Archive for category Cuba
Jewish Community and Charity
Posted by admin in Aid Services, Cuba, Environmental, Health, Hockey, Israel, School, Torah, Uncategorized, Youth, family on June 18th, 2009
The Aleph Institute is just about the only national not-for-profit organization working to provide faith-based programming, religious freedom advocacy and social services for tens of thousands of Jewish men and women in “institutional environments” (prison, military, nursing homes) and their families at home. Aleph’s Center for Halacha and American Law (CHAL) develops unique educational materials on Torah ethics and values, implements them in classroom curriculums and distributes them to schools and to the general public.
The American Jewish Committee has the mission to safeguard the welfare and security of Jews in the United States, in Israel, and throughout the world and to enhance the quality of American Jewish life by helping to ensure Jewish continuity and deepen ties between American and Israeli Jews.
American Red Magen David for Israel (ARMDI) is the only authorized fundraising organization in the United States for Magen David Adom, Israel’s equivalent to a Red Cross Society. ARMDI supports the MDA Emergency Medical, Ambulance Blood and Disaster Services.
The American Technion Society (ATS) supports the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel’s premier university, to ensure the Technion’s continued excellence and achievement. The future of a secure and economically independent Israel is in high technology, and the future of high technology in Israel is at the Technion.
For more than 88 years, the Anti-Defamation League has been combating anti-Semitism and bigotry of all kinds. Their web site chronicles the history and current status of many issues in this ongoing battle.
Since 1843 B’nai B’rith, “Children of the Covenant,” has carried forward the idealistic mission: uniting Jews in service to their community and the world. B’nai B’rith is the world’s largest Jewish human rights, community action and humanitarian organization.
The Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations is composed of independent organizations whose unity of purpose is a secular expression of our Jewish heritage, with particular emphasis on the cultural and ethical precepts of Jewish learning.
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations represents 52 national Jewish organizations from across the political and religious spectrum. The Conference provides a forum for deliberations of American Jewish leadership and a central address for key American, Israeli and other world leaders to consult on issues of critical concern to the Jewish community.
Giving Wisely, sponsored by the School of Social Work of the Hebrew University, is the Internet Directory of Israeli nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, developed to help donors to evaluate and make educated decisions (or even know which organizations are legal) so that they can choose those that are closest to their own areas of interest.
Hadassah the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is a volunteer women’s organization, whose members are motivated and inspired to strengthen their partnership with Israel, ensure Jewish continuity, and realize their potential as a dynamic force in American society. In Israel, Hadassah initiates and supports pace-setting health care, education and youth institutions, and land development to meet the country’s changing needs. In the United States, Hadassah enhances the quality of American and Jewish life through its education and Zionist youth programs, promotes health awareness, and provides personal enrichment and growth for its members.
Hadassah Kaddish is a program under which your donation to Hadassah ensures that the ancient Kaddish prayer will be recited each year beneath the Chagall windows at Hadassah Hospital in Jeruslaem.
JCC Association of North America is the leadership network of, and central agency for the Jewish Community Center Movement. It is comprised of more than 275 JCCs, YM-YWHAs and camps in the US and Canada, annually serving more than one million members and an additional million non-member users.
Jewish Family & Life (JFL), a fast-growing pluralistic entrepreneurial non-profit organization, is the world’s leading publisher of original Jewish content online. Their on-line presence includes:
- JewishFamily.com
- GenerationJ.com
- SocialAction.com
- JVibe.com
- MzVibe.com
- JewishSports.com
- JewZ.com
- JBooks.com
Jewish Deleware is a fine example of a website devoted to a regional Jewish community.
The first fifty years of the Jewish National Fund were spent purchasing the land that would become the State of Israel. Now after another fifty years spent developing the land for the people, and with the continued assistance of supporters from around the world, JNF has a vital role in conserving and protecting the ecology of the land for now and the future. The JNF web site offers a lot of ways to help Israel, including planting trees in Israel and helping Israeli victims of terrorism.
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is a national, nonprofit agency which allocates donations from the Jewish community to nonprofit organizations providing food, help and hope to hungry people of all faiths and backgrounds.
NAVAH Organization provides financial and social support to victims of terrorism in Israel. NAVAH receives donations that are used to assemble care packages to be delivered by groups of volunteers to victims and their families in Israel. Each package contains a loving message from donors and the organization works to facilitate contact between donors and recipients if it is requested. NAVAH also provides direct financial assistance to help victims meet their increased expenses as they recuperate from their injuries.
United Jewish Communities represents 189 Jewish federations, 400 independent communities and 700,000 people across North America, who contribute more than $2 billion every year to help repair the world. The UJC site is a rich source of news and information about Jewish affairs and charitable works.
World ORT is one of the largest non-governmental education and training organisations in the world, with past and present activities in over 100 countries. A non-profit, non-political organisation, ORT’s objective is to meet the educational and vocational requirements of diverse students throughout the world. Currently, ORT educates or trains more than 290,000 students annually, through its network of programmes, training centres and schools.
http://middleeastfacts.com/links/links_jewish_charity.php
The report reviewed by Moishe Alexander, CFC CEO
DONOR ADVISED FUNDS Putting You in the Driver’s Seat
Posted by admin in Aid Services, Cuba, Environmental, Health, Hockey, Israel, School, Torah, Uncategorized, Youth, family on June 17th, 2009
You make a donation to the kids’ day school, your alma mater, your synagogue, UJA Federation’s annual campaign, some small yeshivas, and maybe a few health care organizations. But you don’t think of yourself as a philanthropist. Think again.
More and more people who think of themselves as average donors are creating Donor Advised Funds at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto. As a matter of fact, over 30% of the almost 300 Foundation funds are Donor Advised Funds.
