In celebration of ROI's 5th anniversary, the ROI team led by Lynn Schusterman has decided to change things up a little this year: The 2010 ROI Summit will be a gathering for current members of the ROI Community. In other words, if you have participated in a past ROI Summit or Regional Gathering, or were a Charlie Award recipient, you are eligible to apply for participation in this special 5th anniversary ROI Summit.
Want to put yourself on the global Jewish innovation map? Whether you're a social enterprise or a nonprofit initiative, you can become part of the growing movement of Jewish innovation by registering for the 2010 Survey of New Jewish Initiatives, launched last week by Jumpstart, The Natan Fund, and the Samuel Bronfman Foundation. The 2010 survey will also expand beyond the U.S., and cover Canada and, in a special partnership with the UK's Pears Foundation and the ROI Community of Young Jewish Innovators, extend to include initiatives in Europe. (If you or another leader of your venture hasn't already received an invitation, please register to take the survey; you may also recommend a project at: http://2010survey.jewishecosystem.org/)
"New initiatives, whether they are independent startups or intrepreneurial ventures at established institutions, are the building blocks for 21st-century Judaism," said Shawn Landres, co-founder and CEO of Jumpstart. "By mapping the field and profiling its leaders, we can anticipate new directions for our communities and focus our efforts where support is most needed."
"The report from the previous survey changed the conversation about innovation within the Jewish world,” said Jumpstart co-founder and COO Joshua Avedon. “The leaders who take this year's survey will be able to make the case to their partners, constituents and funders that they are shaping Jewish life for the 21st century."
Based on the 2008 Survey of New Jewish Organizations and the research that yielded the concept of an Innovation Ecosystem, the 2010 survey focuses on understanding the leaders of new Jewish initiatives, in addition to documenting key changes since the previous survey was conducted in November-December 2008. The survey is open to all Jewish startups, regardless of budget size; reflecting new trends in social innovation, it also is open to non-tax-exempt social enterprises.
The survey's expansion to Canada and Europe marks the first-ever transatlantic census of innovative and entrepreneurial Jewish ventures. Jumpstart expressed a hope to expand globally next year, to include Israel and countries in Latin America. Israeli and Latin American organizations should also register for the survey.
"The Innovation Ecosystem report has served as a rallying point for innovators and their supporters," said Felicia Herman, executive director of The Natan Fund. "By repeating the survey now, and extending its international reach, especially in the wake of the economic crisis, we hope to help current and potential funders and nonprofit leaders make data-driven decisions that will strengthen 21st-century Jewish life."
David Shor, an entertainment executive who holds the rights to make a musical based on “Sleepless in Seattle,” said that he began sending “20 Things to Do With Matzah” via e-mail to friends as a holiday greeting, and then began corresponding over the Facebook website with Ms. Citrin, who is part of the Brooklyn indie music scene and whose other popular YouTube pieces include “Rosh Hashanah Girl.”
He eventually tapped her to help write the music and lyrics, and she brought in another colleague, Josh Nelson, a musician who is a former director of jazz ensembles at Boston University.
This is just a quick update to let you know that we are off to great start over here in Vilnius at the ROI-Paideia European gathering. Beto and Brachi (from Paideia) did an amazing job with all the preparations and naturally took on their leading roles as the gathering got underway.
We began this morning with an intense staff training meeting where we reviewed the schedule and shared facilitation methods. Once all the participants arrived and registered, we kicked off the gathering with a series of interactive high-energy ice-breakers led by Beto and Brachi. We then broke out into small group discussions that will be continuing throughout the gathering. Following dinner, we held the official opening where Barbara Spectre and I spoke on behalf of our respective organizations. Then the President of the Lithuanian Jewish community welcomed us with an emotional speech in Yiddish, and Simon Gurevich, the impressive 28-year-old executive director of the community gave a welcome that was nothing short of a hilarious stand-up comedy act! The event also featured musical interludes by our Polish participant, Piotr, who composes Jewish jazz music. The energy is running high and people are excited to dive-into the intensive day of programming that is planned for tomorrow.
