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Good Friday morning.

In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we consider the wider ramifications of the emerging scandal gripping the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. We examine how different denominations are responding to the recent IRS ruling allowing houses of worship to endorse candidates, speak to friends and acquaintances of Alan Hassenfeld, the major Rhode Island philanthropist, who died earlier this week, and interview relatives of captives in Gaza as ceasefire negotiations pick up. We feature an opinion piece by Rebecca Dinar with ideas for taking the American Jewish establishment from reactive to proactive, and one by Benji Davis capturing a meaningful moment between Israeli and American teens at Camp Yavneh amid a tumultuous summer for the Jewish People. Also in this issue: Shana Aaronson, Jonathan Greenblatt and Barbara Bloch.

Shabbat shalom!

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For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent eJewishPhilanthropy and Jewish Insider stories, including: As FIDF reels from leaked memo detailing abuses, sources say group’s leaders engaging in deceptive fundraising practices, wasteful spending; ‘Identity crises’ grip U.S. Jews, the field of Israel studies, Jewish People Policy Institute fellows find; and ‘Prophets didn’t campaign for kings’: IRS ruling opens rabbis to pressure to endorse candidates. Print the latest edition here.

Print the latest edition here.

We are awaiting the results of a Friends of the IDF board meeting held yesterday about the growing turmoil at the organization. More below. 

The Hadar Institute starts its July Learning Seminar in New York City on Sunday.

The emerging allegations of dysfunction, mismanagement and toxic work environment at the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces have, if nothing else, provided ample ammunition to the growing chorus of anti-establishment voices in the Jewish community who are calling for wholesale reform of world Jewry’s organizations and institutions.

The growing claims against FIDF paint a picture of a bloated, wasteful bureaucracy, of leaders who are more concerned with their organization than the cause it represents, of a jarring dissonance between the stunning amounts of money raised over the past two years and the unaddressed, growing needs of Israeli soldiers and their families. 

Though always present in communal discourse, the tear-it-all-down-and-start-again voices have gained strength since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks and the subsequent rise in global antisemitism, and not without cause. In Israel, the public lost faith in the state institutions after the attack, both as security forces failed to anticipate the assault and as the government then failed to effectively care for the tens of thousands of Israelis who were forced to flee their homes in the aftermath. In the United States, as antisemitism erupted across the country, many American Jews blamed their communal organizations, seeing them as responsible for failing to protect them. 

Legacy institutions, with their galas and boards and committees and well-paid executives, are an easy target. These established organizations have often failed to defend their size and bureaucracy, or even acknowledge that alongside the stability and internal checks that they provide, those things do make them slower to react and pivot in an emergency. Even CEO salaries are meant to be justified: Qualified, competent, dedicated people deserve to be paid accordingly, or they will find a position that they find to be more financially suitable. In the case of FIDF, whose CEO earns one of the higher salaries in the Jewish nonprofit world, the issue becomes relevant once it emerges that the true work of the CEO is being done by the board chair.

But even before this emerging scandal — given the scope, maybe scandals is more appropriate — FIDF has been in the crosshairs of these anti-establishment figures. As hundreds of thousands of Israelis were called up to the reserves, many found that their equipment was lacking or substandard. As the military was slow to provide gear, many units turned to crowdfunding, and a number of grassroots organizations quickly sprang up to provide things such as tactical helmets, ceramic vests, boots, winter gear and even drones to soldiers on the frontlines. FIDF did not. 

The organization, which was created in 1981, pointed out — correctly — that its official mandate, the arrangement it has with Israel’s Defense Ministry, prevents it from providing tactical gear directly to troops. It can provide military ambulances, create mental health centers, offer scholarships to veterans, buy apartments for lone soldiers and build clubhouses and gymnasia on military bases, but it can’t supply helmets. And yet, despite this, many of its advertisements and marketing campaigns do give an unjustified impression of direct assistance to front-line troops. And it is not as though all non-equipment-related challenges facing soldiers and their families have been addressed. 

So when allegations emerge of tens of thousands of dollars spent on first-class tickets, on luxury hotel stays, on retreats for employees in far-flung locales during wartime — the critics’ claims that FIDF is unnecessary and outdated start to ring true, and that damages not only the organization but the soldiers and military families whom it is meant to serve. Helmets and drones for soldiers are undoubtedly important, but post-traumatic stress disorder treatment is too, and there will be less philanthropic funding for those types of services if donors believe that their money is instead going to five-star hotel stays for executives.

