Giving…. The drug of choice

Three inspirational people addressed a JCA event last night and spoke about the organisations and causes that they are passionate about.  They live and breathe the work they do. 

Ondine Sherman from Voiceless, Richard Lubner from Afrika Tikkun and Ron Delezio from Day of Difference discussed philanthropy with JCA’s Peter Ivany AM – pointing out that while it’s necessary for a strategic and businesslike approach to supporting an organisation, at the end of the day, it’s a life changing experience for everyone involved.

The Delezio Family

Ron Delezio in particular is aware of how a life changing experience can tilt your world on its axis.  Ron’s daughter Sophie has lived through two horrific accidents, motivating him through Day of Difference Foundation to provide support services to families of critically injured kids.  His message is simple – a quote from the great Sir Winston Churchill – “Sometimes it is not good enough to do your best. Sometimes you need to go that little bit further.”

A carer for Afrika Tikkun

Similarly when asked why his passion was for children in South Africa as opposed to more localised causes, Richard responded that one can’t place the importance of a life of one child above that of another, regardless of whether they are located in Africa, India, Afganistan or Australia.

Brian and Ondine Sherman, Founders of Voiceless

Ondine said that her work at Voiceless is to raise an awareness of animal rights and start a change in thought process when people eat meat – not to move them to become vegans or vegatarians but to be conscious of the quality of life of those animals and ensure their humane treatment before they land on their plate.

From personal experience, I know how easy it is to get bogged down in the day to day activities of running a not for profit organisation and forget that the ultimate objective of JCA, like all other charities, is simply to help others. It was inspiring to listen to others who have an enormous challenge and yet are still able to quietly keep putting one foot in front of the other and make a difference, one person at a time, or one animal at a time, or one sick child at a time.

It comes down to definition of what philanthropy is. Despite coming from different backgrounds, this is something Ron, Richard and Ondine had no problems in defining.

Philanthropy is a passion. It’s seeing a need and doing something to fill that need.

Philanthropy is a choice. It’s a strong sense of wanting to make the world a better place.

Philanthropy is respect. It’s seeing something wrong that others around you others don’t seem to see and feeling a sense of responsibility to make it right.

Philanthropy is asking yourself are you comfortable with things the way they are and tapping into a level of consciousness to stimulate happiness in yourself and others.

Philanthropy is a return on investment.  It’s being committed to making your endeavours successful and being accountable to your donors who are just as important as business investors.  You are as responsible to them as you are to someone you are doing business with on a commercial level.

Ultimately philanthropy is the process of reshaping lives. It is the symbiotic relationship of how what you do irrevocably changes someone else’s life for the better and the impact your connection to them irrevocably changes you.

As Ron Delezio articulated, the joy you receive when you realise the happiness you’ve given to others is a high that can become an addiction. It changes the way you operate and the activities you undertake to get that great feeling that contributes to your own wellbeing.

Richard spoke about a recent documentary he had watched on the chemical reaction that takes place in the brain when a person gives.  In a study undertaken at Harvard Business School, it confirmed that giving makes you feel good. 

We, at JCA, acknowledge that our mission is three fold – to foster a sense of social connectedness to the community, to make a difference and to ensure that going forward we move in line with future trends to remain connected to the next generation.

Some say love is like a drug. Given all the personal benefits all I can say is: love move over, giving should be the drug of choice.

“You never get poor by giving” Peter Ivany AM

Ian Sandler is the Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Communal Appeal

The Best Job in the World

Peter Philippsohn OAM President of the JCA shares why he has the best job in the world.

Recently I was sitting at a communal dinner. As usual, the topic of conversation turned to Jewish Day Schools and the relative importance of a Jewish education. Today, this is more hotly discussed than I can ever remember in my thirty years of involvement with Jewish education in Sydney.

The big difference is that now I’m not just hearing it from parents, I’m also hearing it from grandparents and teachers past and present.

Though it appears that the numbers of children attending Jewish Day Schools at around 3400 is steady, the increased birthrate from 400 kids per year of late in the 20^th Century has risen to 500. This has cloaked the lower penetration. We all know the story of large numbers of Jewish kids going to government primary schools in Bellevue Hill, Rose Bay and St Ives. Parents take the stance that they will send their kids to government primary and then private (Jewish) high.

