
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A magical Aish Rabbi
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Dealing with Struggles and Challenges
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Fighting with Uncle Sam
-
Structured Philanthropy
-
Partnering with and Leveraging others
-
Staying Humble Always
And so much more!
Topic: Making Thoughtful & Meaningful Impact Guest: Manette Mayberg Bio: Mrs. Mayberg’s passions are her family and philanthropy. When asked if she works, she answers, “I invest in the Jewish people,” which has been the case since she traded working for salary to volunteering her time for fulfillment 20 years ago. With her husband, Louis Mayberg, Mrs. Mayberg serves as a trustee of the Mayberg Foundation. In this capacity, she founded the Jewish Education Innovation Challenge (JEIC) in 2012 and MyZuzah in 2017. She also is a co-founder of Momentum (formerly Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project) and conceived and developed over a decade ago the annual Shalva Celebrity Chef event.
Mrs. Mayberg is a national vice president of the Orthodox Union, and she serves on the Mosaic United Steering Committee. Mrs. Mayberg also sits on the executive committee of the Berman Hebrew Academy. As a thought leader in the Jewish philanthropic sector, Mrs. Mayberg has authored opinion pieces on Israel and Jewish education, published in eJewish Philanthropy, Washington Jewish Week and Aish.com. In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
Topic: Politics & Advocacy Guest: Michael Fragin Bio: Deputy Mayor of the Town of Lawrence, political influencer, for profit and non-for-profit consultant, long-time Hatzolah member and devoted father.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. The early years and roots
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The Mir Yeshiva and Philanthropy
-
Tragedy in Meron
-
Bi-partisanship and being true to oneself
-
Service on the granular level
-
Aligning Priorities and Values
-
Speaking proudly as a Jew and combating antisemitism
-
Family Influences in Leadership
And so much more!
Topic: The Event Master Planner Guest: Rabbi Aryeh Young Bio: Rabbi Aryeh Young is the Executive Director of Our Place, a dynamic organization that services young adults at risk. In this capacity he organizes unique and cutting edge events to raise resources to support the various programs of the organization. He is also the Director of Alumni Affairs at the Lander College for Men and a beloved rebbe to many talmidim.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Anchorage Alaska
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Communal Engagement at an early age
-
A unique fundraising model
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It's all in the details
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How to focus as an early stage fundraiser
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The Importance of promotion and getting out the message
-
Working collaboratively with lay leadership
And so much more!
Topic: The Jewish Future Pledge Guests: Mike Leven & Amy Holtz Bios: Mike Leven is a legendary business executive and visionary philanthropist. Inspired by Warren Buffet’s and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge, Mike co-founded the Jewish Future Pledge to carry on his family’s commitment to Judaism.
Mr. Leven currently serves on the boards of The Marcus Foundation; AEPi Fraternity Foundation; Birthright Israel Foundation; Board of Advisors of Prager University; HERSHA Hospitality Trust; Independent Women’s Voice; Turning Point USA Board of Advisors and SESTRA Group.
Professionally, Mike ended his tenure in 2019 as the chairman and chief executive officer of the Georgia Aquarium to devote more time to charitable endeavors like the Jewish Future Pledge. In the past, he has served as president and chief operating officer of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, the chairman and chief executive officer of US Franchise Systems, the president and chief operating officer of Holiday Inn Worldwide, and the president of Days Inn of America.
Mr. Leven is a co-founder of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), an organization that has more than 19,000 members owning more than 40,000 hotels.
Amy Holtz is a passionate advocate for the Jewish community and the State of Israel. In 2016, she was named one of the 50 most influential Jews by The Jerusalem Post.
Amy is a visionary leader and strategist with more than two decades of experience leading and growing businesses and nonprofits. In addition to working on the Jewish Future Pledge, Amy is CEO of Traction Specialists, which empowers entrepreneurs and non-profit leaders to build their businesses and reach their personal potential by implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).
From 1994 to 2007, Amy co-owned and operated a chain of 25 Party City stores. She previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Mosaic United and President of OpenDor Media (formerly Jerusalem U).
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. The Hotel Industry
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Passover Programs
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Conquering Insecurities
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Reading Biographies
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Talking to the Next Generation about Philanthropy
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Sharing Values & Vision
-
Life Purpose & Meaning
And so much more!
Topic: Changing the Face of Israel Guest: Joanna Landau Founder & CEO, Vibe Israel Bio: Joanna Landau was born in London and moved to Israel with her family when she was 5 years old. After serving in the IDF as a paramedic, she read law at Cambridge University where she gained BA and MA degrees. Joanna also holds an MBA, cum laude, from the Herzlia Interdisciplinary Center in Israel. Joanna worked as a lawyer in the high-tech industry and established two Internet start-ups based in Tel Aviv. In 2009, Joanna founded Vibe Israel (formerly Kinetis), to change the way people think and feel about Israel. She is also on the Board of Directors of Vibe Israel USA, Vibe Israel’s 501(c)(3) partner in the U.S. In 2016 Vibe Israel was a finalist in a prestigious international competition by City Nation Place, the global forum of place branding experts, for the Best Use of Social Media in Place Branding Award.
Joanna is a governor of Tel Aviv University, a member of the International Education Committee of Taglit-Birthright and the Advisory Committee of Innovation Without Boarders, and a Director of Tel Aviv Global & Tourism. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Rappaport Prize for a Change Making Woman, and in 2017, Joanna was chosen by Forbes Israel as one of the fifty most influential women in Israel.
She lives in Tel-Aviv with her husband and three children.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Early Life in Israel & the UK
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Israeli Army and Diversity
-
Lawyer by Training
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Tragic Loss and Getting Back Up
-
Powerful Female Role Models
-
The Role & Perceptions of Religion
-
Philanthropy: Giving & Raising Money
And so much more!
Topic: Super Trump Guest: Stephanie Trump Bio: Stephanie Trump, one of the visionaries behind the Acqualina brand, is renowned for her impeccable design eye, due in part to her certificate in Interior Design from the prestigious Parsons Design School in New York City. Under her guidance, Acqualina Resort and the Mansions at Acqualina have been outfitted with the finest textiles, sculptures, and one-of-a-kind works of art. She also has her sight set on ensuring that the Estates at Acqualina, the Trump Group’s latest project, delivers “The World’s Finest Residences” in the “World’s Finest Resort.”
