It’s a sure conversation-stopper when I tell friends, “This year I’ll be observing and trying to understand every single Jewish holiday.” Non-Jews nod politely: “That sounds interesting….” Non-observant Jews look puzzled: “Aren’t there, like, a thousand of those…? I guess you won’t be doing much else this year.” Observant Jews shrug, as if to say,…
(JTA) — The United States is the only industrialized country in the world not to mandate paid maternity leave, and only 11 percent of private-sector American employees have access to it. But a growing list of Jewish nonprofits are now offering or expanding paid maternity leave, the result of a push by Advancing Women Professionals,…
The event in New York City in late January looked more like a pitch meeting for venture capitalists than the usual Jewish philanthropic gathering. Several dozen businessmen and women holding booklets with financial balance sheets listened attentively as 17 heads of Jewish not-for-profit organizations took the stage and spoke for 20 minutes each, as if…
Congress budgeted $13 million for a controversial nonprofit security assistance program that mostly aids Jewish institutions. The money was in the $1.1 trillion budget passed this week by both houses of Congress. Last year the program received just $10 million. The program, which has existed since the mid-2000s, has so far disbursed $151 million through…
(JTA) — Bernard Madoff. An unscrupulous contractor. Art that disappeared or was destroyed by fire – it’s not clear which. Bad, bad bookkeepers. And did we mention Bernard Madoff? These were among the causes of “material diversion” of assets – tax-speak for lost funds or property totaling $250,000 or 5 percent – reported by Jewish…
(JTA) — The biblical David used a slingshot to kill Goliath, thus earning the attention of King Saul. Today, Jewish organizations are trying to use Slingshot, an annual guide of the 50 “most innovative organizations and projects,” to capture the attention of donors. The ninth installment of the guide was released Thursday. Launched in 2005…
One Jewish charity CEO hid allegedly stolen cash in his apartment closet. Another had an affair with his assistant while the assistant’s son-in-law stole from the CEO’s organization. A third covered up sex abuse charges for decades. Scandal after scandal has hit New York’s top Jewish charities this year. Experts blame lax oversight, saying that…
The stunning array of charges against William Rapfogel, the disgraced former head of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, should prompt Jewish organizations to engage in soul-searching and make governance changes to avoid similar misfortunes, say experts in non-profit management and ethics. But that, they say, isn’t happening. Charming and savvy, Rapfogel was arrested September…
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