We were also all very relieved and happy to finally greet No’a, who deserves a medal for enduring a grueling day of Polish mishaps - she had been stuck in Warsaw for about 8 hours as a result of the communication tower at the airport going dark. Thank goodness she's here now!
More updates soon, as the gathering continues in Vilnius...
Everywhere I went this weekend at LimmudLA, I heard everyone - adults, parents, kids, singles - talking about how amazing Bible Raps was, enabling the Limmudniks to participate in this practically instant original rap video, titled "Learn, Baby, Learn" (which was also the slogan on the LimmudLA t-shirts).
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ROIers are going to be out in force at this weekend's LimmudLA conference (see below schedule) - plus, late-breaking news that Alan Grabinsky (Moishe House, Mexico City) will be speaking on "Threats and Challenges of Innovative Jewish Organizations in the Jewish Community of Mexico City" (check schedule for date and time).
Also coming…David Cygielman (Moishe House), Eileen Levinson (Haggadot.com), and others!
If I find time, I will be tweeting from @EstherK with the #limmudla hashtag. And if you're registered for the conference, don't forget to join us at the reception for ROIers and Friends of Jewish Innovation (which means it's open to anyone who wants to join us) Sunday night. See below or click here for a link to the Facebook invite.)
Seventy percent of the Billboard #1 songs this year were Hip-Hop. The Bible Raps Tool-Kit uses this interest to help over 100 educators transmit our tradition to their students. In this session, we will explore the songs that didn't make the tool-kit because they were, in one word, too Gangsta. While these songs push the envelope, they may in fact resonate more deeply with teens and young adults due to their attachment to the more controversial elements of Hip-Hop. Expect a sophisticated discussion of Hip-Hop culture and songs that may be PG-13 -- even though they are much tamer than some of the songs that get commercial radio play.
"I'm Not White, I'm Jewish": Jewish Identity Through Rap (MattBar)
What does it mean to be Jewish? How did important biblical figures like King David or Moshe relate to their "Jewishness"? Do Maimonides' thirteen principles of faith still resonate for Jewish student and young adults today? How does a modern midrashist relate his relationship to Judaism through the medium of rap? Through text study, discussion, and performance, participants will explore different ways figures throughout history have connected to Judaism.
“The Talk Show” (featuring Esther Kustanowitz, MattBar and others)
Friday 10:30 PM-11:45 PM
With one host, one sofa, 3-4 guests and a musical act, The Talk Show is a lively dose of conversation and entertainment.
SATURDAY
Saturday Morning Services: Liberal Egalitarian (Naomi Less)
Rabbi Jonathan Aaron of Temple Emanuel, Rabbi Rachel Timoner of Leo Baeck Temple and musicians Naomi Less and Avram Mandell will collaborate on an eclectic music-accompanied Shabbat morning service.
There can be no doubt that certain passages and indeed full parshas of the Torah of caused some in our respective congregations to recoil in horror. This is specifically true of those members of our congregations that identify themselves as LGBT, Jews of Color, and women. In this session, we will explore those passages and parshas in the literal context, apply these texts to a modern context with the overall hope of moving from literalism to interpretation to tolerance.
Over the past decade or so, the Jewish world has witnessed the emergence of a new landscape of innovative startups. These enterprises have created new entry points to Jewish life, and new ways of building Jewish community. This diverse and vibrant collective of new Jewish initiatives is evolving into an organic communal infrastructure for the Jewish community in the 21st century. This session is a tour though the diverse and vibrant ecosystem driving Jewish innovation across the globe. Meet some of the innovators and find out how their work is changing the Jewish world.
What's so Jewish about basic improv comedy? This informal, participatory workshop introduces the basics of both improv comedy and Jewish community to Jews and Judeophiles of all ages.
The world offers us myriad leadership models that purport to offer the solution to the complexities of modern day life. More than anything, Judaism's leadership models show us that context and timing are the keys to offering leadership that is relevant, resonant and values-based. It's all holy and quite situational.
TEEN: Money, Madoff and Mensches: Judaism's Take on Wealth, Capitalism and Responsibility (Aaron Edelheit)
As Jews, what role does money play in our lives? How does it drive our decisions, aspirations, and goals? How does Judaism view the pursuit of wealth? Does Judaism see money and property as a means or an ends? How can money be a blessing or a curse? Can one be fully engaged with Judaism and still have the car, the bling and the flashy house? Come hear from financial gurus, philanthropy experts and others about the role money plays in their Jewish lives. Note: this session is for teens only.