With an impressive resume that extends far beyond interior design, one could say that Stephanie Trump, a South African native, has made her mark in today’s society. However, if you ask Stephanie, she would tell you that her greatest career accomplishment has been her involvement in a multitude of charitable endeavours. Children have always been at the center of Stephanie’s heart and with a Master’s degree in Education, Stephanie has always believed that with knowledge comes power.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Life in South Africa
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A Wonderful Husband
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Curiosity
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Beit Issie Shapiro
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Start-Up Nation
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Special Cameo
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The Rabbi Yudin Mantra
And so much more!
Topic: Ambition, Intensity & Resolve Guest: Adam Milstein Bio: Adam Milstein is a real estate investor, community leader, and active philanthropist. As the President of the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation, his philanthropic work is centered on strengthening the State of Israel and the Jewish People.
A native of Israel, Adam Milstein served in the IDF during the Yom Kippur War, and graduated from the Technion in 1978. Upon arriving in the US in 1981, he earned an MBA from USC and embarked on a career in commercial real estate in Southern California. He is a managing partner of Hager Pacific Properties, a private commercial real estate investment firm that owns and manages several million square feet of commercial and industrial real estate throughout the United States.
Adam Milstein is a co-founder of the Israeli-American Council – and sits on the boards of a number of organizations, including the AIPAC National Council, StandWithUs, the Jewish Funders Network, and the Los Angeles Board of Birthright Israel. Adam and his wife Gila live in Encino, California. They have three children and three grandchildren.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Fighting Anti-Semitism
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Coming to America
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No Risk/No Reward
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Leaving a Legacy
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Sheldon Adelson z'l
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Cancel Culture
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Diversified Philanthropy
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A challenge to Orthodox Jewry
And so much more!
Topic: A Contrarian Thinker Guest: Gershon Distenfeld Bio: Gershon M. Distenfeld holds a BS in finance from the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University and is a CFA charterholder. He is Senior Vice President, Co-Head of Fixed Income, Director of Credit and a Partner at AllianceBernstein, where he has worked since 1998.
Gershon initiated NNJKIDS, a community-wide education fund for Bergen County. Together with his wife, he was a founding member of Yeshivat He’Atid where Gershon served as chairman of the board for the first several years. He is passionate about educating and inspiring children both in and out of the classroom.
Gershon has partnered with NCSY to support its humanitarian disaster-relief projects and has participated himself in these missions.
1. Continuity in Professional Life
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Differentiate Yourself
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Being embarrassed and lessons learned
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Bill Gates and Tikun Olam
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Paying attention to the Torah text
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World Series of Poker and lessons learned
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Diversification in Philanthropy
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Covid and Political Thoughts
And so much more!
Topic: Investing & Caring Guest: Boaz Weinstein Bio: Founder & Chief Investment Officer, Saba Capital Management Boaz Weinstein is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Saba Capital Management, L.P. (“Saba”), a $3.2 billion credit hedge fund based in NYC. Mr. Weinstein founded Saba in 2009 as a lift-out of the Deutsche Bank proprietary credit trading group he started in 1998. At Saba, Mr. Weinstein leads a team of 33 professionals, with the senior members having worked together for 15 years.
Previously, Mr. Weinstein worked at Deutsche Bank for 11 years, the last 8 as Managing Director (a title he received at age 27). Throughout his career at Deutsche Bank, Mr. Weinstein had dual responsibility for proprietary trading and market making. In 2008, Mr. Weinstein was promoted to Co-Head of Global Credit Trading, overseeing a group of 650 investment professionals. He was also a member of the Global Markets Executive Committee.
Mr. Weinstein graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a BA in Philosophy. He achieved the title of National Master in chess at age 16.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Going to Ramaz/Jewish Day School
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Chess Master/Poker Player
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London Whale/Investing Acumen
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Behind every great man an even better women
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Philanthropy and how to invest in charity
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The pleasure of being a giver and making a difference
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Family Impact and Influence, origins of the name 'Saba'
And so much more!
Words of Remembrance in honor of the Shloshim of Rabbi Yehuda Kelemer zt'l
Harav Yehudah Kelemer, zt”l, a prominent talmid chacham and the Rav of the Young Israel of West Hempstead for close to 4 decades.
As a young bachur of 15, Rav Kelemer was chosen by Harav Mordechai Gifter, zt”l, the Telshe Rosh Yeshivah, as a chavrusa, a testament to his outstanding abilities and sterling character. In addition to learning in Telshe, he learned in Yeshivas Mir in Yerushalayim, where he received semichah from Harav Chaim Shmuelevitz, zt”l.
After marrying the daughter of Harav Shmuel Dovid Walkin, zt”l, the son of Harav Aharon Walkin, zt”l, of Pinsk, he began his rabbanus in Switzerland, and then served in Brookline, Massachusetts. In 1983, he began serving as the Rav of the Young Israel of West Hempstead, and under his guidance the kehillah grew to its present 700 families.
The Rav was known for his broad knowledge of all areas of Torah and authored several sefarim. He was the address for many complicated she’eilos which were sent his way. Harav Shalom Yosef Elyashiv, zt”l, was known to have sent him some she’eilos which originated in America.
Rav Kelemer was known for his humble demeanor, as he treated everyone with respect and compassion, yet he remained firm in his adherence to halachah and mesorah. He was involved in all aspects of the Jewish community, including the supervision of kashrus, and was looked up to by both the young and the old. In 1984, he helped launch Yachad, an organization which assisted young adults with developmental delays.