While the external critics’ accusations against the organization have grown stronger, it is important to note that of the former employees who spoke to eJP over the past week and a half — some of whom had been fired, others others felt compelled to leave after experiencing abuse — none of them, not one, questioned the need for FIDF. Their criticism was directed at the mismanagement and the new “poisonous” culture, not at the existence of the organization. 

As one source — a former employee and longtime donor — put it: “It’s a beautiful organization for what they do for the IDF, but it’s the wrong people running it.”

COURTESY/AMERICAN FRIENDS OF SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER

The Friends of the Israel Defense Forces has been thrown into turmoil following the leak of an internal investigative report to the Israeli news outlet Ynet last week that detailed serious allegations against the organization’s top leadership, particularly its board chair, Morey Levovitz, of mismanagement, wasteful spending and creating a toxic work environment, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross reports.

Where there’s smoke: Since the 18-page report was leaked last week, eJP has spoken with several current and former FIDF employees and lay leaders across the United States and Israel to assess its veracity, finding that in addition to the allegations that were included in the report, current and former employees have also raised credible concerns within the organization about dishonest fundraising tactics and the improper handling of sexual harassment claims. “When you have 60-80 employees saying the same thing, at some point, it can’t not be true,” one former employee told eJP. 

Read the full report here.

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For over seven decades, rabbis have had an excuse to not endorse politicians, no matter how much pressure was heaped upon them, but this changed Monday when the IRS reversed a decade-old ban on clergy supporting candidates from the pulpit. Prior to this, congregations would lose tax-exempt status if religious leaders openly stumped for politicians. “This may have taken away a fig leaf from certain religious leaders whose congregations might have wanted them to speak more directly in these issues, but who could say, ‘Because of this rule, I can’t endorse,’” Jerome Copulsky, a Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs research fellow who specializes in church-state issues, told Jay Deitcher for eJewishPhilanthropy.

Different streams: On Tuesday, the Reform movement was the first major denomination to issue a statement about the IRS decision, saying the move “weakens the principle of church-state separation that has protected both government and religion” and calling on Congress to reverse the change. (Both the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and Reconstructing Judaism declined to discuss the ruling, saying that they were still contemplating how to respond to the changes.) Although the Orthodox Union has not released a statement, Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president at the Orthodox Union, told eJP, "Synagogues should always convey the feeling of home and family to all who enter and avoid introducing the current divisive political discourse into our congregations.” To have a rabbi endorse a politician is a “foolish” move, Motti Seligson, director of media for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, told eJP. “We’re seeing politically how things shift and swing increasingly quickly… One thing that’s consistent about every trend is it ends, so why hitch the congregation’s wagon to a trend?” he said.

Read the full report here.

PATRICK MCMULLAN VIA GETTY IMAGES

Alan Hassenfeld, former executive of Hasbro Games and major Jewish philanthropist who was a pillar of the Rhode Island Jewish community, died on Tuesday at age 76. Hassenfeld’s philanthropic contributions cemented him as a community pillar in Rhode Island’s Jewish community, where he served as honorary director of the Jewish Alliance of Rhode Island. He was described by those who knew him as creative, passionate and a child at heart — fitting of an executive at the helm of one of the world’s leading toy manufacturers. “He was raised in a toy company. And so that sort of joy and wonder that you have as a child? He never really lost that,” Adam Greenman, CEO of the Jewish Alliance of Rhode Island, told eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Daynim. 

Jerusalem kids: With a 20-year stint on the board of The Jerusalem Foundation, Hassenfeld followed in the footsteps of his mother, who served as the board’s vice chair for several years. A donation from Hassenfeld established the Teddy Fountain in Teddy Kollek Park — a favored play space for the city’s children in the summer. According to Joy Levitt, CEO of the Jerusalem Foundation, the fountain, along with Hassenfeld’s giving to youth centers in East Jerusalem, were part of his vision for coexistence in Jerusalem. “When you go to Teddy Park, you see Arab kids, you see Haredi kids, you see secular kids. You see everybody’s just playing in the water. That was Alan’s vision for a city in which all people had a chance,” Levitt told eJP. “He and his family just believed in that. Believed that we have a responsibility, to make it possible for everybody in Jerusalem to wake up hopeful. He loved Jerusalem, but he also loved children.”

Read the full obituary here.

ALEXI J. ROSENFELD/GETTY IMAGES

As negotiations continue for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, in which half of the remaining 50 hostages are expected to return to Israel over 60 days, families of those still being held are waiting to learn if their loved ones will be among those coming home soon. About 20 of the hostages are thought to be alive, but the families of the 30 others are also hoping to have a measure of closure, with their loved ones’ remains returned to be buried in Israel, reports Lahav Harkov for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider.