Join Jewish Chick Rocker Naomi Less for a light yoga/meditation/musical exploration through prayer -- explore prayers that deal with the body, breathing, and song.
Bible Raps has mastered the difficult art of making text study relevant, creative and fun for Jewish youth, inspiring young people and engaging with them to produce hip-hop music with lyrics from textual learning. Come see what it’s all about and take part in the Bible Raps Workshop! All ages are invited.
Naomi Less, Jewish Chick Rocker, hosts an egalitarian Songwriting Circle. This session is open to any songwriters, novice or experienced. Participants will share their work with a nurturing circle of 'rachamim' (compassion). Naomi encourages songwriters to hear their work out loud, share it with a caring human soundboard and learn from the reflective mirror the listeners provide. Take a risk in a safe environment. Please bring your song and your own instrument if you use one.
Holy Hands and Holy Eyes: The Hebrew Midwives (Yoni Gordis)
Explore the characters of the midwives who birthed Moshe and the Jewish people. How did they see things differently than everyone else? What radicalism allowed them to be so different? How do we assimilate their lessons and continue birthing a visionary nation?
Join musician/activist/professional volunteer Anthony Rogers-Wright and entertainment attorney/musician Shep Rosenman and surprise guests and allow yourself to be led in various traditional and not so traditional Jewish songs. Please bring your instruments, your voices, and your imagination to this session that puts the "cool" in collaboration.
The British Supreme Court has taken up an explosive issue about a Jewish Day School that didn't allow in a converted Jew's son. This raises the question of who is a Jew and who isn't and who gets to determine it. This talk will be a discussion group.
This session will seek to educate the larger Jewish community about the experience of being a Jew of Color within a predominantly Ashkenazi world. Specific issues to be discussed include, but will not be limited to, dating/marriage, identification, stereotypes/racism within the Jewish community and others.
Kids, teenagers, and adults of all ages will enjoy the lyrical creativity of Matt Bar’s Bible Raps accompanied by his beat-boxing, guitar strumming musical producer Ori Salzberg. Hear the stories of the biblical stories of the Garden of Eden, Cain and Abel, Noah, the Aqedah, the Ten Plagues, David and Goliath, the Battle of Jericho, and more from a whole new perspective.
Yoni Gordis and Mimi Feigelson have been havrutas for many years and were Reb Shlomo Carlebach's last ordination students. Join them for this first public conversation on 21st century rabbis, including text study, stories, songs, and more.
Jewish Chicks Rock: Naomi Less in Concert (Naomi Less)
Join Naomi Less in concert featuring estro-powered-rock, tribal lyrics, rhythm, faith, spritual connection, and positivity. Naomi is the definitive chick who rocks!
Reception for ROIers and Friends of Jewish Innovation
Sunday 9:15-10:30 PM
A Sunday night meetup with LimmudLAers who are also ROIers, Jewish innovators, and other cool folks who know how to look at challenges and see opportunities, who use their creativity to strengthen Jewish identity, and let their passion fuel their lives. In other words, these are the SuperJews. PLEASE NOTE: This is for people who are registered at LimmudLA - people who are not registered will be asked to leave by hotel security (not our rule - sorry!). RSVP on Facebook or just come!
There's a megillah inside every Jew, not just those named Ruth and Esther. Jews are natural storytellers because our faith is based in oral and then written history. But what makes a story worth telling and retelling, generation after generation? In this experimental writing workshop, visit some noteworthy texts from Jewish tradition and engage in free-writing exercises based on and inspired by those texts.
We are thrilled to announce that No'a Gorlin, formerly of the Rashi Foundation, began work as our new Grants Manager on Monday, February 1. Her significant and diverse experience managing grants, cultivating donor relationships, and responding to the needs of funding partners makes her an ideal addition to the CLI office. Her work, which spans the business and philanthropic/nonprofit sectors will undoubtedly increase our capacity and get us back on track with our ROI grants. Her first act as grants manager will be to review the pending applications and dive-in coordinating the decision-making process, which we know you are all anxious for.