Topic: Start-Up Nation Guest: Jon Medved, Founder & CEO Our Crowd Bio: Jonathan Medved is a serial entrepreneur and according to the Washington Post (2007) “one of Israel’s leading high-tech venture capitalists.” In the 2008 NY Times Supplement “Israel at 60" Medved was named one of the top 10 most influential Americans who have impacted Israel. Medved is the founder and CEO of OurCrowd, the world’s largest equity crowdfunding platform for accredited investors which has raised more than $1B for over 170 companies since its launch in February 2013. Bloomberg Businessweek said that OurCrowd “has blown up the exclusivity around tech fundraising” and The Jerusalem Post added that “It has taken OurCrowd only a matter of months to become one of Israel’s most active funds.” TheStreet.com said that OurCrowd is “Crowdfunding for Real Investors.” Prior to OurCrowd, Medved was the co-founder and CEO of Vringo (Nasdaq:VRNG) and the co-founder and General Partner of Israel Seed Partners, with $262M under management. In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. West Coast Origins as a Community Organizer
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Fiber Optics
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Yonina-Famous Kids
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Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks
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How to invest in a Start-Up
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Self-Deprecating Humor
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Covid & Aliyah
And so much more!
Topic: A Jewish Media Powerhouse
Guest: Sivan Rahav-Meir Bio: Sivan Rahav-Meir is a media personality and lecturer. Married to Yedidya, the mother of five lives in Jerusalem, and was previously pre-corona with her family on shlichut, serving as the World Mizrachi Shlicha to North America, where she lectured in various communities. She works for Israel TV news, writes a column for Yediot Aharonot newspaper, and hosts a weekly radio show on Galei Zahal (Army Radio). Her lectures on the weekly Torah portion are attended by hundreds and the live broadcast attracts thousands more listeners throughout the world. Sivan lectures in Israel and overseas about the media, Judaism, Zionism and new media. She was voted by Globes newspaper as the most popular female media personality in Israel and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Rebbe from Lubavitch-Shlichut
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5 Towns Diaspora
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Why Jews don't make Aliyah
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Being Frum in Israeli Media
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Family Time via Coronavirus
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Trump vs. Netanyahu
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Israeli Elections
And so much more!
Topic: The 4th Yahrzeit of R' Moshe Shapiro zt'l Rabbi Doniel Baron’s chinuch and kiruv efforts span two decades which include thought-provoking educational tours, seminars, programs and lectures. His flagship multimedia presentation revealing the depth of the Lashon Hakodesh has received rave reviews from audiences across Israel and the United States, as well as in the United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, and Hungary.
Rabbi Baron has taught at Pischei Olam, a Jerusalem yeshiva headed by Rav Moshe Shapira zatzal under whom he learned for 26 years, which caters to intellectual Israelis from secular backgrounds.
Previously he has taught at Ohr Somayach’s Derech Institute, Aderes Hatorah, Lev Aharon and was a senior lecturer at Aish Hatorah. He has also taught classes to religiously unaffiliated Israelis in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Be’ersheva. In addition, Rabbi Baron ran programs for thousands of unaffiliated birthright participants throughout Israel and spoke on Jewish topics at college campuses, businesses and other venues.
Rabbi Baron’s worldwide experience includes outreach in Tallin, Estonia just months after the fall of the Soviet Union and leading Jewish heritage experiences in destinations that include Prague, Venice, Padua, Budapest, Frankfurt, Thessaloniki, Athens, and other cities. Whether the context is a crumbling ruin of yesteryear or a preserved magnificent synagogue of a bygone era, his insights provide a message tailored to the audience at its comfort level.
Rabbi Baron spent fourteen years collectively studying at the Mirrer Yeshiva and the Jerusalem Kollel (Rav Yitzchak Berkovits).
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Early Encounters
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Living in Israel/Living in America
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Transcription and Editing
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Travels with R' Moshe
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A Wise Man Trumps a Prophet
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A diverse student body
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Craving authenticity and disdain for false honor
And much much more!
Rabbi Dovid M. Cohen reflects on the origins of the JPP and how it has grown exponentially over the last few months.
Rabbi Cohen shares his vision for 2021 and highlights the six most listened to episodes of the year. 1) Rabbi Yehoshua Hartman (#1) 2) Ben Brafman (#2) 3) Elisha Wiesel 4) My Haftr Friends 5) Ira Zlotowitz 6) Dr. Rick Hodes Rabbi Cohen also previews some great guests for 2021, including a special yahrzeit tribute, a leader of the start-up nation and a hedge fund manager with outsized returns in 2020. Stay Tuned! Please Rate, Review and Subscribe. Sponsorships Available.
Topic: Leading the Charge/Advocating for the Disabled Guests: Jay & Shira Ruderman
Jay Ruderman is the President of the Ruderman Family Foundation, which focuses on the inclusion of people with disabilities worldwide and educating Israeli leaders on the American Jewish community. He also has served on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Funders Network and is a member of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Executive Committee.
Jay is a life-long Bostonian. Upon graduating law school, he began his career as an assistant district attorney in Salem, Massachusetts. In the fall of 2001, he became Deputy Director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in New England. In 2005, Mr. Ruderman enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and became the liaison between the IDF and Diaspora Jewry. After his service in the IDF, he returned to AIPAC as the Leadership Director for AIPAC in Israel.
Shira Ruderman is a professional philanthropist and social activist. She serves as the Executive Director of the Ruderman Family Foundation, a private family foundation that invests in three primary areas of focus: advocating for and advancing the inclusion of people with disabilities throughout our society, strengthening the relationship between Israel and the American Jewish community, and modeling the practice of strategic philanthropy worldwide.
Shira holds a BA in Education and an MA in Public Policy from Hebrew University, and an Honorary Doctorate from Haifa University and from Brandeis University. In 2014 she was chosen as one of 100 most influential women in Israel, and in 2016 as one of 50 most influential Jews in the world.
Shira serves as a board member of various organizations and associations in Israel and the United States and was recently appointed as Chairwoman of the Fulbright Foundation.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Early Influences
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Living in Israel/Living in America
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Educating the Entertainment Industry
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Leadership & Research
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Investing in the People that Lead
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Open for new opportunities and ideas
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Sexy Philanthropy
And much much more!
Topic: Changing the World through Philanthropy Guest: Alicia Kaylie Yacoby
Alicia is the Founder and Chair of the Our6Million, a nonprofit organization dedicated to instilling family traditions for remembering those that have perished in the Holocaust. These efforts earned international recognition when she was awarded The Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad Award by Second Lady Karen Pence in 2018.
Alicia is on the Board of Directors of Mini-Circuits, a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of RF and microwave components with locations in over 30 countries. Mini-Circuits was a proud sponsor of SpaceIL's space mission to the moon.
