JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

Lookin for a J-O-B?

By Jacob Berkman · June 13, 2008

The Fundermentalist will also be keeping an eye out for job openings in the Jewish non-profit world.

Judging by a quick look at the roundup of Jewish orgs looking for development directors, the Chronicle of Philanthropy may have been dead on when it reported in August that there is a dearth of talent in the field.

Here's a roundup of openings:

• The ADL is looking for a director of development, an assistant director of development and a director of major gifts.
• The Jewish Social Service Agency in Washington is looking for a director of development.
• The American Jewish World Service is looking for a grant writer.
• Hillel is looking for an assistant director of development for direct response.
• Yeshiva University is looking for a director of annual giving.

[UPDATE: The original list contained two errors, sorry.]

If you are currently unhappy at work, looking for a new job and get busted by your boss checking out one of these links, just blame it on me. Say: "The Fundermentalist made me do it" – and then let us know what the response is.

If you are an org with job openings, send us a link to the job posting at jberkman@jta.org. We're happy to spread the word.

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Bloomberg gives away $60 million through the Carnegie Corporation

By Jacob Berkman · June 13, 2008

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is anonymously giving $60 million in grants to 542 organizations through the Carnegie Corporation, according to a New York Times report.

Though the gifts, which range from $10,000 to $150,000, are technically anonymous, it is an open secret that they are coming from Bloomberg.

Hizzoner, who is in the process of starting a personal foundation, has given some $175 million away through Carnegie since 2002, the Times says, including $30 million last year.

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Newman’s loan: A $120 million gift

By Jacob Berkman · June 13, 2008

If you ask the Fundermentalist, the characters that Paul Newman has played onscreen have had some of movie lore's greatest nicknames: "Cool Hand" Luke, "Fast" Eddie Felson, Reggie "Reg" Dunlop, "Butch" Cassidy and Henry Gondorff.

But maybe it's time to bestow a nickname upon the real-life Newman: "Nice Guy" Newman.

According to FoxNews, Newman gave away to charity some $120 million between 2005-2006, when he passed his entire ownership stake in the food purveyor Newman's Own, to the Newman's Own Foundation.

Fox reports:

According to Newman's Own federal tax filing for 2006, the actor personally gave away $8,746,500 to a variety of groups that support children, hurricane relief in the Gulf Coast, education and the arts.

Some of Newman's recipients are well-known: He gave Rosie O'Donnell's children's program $5,000 and even donated $25,000 to his pal Robert Redford's Sundance Institute. But most of them are for the kinds of programs that we never hear about, the kind that simply keep people alive.

The report also talks briefly about Newman's battle with lung cancer, but assures us that Newman is not giving away his fortune because he believes he is dying.

In other news, according to the same report, Steven Spielberg gave George Lucas a $2,500 Sony OLED mini-TV for his birthday.

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Take II on Birthright bash

By · June 13, 2008

Guest post by Editor Man

The Fundermentalist's post on the big Birthright bash in Jerusalem a few weeks ago was, well, priceless:

One night of fireworks. Renting an amphitheater for 7,500. One staged shtick that involves a helicopter display. A hundred member dance troupe. Cost: Somewhere around a few hundred thousand dollars, according to the head of the Birthright Israel foundation, Jay Golan.

Watching one Israeli prime minister currently in the political gallows for alleged underhanded dealings with ultra-wealthy Americans publicly hobnob with ultra-wealthy Americans, then give an awkward rah rah speech in front of 6,500 18-26 year old Diaspora Jews most of whom have never heard the name Talansky: Priceless.

Now the editor of the Jewish Week, Gary Rosenblatt, offers his own account, and notes another irony:

[Was it] ironic that towards the evening's end, HarPaz led the crowd in a heartfelt rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine," with everyone singing about an ideal world of no nations and no religion? Mixed message? Absolutely. But everyone was having too good a time to deconstruct the good feelings created by having so many thousands of young Jews together, celebrating Israel and their Jewishness.

There are, no doubt, valid criticisms of the hedonistic aspects of the Birthright trips, and surely there could be more serious Jewish content infused in the tours. But there is no arguing with the fact that Birthright has been a huge success in attracting so many young people who may never have visited, or thought about, Israel had it not been for this bold venture.

For one night, at least, there was a palpable sense of excitement and Jewish unity and pride in the cool night air of Latrun, and one can only hope that those good feelings will last a lifetime.

Another reason to visit the Fundermentalist's original post: Video of Olmert's "Rocky Balboa-type welcome."

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