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.

Directly after October 7, Koret—along with our philanthropic peers—took immediate action to support Israel and our local community in its time of need. Eleven months later, the war rages on and too many hostages are still captive in Gaza. We are awed and inspired by the strength, nimbleness, and innovation our grantees demonstrate as the situation on the ground changes daily. In northern and central Israel, in response to the ongoing rocket attacks from Hezbollah and the tragedy at Majdal Shams, IsraAID launched a new training program for emergency response teams at community centers. In the Bay Area, JCC’s have developed new ways of bringing people together, adapting to the changing needs of our communities and the escalation of antisemitism. In our featured grantee story, we showcase three major projects the ANU Museum in Israel has undertaken to support global Jewish peoplehood.

The High Holidays take on new meaning each year, but this year, in particular, they hold a heavier weight. Rosh Hashanah, which marks the start of the Jewish new year 5785, will be bittersweet at best for many. The first year without a certain family member or beloved friend to celebrate with. The first year displaced from home. The 10 days of awe and Yom Kippur will give us a more intense reflection on all that has happened, how we have changed as a result of the war and the terror imposed on us, and think about ways to do better in the year to come. When we are confronted with hatred and violence, we find resilience in standing together to face the world as a united people.

Chazak, chazak v’nitchazek! Be strong, be strong and may we be strengthened!

Jeffrey Farber, CEO

Danielle Foreman,  Chief Program Officer

ANU Museum of the Jewish People: Shifting its paradigm in the post-October 7 world

ANU Museum of the Jewish People has become a nexus for helping people—in Israel and around the globe—to explore their feelings, process their grief, grow their resilience—and take the long view of Jewish history in the wake of the October 7th attacks. This summer, we had an opportunity to talk with Naama Klar, the director of ANU’s Koret International School for Jewish Peoplehood, and Tal Gottstein, the executive director of the Koret Center for Jewish Civilization (a partnership between ANU and Tel Aviv University) about three new major projects: an immersive, emotional art exhibition; an educational workshop—and training program—on building resilience; and a broad-based catalog and archive of social media and other documentation from October 7th to preserve for scholars in the future. Read the full story here.

Thoughts & Opinions

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. Read the full blog post here.

Koret Grantees in the News

Celebrating iCivics’ first Educator Convening in California Bringing equity to civic learning throughout California was the focus of iCivics’ first Educator Convening in July. This summer, sixty K–12 educators came together to learn about connecting the justice system and courts with civic education. Read more.	Jewish Story Partners’ latest round of grantees pushes total films helped past 100 Jewish Story Partners recently announced its newest roster of 21 grantees. JSP will distribute $500,000 to a variety of feature-length documentary projects. This latest round of grantmaking brings JSP’s total awards since its founding in 2021 to $3 million to 101 films. Read more.	‘Urban Adamitzvah’: Berkeley’s Jewish farm to celebrate 13 years of growth Urban Adamah, one of just a handful of Jewish urban farms in the United States, is celebrating 13 years in Berkeley. The “Urban Adamitzvah” celebration will feature live music, dancing, hands-on farm activities and treats made with organic produce grown on the land. Read more.