She is on the Board of Directors of the Harvey & Gloria Kaylie Foundation. Established in 1999, it was founded with the mission to support organizations involved in education, health, cancer research, and support for individuals living with disabilities. In 2010, Camp Kaylie opened a summer camp in upstate New York devoted to inclusion of children with special needs.
Alicia, together with the Foundation, is closely connected and deeply dedicated to various international charitable organizations including: United Hatzalah (Board Member), Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Ohel Children Homes and Family Services, Hesder Yeshiva of Ramat HaSharon, Beit Issie Shapiro, ALEH Negev, The Feuerstein Institute, The Israel Cancer Research Fund and others.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Alicia made Aliyah after graduating from Yeshiva of Flatbush High School, and earned her BA from Hebrew University in International Relations. She is married to Danny Yacoby and is mother to six sabra children. In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Keeping Perspective
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Kindness and Concern for Others
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Special Parents and Mentors
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Charity run like a Business
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The people in charge are the key
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Covid won't be Forever!
And much much more!
Topic: The 40th Yahrzeit of Rav Yitzchak Hutner zt'l, Rosh Yeshiva Chaim Berlin/Pachad Yitzchak Rabbi Yehoshua Hartman is Rosh Beis HaMedrash at Hasmonean, London, disciple of HaRav Yitzchak Hutner ztl, and author of the multi-volume Machon Yerushalayim edition of the Maharal of Prague's works. In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
1. I wasn't afraid of Him
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My father's Rebbe
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Pure Genius
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Olam Haba in Olam HaZeh
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Being Alive-Having Chiyus
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Daas Torah opposite of Daas Baalei Batim
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Kavod HaTorah
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Being at the Chasuna/The Wedding
And much much more!
Topic: Philanthropy Through Action Rick Hodes is an American medical doctor specializing in cancer, heart disease, and spinal conditions. Since the 1980s he has worked in Ethiopia and has adopted a number of children from the country. Currently, he is the senior consultant at a Catholic mission working with sick destitutes suffering from heart disease (rheumatic and congenital), spine disease and cancer. He is medical director of the Joint Distribution Committee.
Dr. Hodes has been responsible for the health of Ethiopians immigrating to Israel and has worked with refugees in many African countries.
In 2007, Hodes was selected as a "CNN Hero," a program that highlights ordinary people for their extraordinary achievements. The American College of Physicians has awarded him “Mastership,” and the Rosenthal Award for creative practice of medicine.
Hodes work in Ethiopia was the subject of a HBO documentary, "Making the Crooked Straight" and a Marilyn Berger book, "This Is a Soul: The Mission of Rick Hodes."
In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
1. Finding a Unique Path
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Changing the World
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Health Insurance & Adoption
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Out of a Movie
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Pandemics and Precedents
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Connecting in a Time of Disconnect
And much much more!
Topic: A Tribute to Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt'l Rabbi Shaul Robinson took up the position of Senior Rabbi at Lincoln Square Synagogue on September 1, 2005. Rabbi Robinson was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1967 and earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Economics and Political Science at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. He was also awarded a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with Distinction from the University of Nottingham, England. His MBA focused on the management of Not-for-Profit institutions and his dissertation was titled "The Working Lives of Rabbis."
In this episode we discuss: 1. Rabbi Sacks in Golders Green
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Ascension to the Chief Rabbi position
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Humility and the Personal Touch
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Learning from Mistakes
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Lady Elaine Sacks
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World Intellectual/Post Chief-Rabbi
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Yeshiva Study & the Yeshiva World
And much much more!
Topic: Lessons from the Real Estate Industry & Beyond Eastern Union Funding President and Founder Ira Zlotowitz took the commercial real estate mortgage industry by storm at the age of 21, when the budding entrepreneur had a break-out year. This was followed by three years during which he consistently increased already impressive production from the year prior.
After that period, he formed Eastern Union Funding, now one of the largest national real estate brokerages servicing the commercial sector and continued to exhibit unmatched growth, establishing a track record as an innovator who has helped define the industry.
In the course of his career Mr. Zlotowitz has earned extensive accolades, including being nominated in Crain’s “Forty-Under-40”, NJBiz’s “Forty-under-40”, and honored in Real Estate Forum’s “Tomorrow’s Leaders”.
Mr. Zlotowitz – having built Eastern into a national firm with over 100 real estate professionals and closed $2.5 billion in the last 12 months – is in his prime, and, as summarized in a recent Real Estate Weekly feature, Mr. Zlotowitz “set the company apart from its peers in an industry that isn’t exactly known for either cutting-edge technology or low fees."
In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
1. Finding Your Path
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Guidance and Advice
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Having a great father and the Art Scroll story
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Pivoting during Covid-19
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Netflix/Blockbuster
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How to make a philanthropic impact
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Advice for troubling times
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Helping others with Parnassa
And much much more!
Topic: A Famous Child Elisha Wiesel is an American Businessman. He worked for Goldman Sachs for a quarter of a century, serving as its Chief Information Officer for three years, until December 2019. He is the only child of Holocaust survivor, author, professor, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Elie Weisel. In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Growing Pains
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Powerful Influences
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Stay in Your Lane
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Black Lives Matter
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9/11 Crisis
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Benefit of the Doubt
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What would my Dad have said/done
And much much more!
Topic: Lessons of Gratitude Benjamin Brafman is an American criminal defense attorney, the founder of the Manhattan-based firm Brafman & Associates, P.C.. Brafman is known for representing many high-profile defendants, including celebrities, accused Mafia members, and political figures.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
1. Can't Take the Boy out of Brooklyn
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Lubavitcher Rebbe zt'l
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What makes a good judge
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Using fame and fortune for good
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Importance of Family
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Giving of your Time
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Building a Jerusalem Cheder
And much much more!
Topic: The Promise of Philanthropy Mark Gerson is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG), a knowledge marketplace with more than 700,000 experts, Thuzio, Julius, Voray, and Quality Reviews. Most recently, he founded and Chairs a venture studio, Create, backed by 20 of New York City’s most successful founders, including that of Crunch, Dia & Co, Yieldstreet, Lola, SLT and more. The objective of the studio is to build forward thinking, best in class companies with extraordinary people.
