What Gives? The Jewish Philanthropy Podcast

Episode 56 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. In this episode, Andrés speaks with Rachel Sumekh, Project Executive of TEN: Together Ending Need, a collaborative initiative of funders working to ensure that all Jews have access to basic needs. Rachel and Andrés speak about the critical issue of Jewish poverty....

Episode 55 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. In this episode, Andrés speaks with Zvika Krieger, a dynamic figure who straddles the worlds of technology and spirituality. Zvika was the first ever Director of Responsible Innovation at Facebook, now Meta, though he has had an eclectic career, ranging from journ...

Episode 54 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. In this episode, Andrés speaks with Rabbi Sharon Brous, founder and senior rabbi IKAR, a vibrant Jewish community in Los Angeles known for its inclusive approach to Jewish life. Rabbi Brous delves into the themes of her new book, The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to...

Episode 53 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny.  In this episode, Andrés speaks with Joshua Foer. Josh is the co-founder of Sefaria, an open-source digital library of Jewish texts. Recently, he launched Lehrhaus, a "Jewish Tavern" in Boston aimed at making Torah study accessible in a welcoming environment. Josh...

Episode 52 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, joins JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny to explore the resurgence of antisemitism, the intersection of Jewish safety and democratic integrity, and the importance of building strong, inclusive coalitions. Amy shares insights from her extensive expe...

Episode 51 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. We bring you an episode recorded last year, before October 7th. Rabbi Danny Schiff joins JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny to discuss how far Judaism allows us to push technological advances. If medicine makes it possible, should Jews be allowed to increase their lifespan indefinitely? Or does that violate w...

Episode 50 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. We continue our series of messages from the stage of the 2024 JFN International Conference. This week, IsraAid CEO Yotam Polizer is joined by Prof. Nava Levit-Binnun to talk about IsraAid's transition to working within Israel in the wake of October 7th, and how much we need adaptability, care, and post-traumatic...

Episode 49 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. We continue our series of messages from the stage of the 2024 JFN International Conference. This week, Oded Adomi Leshem, author of Hope Amidst Conflict, gives his perspective on hope, resilience, and vision, and shares a first person account of Israel's civic strength in the wake of October 7th.

Episode 48 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. We continue our series of messages from the stage of the 2024 JFN International Conference. This week, Dan Senor, host of 'The Genius of Israel', speaks at the JFN International Conference about what makes Israel unique and why it will come back from the events of October 7th.

Episode 47 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Explore the vital role of philanthropy in Israel's current challenges and opportunities for growth. JFN Israel Executive Director Sigal Yaniv Feller highlights the transition from nation-building to society-building, underscoring the importance of strategic philanthropic efforts in shaping Israel's resilient fut...

After the unthinkable events of October 7th and the subsequent crises in Israel, we made the decision to suspend the podcast so that we could better focus on Israel’s recovery. Now, we are resuming our work on What Gives, sharing with you expert knowledge in the field of Jewish philanthropy. Episode 46 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. We felt it appropria...

Episode 45 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Dr. Mijal Bitton, Rosh Kehilla and co-founder of the Downtown Minyan, talks to JFN President and CEO Andres Spokoiny about being a translator for the stories of Sephardi, Mizrahi, and other non-Ashkenazi Jewish communities. Andres and Mijal talk about what the trajectory of those communities has been in the Unit...

Episode 44 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Rabbi Leon Morris, President of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, talks to JFN President and CEO Andres Spokoiny about his essay in Sources, "In Defense of Surrender in Liberal Jewish Life." Morris argues that a Jewish response to individual agency having eclipsed every other important value is necessary,...

Episode 42 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Yotam Polizer, CEO of IsraAID , talks to JFN President and CEO Andres Spokoiny about how IsraAid is able to deploy to places where Israel doesn't have diplomatic relations, and the knock on effects of sending aid from Israel to unfriendly territories. Yotam spoke about how a humanitarian organization fundraises...

Episode 41 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Casper ter Kuile, CEO of the Nearness , talks to JFN President and CEO Andres Spokoiny about Casper’s work in seeking to create a new structure of community experience that uses the ease and accessibility of the internet while also building local connections that become deep friendships. Casper and Andres dive i...

Episode 40 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Award-winning author, essayist, and professor of literature Dara Horn talks to JFN President and CEO Andres Spokoiny about her recent essay in the Atlantic, Is Holocaust Education Making Anti-Semitism Worse?  They speak about this hallmark of Jewish education, and education about Jews, that has been so prevalent...

Episode 39 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Daniel Smokler, Chief Innovation Officer of the Office of Innovation, talks to JFN President and CEO Andres Spokoiny about how the philosophy of l'chadaysh et ha'yashan, renewing the old, informs his practice of innovation, how his family history of philanthropy influences his own journey, the changes in rabbini...

Episode 38 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. David Bernstein, Founder and CEO of the Jewish Institute for Liberal Values, talks to JFN President and CEO Andres Spokoiny about the threat of illiberalism facing the Jewish community and the United States at large. They discuss what kind of America the Jewish community should be striving to live in and how tha...

Episode 37 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Businessman and social activist Eli Paley, talks to JFN President and CEO Andres Spokoiny about strategies for opening our communities to the Haredi sector.

Episode 36 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Ari Wallach, Founder and Executive Director of Longpath Labs, talks to JFN President and CEO Andres Spokoiny about the case for presenting a positive vision of the future. We discussed the long-term goal of a vibrant and meaningful Jewish future, and spoke about working backwards to determine what steps are nece...

Episode 35 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Yohanan Plesner, President of the Israel Democracy Institute, talks to JFN President and CEO Andres Spokoiny about the consequences of the new Israeli government’s judicial reform initiatives, how today’s issues compare to existential threats of Israel’s past, and Yohanan's hopes and aspirations for the future o...

Episode 34 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Carly Maisel, Global CEO of The Kirsh Foundation, talks to JFN President and CEO Andres Spokoiny about Shine a Light on Antisemitism, a new initiative that she is spearheading. They speak about offering a new take on an intractable problem, partnering among funders, and how to get competitive organizations to wo...

In Episode 33 of "What Gives," author and former Knesset member Einat Wilf talks to JFN President and CEO Andres Spokoiny about why so many people in the world misunderstand Israel and Zionism.

Episode 32 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Eric K. Ward, a nationally recognized expert on authoritarian movements, hate groups and preserving inclusive democracy, talks to JFN's Andres Spokoiny about the importance of fostering respectful and open debate.

Episode 31 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. New York Times columnist and Sapir Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens talks with JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny about the importance and limits of civil debate and making room for a diversity of opinion in a time of polarization and echo chambers.