Nerve-wracking: Rabbi Doron Perez described this period, in which there is constant discussion of a possible deal with hostages’ bodies returned to Israel, as “very nerve-wracking. … It aggravates the wound.” His son Daniel was a 22-year-old officer in the IDF armored corps on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel. For five months, the family thought Daniel had been kidnapped, before learning that he had been killed on the day of the terrorist attacks and his body taken to Gaza. When there is no talk of negotiations, Perez said, “You start thinking again, ‘Where is Daniel? Where is his body? Where is he being held?’ Some were found in cemeteries, some in tunnels, some in cupboards. You try to put it out of your mind, the vivid thoughts of where he may be, but [news about negotiations] brings it up again.”

Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.

MIAKIEVY/GETTY IMAGES

“I wholeheartedly agree with William Daroff (‘This is what leadership looks like,’ June 19): After Oct. 7, 2023, Jewish organizations moved swiftly — securing emergency funding, filing legal complaints and protecting families. Our communal infrastructure held fast when it mattered most, as it always has,” writes Rebecca Dinar, executive director of the Samson Charitable Fund, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “But — and this is urgent — we failed to imagine what was coming.”

Proactive steps: “By the time faculty at Columbia University defended Hamas as ‘decolonial resistance,’ or a Chicago Public School teacher was caught on video praising the Oct. 7 massacre to middle school students, or the New York City Department of Education sent out a Hamas-produced tool kit, the damage was already done… Too often, we treat strategic foresight as a luxury, not a necessity. But future threats require imagination. We need to create durable infrastructure for early warning systems — not just on-campus or online, but across legal, financial, cultural and political domains… Imagine a Jewish ‘Center for Strategic Foresight’ — something like a RAND or Aspen for our communal future. That doesn’t exist. It should… Our funding systems mirror our crisis mindset. After Oct. 7, 2023, emergency fundraising soared — and that was necessary. But we must now pair short-term response with long-term investment in infrastructure, innovation and strategic foresight.”

Read the full piece here.

COURTESY/MICAH KLEIN

“Last week, we weren't sure our mishlachat, the camp’s annual contingent of young Israeli emissaries, would make it to camp. But when word came that they were finally on their way, we told our counselors in training (CITs): ‘Let's welcome our mishlachat to Yavneh. Make some signs.’ What happened next, we could never have planned,” writes Benji Davis, head of Israeli education at Camp Yavneh, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.

Part of something bigger: “Without instruction beyond ‘Let's welcome them,’ they created an atmosphere of celebration that spoke to something deeper than hospitality. They were claiming these young Israelis as family, declaring through song and dance that Jewish peoplehood isn't an abstract concept but a lived reality. This is why Jewish camping matters. Not just for planned programs like Zimriya, Maccabiah and Yom Yisrael — all highlights at Camp Yavneh — but for spontaneous bursts of Jewish joy that will be etched into the collective Jewish memory of all our chanichim (campers)... It was unscripted, authentic and more powerful than anything we could have designed.”

Read the full piece here.

‘How Beautiful Are Your Tents’: In The Times of Israel, Magen for Jewish Communities CEO Shana Aaronson finds connections between Parshat Balak and the protest held outside a recent workshop in the Haredi community of Modiin Illit, Israel, focused on educating women about how to protect their children from sexual abuse. “[A]ngry men outside yelled in Hebrew: ‘Child protection is Balaam’s counsel.’ I should note that the Haredi default understanding of Balaam is that he was wicked, and that had God not forced him to bless the Jewish people, he would have been exceedingly glad to curse them. ... The extremist (outraged) men were so furious that women would gather to talk about protecting their children that they were willing to call them deviants… Jewish tradition, as presented by biblical commentators, teaches that Balaam noticed that the Jewish people’s tents did not face each other in the manner that was standard in that time. Rather, they were placed and spaced in such a way that angled the tent openings to allow each family its privacy. When the sages portray Balaam as an incredibly evil man, they also acknowledge that he had profound prophetic insights. Perhaps the protestors were onto something when they invoked Balaam’s counsel — they just confused the message. Perhaps protection of the children was exactly what Balaam saw when he looked at the Jewish nation’s tents and uttered his prophetic words.” [TOI]