“Many people don’t realize they can do all their charitable giving through the Foundation,” says Carol Kassel, Director of the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto. “They can support causes of their choice, here, in Israel or anywhere in the world where Jews are in need. And it makes giving so much easier. Donors don’t need to write separate cheques for each donation or create different charitable vehicles.”
There are many ways to put yourself in the driver’s seat when it comes to making decisions about your philanthropy.
One way is to set up your own private foundation to look after your annual grants to any charity you like. For most of us, this sounds a bit daunting.
And it is. Not only from the financial point of view, which requires that you disburse at least 3.5 percent of the invested assets each year without disturbing the initial capital, but setting up your own foundation is a cumbersome and expensive process. You need a board of directors, investment consultants, and legal and accounting experts to incorporate, register and organize your private foundation. There is a certain need and a place for these private foundations, but for most of us – it is a stretch.
Fortunately, there are other alternatives. “A Donor Advised Fund is a simple, convenient way to streamline all your charitable giving,” explains Kassel. “The whole purpose of a Donor Advised Fund is to put the donors at ease by letting the Jewish Foundation look after all the administration of the fund. The donors can then concentrate on the causes that mean the most to them.”
HOW A DONOR ADVISED FUND WORKS
• A donor may start a fund with a minimum contribution of $10,000 of cash or other assets.
• The donor receives an immediate tax deduction when he or she makes a contribution to the fund, but does not need to make a quick decision about which charities to support.
• The donor may recommend distributions from the fund to registered charities whose activities fall within the broadly defined charitable mandate of the Jewish Foundation.
• The assets in Donor Advised Funds are pooled and invested by professional money managers who are selected to manage the funds wisely and profitably. By pooling funds for investment and administrative purposes, the Jewish Foundation is able to minimize costs while engaging first rate fund managers.
• Last fiscal year, our pooled funds earned 10.5%.
• Donors are free from administration and record keeping. The Jewish Foundation processes distributions, mails cheques to recipients, administers and invests the assets of the fund and issues regular financial reports on the status of the fund to the donor. This frees the donor to concentrate on the rewards of charitable giving.
• Donors enjoy ready access to the knowledge and experience of the staff of the Jewish Foundation regarding the Jewish community’s local and overseas needs and the organizations that exist to serve those needs.
“These funds provide the greatest flexibility and convenience without burdensome reporting requirements and high administrative costs. They offer terrific tax advantages as well,” says Kassel.
“Our donors are often people who don’t want to just write a cheque,” explains Kassel. “They want to be more actively involved in their philanthropy. They want to support the organizations that will directly impact the issues they care deeply about.”
reviewed by Moishe Alexander, CFC CEO
Report from Moishe Alexander, CFC CEO: ORT Canada ends the year on a high.
Posted by admin in Aid Services, Cuba, Environmental, Health, Hockey, Israel, School, Torah, Uncategorized, Youth, family on June 17th, 2009
ORT Canada has rounded off the year with two glittering fundraising events in Montreal and Toronto.
ORT Montreal’s 23rd annual Benefit Gala attracted 1,000 people to the city’s Place des Arts for an evening of fine food, top line entertainment and the chance to recognise the extraordinary contribution made by Stella and David Gelerman.
“The Benefit Gala brings together people bonded by two common interests – a commitment to support worthy causes and a desire to share in an enjoyable evening,” said ORT Canada President Arthur Silber. “Honouring the Gelermans, who set such a great example of community service, allows us to do just that.”
Dida Burku and husband, ORT Montreal President Jacob Kincler, with Stella and David Gelerman.
Mr and Mrs Gelerman arrived in Canada from Ukraine in 1981 and set up Advantech AMT Inc, which is now a world leading designer and manufacturer of satellite and wireless telecommunications products with facilities in the USA, Europe and Canada.
The special presentation to Mr and Mrs Gelerman was made by Anthony Broccolini, on behalf of his family who were last year’s honourees.
“We are proud to be associated with the Gelerman family and grateful for their continued and generous support,” said ORT Montreal President Jacob Kincler, himself a graduate of an ORT school.
ORT Montreal continued its tradition of providing the best entertainment with locally born illusionist Alain Choquette and 12-year-old singing sensation Nikki Yanofsky, who received three standing ovations.
Honouree Shane Baghai addresses ORT Toronto’s Local Hero reception at Toronto’s elegant Dominion Club.
Meanwhile, in Toronto, one of the city’s leading businessmen, Shane Baghai, was named ORT Toronto’s Local Hero in a Global Village, the second recipient of this annual award.
Mr Baghai, a graduate of the ORT educational network that existed in Iran before the revolution, repeatedly stressed how honoured he was to be the recipient of the award. This modesty was, said ORT Toronto President Carrie Katz-Lehman, one of the many qualities that led to his being nominated.
“Shane’s connection with ORT, his commitment to education generally, his affinity to Israel and Jewish life are all reasons why he is such a fitting recipient of this award,” Mrs Katz-Lehman said.
Mr Baghai arrived in Canada 23 years ago with a young family and only $1,500 in his pocket. He founded Shane Baghai Homes, which has become known as North America’s largest custom-home builder. His developments rely increasingly on alternative energy sources such as wind turbines and solar power and are located close to public transport hubs – all part of Mr Baghai’s vision of “green solutions for better living”.
In a message sent to the Local Hero reception, World ORT Director General Robert Singer said it was deeply gratifying that this year’s honouree was an ORT alumnus.
“In an age when the vacuum created by ignorance and underdevelopment is so often filled with destruction and aggression, the success of ORT graduates in building careers and contributing to society is a beacon of hope,” he said.
http://www.ort.org/asp/article.asp?ID=510