View this email in your browser 

Good Monday morning!

In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we examine Israel’s second-place finish in the Eurovision Song Contest and what it means for the often-isolated country. We spotlight the anti-loneliness nonprofit Dorot, which keeps getting confused with the foundation of the same name that recently announced it was shutting down. In the latest installment of eJP’s exclusive opinion column, “The 501(C) Suite,” Idana Goldberg reflects on the challenges facing philanthropy in uncertain times; and we feature an opinion piece by Gidi Grinstein proposing a framework to secure American Jewry’s way of life, and one by Brian Seymour with lessons about healthy allyship between the American Jewish community and other groups. Also in this issue: Erica Brown, Dr. Miriam Adelson and Greg and Alexandra Mondre.

Spread the word! Invite your friends to sign up.👇

On Saturday evening in Vienna, Israeli singer Noam Bettan finished second at the Eurovision Song Contest with his multilingual pop ballad "Michelle” — marking the second year in a row that the Jewish state has claimed the runner-up spot in one of the world’s most-watched competitions.

This second-place finish for Israel offers a rare glimmer of hope for the country’s international standing, which has taken a serious hit over the past 2 1/2 years of war. The achievement also stands in stark contrast to much of the controversy surrounding the event and comes as Jewish communities throughout the world have faced growing threats and deadly attacks. 

“It showed that beneath the polarization often amplified online or in political debates, there remain strong human, cultural and strategic ties between many Europeans and Israelis,” said Benjamin Touati, CEO of ELNET-Israel, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening strategic, diplomatic and economic relations between Europe and Israel. 

It’s easy to dismiss Eurovision as a silly spectacle, full of over-the-top costumes and bizarre performances. But behind all the kitsch and choreography, there are profound people-to-people connections. “Eurovision is not simply a music competition; it is one of the few truly shared cultural moments watched simultaneously by hundreds of millions of people across very different countries, languages and histories,” Touati told eJewishPhilanthropy.

Bettan’s entry, a pop ballad about heartbreak on the streets of one of Tel Aviv’s hippest neighborhoods that flowed seamlessly between Hebrew, French and English, marked something of a return to normal for Israel. This story of the eponymous Michelle, Bettan’s “queen of problems,” served as a far more lighthearted, personal song compared to last year’s submission by Nova massacre survivor Yuval Raphael, titled “New Day Will Rise,” about national feelings of hope, healing and war. 

Next year in Belgrade!

Read the rest of ‘What You Should Know’ here.

There’s Daniel Septimus, the outgoing CEO of Sefaria, who’s not to be confused with Rabbi Daniel Septimus, of the JCC Association of North America. And for that matter, the JCC Association is not to be confused with the other JCCA, the nonprofit formerly known as the Jewish Child Care Association. Ordinarily, these duplicate names and abbreviations are good for a chuckle or an easily rectified miscommunication, but for Dorot, a New York-based nonprofit focused on combating loneliness among the elderly, sharing a name with the Dorot Foundation, which recently announced it was shuttering, has been a major headache for the past few weeks, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.  

Here to stay: According to Mark Meridy, Dorot’s executive director, the problems started with calls from clients who were concerned that they would soon no longer be able to access the organization’s programs. “And then I literally had a number of foundations who said, ‘Well, I'm not sure we want to fund you because you're spending down,’” Meridy said. Finally, he said, other organizations in the field started reaching out to poach Dorot’s employees. “So we're just looking to try to alleviate some of the concerns, particularly with our vulnerable older adults, that we're not going anywhere. We're financially strong, we've got great programming, and we're not phasing out.”

Read the full report here.

“From the second night of Pesach until the eve of Shavuot, Jews mark each day of the Omer, the 49 days that link the festival of liberation to the festival of revelation. The practice is simple: stand, recite a blessing, name the day,” writes Idana Goldberg, CEO of the Russell Berrie Foundation, in the latest installment of eJewishPhilanthropy’s exclusive opinion column, “The 501(C) Suite.” 

Real-world application: “The seven-week journey the Israelites took between Exodus and Revelation, the original period of the Omer, demonstrates that readiness requires preparation. They left Egypt free, but not yet ready to stand at Sinai. That required the patient, daily integration of qualities that form a nation capable of receiving and holding a covenant. Each Pesach, our counting begins again, because the readiness produced last year does not carry forward intact. The work must be repeated, which is both humbling and consoling: humbling because we are returned each year to the count, no matter how much we think we have learned; consoling because these capacities are rebuildable.”

Read the full piece here.

“If antisemitism is an existential threat to American Jewry, then our community must be strategic in its response. We need a national security framework to inspire and guide our allocation of resources,” writes Gidi Grinstein, founder and president of Reut USA, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.