Coordinated Solutions: In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Laura MacDonald recommends that American companies and nonprofits should respond to recent changes to the tax code by working together to find creative pathways for giving. “A corporation that previously funded nutritious meals for preschoolers might instead enter into a long-term research partnership with the same nonprofit to study the benefits of nutrition on early education outcomes. And an art exhibition sponsorship would almost certainly be drawn from the company’s marketing budget… For smaller businesses, it may be more advantageous to forgo giving directly from the company and pass profits on to the C-suite. These highly compensated executives could then be expected to increase their personal giving to achieve the firm’s strategic objectives while taking advantage of more generous tax treatment for giving by individuals… Such an arrangement would require significant coordination and cooperation to meet the impact achieved through direct company contributions under the current tax code… In the near term, the environment for corporations committed to philanthropy will likely be more favorable this year than after the new tax law takes effect. For that reason, grant seekers might ask corporate funders to accelerate their giving — and company foundations should embrace this approach.” [ChronicleofPhilanthropy]

Lead with purpose and confidence. Applications for the 19th cohort of the Spertus Institute’s Certificate in Jewish Leadership, offered in partnership with Northwestern University, are now open! Gain tools to navigate challenges, inspire action, and make a difference in your organization. Fall cohort will be online only. Find out more.  

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COURTESY

An Israel Defense Forces battalion commander presents a medical degree to his soldier, Ohad (in cap and gown), after he missed his graduation ceremony at Bar-Ilan University because he had been called up for reserve duty in the Gaza Strip. (In accordance with IDF protocol, Ohad’s last name could not be published and all soldiers’ faces had to be blurred.)

"I'm proud to be the first Jew in 2,000 years to receive an MD degree in Gaza," Ohad said after the ceremony.

MANOLI FIGETAKIS/GETTY IMAGES 

Founder and retired CEO of Sidewalk Labs (an Alphabet company), he was previously CEO of Bloomberg L.P., Daniel L. Doctoroff... 

FRIDAY: Entrepreneur, investment banker, civil servant and political advisor, Stephen Berger... Developmental psychologist at Harvard, he was selected in the 1981 inaugural class of MacArthur genius fellows, Howard Gardner... Member of the U.K.'s House of Lords, he was PM Tony Blair's special envoy to the Middle East for nine years, Baron Michael Abraham Levy... U.S. senator (D-MA), Ed Markey... Executive vice president of the Milken Family Foundation and past chair of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America, Richard V. Sandler... Journalist covering classical music, he is the author of Genius & Anxiety: How Jews Changed the World, 1847-1947, Norman Lebrecht... Founder of Schnur Associates, she spent 12 years as executive director of the Greater New York Coalition for Soviet Jewry, Zeesy Schnur... West Orange, New Jersey resident, Jeffrey Maas... Actress, she portrayed Frau Farbissina in the Austin Powers film series, Mindy Lee Sterling... Singer-songwriter, known by his stage name "RebbeSoul," Bruce Burger... Group executive vice president of public relations for Discovery Channel and Science Channel from 2007 until 2023, Laurie Goldberg... Executive chairman of Aston Martin and the owner of the Aston Martin Formula 1 Team, Lawrence Stroll... Radiation oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvey Jay Mamon, MD, Ph.D.... Managing member at Samuel Capital Management, Barry Mannis... Former member of the Knesset for the Likud party, Yaron Mazuz... Former commander of the IDF's Southern Command, now in the IDF Reserves, Maj. Gen. Shlomo "Sami" Turgeman... Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit since 2014, Judge Robin Stacie Rosenbaum... Retired tax attorney, she now bakes challahs on Manhattan's UWS to benefit the UJA, Adina Tama r Spiro Wagman... Executive editor of The City, Alyssa A. Katz... Founder of Koz and Effect LLC, Lindsey Caren Kozberg... Consultant focused upon social impact strategies, Joshua D. Wachs... Actor, podcaster and lead singer of the band Sun Spin, Michael Owen Rosenbaum... Ukrainian-born computer scientist and internet entrepreneur, Max Levchin... Founder and CEO of Wisconsin-based Good Karma Brands, Craig Karmazin... Principal at Civitas Public Affairs Group, Celine Mizrahi... Chabad rabbi at Washington University in St. Louis, Rabbi Hershey Novack... Comedian, podcaster and political commentator, Katherine Rose "Katie" Halper... Screenwriter and executive producer, Theodore Beren Bressman... Retired ice hockey forward, he played for 19 seasons in the U.S., Canada and Europe, now a businessman in Destin, Florida, Jacob Micflikier... Executive director of the New Democrat Coalition, Anne Sokolov... and her twin sister, a co-founder at Social Goods, Kate Sokolov... Offensive guard in the NFL for eight seasons until 2015, his Hebrew name is Gedalia Yitzhak, Geoff Schwartz... Senior deputy associate counsel in the White House Counsel's office during the Biden administration, Matthew J. Rosenbaum... Bryan Stone…