In the nonprofit space, Mark is the co-founder and Chairman of United Hatzalah, the pioneering crowd-sourced system of volunteer first responders that enables Israelis to receive lifesaving treatment within the crucial three minutes following any kind of trauma. He is also the co-founder and Chairman of African Mission Healthcare, which supports the work of Christian medical missionaries who perform indispensable clinical care throughout Africa.
Mark is a graduate of Williams College and Yale Law School. He is married to Rabbi Erica Gerson, and they and their four children live in New York City.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Tikkun Olam 2. Jewish/Christian Relations
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ROI/ Business & Charity Nexus
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You Can't Lose by Giving
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Maimonides and creating a giving nature
6.The 80/20 Rule in Charity
And much much more!
Topic: Changing Jewish Education David Magerman is a co-founder and managing partner at Differential Ventures.
Previously, he spent the entirety of his career at Renaissance Technologies, widely recognized as the best quantitative hedge fund management company in the world. He helped found the equities trading group at Renaissance, joining the group in its earliest days, playing a lead role in designing and building the trading, simulation, and estimation software. On an extended garden leave from quantitative finance, he is looking to use his data science, software development, and statistical modeling expertise to help Israeli startups succeed in the global marketplace.
David holds a PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University where his thesis on Natural Language Parsing as Statistical Pattern Recognition was an early and successful attempt to use large-scale data to produce fully-automated syntactic analysis of text. David also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Sciences and Information from the University of Pennsylvania.
**In this wide ranging interview, we cover:** 1. American Society and Expectations
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Exceeding our Parents Accomplishments
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Finding Meaning beyond Money
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Money and the Allure of Money
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Speaking Your Truth
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Impacting Your Community and Beyond
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The flaws of the Social Network
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Restaurateur
And much much more!
Topic: Having a Big Heart JOSH KRAFT President of the New England Patriots Foundation Josh Kraft serves as the President of the New England Patriots Foundation, where he oversees all aspects of the Foundation’s community outreach programs and fundraising efforts. Through his leadership, the Foundation has expanded its reach and impact in the New England community. In 2015, the Foundation made donations to more than 1,500 nonprofit organizations and coordinated more than 400 appearances by current and former Patriots players across New England.
Upon graduation from Williams College, Josh earned a Master’s degree in education and social policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He has been involved with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston for more than 25 years and currently serves as the Nicholas President and CEO. Prior to accepting that role, he was the Founding Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston’s Gerald and Darlene Jordan Club in Chelsea. Before the state-of-the-art facility could be built, Josh led the after-school program from the basement of a public housing development for 15 years.
Josh serves on the boards of Beaver Country Day School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, and is an Overseer for the Museum of Science and Lasell College.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Strong Roots
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Caring for the less privileged/Tikun Olam
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lessons from covid-19
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boys & girls club big impact-building society
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lessons from pirkei avos
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football and the patriots
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hiring the right people in key positions
And much much more!-- --
topic: a conversation with the quintessential philanthropist bio: Craig Newmark Founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies Craig Newmark is a Web pioneer, philanthropist, and leading advocate. Most commonly known for founding the online classified ads service craigslist, Newmark works to support and connect people and drive broad civic engagement.
In 2016, he founded Craig Newmark Philanthropies to advance people and grassroots organizations that are “getting stuff done” in areas that include trustworthy journalism & the information ecosystem, voter protection, women in technology, and veterans & military families. At its core, all of Newmark’s philanthropic work helps to strengthen American democracy by supporting the values that the country aspires to – fairness, opportunity, and respect.
Newmark serves on the board of directors of a number of organizations, including Blue Star Families, the Center for Public Integrity, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, Girls Who Code, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of American, Poynter Foundation, Sunlight Foundation, VetsinTech, and Women in Public Service Project. He also serves on the Board of Overseers of the Columbia Journalism Review and on the advisory board of nearly twenty other nonprofit organizations, including DonorsChoose.org, EFF, New America Foundation, Voto Latino, Wikimedia Foundation, and Women Who Tech.
In 1995, Newmark started curating a list of San Francisco arts and technology events, which he personally emailed to friends and colleagues. People were soon calling it "Craig's List," and when Newmark turned it into a company, he monetized it minimally, opting for a business model that prioritized "doing well by doing good." Today, more than 5 billion ads have been posted on the site, the vast majority for free. Newmark has not been involved in the day-to-day management of the company since 2000.
Born in Morristown, New Jersey, Newmark earned degrees in computer science from Case Western Reserve University. He lives in San Francisco and New York City and enjoys birdwatching, science fiction, and Dad jokes. Newmark travels the country speaking about the initiatives he supports, and he uses Twitter to further get the word out – and share photos of birds.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Being a Nerd
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Hebrew school lessons
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computer programing
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craig's list/no banker's please
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allergic to money for monies sake
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elections 2020
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philanthropy/giving pledge
And much much more!-- --
Title: The Nicest Fundraiser
Bio: Yossi has been the director of public relations for Yad Eliezer for the last 17 years. He loves the Jewish people and his family and is committed to do whatever he can to make peoples lives easier by ensuring they have the vital services his organization provides throughout Israel. **In this wide ranging interview, we cover:** 1. Moving to Israel
The Hospitality business
Yad Eliezer as a start up shop
Diversity of Services and Massive Budget
Travel and the grind pre COVID-19
Family as Priority
And much much more!-- --
Title: Vulnerability, Leadership & Class Bio: As newly named president of e-commerce analytics firm Profitero, Sarah Hofstetter has a front-row look at the coronavirus-induced online buying boom—including which products are enjoying a huge boost from stay-at-home orders. Hofstetter became one of the most recognizable names in the ad agency business during her 13-year stint at 360i, most recently as chairwoman and CEO. She left the agency in 2018 to become president of Comscore, joining her longtime professional colleague Bryan Wiener, who at the time was Comscore’s CEO. Wiener and Hofstetter left Comscore in March 2019 after less than a year, citing differences with the board. Wiener was named CEO at Profitero last month at the same time Hoffstetter joined the firm, whose services aim to help brands optimize their e-commerce sales, inventory and content strategies. In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. CEO LIFE
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COVID-19
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online business
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holocaust survivors
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being an open book
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branding 101
And much much more!-- --
Title: The Journey of an Unstoppable Women Jodi Samuels is on a mission to change the world, even if it means just moving the needle in her corner of the world. She wears many hats in any given day as a speaker, non-profit leader, world traveler, community activist, special needs advocate, wife and mom.