But is that the best for our kids? The maxim “Give me the child for seven years and I will give you the man” is not limited to the Jesuits. $12,000 to $20,000 of after tax dollars per child for school fees puts pressure on every family even the affluent ones. In many case it’s a matter of priorities. The family trip overseas versus a child’s future. It’s a difficult choice. If we don’t do enough for their Jewish education from early on, will we already have lost our children?

Another factor is that our Jewish high schools are equipped to accommodate the current number of kids in Jewish primary schools plus a small number who may switch from government schools. We don’t have the capacity to accommodate the 2500 kids now attending government primary schools. Every year 200 of those kids will graduate from  primary to high. Many parents talk about switching them at that point to a Jewish school. Today, we can’t house even a quarter of that number.

But back to that dinner. The woman alongside me, a grandmother, said that she had sent her kids to a Jewish Day School because ensuring that her kids marry Jewish was the most important thing she could do for their happiness and for Jewish continuity. She bemoaned the fact that many of today’s children are now so removed from the intense Jewish feeling of the 1940s through 1970s that without a strong Jewish education they would feel little connection to the Jewish world.

Now, look back at the title of this piece. “The best job in the world”. This is what she said to me. “You have the best job in the world because you are in a position to make a difference.”

That resonated with me. As president of JCA, I am often asked what keeps you up at night. Fortunately the JCA is an extremely well run operation and I must admit I rarely lose sleep over it; however when I do it comes in two areas. One is the above mentioned topic of what will Jewish education in NSW look like in 20 years. The other is that more of the next generation are not playing their part in contributing to our community.

The world is changing. Many Gen X and Gen Y, even the products of our day schools, no longer feel an innate need to support the community here andIsrael. At JCA, $3.3m of the $12-13m raised annually goes to fee assistance and special needs in our day schools. It’s less than 5% of their running cost.  Even with a recent $4m endowment, it’s not enough to make a significant difference.

But I’m not the only one with the best job in the world. You too have a job. It’s what you do for the next generation. Your kids or somebody else’s kids. Giving or volunteering. It becomes the best job when we can see kids developing a deep love for the traditions and practices that have kept the flame burning for three thousand years and see them wanting to be part of the heritage.

I wish you Chag Sameach and well over the fast.

Does our money trail lead you back to where you thought your donation was going?

An interesting article appeared in Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday entitled, “Good intentions, but where is the money trail?”

It discussed the accounting and accountability practices of high profile not for profits such as the McGrath Foundation and the Shane Warne Foundation.  The latter produces no accounts yet hosts glitzy events at star studded venues like Melbourne’s Crown Casino and has a stellar cast of supporters. 

The McGrath Foundation came under fire for banking $10 million but justified their actions by assuring the public that it was bound to pay for currently contracted Breast Cancer nurses and that this was viewed as a responsible practice.  No argument there.  In addition they reported that 15c of every dollar was spent on administrative costs with an additional 7c per dollar on fundraising totaling 22c.

As the Chief Executive Officer of the JCA this made me reflect on our organisation and the position we would be in if confronted with queries of this nature. 

Firstly I am pleased to report that we run a lean operation at the JCA.  Our administration and fundraising costs total only 13 cents of the dollar.  Having done extensive research in this area there are not many charities that can match that number.

What this really means is that your donation is reaching those who need it most and will go where you want and intend it to go – to the recipients of services provided by our 21 member organisations.  And whilst the Federal Government intends to establish a national regulator next year, JCA is already governed internally by a responsible group of people dedicated to ensuring that our accounts are transparent and that we are accountable to you, our community.

At our campaign events held over the past few months, President Peter Philippsohn OAM addressed the community and stated “You, as a donor have a right to know where your money is going.”

Detailed information was published in our annual Source Magazine [click here to view] and a four page article appeared in the Jewish News edition of 27 May.

And while perhaps we don’t have Liz Hurley’s white jeans to auction or an arrow shot by Russell Crowe in Robin Hood, we do have a product to invest in that is priceless – our community, our future, you.

Click here to see full coverage of the article that appeared in the SMH on 28 June.

