This Sukkot, the Koret team spent a day in the North Bay visiting two grantees: the Osher Marin JCC and Congregation Rodef Sholom. In the spirit of Sukkot, we were graciously welcomed by both organizations.

Next month marks twelve months since the Hamas attacks of October 7. A full year of suffering, uncertainty, and loss—in Israel and in Gaza— for so many people, so many families, entire communities. Yet again, as the Jewish people have been compelled to do numerous times throughout the arc of history, they have proven their ability to not only endure, but to rise up and redefine what it means to be resilient and hopeful.

Food banks have changed substantially since the days of your elementary school food drive, and that’s a good thing. Last month, Koret program associate Ellen Lathrop visited Second Harvest of Silicon Valley and learned all about their expansive services–which go far beyond distributing canned foods.

Koret has worked in the Bay Area and broader Jewish community for 45 years, and in that time we’ve learned that our impact depends on cultivating meaningful relationships with our grantees. Our trust-based approach to grantmaking is about investing in people, ideas, and organizations, and empowering our grantees to do what they do best: serve their communities.

“There’s sort of this false impression that the pandemic is over, but food security is very important.” Ashley Rodwick, Senior Program Officer at the Koret Foundation, spoke with the San Francisco Chronicle about the Foundation’s recent $2.2 million investment in food banks and programs addressing food insecurity in the Bay Area.

In the shadow of the ongoing tragedy in Israel and Gaza, we welcome spring as a season of hope. We are proud to work with organizations that leverage the power of storytelling in its broadest sense to bridge cultural gaps, shine light on the past, expand our perspectives, and help shape a brighter future.

“Locally-based nonprofits, when supported by philanthropy, are in a unique position to understand and offer the right support at the right time that could make a crucial difference between [a veteran] regaining stability or remaining on the street.” In this op-ed, Koret’s Ashley Rodwick and Insight Housing’s Calleene Egan explore how private philanthropies and community organizations can help fill gaps in government funding to support veterans.

Koret, in partnership with EarlyJ and Rosov Consulting, conducted a study to assess the state-of-play for Jewish ECE in our region. We have chosen to provide open access to the research in hopes that it will help practitioners, locally and beyond, make better informed grants toward expanding access to and increasing the quality of Jewish ECE programs.

Kehilla, Hebrew for community, is at the heart of our work. Our grantmaking has always focused on supporting and strengthening the Jewish community, at home and in Israel. In the wake of the attacks on October 7—and during the holiday season—we encourage everyone to connect with and lean on their community, and Koret could not be prouder of our kehilla.

The Koret Foundation is saddened by the passing of Robert Friend, former board member to the foundation and dedicated patron to our community. May his memory be a blessing.

As a new school year begins, Koret is inspired by the work of our education and civics grantees, whose passion and drive for change push them to continually discover new opportunities for growth and better serve the next generation.

“Understanding the needs of young families, educators, and other factors in the marketplace is critical to making strategic future investments that will help our communities thrive across generations.” Co-authored by Koret’s Danielle Foreman for eJewish Philanthropy, this op-ed uses data-driven findings to better serve the Jewish early childhood education marketplace.