What Gives? The Jewish Philanthropy Podcast

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 of Israeli democracy.

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 work together.

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.

Episode 30 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. Brother and sister Jonathan Goodman and Shawna Goodman Sone (a JFN board member), of the Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation, talk about growing up in a philanthropic family, Jewish summer camp, and their shared funding interests.

Episode 29 of What Gives? the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network. In Episode 29 of "What Gives?", the Jewish philanthropy podcast, Amy Mandel of Tzedek Social Justice Fund talks about participatory grantmaking, her decision to cede power over her foundation's grantmaking, and what it was like growing up the daughter of Morton Mandel, a major American Jewish philanthropist.

In Episode 28 of "What Gives?", the Jewish philanthropy podcast, Maimonides Fund COO and Sapir Managing Editor Felicia Herman talks about "geeking out" in Jewish historical archives, Jewish giving circles, and the impact of the pandemic on Jewish giving.        

In Episode 27 of "What Gives?", Danny Hakim, a board member of the Azrieli Foundation talks about the power of sports to solve social problems and bring disparate groups together. The founder of Budo for Peace (now called One Team – Sports for Social Change), Danny recently launched the Sports for Social Change Coalition, a growing movement of sports for peace stakeholders in Israel. Mapping of Sports for Peace Coalition (in Hebrew) Sports for Peace Coalition Info (in English)  

In episode 26 of Jewish Funders Network's "What Gives?" philanthropy podcast, Fay Twersky, the president and director of the Atlanta-based Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation (and former vice president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation) discusses everything from the critical role philanthropy played in the LGBTQ rights movement to participatory grantmaking, to strengthening grantmaker-grantseeker relationships,