At the Rashi Foundation, No'a worked to develop new partnerships with private philanthropists, foundations and federations based in the U.S., which included cultivating partnerships through proposals, reporting and general investor relations. Before that, as the program officer at the Chais Foundation, she managed new funding requests and initiatives, and oversaw existing grants and relationships. She also served as the Associate Director of Kolot, a non-profit organization that runs a pluralistic Beit Midrash focused on increasing Jewish identity through text study, and before that was Marketing Manager at several for-profit companies. She has a B.A. in Psychology, and an Executive M.B.A., both from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and is fluent in Hebrew and English.
No'a looks forward to getting to know you and your projects in the months to come, and intends to provide advice, counsel and encouragement as you grow your innovative initiatives. You'll all be hearing from her soon! Welcome, No'a!
31 YOUNG INNOVATORS TO GATHER IN VILNIUS FEBRUARY 17-21, 2010
ROI Community/Paideia European Gathering Aims to Strengthen Jewish Culture and Innovation in Europe
February 4, 2010, Jerusalem, ISRAEL - With the aim of strengthening Jewish life and innovation in Europe, Paideia - The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden & the ROI Community have joined forces to create the 2010 ROI/Paideia European Regional Gathering, to be held in Vilnius, Lithuania, February 17-21, 2010. The Gathering will offer 31 European leaders and activists the unique opportunity to meet, learn and create together, while developing and improving their professional skills for the benefit of innovative work in Europe.
"Dictionary-wise, ‘tradition’ and ‘innovation’ are contradictory," says Barbara Spectre, Founding Director of Paideia. "But ROI and Paideia have learned that when inventive entrepreneurs are put in the mix, then tradition and innovation can be combined into dynamic creative projects that can reinvent and reinvigorate a culture almost lost. At this four-day seminar in Vilnius, these entrepreneurs can strengthen their skills, ignite new ideas, and realize that they are at the forefront of a remarkable movement to reignite Jewish culture in Europe."
The selected representatives, hailing from 16 European countries, represent areas of interest ranging from Jewish Salons directors in Vienna and Amsterdam to building online community in Hungary, and organizations like Hillel-Ukraine, Bnai Brith in Luxembourg, and Blickwechsel, an organization focusing on post-Shoah life in Germany. At the conference, participants will gain new knowledge, share their expertise with other European activists, present their work and learn more about other initiatives that are being developed all over Europe. The Gathering was open only to ROI & Paideia alumni from Europe who are developing, implementing or planning a European-based project as individuals or as part of an organization. The selection committee made its decision based on the project's impact, what stage the project is in and considered geographical and gender balance factors.
Of the 31 participants representing 16 countries, 10 participated in a past ROI Summit or Regional Gathering. The faculty is made up of local community leaders with representation from the two sponsoring organizations: CLI Director of Israel Programs Justin Korda and the ROI Program Director Beto Maya are representing CLI on faculty for the Gathering, with Barbara Spectre, Brachi Lipshitz, Fabian Sborovsky and Erik Gribbe representing Paideia. Past ROIer Aharon Horwitz (Israel), co-founder and director of the PresenTense Group, will serve as one of the facilitators for the Gathering together with Nirit Roessler, director of the Pradler Program and Clive Lawton, one of the founders of Limmud UK .
Paideia – The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Swedenis a non-denominational academic framework that was established in 2001 with funding from the Swedish government. Dedicated to the revival of Jewish culturein Europe, Paideia educates leaders for Europe - academicians, artists and community activists - towards fluency in the Jewish textual sources that have served as the wellspring of Jewish civilization. For more information, visit: http://www.paideia-eu.org/
The ROI Community is a growing global network of young Jewish innovators that was created by Lynn Schusterman in the summer of 2006 as a partnership between the Center for Leadership Initiatives and Taglit-Birthright Israel. With participants and alumni from more than 30 countries, ROI identifies outstanding young Jewish innovators, ages 22–34, and provides personal and career development and support. Equally encouraging of both projects carried out within local Jewish communities and universal initiatives based on Jewish values, ROI channels young innovators' activism by introducing them to like-minded innovators and activists from around the world, and inspires them to reach new levels of achievement. For more information, visit: http://roicommunity.org
Two years ago, the Tikun Olam Committee of El Salvador received an ROI seed fund grant: $4,000.00 designated for "books and scholarships for students in the Instituto Estado de Israel in La Paz, El Salvador". Aside from the books and scholarships, there was enough money to buy more things: cloth for uniforms, sporting goods and the upgrade of the computer room of the institute. In December, the Tikun Olam Committee completed funding the upgrading of the computer lab of the Instituto Estado de Israel in Jerusalen, La Paz, which concluded the work paid for by the grant.
