Jewish Philanthropy Podcast

  Topic: Changing the World through Philanthropy   Guest: Alicia Kaylie Yacoby    Alicia is the Founder and Chair of the Our6Million, a nonprofit organization dedicated to instilling family traditions for remembering those that have perished in the Holocaust. These efforts earned international recognition when she was awarded The Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad Award by Second Lady Karen Pence in 2018. Alicia is on the Board of Directors of Mini-Circuits, a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of RF and microwave components with locations in over 30 countries. Mini-Circuits was a proud sponsor of SpaceIL's space mission to the moon.   She is on the Board of Directors of the Harvey & Gloria Kaylie Foundation. Established in 1999, it was founded with the mission to support organizations involved in education, health, cancer research, and support for individuals living with disabilities.  In 2010, Camp Kaylie opened a summer camp in upstate New York devoted to inclusion of c

Topic: The 40th Yahrzeit of Rav Yitzchak Hutner zt'l, Rosh Yeshiva Chaim Berlin/Pachad Yitzchak    Rabbi Yehoshua Hartman is Rosh Beis HaMedrash at Hasmonean, London, disciple of HaRav Yitzchak Hutner ztl, and author of the multi-volume Machon Yerushalayim edition of the Maharal of Prague's works.  In this wide ranging interview, we cover:   1. I wasn't afraid of Him 2. My father's Rebbe 3. Pure Genius 4. Olam Haba in Olam HaZeh 5. Being Alive-Having Chiyus 6. Daas Torah opposite of Daas Baalei Batim 7. Kavod HaTorah 8. Being at the Chasuna/The Wedding   And much much more!  

Topic: Philanthropy Through Action   Rick Hodes is an American medical doctor specializing in cancer, heart disease, and spinal conditions. Since the 1980s he has worked in Ethiopia and has adopted a number of children from the country. Currently, he is the senior consultant at a Catholic mission working with sick destitutes suffering from heart disease (rheumatic and congenital), spine disease and cancer. He is medical director of the Joint Distribution Committee.   Dr. Hodes has been responsible for the health of Ethiopians immigrating to Israel and has worked with refugees in many African countries.   In 2007, Hodes was selected as a "CNN Hero," a program that highlights ordinary people for their extraordinary achievements. The American College of Physicians has awarded him “Mastership,” and the Rosenthal Award for creative practice of medicine.   Hodes work in Ethiopia was the subject of a HBO documentary, "Making the Crooked Straight" and a Marilyn Berger book, "This Is a Soul: The Mission of Rick Hode

Topic: A Tribute to Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt'l Rabbi Shaul Robinson took up the position of Senior Rabbi at Lincoln Square Synagogue on September 1, 2005. Rabbi Robinson was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1967 and earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Economics and Political Science at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. He was also awarded a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with Distinction from the University of Nottingham, England. His MBA focused on the management of Not-for-Profit institutions and his dissertation was titled "The Working Lives of Rabbis." In this episode we discuss: 1. Rabbi Sacks in Golders Green 2. Ascension to the Chief Rabbi position 3. Humility and the Personal Touch 4. Learning from Mistakes 5. Lady Elaine Sacks 6. World Intellectual/Post Chief-Rabbi 7. Yeshiva Study & the Yeshiva World And much much more!

Topic: Lessons from the Real Estate Industry & Beyond   Eastern Union Funding President and Founder Ira Zlotowitz took the commercial real estate mortgage industry by storm at the age of 21, when the budding entrepreneur had a break-out year. This was followed by three years during which he consistently increased already impressive production from the year prior. After that period, he formed Eastern Union Funding, now one of the largest national real estate brokerages servicing the commercial sector and continued to exhibit unmatched growth, establishing a track record as an innovator who has helped define the industry. In the course of his career Mr. Zlotowitz has earned extensive accolades, including being nominated in Crain’s “Forty-Under-40”, NJBiz’s “Forty-under-40”, and honored in Real Estate Forum’s “Tomorrow’s Leaders”. Mr. Zlotowitz – having built Eastern into a national firm with over 100 real estate professionals and closed $2.5 billion in the last 12 months – is in his prime, and, as s

             Topic: A Famous Child Elisha Wiesel is an American Businessman.  He worked for Goldman Sachs for a quarter of a century, serving as its Chief Information Officer for three years, until December 2019.  He is the only child of Holocaust survivor, author, professor, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Elie Weisel. In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Growing Pains 2. Powerful Influences 3. Stay in Your Lane 4. Black Lives Matter 5. 9/11 Crisis 6. Benefit of the Doubt 7. What would my Dad have said/done   And much much more!