A communal strategy: “‘National security’ is different from ‘safety and security.’ The former protects the community’s way of life, while the latter defends individuals and institutions. In other words, stronger ‘national security’ usually means there is greater safety and security, but the opposite is not necessarily true. … American Jewry, though heterogeneous, has shared long-term interests that can guide a communal strategy, and these principles can be effectuated even by a diffuse leadership.”

Read the full piece here.

“‘Justice, justice you will pursue, so that you will live and you will inherit the land that God is giving to you’ (Deuteronomy 16:20). Though some translations differ slightly, the message is clear: Our promise of the Land of Israel is not unconditional. We must earn it,” writes Brian Seymour, the newly installed chair of Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.

Maiden voyage: “Over the past two years, I have had the unique privilege to join Palm Beach County leaders who are not Jewish on their first visits to Israel. These trips were meant to show them the reality of Israel, which we certainly accomplished. But for me, the trips did much more. They revealed a broader conversation, a discussion too often forgotten, that extends beyond how Israel or the Jewish community is impacted in the world today.”

Read the full piece here.

Birthday Wishes: In ARC Magazine, Erica Brown wonders what insights Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks would offer as America marks its 250th anniversary during a time of social fracture. “I think he would have reminded us that we were created as a country with a mission of liberty for all and that we must return to the higher political ideals that shaped this country and bend the rugged individualism that can and has soured a once great collective consciousness. … I can imagine Sacks at a podium, with his elegant oratory style and distinctive British accent, reading the words of the prophet Hosea: ‘And I will betroth you to me forever and I will betroth you to me with justice and judgment, with kindness and compassion that you will know the Lord’ (Hos. 2:19-20). It is these qualities of justice and mercy that bound us then and that, 250 years later, bind us still.” [ARC]

A Paper Divided: In Puck, Dylan Byers outlines the internal friction at The New York Times following a controversial column by Nicholas Kristof. "Nevertheless, many Times journalists told me they remain suspicious of Nick’s sourcing for the most incendiary allegations, skeptical that those sources would have cleared the standards of the newsroom rather than Opinion, and mildly miffed at the Pulitzer-eager columnist for bringing scrutiny on the paper in a piece that should have been in their jurisdiction. Above all else, many seemed exasperated by what they viewed as another instance of the Times brand being undercut by the actions of another department that, they feel, is not held to the same standards. Said one, 'I am sick of being embarrassed by the Opinion section.'" [Puck] 

Pictures at a Roundup: In The New York Times, Jean-Marc Dreyfus reflects on the discovery of dozens of photographs of roundups of Parisian Jews during World War II that were taken to be used as Nazi propaganda and are newly on display at the city’s Holocaust memorial. “They remind us that the past is never entirely buried, and that images can unexpectedly return to challenge the void of memory and representation. They function today not as propaganda, the purpose for which they were originally produced, but as fragments of truth — painful, incomplete and indispensable — that allow us to better understand the way the roundup was organized and conducted and also to get a glimpse of the victims’ shock, fear and pain.” [NYTimes]

Be featured: Email us to sponsor content with the eJP readership of your upcoming event, job opening or other communication.

A California judge has banned Kars4Kids, which raises money for Jewish religious programs, from advertising in the state after ruling that the charity violated false advertising laws by misleading donors into believing their vehicle donations were supporting local underprivileged youth; Kars4Kids says it will appeal the decision…

Muslim civil rights group The American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council is scheduled to march in New York's annual Israel Day on Fifth parade, marking the first time in the event's history that a Muslim organization will participate…

Data from Israel’s Ministry of Education that was leaked to Israel's Channel 12 from national standardized exams shows that only 3% of Israeli ninth graders met curriculum standards in science…

Bloomberg spotlights Las Vegas Sands CEO Patrick Dumont, the son-in-law of Dr. Miriam Adelson, who is seeking to turn Dallas into a sports and gambling hub… 

New York Jewish leaders condemned Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s social media post marking last week’s so-called Nakba Day, criticizing him for failing to acknowledge crucial facts surrounding the birth of the State of Israel, notably the attack on the fledgling nation by five neighboring Arab countries and the expulsion of 800,000 Jews from Muslim nations, reports Jewish Insider’s Will Bredderman…

Mamdani tapped Rabbi Miriam Grossman, an anti-Zionist religious leader, to serve as the Jewish faith liaison within his newly established Office of Mass Engagement, Jewish Insider’s Will Bredderman and Matthew Kassel report…

The New York Times examines the New York state Assembly race for the seat being vacated by Micah Lasher as he mounts a congressional bid; the race pits Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay against public defender Eli Northrup, with the Times noting that both candidates have “cited their faith as drivers of their political ambitions, pointing to Judaism’s teachings and their own unique backgrounds”...