 

Ian Sandler is the Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Communal Appeal

JCA’s Communal Event: Experience a Sense of Togetherness

As our 2011 Campaign draws to a close and the JCA Communal Event approaches, I feel it appropriate to reflect on the importance of communal support and tzedakah. Over the past several weeks, we have seen some amazing generosity from our community members, made all the more special in that we are now experiencing a time of financial instability and political uncertainty. Your donations are crucially important, enabling the dedicated group of people who work at the JCA and our member organisations to implement the services required. However there is also something to be said for rallying together and simply revelling in a shared identity.

There is constant concern over the loss of Jewish existence. Many of us fear that we will wake up one day and find Judaism a thing of the past. We work hard to prevent disengagement, implementing initiatives to ensure the continuation of the Jewish way of life and the ideology from which it originates. Sometimes the best way to achieve connection is by showing people what there is to connect to.

Nothing can rival the feeling of joy and pride as you look around a room packed with people, connect with some that you know and others you might not, and know that each and every person present is not only Jewish, but also represents the support network that exists in our dynamic community.

JCA’s Communal Event, held on August 3rd is about creating this phenomenon for the Sydney Jewish community and is unparalleled by any other event we hold during our campaign. Once a year an open invitation is sent out to our entire community – from our stalwarts to our newest members, from those people in the geographical heart to those living on the fringes. We welcome community members to sit down, enjoy a meal together, learn something about our community, benefit from an engaging speaker, and above all experience a sense of togetherness. As mentioned last week, at this year’s event we are privileged to hear David Harris, Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee, a man who recently played an integral role in the recent Obama/Netanyahu talks. For a sneak peak Click Here.

JCA’s Communal Event is also an opportunity to honor those members past and present, who have dedicated their time and effort to enhancing the strength and vibrancy of our society.

I invite you all to attend. It will be an inspirational evening. As the American poet Marilyn Hacker said “Community means people spending time together…” I look forward to sharing this evening with you.

Shabbat Shalom

To book Click Here

To learn more about David Harris, Click Here

Ian Sandler is the Chief Executive Officer of the JCA.

Asking Yourself the Important Questions

Many of the problems faced by the Sydney Jewish community are universal. It therefore makes sense that when searching for solutions we look towards international Jewish leaders who are displaying a new generation of thinking and making a remarkable impact in addressing the issues arising in their own communities and beyond.

One such leader is David Harris.  

As the Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), David Harris who will be our guest speaker at our big communal event on 3 August, works at the highest level to advance the well-being of Israel, monitor the condition of Jewish communities and promote intergroup and interreligious understanding. Well respected, David has been honoured for his work by numerous countries and frequently addresses the United States Congress, the World Economic Forum and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Mostly recently he has been integrally involved in the meetings between Benyamin Netanyahu and President Obama.

Of great note is David’s participation in the mentoring of future Jewish leaders. Nikki Dunn, one of our community’s up and coming leaders had the opportunity to hear David Harris speak and we are privileged to have her tell us of her experience:

“In 2008 I was provided with the opportunity to meet and be inspired by top international Jewish leaders at the forefront of innovation in dealing with the biggest problems facing the Jewish world today through AUJS’s Leadership Development Program.

Though all incredible, one person I found to be particularly inspirational and dynamic was an individual by the name of David Harris. David asked us one simple question that I had never been asked before: “Why be Jewish; what does it mean to be Jewish in this post-nationalist, post-religious 21^st Century”? This seemed like a logical question to ask, but in all of my 13 years at a Jewish Day school, I had never been guided to reflect on the most important question I could be asked. So important in fact, that it revolutionised my relationship with my Jewish identity and in turn, changed the course of my Jewish journey forever.

David made a lot of profound statements that day, but one which particularly resonated with me was his phrase ‘put the joy before the oy’. David highlighted that in order to ensure a vibrant, strong, flourishing Jewish community that adds value to lives which we are all proud to be a part of, there must be an understanding of our connection with being Jewish in stable and joyful periods, not just during the crises (as is often the case).

Undoubtedly, David’s inspiring words that day influenced the position in which I find myself today. I am currently the Assistant Director of Hillel, and part of my role is to lead, manage and inspire our ‘Why Be Jewish’ (YBJ) internship, where five young adult interns are commissioned to reflect on this question for themselves and their peers and ensure that our output is meaningful and relevant to the current climate.”