Topic: Lessons of Gratitude Benjamin Brafman is an American criminal defense attorney, the founder of the Manhattan-based firm Brafman & Associates, P.C.. Brafman is known for representing many high-profile defendants, including celebrities, accused Mafia members, and political figures. In this wide ranging interview, we cover:   1. Can't Take the Boy out of Brooklyn 2. Lubavitcher Rebbe zt'l 3. What makes a good judge 4. Using fame and fortune for good 5. Importance of Family 6. Giving of your Time 7. Building a Jerusalem Cheder And much much more!

Topic: The Promise of Philanthropy Mark Gerson is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist.  He is the co-founder of Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG), a knowledge marketplace with more than 700,000 experts, Thuzio, Julius, Voray, and Quality Reviews. Most recently, he founded and Chairs a venture studio, Create, backed by 20 of New York City’s most successful founders, including that of Crunch, Dia & Co, Yieldstreet, Lola, SLT and more. The objective of the studio is to build forward thinking, best in class companies with extraordinary people.  In the nonprofit space, Mark is the co-founder and Chairman of United Hatzalah, the pioneering crowd-sourced system of volunteer first responders that enables Israelis to receive lifesaving treatment within the crucial three minutes following any kind of trauma. He is also the co-founder and Chairman of African Mission Healthcare, which supports the work of Christian medical missionaries who perform indispensable clinical care throughout Africa. Mark is a gra

Topic: Changing Jewish Education David Magerman is a co-founder and managing partner at Differential Ventures. Previously, he spent the entirety of his career at Renaissance Technologies, widely recognized as the best quantitative hedge fund management company in the world. He helped found the equities trading group at Renaissance, joining the group in its earliest days, playing a lead role in designing and building the trading, simulation, and estimation software. On an extended garden leave from quantitative finance, he is looking to use his data science, software development, and statistical modeling expertise to help Israeli startups succeed in the global marketplace. David holds a PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University where his thesis on Natural Language Parsing as Statistical Pattern Recognition was an early and successful attempt to use large-scale data to produce fully-automated syntactic analysis of text. David also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Science in Co

  Topic: Having a Big Heart   JOSH KRAFT President of the New England Patriots Foundation Josh Kraft serves as the President of the New England Patriots Foundation, where he oversees all aspects of the Foundation’s community outreach programs and fundraising efforts. Through his leadership, the Foundation has expanded its reach and impact in the New England community. In 2015, the Foundation made donations to more than 1,500 nonprofit organizations and coordinated more than 400 appearances by current and former Patriots players across New England. Upon graduation from Williams College, Josh earned a Master’s degree in education and social policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He has been involved with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston for more than 25 years and currently serves as the Nicholas President and CEO. Prior to accepting that role, he was the Founding Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston’s Gerald and Darlene Jordan Club in Chelsea. Before the state-of-the-

topic: a conversation with the quintessential philanthropist bio: Craig Newmark Founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies Craig Newmark is a Web pioneer, philanthropist, and leading advocate. Most commonly known for founding the online classified ads service craigslist, Newmark works to support and connect people and drive broad civic engagement. In 2016, he founded Craig Newmark Philanthropies to advance people and grassroots organizations that are “getting stuff done” in areas that include trustworthy journalism & the information ecosystem, voter protection, women in technology, and veterans & military families. At its core, all of Newmark’s philanthropic work helps to strengthen American democracy by supporting the values that the country aspires to – fairness, opportunity, and respect. Newmark serves on the board of directors of a number of organizations, including Blue Star Families, the Center for Public Integrity, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University

Title: The Nicest Fundraiser   Bio:  Yossi has been the director of public relations for Yad Eliezer for the last 17 years.  He loves the Jewish people and his family and is committed to do whatever he can to make peoples lives easier by ensuring they have the vital services his organization provides throughout Israel.   In this wide ranging interview, we cover:   1. Moving to Israel 2. The Hospitality business  3. Yad Eliezer as a start up shop 4. Diversity of Services and Massive Budget 5. Travel and the grind pre COVID-19  6. Family as Priority And much much more!-- -- 

Title: Vulnerability, Leadership & Class   Bio:    As newly named president of e-commerce analytics firm Profitero, Sarah Hofstetter has a front-row look at the coronavirus-induced online buying boom—including which products are enjoying a huge boost from stay-at-home orders.   Hofstetter became one of the most recognizable names in the ad agency business during her 13-year stint at 360i, most recently as chairwoman and CEO. She left the agency in 2018 to become president of Comscore, joining her longtime professional colleague Bryan Wiener, who at the time was Comscore’s CEO. Wiener and Hofstetter left Comscore in March 2019 after less than a year, citing differences with the board. Wiener was named CEO at Profitero last month at the same time Hoffstetter joined the firm, whose services aim to help brands optimize their e-commerce sales, inventory and content strategies.   In this wide ranging interview, we cover:   1. CEO LIFE 2. COVID-19 3. online business 4. holocaust survivors 5. being an open