An Iraqi militia commander and Iranian operative appeared in a federal court in New York after being charged with orchestrating nearly 20 international terror attacks and plotting an explosive strike against a Manhattan synagogue, reports Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen…

The Department of Justice has announced it will pursue the death penalty for the suspect charged in the May 2025 fatal shooting of Israeli Embassy staff members Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim outside the Capital Jewish Museum in D.C…

The Wall Street Journal spotlights Miami, which is both attracting new wealthy residents and driving out college graduates and the middle class due to rising prices in the Florida city… 

Hebrew University’s Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences and Harvard University’s Kempner Institute for the Study of Natural and Artificial Intelligence announced a new collaboration in the emerging field of NeuroAI, the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence…

A new book by Nikki Goldstein — Conversations with My Rabbi: Timeless Teachings for a Fractured World — will be released on May 26 to preserve the universal moral legacy of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was killed in the December 2025 Bondi Beach terrorist attack...

The Yeshiva World does a deep dive into the White House’s celebration of Shabbat over the weekend, coinciding with Rededicate 250 celebrations that took place over the weekend…

Judge Paul M. Rosenberg, who served over three decades as an assistant U.S. attorney and U.S. magistrate judge, died at 89…

Greg and Alexandra Mondre made a $20 million gift to the University of Pennsylvania to establish a financial aid initiative serving over 1,000 middle-income families annually…

Anthropic is launching a four-year, $200 million initiative in partnership with and funded by the Gates Foundation to deploy advanced technology toward global health, education and economic mobility in developing regions...

President Donald Trump appointed six new members to the board of the Presidio Trust, which oversees a national park of the same name, after removing members appointed by President Joe Biden last month; the new members are: Lynne Benioff, Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, James Burnham, Trevor Traina, John Bickford and Kyle Corcoran…

COURTESY/GOOD PEOPLE FUND 

Beth Gansky, board chair of the Good People Fund (left); Naomi Eisenberger, founder and outgoing executive director; and Julie Fisher, the incoming executive director, celebrate the organization's 18th anniversary yesterday at a gala at Congregation B’nai Israel in Millburn, N.J.

The event also honored Eisenberger's legacy and served as the official transition as she hands over the reins to Fisher.

AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/FILMMAGIC

Film producer and CEO of Miramax, Jonathan Glickman turns 57...  

Leader and rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger since 1996, Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter turns 87... Best-selling author of nine spy thriller novels, he has served in both the U.S. and the Israeli armies, Andrew Gary Kaplan turns 85... Pioneer of the corporate investigations industry, he is now chairman and co-founder of K2 Integrity and Kroll Bond Rating Agency, Jules B. Kroll turns 85… Widow of Bernard "Bernie" Madoff, Ruth Madoff turns 85... Retired New York Times columnist and editorial writer, he was the NYT's Jerusalem correspondent for four years in the early 1990s, Clyde Haberman turns 81... President of Everest Management and trustee of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Gary Kopff turns 81... Los Angeles-based attorney, board member of American Friends of Nishmat, past president of Westwood Village Synagogue, Linda Goldenberg Mayman... Long-time Washington correspondent for Newsweek, now writing for SpyTalk, Jonathan Broder turns 78... Longest-serving member of the Maryland General Assembly, starting in 1983, Samuel I. "Sandy" Rosenberg turns 76... Chair of the executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel, a former IDF major general and leading activist for the disability community, Doron Almog turns 75... Senior advisor at Moelis & Company, a former IDF major general, then CEO of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Shlomo Yanai turns 74... Director of nutrition and hospitality at Philadelphia's Temple University Hospital, Nancy Baumann... Attorney in Atlanta, he was the director of congregational engagement at the Union for Reform Judaism for nine years, Alan Kitey... Venture capitalist and author of a book on business principles derived from the Book of Genesis, Michael A. Eisenberg turns 55... CEO at Waze from 2009 to 2021, Noam Bardin... VP for communications strategy at Strategic Marketing Innovations (SMI), Bryan Bender turns 54... Former head of development at New York City charter school system Uncommon Schools, Sarah Danzig... Author of Substack-based newsletter and blog Slow Boring, he was a co-founder of Vox, Matthew Yglesias turns 45... Founder of London-based Tech With Intention, Eliza Krigman... Staffer for the Senate Armed Services Committee, Eric Trager... Founder of Satori Global Media, Joshua Lederman... Former acting under secretary of defense for intelligence and security, then a member of the National Archives Public Interest Declassification Board, Ezra Asa Cohen turns 40... Tech entrepreneur in the AI and gaming space, Dan Garon... Co-founder of Rebel (formerly known as Rebelmail) then acquired by Salesforce, Joe Teplow... Managing associate in the D.C. office of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, Lauren DePinto Bomberger... Journalist and podcast producer, Netanel “Tani” Levitt... Director of strategic partnerships at Anduril Industries, Sofia Rose Gross Haft... Five-time member of the U.S. Women's National Gymnastics Team, now a business manager in the office of the CIO at Citadel, Samantha "Sami" Shapiro turns 33... Chief development officer at TAMID Group, Rachel Philipson Marsh...