SATURDAY: Former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Council, Rita E. Hauser... Former congressman (R-OK) for 16 years, Marvin Henry "Mickey" Edwards... Former executive director of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, Dan Botnick... Canadian journalist, social activist and author of three bestselling books, Michele Landsberg... Former member of the Florida House of Representatives for eight years, Franklin Sands... Best-selling author, screenwriter, and playwright, sister of the late Nora Ephron, Delia Ephron... Professor of religion at the University of Vermont, he was an advisor to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on his 2016 presidential campaign, as an undergraduate at Yale his roommate was Joe Lieberman, Richard Sugarman... Co-founder of Imagine Entertainment, his films and TV series have been nominated for 47 Academy Awards and 217 Emmys, Brian Grazer... Obstetrical nurse and board-certified lactation consultant in New York City, Rhona Yolkut... Founding executive director (now retired) of Newton, Mass.-based Gateways: Access to Jewish Education, focused on children with special educational needs, Arlene Remz... Businessman born in Ukraine, living in London, co-owner of the Midland Group with holdings in steel, shipping, real estate, agriculture and sports, Eduard Shifrin... Former member of the Knesset for the Blue and White party, he grew up in Raleigh, N.C., as Albert Rosenthal, Alon Tal... Chief television critic for The New York Times, James "Jim" Poniewozik... Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission until this past January, Jessica Rosenworcel... Israeli journalist and former member of Knesset for the Yisrael Beiteinu party, Anastassia Michaeli... Founder of Innovation Policy Solutions, a D.C.-based health care consulting and advocacy firm, Jennifer Leib... U.S. senator (I-AZ) until January 2025, Kyrsten Sinema... Israeli news anchor, television presenter and journalist, Yonit Levi... Winner of an Olympic gold medal (Athens, 2004) and a silver medal (Sydney, 2000) as a freestyle swimmer, now in the product development software business, Scott Daniel Goldblatt... Senior reporter at CNN, Edward-Isaac Dovere... Partner in the Des Moines-based public relations firm AdelmanDean Group, Liz Rodgers Adelman... Israeli media personality, sociologist and fashion and jewelry designer, Ortal Ben Dayan… President of executive communications firm A.H. Levy & Co based in NYC, Alex Halpern Levy... Intensive care nurse now living in Jerusalem, Rena Meira Rotter... Benjamin Birnbaum... Actress, she is well known for playing a Jewish character on television (the title character in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), though she herself is not of Jewish descent, Rachel Brosnahan... National director of Teach Coalition, Sydney Altfield… Board member of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation and the Israel Policy Forum, Steven Koppel…

SUNDAY: Scottsdale, Ariz., resident, retired teacher, Howie K. Kipnes... Actor whose films have grossed more than $10 billion, his maternal grandmother was Anna Lifschutz, a Jewish immigrant from Minsk, he is best known as the title character in the “Indiana Jones” film series, Harrison Ford... Fellow at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Michael W. Cohen, MD... Ridgefield, Conn., resident, Louis Panzer... Lecturer on the federal budget process following 37 years at various federal agencies, Johnny Cahn... Co-host of "Pardon the Interruption" on ESPN since 2001, Anthony Irwin "Tony" Kornheiser... Actress, best known for her role as Frenchy in "Grease," Edith "Didi" Conn... Author of crime and suspense novels, he is also a conservative commentator, Andrew Klavan... Guide and educator at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, Rabbi Eric Marshall Lankin... Senior manager of regulatory and legislative affairs at PJM Interconnection, Stuart Widom... Country music artist, Victoria Lynn Shaw... Television executive and producer, she was the president of HBO's entertainment division until 2008 and was responsible for commissioning “The Sopranos,” “The Wire” and other hit shows, Carolyn Strauss... Film director and screenwriter, Shari Springer Berman... Television writer, David X. Cohen... Author and journalist, Katie Roiphe... Chief legal officer and chief policy officer at HackerOne, Ilona Cohen... Owner of the D.C. area franchises of SafeSplash Swim Schools, Jennifer Rebecca Goodman Lilintahl... Founder of Omanut Collective, Sarah Persitz... Director of major gifts at American Friends of Magen David Adom, Yishai Mizrahi... Creator, writer and producer of the TV show "Casual" which ran from 2015 to 2018, Alexander "Zander" Sutton Lehmann... Aspen, Colo.-based neuro-linguistic programming coach, she is also the CEO and founder of entertainment agency Art of Air, Ariana Gradow... Managing director at BDT & MSD Partners, Nicholas Avery Newburger... Managing partner at Surround Ventures, Jared Kash... Television and film actor, Wyatt Jess Oleff (family name was Olefsky) .. Technology investor and executive, Eric A. Kohlmann... Reporter at Punchbowl News, Max Cohen...