Thank you to Nikki for an insight into her amazing experience.

David Harris will be speaking at the JCA Communal Event on 3^rd August where we will also be recognising two people who have made significant and powerful differences in our local community.

If you need your David Harris fix now, David currently writes a blog on international affairs at the Huffington Post which you can access here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-harris/

Have you had the opportunity to hear David Harris speak? If so what did he say that really resonated with you? Did you enjoy it as much as Nikki? What would you like to hear him speak about?

Maccabi: providing some great opportunities if sport is your thing

When discussing our community organisations, much time is spent talking about the services they provide and what resources are required to run them. Rarely do we hear from the recipients of these services to get a user-end perspective.

Along with our volunteer testimonial vlogs JCA President Peter Philippsohn debuted last week, JCA Today will delve into what the services provided by some of our member organisations mean to those who use them in a series of blog posts. Each recipient testimonial will follow the YouTube clips we have called our Testimonial Series.

Following last week’s clip with Anthony Goodridge, we were lucky to grab Joel Weiner’s insights into his involvement with Maccabi.

Joel, a 21yr old student from Sydney’s Eastern suburbs has been using Maccabi’s services since he was 6. Maccabi, whose mission is to establish “Jewish identity through sport,” was informally founded in 1925 when the first known interstate meeting of two sports bodies of Jewish descent in Australia occurred with NSW cricket visiting Melbourne. When asked why he chose Maccabi over other non Jewish sporting organisations Joel said the decision was initially that of his parents.

“With most kids starting out at a very young age, it’s really about the parents wanting their kids to meet other Jewish kids and play sport. As you get older, you can go to carnival and experience the social aspects of sport while meeting Jews from around the country. Week to week during the year it’s still about the sport, playing with your mates and having some fun.”

Though Joel’s love for sport would not be diminished if Maccabi didn’t exist, he believed playing for a different a different club would be far less rewarding.

The importance of Maccabi to Joel is that it contributes to the services provided by our community. “Our community has something for everyone, whether you’re young or old, Maccabi makes up part of that puzzle.” He therefore feels that it is very important to support Maccabi but like many of us, Joel is interested to see how his generation will choose to do so in the future.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how our generation take charge of our community and continue the hard work put in by its past leaders . It’s such a vital part of our community. Sport is universal and something that combines everyone together, be it for competitive sport or social sport.”

Thanks to Joel for sharing his experiences and what Maccabi truly means to him.

What, if anything, does Maccabi mean to you? Do you feel this organisation is necessary or are we just doubling up on resources by providing services already provided by non Jewish clubs and organisation?

Introducing JCA’s Testimonial Series by Peter Philippsohn OAM, President, JCA

“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.”
–Winston Churchill

People very often see the Jewish Communal Appeal as purely a fund raising organisation.

However, I’d rather think of JCA as part of our community’s people raising organisation.
People are our greatest asset.

In my ten years with JCA and earlier through other organisations, I’ve met many of our community’s great volunteers. These aren’t just the presidents and board members who give invaluable service, these are people who just want to “do something”.

If you’re reading this blog, there’s a very good chance that you’re one of them.  

I recently spent time with Ari Kuchar, a young videographer recently, putting together JCA’s Testimonial Series which involved interviewing six volunteers at some of our communal organisations. Ari’s comment at the end of the sessions was that he didn’t know that all these services existed in our local Jewish community. Ari found his greatest challenge was editing the to the final cut of the clip because “it was all such good stuff”.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be releasing these video interviews (vlogs) so you can meet some of the special people who we rely on. In no particular order they include:

• Liz Sharota at JewishCare offers bereavement counselling through its Chesed program.
  
• Anthony Goodridge at Maccabi coaches young kids in swimming
• Noellene Rosen at Sydney Jewish Museum records and documents the history of Holocaust survivors
  
• George Freund does anything that is asked of him at CoA
  
• Jeremy Spinak at the Board of Deputies guards against anti-semitism
  
• Linda Kugel at Moriah makes Parents into Friends
  

Each has a unique story as to how they came to volunteer for the community.   I hope you found them as engaging and personal as I did whilst filming.

I thank each of these volunteers for sharing their story with us.

Here is the first. Anthony Goodridge at Maccabi.