Originally from South Africa, Jodi and her husband Gavin have lived in five countries and nine cities, making an impact in each community. They were featured in the New York Post for their successful integration as immigrants. Jodi was named one of the 70 extraordinary female immigrants in Israel in 2018 by Times of Israel; received the Nefesh B’Nefesh Initiative for Zionist Innovation prize in 2019; and on Yom HaAliyah in 2019, Jerusalem’s Zionist pluralist party, Hitorerut, recognized Jodi for her contribution to Israel, Jerusalem and to other immigrants.
In 2000, Jodi founded Jewish International Connection in order to provide community for foreign Jews in New York. The organization expanded operations to Israel in 2015 and has grown to 15,000 members from more than 40 countries. Jodi still works in a purely volunteer capacity for JIC, running more than 300 events a year in both New York and Israel.
On the for-profit front, Jodi started her first business at age 14 and has been a serial-entrepreneur ever since, starting successful companies in diverse segments from financial training services to online group coupon purchasing.
Jodi is also a passionate speaker, writer and advocate in the special needs world, especially for her own daughter. She writes on her Metroimma blog about special needs, Torah wisdom in a modern world, moving to Israel, traveling to nearly 90 countries and the challenges of being an entrepreneur-mom on Jodi’s Voice.
Jodi, Gavin and their three children live in Jerusalem where the family hosts hundreds of people every month for Shabbat meals and events in their home.
For more information see jodisvoice.com and jicny.com.
Check out Caily’s World on Facebook.
In this wide ranging discussion, we cover:
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Growing up in South Africa
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R' Noach Weinberg zt'l
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JICNY
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World Traveler
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Special Needs Child
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World Traveler
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Lessons from Covid-19
And much much more!--
Special Business Edition #2
Title: The Pro Sports Agent Paul Cohen is chairman of TWC Sports, and has negotiated more than a billion dollars in professional baseball contracts, including Evan Longoria, Troy Tulowitzky, Nick Markekas and Tim Hudson. In this wide ranging discussion, we cover: 1. Rick Pitino & Barack Obama
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No Compromising
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Start-Up Investments
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The un-orthodox agent
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Holcaust musings
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Seeing the hand of g-d in covid-19
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Being under the radar
Q & A
And much much more!
Title: Hi Dad: Tell Me About Yourself Anaelle Cohen, heading to High School in the Fall interviews her Dad as we peel back the envelope on our host Rabbi Dovid M. Cohen
In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
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Growing Up in the 1970's & 1980's
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Years in Israel
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Getting Married & Having Kids
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Years in Manhattan
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Writing a Book
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What's Next Dad?
And much much more!-- --
**Title: Relationships Spanning Decades** **Two of Rabbi Cohen's childhood friends join him for a far-reaching conversation on life and friendship.** Rabbi Azriel Bodner is a transformational Rebbe at Yeshiva Shor Yoshuv in Far Rockaway and the Executive Director of the Gesher School, a cutting edge educational institution in the 5 Towns area.
Ben Schlager a 1998 graduate of NYU School of Law, is WOMBA’s Chief Compliance Officer. Ben has provided legal and compliance services to several financial startup companies with operations in emerging markets throughout the world including in the Philippines, Kenya, Nigeria and the Dominican Republic.
In this wide ranging discussion, we cover:
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The High School Years
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Life/Career Choices
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Greatest Accomplishments
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Regrets
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Staying Connected
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The Depth of Friendship and What it means.
And much much more!
Title: Special COVID Business Edition/Networking Club Navigating the P.R./Communications World Matthew is the President and CEO of Hiltzik Strategies, a strategic communications firm
specializing in corporate communications, crisis management and litigation support, media
relations, digital/social strategy and analytics, and content creation. The company provides
advice and counsel to leading business executives, influencers, and institutions in
technology, music, media, entertainment, finance, sports, education, public affairs, and
philanthropy. Hiltzik Strategies utilizes a fact-based, data-driven approach, leveraging its
broad experience and global relationships to help clients develop, optimize, and expand their
narratives in this very dynamic, complex media environment.
Matthew, an attorney and active member of the New York State Bar Association, began his
post-law school career as Press Secretary and Deputy Executive Director of the New York
State Democratic Committee, working on the 1998 Coordinated Campaign. He also filled
various roles on Hillary Clinton’s 1999 “Listening Tour,” which launched her first U.S. Senate
campaign, before returning to the campaign in the summer and fall of 2000 as Director of
Jewish Relations.
After leaving politics, Matthew joined Miramax Films, eventually being promoted to Senior
VP of Corporate Communications and Government Relations, before departing in 2005 to
become President and CEO and launch the U.S operations of the U.K.-based publicity firm
Freud Communications.
In 2015, Matthew was appointed by the Mayor of New York City to the board of New York City’s
Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and he is also an active board member of The
Ghetto Film School, Montclair StateUniversity’s School of Communication and Media, The Jewish
Week, and the JCRC of New York. He has produced five documentaries including the award-
winning Paper Clips, Documented, and Holy Land Hardball.
Matthew is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and
received a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife Dana and their three children.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
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Transitions
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Pandemic Opportunities & Challenges
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Role Judaism Plays in Business Life
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Best & Worst Parts of the Job
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Win the Pause
Q & A session
Title: A Shaliach of the Rebbe Australian-born Rabbi Ruvi New is the director of Chabad of East Boca in Boca Raton, Florida. He is the publisher and editor of Inside Out Magazine, a national publication dedicated to contemporary Jewish thought. He is also currently working on producing a musical tribute to the life of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Rabbi New serves on the Editorial Board of the JLI.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
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Life in Australia
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Coming to 770
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Yichidus with the Rebbe
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Shlichus in Atlanta & Florida
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Gimmel Tammuz
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Music & Niggunim
And much much more!-- --
As founder and executive director of the Teach Coalition, a project of the Orthodox Union that champions equitable government funding for nonpublic schools, Maury Litwack has grown the organization from a single staffer to a multi-state network responsible for securing record amounts of state funding to nonpublic schools. Litwack leads Teach Coalition’s advocacy on the most critical issued for schools and families, including the priority issues of school security as well tuition subsidies, STEM advancement, and health and nutrition programs.