Title: The Journey of an Unstoppable Women   Jodi Samuels is on a mission to change the world, even if it means just moving the needle in her corner of the world. She wears many hats in any given day as a speaker, non-profit leader, world traveler, community activist, special needs advocate, wife and mom.    Originally from South Africa, Jodi and her husband Gavin have lived in five countries and nine cities, making an impact in each community. They were featured in the New York Post for their successful integration as immigrants. Jodi was named one of the 70 extraordinary female immigrants in Israel in 2018 by Times of Israel; received the Nefesh B’Nefesh Initiative for Zionist Innovation prize in 2019; and on Yom HaAliyah in 2019, Jerusalem’s Zionist pluralist party, Hitorerut, recognized Jodi for her contribution to Israel, Jerusalem and to other immigrants.    In 2000, Jodi founded Jewish International Connection in order to provide community for foreign Jews in New York. The organization expanded o

Special Business Edition #2 Title: The Pro Sports Agent   Paul Cohen is chairman of TWC Sports, and has negotiated more than a billion dollars in professional baseball contracts, including Evan Longoria, Troy Tulowitzky, Nick Markekas and Tim Hudson.   In this wide ranging discussion, we cover:   1. Rick Pitino & Barack Obama 2. No Compromising 3. Start-Up Investments 4. The un-orthodox agent 5. Holcaust musings 6. Seeing the hand of g-d in covid-19 7. Being under the radar Q & A   And much much more!

Title: Hi Dad: Tell Me About Yourself   Anaelle Cohen, heading to High School in the Fall interviews her Dad as we peel back the envelope on our host Rabbi Dovid M. Cohen In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Growing Up in the 1970's & 1980's 2. Years in Israel 3. Getting Married & Having Kids 4. Years in Manhattan 5. Writing a Book 6. What's Next Dad? And much much more!-- -- 

Title: Relationships Spanning Decades   Two of Rabbi Cohen's childhood friends join him for a far-reaching conversation on life and friendship.   Rabbi Azriel Bodner is a transformational Rebbe at Yeshiva Shor Yoshuv in Far Rockaway and the Executive Director of the Gesher School, a cutting edge educational institution in the 5 Towns area. Ben Schlager a 1998 graduate of NYU School of Law, is WOMBA’s Chief Compliance Officer. Ben has provided legal and compliance services to several financial startup companies with operations in emerging markets throughout the world including in the Philippines, Kenya, Nigeria and the Dominican Republic.  In this wide ranging discussion, we cover: 1. The High School Years 2. Life/Career Choices 3. Greatest Accomplishments 4. Regrets 5. Staying Connected 6. The Depth of Friendship and What it means. And much much more!

Title: Special COVID Business Edition/Networking Club   Navigating the P.R./Communications World   Matthew is the President and CEO of Hiltzik Strategies, a strategic communications firm specializing in corporate communications, crisis management and litigation support, media relations, digital/social strategy and analytics, and content creation. The company provides advice and counsel to leading business executives, influencers, and institutions in technology, music, media, entertainment, finance, sports, education, public affairs, and philanthropy. Hiltzik Strategies utilizes a fact-based, data-driven approach, leveraging its broad experience and global relationships to help clients develop, optimize, and expand their narratives in this very dynamic, complex media environment. Matthew, an attorney and active member of the New York State Bar Association, began his post-law school career as Press Secretary and Deputy Executive Director of the New York State Democratic Committee, working on the 1998 Co

Title: A Shaliach of the Rebbe   Australian-born Rabbi Ruvi New is the director of Chabad of East Boca in Boca Raton, Florida. He is the publisher and editor of Inside Out Magazine, a national publication dedicated to contemporary Jewish thought. He is also currently working on producing a musical tribute to the life of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Rabbi New serves on the Editorial Board of the JLI. In this wide ranging interview, we cover: 1. Life in Australia 2. Coming to 770 3. Yichidus with the Rebbe 4. Shlichus in Atlanta & Florida 5. Gimmel Tammuz 6. Music & Niggunim And much much more!-- -- 

As founder and executive director of the Teach Coalition, a project of the Orthodox Union that champions equitable government funding for nonpublic schools, Maury Litwack has grown the organization from a single staffer to a multi-state network responsible for securing record amounts of state funding to nonpublic schools. Litwack leads Teach Coalition’s advocacy on the most critical issued for schools and families, including the priority issues of school security as well tuition subsidies, STEM advancement, and health and nutrition programs.   Teach Coalition numbers several hundred schools in seven states with its largest presence in New York, where it has become synonymous with a fundamental message: All children deserve a high-quality education that meets the cultural needs of themselves and their families.   Through Litwack’s strategic approach to policy and leadership, Teach Coalition has forged groups of Jews, Muslims and Catholics into a singular, cohesive force for change. The organization’s po