The Miniseries That Changed the Conversation

In 1978, NBC aired the four-part drama called The Holocaust (with a pretty amazing cast now that I've seen who is in it again). It was met with mixed reaction (you can read Elie Wiesel's scathing response here and a fascinating yet brief conversation about Holocaust movies in general here), but it also brought the idea of the Jewish experience during National Socialism to public attention and conversation.

Daniel Elazar's interlocking spheres of community involvement...

Thank you Google Books!

And, in contrast, Gertrude Berg

The trailer from Yoo Hoo! Mrs. Goldberg (from the director of The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg). Gertrude Berg as herself:

America's first (and only) Jewish Miss America

Here she is, Miss America....

Bess Myerson

(I'm not going to lie: my mind was sorta blown when Dr. Windmueller said he knew her.)

This Just In:There are Hipster Jews in LA.

This is what Joshua Avedon was talking about!

Looking for a word to define for the Terms Definition assignment? Here are some possibilities... in no particular order: 

American          Community          Jewish, 

Youth                 Donor                   Federation
Mega-Donor     Non-Profit            Institution
Organization    Philanthropy        Israel
Engagement     Integration            Antisemitism
Immigration     Intermarriage      Demography
Spiritual            Secular                  Reform
Conservative    Reconstructionist Chabad
Orthodox          Outreach               Shabbat
Feminism          Havurah                Education
Membership     Hybridization       Inreach

And, finally, here’s the link to ReBoot, the “place” (by which I really mean “idea”) where contemporary cultural creatives meet and interact (and create!)

Jewish BabyBoomers

Oh, those Boomers—so so so interesting! And definitely a population that should be served with the full force of the Jewish non-profit world. 

European Jewry in the 21st Century

For those of you interested in the state of Jewish non-profits in Europe, here’s the 2010 Jumpstart Report on New Initiatives in Europe. You’ll find that startling statistic that there are more Jewish start ups per capita in Europe than in the US inside. It was written in conjunction with the PearsFoundation and Lynn Schusterman’s ROI Community.  It’s about 5 years old but still super interesting.

A Portrait of Jewish Americans

For your reference—and for those late nights when you’re contemplating the current state of the American religious landscape—the Pew Report! 

Looking for the intel from yesterday’s great session with Jumpstart Labs’ Joshua Avedon? Here’s the report on the new Innovation Eco-System 

Abraham Lincoln: The Great Emancipator and Lover of Jews?

"Lincoln “interacted with Jews, represented Jews, befriended Jews, admired Jews, commissioned Jews, trusted Jews, defended Jews, pardoned Jews, took advice from Jews, gave jobs to Jews, extended rights to Jews, revoked an expulsion of Jews, and even chose a Jew as his confidential agent. His connections to Jews went further and deeper than those of any previous American president.” 

Now don't you want to read more...  
Lincoln and the Jews

The Data Shows Pride Within The Tribe

"In some ways, being Jewish is cool in America today"

Keeping Jews Jewish? See how recent pew studies demonstrate new worries about American Jewish growth and stability.