Teach Coalition numbers several hundred schools in seven states with its largest presence in New York, where it has become synonymous with a fundamental message: All children deserve a high-quality education that meets the cultural needs of themselves and their families.
Through Litwack’s strategic approach to policy and leadership, Teach Coalition has forged groups of Jews, Muslims and Catholics into a singular, cohesive force for change. The organization’s policy meetings, rallies, and press conferences represent a cross-section of New York’s diverse non-public school community, reflecting Litwack’s view that meaningful impact requires collaboration that transcends religious boundaries. In New York, Teach Coalition has successfully pushed for reimbursement to schools when they hire new STEM instructors; record levels of funding for security equipment, building upgrades, training and guards; universal pre-k at nonpublic schools; and free kosher and hallal lunches.
**In this wide ranging interview, we cover:**
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Humble Beginnings
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Transparency and Building Partners
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Asking for Real Advice, Guidance & Input
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Being Passionate for Your Cause
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Systematic Fundraising
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Adding meaning/value to your donors
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Crisis Management
And much much more!-- --
Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal is OU-JLIC’s National Development Director. A veteran educator, Seattle-born Rabbi Rosenthal was the Dean of the Torah Academy of Long Island for ten years and has taught in various local communities for the past twenty-five years (over 670 of his classes are available on YUTorah.org). He was also the lead guitarist for Shlock Rock for many years. Rabbi Rosenthal most recently served as senior director of the Manhattan Jewish Experience, a role that combined management, development, teaching, program planning and counseling. He received a BS in Finance from Touro College, a masters in education administration from Columbia University and semichah from Yeshiva B’nei Torah in Far Rockaway, New York. Rabbi Rosenthal lives in West Hempstead, New York with his wife Marie and their six children. In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
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Raising Money Under Pressure
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3 Experiences with Fundraising Turmoil
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Giving in the Biggest Way
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The Hardest Profession
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Dealing with Rejection
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The Best at the Trade
And much much more!-- --
For decades, Rabbi Yitz Greenman served as the executive director of Aish New York.
During his time at the helm of Aish New York, Rabbi Greenman has been involved with a host of impactful Jewish outreach and educational programs, including Discovery Seminars, Speed Dating, Bring Israel Home, Aish on Campus, and many others. Aish New York is one the largest Jewish outreach organizations within the United States, maintaining active branches on college campuses throughout the northeastern United States in addition to a broad array of other programming.
In the last few years, Rabbi Greenman has taken his prodigious fundraising talents and acumen to the Olami Kiruv organization to make an even greater impact on the Jewish people. Rabbi Greenman is consider a mentor and role model to many aspiring fundraisers in the Jewish community and is a noted lecturer on the topic. In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
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Becoming an Observant Jews
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Lessons from R' Noach Weinberg zt'l
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It's all about Faith in the Almighty
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New Methods of Communication
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Dialing for Donors
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Gregarious Personalities and Donor/Solicitor Relationships
And much much more!-- --
Rabbi Yosef Chaim Golding has served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Agudas Yisroel of America and most recently the COO of the Siyum Hashas event at MetLife Stadium.
Rabbi Golding has also served as Executive Director of RCCS, the Rofeh Cholim Cancer Society and Misaskim.
During Rabbi Golding’s tenure at RCCS, RCCS grew to become a “household name” for those stricken with cancer and became the “first call to make” upon receiving the dreaded diagnosis.
He is currently the President of his own development consulting firm and is the author of the book "Faith Amid the Flames" published by Art Scroll.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
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Early Influences
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A Passion for Klal Work
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The New Mindset of the Younger Generation with Money
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The Siyum
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Daf Yomi Learning
And much much more!-- --
Rabbi Simcha Scholar is the Chief Executive Officer of Chai Lifeline, a leading international children's health support network.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
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Humble Beginnings/Staying Humble
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Daas Torah & Torah Guidance
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Sensitizing the Masses
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Giving the Donor What Can't be Bought
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Never Being Happy or Satisfied
And much much more!-- --
Norman Gildin has dedicated his career to fundraising for non-profit organizations. Working with groups of all sizes and levels of recognition, Gildin’s fundraising, which spans more than three decades, has raised over $92 million. His company, Strategic Fundraising Group (SFG), was established five years ago with the mission to provide help to non-profit organizations that don’t have the resources for fundraising efforts.
In the last few years, Gildin was presented an opportunity to work with American Friends of Migdal Ohr, an organization very close to his heart. There he strategically implemented a fundraising system that secured a 4.0 rating with Charity Navigator, an American independent charity watchdog organization that evaluates charitable organizations in the United States. During his three years at Migdal Ohr, Gildin successfully raised $17 million for the organization. Previously, during his tenure at OHEL Children’s Home & Family Services, his leadership resulted in more than $30 million raised toward the annual campaign. In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
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Current Trends and Challenges
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Different Models of Fundraisers
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Dedication & Devotion
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Learning Fundraising from the Rabbi's
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Shifts in the Jewish Population
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Intermarriage & Fundraising
And much much more!--
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is one of the few people about whom it can be said that his entire life has been dedicated to serving the Jewish people. His visionary contributions to Israel and world Jewry over the course of the past half-century have impacted upon the lives of thousands while redefining Modern Orthodox leadership, shaping the face contemporary Jewish education, and in many cases, literally changing the direction of Jewish history.
Rabbi Riskin made Aliya in 1983 to become the founding rabbi of Efrat, a city which did not yet even exist – but is now home to over 12,000 residents. Efrat was also where Rabbi Riskin established the first school in what would eventually become Ohr Torah Stone, the comprehensive network of 27 unique educational institutions, women’s empowerment programs, leadership development, outreach initiatives, and social action projects.
