My Personal Philanthropic Journey: Why giving is the greatest joy of all
August 18, 2016 -
The Talmud tells us: “More than the calf wants to suckle; the cow wants to nurse.” For people who are actively involved in philanthropy, this makes a lot of sense. They know that the donor often ends up receiving as much, if not more, than the people and organizations that they support.
Jewish laws of charity, or Tzedakah, obligates us Read More…
Living in the Diaspora
August 3, 2016 -
What Israeli-Americans can learn from American Jews.
Israeli schoolchildren hold the Israeli and American flags. (photo credit:REUTERS)
Over the past decade, American Jewry has emerged as perhaps the strongest Jewish community in the history of the Diaspora.
Their story of success is nothing short of inspiring. Jews began arriving in large numbers Read More…
Universal Jewish Wisdom: Building Partnerships – a personal story
July 30, 2016 -
Pirkei Avot teaches us to “קנה לך חבר” — “acquire a friend.” This Talmud verse is counter-intuitive. Friendship is a unique kind of relationship that money could never buy. When you look deeper, you come to appreciate that the true meaning of “acquire a friend” is the importance of investing in frie Read More…
Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by applying too soon
July 20, 2016 -
When you read this, you might realize this story is about you. Please forgive me. I have the utmost respect for you and your work. However, this lesson is just too valuable not to share.
Last month, I was approached by a group of professionals who had a simple yet brilliant idea: They needed $150,000 in order to create a high-quality program that w Read More…
Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Israel’s July 1976 Raid on Entebbe: The State of Israel ensures that “Never Again” remains a reality
July 18, 2016 -
Seventy years ago, in the wake of the Holocaust, the Jewish people took a vow: Never Again!
After the Nazis murdered six million Jews, we came to recognize that we only have ourselves to rely upon for our defense. In today’s tumultuous world, the sole guarantor of Jewish safety is a strong Israeli military. Jews around the world facing mortal Read More…
Israel Air Force F-15 Eagles over Auschwitz
July 8, 2016 -
Never again. That was the sacred vow made by the Jewish people over the past 70 years in the wake of the Holocaust.
Following the murder of six million of our brethren by the Nazis, the Jewish people have come to recognize that we have only ourselves to rely on for our defense.
When the going gets tough, no one else will come to fight for us.
And i Read More…
Israeli-American Council Brings Israeli Solutions To Address California Drought
June 17, 2016 -
Like many with hyphenated identities, Israeli-Americans have proven to be uniquely capable bridge builders. In recent years, the Israeli-American Council (IAC), and its partner advocacy organization, the Israeli-American Nexus (IAX), have been able to tap into our community’s unique fluency in both the Israeli and American cultures to build Read More…
Top 3 Mistakes Organizations Make When Communicating With Donors
May 27, 2016 -
Written by Hadas Sella, MBA, Executive Director of The Adam & Gila Milstein Family Foundation.
My job is to say “no” about 90% of the time.
It’s not that easy — there are so many great projects out there: projects that help diverse communities in Israel; projects that are tempting to support because they have s Read More…
From Vision to Action: Five Ways that Israeli-Americans Are Changing the Face of Jewish Life in the U.S.
May 24, 2016 -
This month (May 2016), I authored a piece in the Jerusalem Post focused on one of the most pressing challenges facing the Jewish people in America today: how to connect our next generation to their Jewish heritage, instill in them a sense of pride in their Jewish identity, and connect them to their Jewish homeland. In recent years, Read More…
Combine Your Profession With Your Passion. It’s Good for Business.
May 23, 2016 -
When I was an MBA student at UCLA, I had the privilege of hearing business leaders’ two cents on success and how to do well in life—professionally and personally. Two things that—without exception—every leader mentioned were passion andhard work. Ursula Burns (Chairman & CEO of Xerox), Bob Iger (Chairman & Read More…