JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

Man bilks dog: Helsmley’s pooch loses $10 million of its inheritance

By Jacob Berkman · June 17, 2008

Just in case you somehow missed this one: The New York Post reports that Leona Helmsley's dog, Trouble, lost $10 million of the $12 million bequeathed to it by the late real-estate mogul left when she died last August.

In a deal with Helsmley's estate that also saw the two grandchildren she cut out of her will awarded multimillion-dollar inheritances, $10 million of Trouble's trust fund was awarded to Helmsley's multibillion-dollar charitable foundation.

According to the Post, Trouble will probably still get by on the smaller allowance:

"Two million dollars . . . would be enough money to pay for Trouble's maintenance and welfare at the highest standards of care for more than 10 years, which is more that twice her reasonably anticipated life expectancy," he said.

Lekic put her annual expenses at $190,000, which includes his $60,000 guardian fee, $100,000 for 'round-the-clock security, $8,000 for grooming, $3,000 for miscellaneous expenses, $1,200 for food and anywhere from $2,500 to $18,000 for medical care.

2 Comments | Share This | miscellaneous |

Comings and goings: Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation

By Jacob Berkman · June 17, 2008

The country's largest Jewish-focused foundation, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, which has about $2.3 billion in assets and gives away more than $110 million per year, has hired two new program officers.

Amy Kleine will focus on grants addressing the issues of workforce development, homelessness, and hunger.

Alycia Steinberg will focus on grants addressing the issues of health care, especially focused on direct services for older adults.

Both will also serve on the team responsible for administering the foundation's Maryland Small Grants Program for non-profits seeking operating budget grants of up to $50,000 a year for two years.

On the job opening front, there are again more development director positions open all over the country.

Jewish Family and Life Media in Boston is looking for a Development Director.

And Hillel has a number of jobs open at local outposts:

• Development and Office Manager-Hillel Second Generation, Aventura, FL.
• Development Coordinator-Johns Hopkins University Hillel, Baltimore, MD.
• Development Director-New Orleans Hillel, New Orleans, LA.
• Development Director-Towson University Hillel, Towson, MD.
• Development Director-University of Virginia Hillel, Charlottesville, VA.

And here's the Fundermentalist pitch: If you are a foundation or non-profit professional and know of any openings or new hires, let the Fundermentalist know at jberkman@jta.org.

0 Comments | Share This | comings & goings, Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Hillel, job openings, organizations, personnel moves |

Falling dollar drops on Jewish Agency as well

By Jacob Berkman · June 17, 2008

The day after JTA reported that the weak dollar is forcing the Joint to cut 60 jobs and other programing to deal with a $60 million shortfall, the JPost reports that the Jewish Agency is asking the government of Israel to become a more involved partner. Why? The falling dollar.

The chairman of the Jewish Agency, Ze'ev Bielski, reached out to the Knesset's Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Committee on Monday. He asked the committee to partner more with the Jewish Agency, like it does on the MASA program. The government and JAFI are 50-50 partners in MASA, a program which gives sizable grants to Diaspora Jews to spend extended time at educational and social service programs in Israel.

In particular, the JPost reported, the agency would like the Israeli government to partner on programs in the former Soviet Union, as officials estimate the agency has lost 30 percent of its buying power because of the dollar.

0 Comments | Share This | American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, FSU, Jewish Agency |

JDC laying off 60 people, cutting aid programs

By Jacob Berkman · June 17, 2008

Before it was buzz, now it's official: The JDC is letting about 60 people go and looking to eliminate some programs.

Here's the first few graffs:

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is cutting programming and is laying off 60 staffers in its overseas and New York offices, its executive vice president told JTA.

The JDC said it already has had to cut aid to 25,000 people in the former Soviet Union and would need to eliminate some programs, but declined to say which ones.

Executive Vice President Steven Schwager in a telephone interview Monday said the organization will cut eight staffers in New York and 52 in Israel and other countries.

Schwager said the cuts, which have been discussed internally for three months, became necessary because the falling dollar has left the organization with an estimated $60 million budget shortfall.

"Between the weak dollar and inflation, we have lost about 20 percent of the purchasing power of our money around the world and we have started to make serious programmatic cuts to get back to our program budget," he said.

"We also looked at our world staff and senior staff and are in the process yesterday, today and tomorrow of notifying around 60 people around the world in New York, Jerusalem, the FSU, Europe and Latin America that we are making a staff reduction."

Click here to read the full story.

0 Comments | Share This | American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, FSU, poverty |