It is because of Rabbi Riskin’s uncompromising belief in the relevance and beauty of Judaism’s past – and its importance for the Jewish future – that today hundreds of dynamic OTS rabbis and educators are committed to serving Jewish communities, campuses and congregations all over the world. Young adults with special needs can now spend a year in Israel delving into their history and roots; thousands of secular Israelis are willingly participating in Jewish programming, exploring and reclaiming their Jewish heritage; and each year, 3,500 additional OTS students are being charged with a pride in their faith, a dedication to the Jewish people and a responsibility to the world at large.
Furthermore, because of Rabbi Riskin, doors that had been shut to Jewish women have been pried open, empowering Jewish women to partake in the highest levels of Jewish learning, spiritual leadership, halakhic discourse, meaningful service in the Israeli Defense Forces and rabbinical court advocacy on behalf of agunot.
The beauty of a revolution is that what is inconceivable one day becomes commonplace. In essence, Rabbi Riskin has fomented revolution in Jewish learning, leadership and living.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
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Where it all began, the Circle in the Square
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Incredible Stories about Zalman Bernstein & the Lubavitcher Rebbe
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The Move to Efrat
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Fundamentals of Effective Fundraising
And much much more!
Yael Eckstein is the President of The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. In this role, she oversees all ministry programs and serves as the international spokesperson. Prior to her present duties, Yael served as Global Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President, and Director of Program Development and Ministry Outreach. Based in Jerusalem with her husband and their four children, Yael is a published writer and a respected social services professional.
She has contributed to The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, and other publications, and is the author of two books: Holy Land Reflections: A Collection of Inspirational Insights from Israel, and Spiritual Cooking with Yael. In addition, her insights into life in Israel, the Jewish faith, and Jewish-Christian relations can be heard weekly on The Fellowship’s radio programs Holy Land Moments and the Spanish-language version Momentos en Tierra Santa, which air five times per week on over 1,500 radio stations around the world.
Yael has partnered with other global organizations, appeared on national television, and visited with U.S. and world leaders on issues of shared concern. She has been a featured guest on CBN’s The 700 Club with Gordon Robertson, and she served on a Religious Liberty Panel on Capitol Hill in May 2015 in Washington, D.C., discussing religious persecution in the Middle East. Her influence as one of the young leaders in Israel was featured as the cover story of Nashim [Women] magazine in May 2015.
A Chicagoan born in Evanston, Illinois, and well-educated at both American and Israeli institutions – including biblical studies at Torat Chesed Seminary in Israel, Jewish and sociology studies at Queens College in New York, and additional study at Hebrew University in Jerusalem – Yael has also been a Hebrew and Jewish Studies teacher in the U.S.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
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The Legacy of her father R' Yechiel Eckstein z'l
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The reach of the Fellowship and its transformative work in Israel and beyond
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Cultivating a Public and Private Persona
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The value of small gift/volume fundraising.
And much much more!
Rabbi Joshua Hess, a native of Los Angeles, CA, has served as Rabbi of Anshe Chesed since 2009. During Rabbi Hess’ tenure in Linden, Anshe Chesed has seen tremendous growth with over 100 children attending their highly structured and educational youth program each Shabbos. Rabbi Hess was instrumental in building the state of the art Mikvah, modernizing the Eruv, and founding of the Vaad HaKashrus of Linden.
In this episode, we discuss:
1. How to best mobilize a board around your mission.
2. Undertaking large community commitments
3. The value of micro donations and the importance of building bridges
And much more!!
Growing up in England did not dampen Avraham's enthusiasm for life and his passion for helping Jewish leaders grow the projects they care about. Before learning for six years at Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem, he gained his degree in Management Science from Manchester University.
His fundraising experience was cultivated, successfully working for over a decade, with Israel based kiruv projects including the 'Heritage House' and 'Common Denominator'.
Avraham gained a track record of consistently raising significant donations from high net worth individuals. He mentored with some of the best leaders in the Jewish world.
With his broad fundraising experience, alongside a koach for helping Jewish leaders clarify and achieve their goals, he created a personalized system for helping mosdos Torah. Avraham, lives in Ramat Bet Shemesh, Israel, with his wife, Elana and seven children. In his free time, he's a volunteer fundraiser for Hatzala Beit Shemesh. He's also known to be an awesome mountain biker!
In this packed episode, we cover:
1. How to build relationships with influential people and potential big donors.
2. Why even the best fundraisers need a coach
3. What makes a great fundraiser and what the most important thing in massively increasing your success.
Rabbi Mark Wildes is the Founder and Director of Manhattan Jewish Experience. He was ordained from Yeshiva University, but before becoming a rabbi, he received a JD from the Cardozo School of Law and a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University. Since founding MJE 18 years ago, Rabbi Wildes has become one of America’s most inspirational and dynamic Jewish educators. He actively blogs for The Times of Israel and Huffington Post, runs a youtube channel, and has made appearances on Huffington Post Live and Fox News. He lives with his wife Jill and their children Yosef, Ezra, Judah and Avigayil on the Upper West Side where they maintain a warm and welcoming home for all. He is a hard core Beatles and particularly John Lennon fan, and enjoys rocking out on the drums whenever possible.
In this wide ranging interview, we cover:
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How to build a large non profit organization.
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Honing in on your main skillset and how to pick your passion.
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The role Judaism plays in the modern world
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Tips and techniques for successful fundraising, inspiring people, and publishing a book
And much much more!
Rachel Cyrulnik serves as principal at RAISE Nonprofit Advisors, where she helps diverse nonprofits raise money and manage successful fundraising campaigns. With fifteen years of experience in nonprofit management, Rachel specializes in helping organizations define and achieve their fundraising goals.
Before founding RAISE, Rachel was partner at ALTRUICITY, where she developed a pioneering approach to fundraising consulting, combining data analysis and project management to set strategy and accomplish goals.
As a consultant, Rachel has developed annual and multi-year strategic campaign plans for organizations across North America, including campuses participating in the Hillel International Accelerator Program, several day schools, and Federations. She has overseen multiple studies including pre-campaign planning studies and target-audience attitude surveys. She has successfully managed a host of campaigns, including annual, capital, and target-audience campaigns such as Major Gift, Alumni, Parent and Grandparent. She excels at Executive Moves Management coaching and is passionate about her work mentoring early-stage professionals.
In this episode, we cover:
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How to view fundraising efforts in a structured and data driven way.
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The best way to build career variety and perspective.
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Managing our emotions and energy to maximum output.