"The whole process of diagnosis, getting the parts and repairing the 15 computers and its mother system took almost a year," explained project director Aaron Sztarkman, noting that the institute lies pretty far away from San Salvador.
The work was finished last October, but due to personal reasons and uncontrollable external factors - like a hurricane that almost destroyed the area in November - the project couldn't be completed until this past December.
Sztarkman reports a bonus: "There was enough money left to buy new basketball hoops for their court." (See pictures of the upgraded computer lab, at left.) "With this donation we complete the grant that ROI gave us almost two years ago."
[William Levin, left, with Michelle Citrin, on the set of "20 Things to Do With Matzah," 2007]
One year ago, the Limmud NY 2009 conference was, I've been told, a disaster. While I did not attend, I heard harrowing tales of woe from the hundreds of jilted Jews who had been stranded at a chilly hotel resort in upstate New York with no working heat or hot water. The frigid 2009 conference may have dissuaded some from attending in 2010, but I figured lightning was unlikely to strike twice in the same place, and this year was bound to be a redeeming success. I was right!
Call it a comeback. The Limmud NY 2010 conference was booked solid, with all 700 attendance slots filled. The climate this year was warm and inviting, with hundreds of Jews of all denominations and levels of observance converging in a family-like atmosphere for prayer, meditation, learning, and entertainment. I was fortunate to be invited to lead an animation workshop, which was mostly attended by extremely savvy kids and their parents, and presented a short movie I produced about Jewish heroes to the entire conference. And, as an added bonus, I joined friend and fellow ROI conference attendee, Michelle Citrin, onstage for a live performance of our Passover hit song, "20 Things To Do With Matzah."
Shabbat services were lively, concluded with a conference-wide havdalah musical celebration. Over the weekend I attended several workshops, including a peaceful shabbat yoga class, a comedy improv class with comedian Joel Chasnoff, and an illuminating Torah study with keynote speaker, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. Perhaps the most helpful class for me was a guide to Jewish book publishing with renowned author and publisher, Arthur Kurzweil. His advice will come in handy as I strive to publish a book of my Shabot comic strips this year.
The Limmud NY conference was a delightful experience, and I highly recommend attending. They even offer scholarships for students and individuals who might be turned off by the cost. If you regret having missed the New York conference this year, fear not, there's always Limmud NY 2011. Just be sure to sign up early. I won't need to, because I'm volunteering.
We are excited to present to you the list of participants and staff for the 2010 European Gathering for the Paideia and ROI Communities (bios to come)! We hope that you'll reach out to them to welcome them to the network and introduce them to your projects as they join our ROI/CLI family.
Want to put yourself on the global Jewish innovation map? Whether you're a social enterprise or a nonprofit initiative, you can become part of the growing movement of Jewish innovation by registering for the 2010 Survey of New Jewish Initiatives, launched last week by 
We are thrilled to announce that No'a Gorlin, formerly of the Rashi Foundation, began work as our new Grants Manager on Monday, February 1. Her significant and diverse experience managing grants, cultivating donor relationships, and responding to the needs of funding partners makes her an ideal addition to the CLI office. Her work, which spans the business and philanthropic/nonprofit sectors will undoubtedly increase our capacity and get us back on track with our ROI grants. Her first act as grants manager will be to review the pending applications and dive-in coordinating the decision-making process, which we know you are all anxious for.
31 YOUNG INNOVATORS TO GATHER IN VILNIUS FEBRUARY 17-21, 2010
Two years ago, the Tikun Olam Committee of El Salvador received an ROI 
