Mayberg Foundation Values in Action at the Jewish Belonging Summit
/"Safety, respect, equity, and belonging are foundational to Judaism, not optional.”
SRE Network Director Rachel Gildiner's powerful message set the tone for the Jewish Belonging Summit in Baltimore, where Aggie Grossman, part of the Mayberg Foundation Grantmaking Team, joined almost 200 Jewish leaders—both professionals and volunteers—from across North America. Hosted by the SRE Network and the Jewish Federations’ Center for Jewish Belonging, the gathering had a message that reflects the Mayberg Foundation’s core value of connectedness: Judaism isn’t a one-size-fits-all deal.
"Making sure every Jew feels like they belong means making space for all kinds of stories, backgrounds, and perspectives—while being true to your organization's mission and vision,” reflected Aggie — a delicate balancing act that the Mayberg Foundation navigates regularly in its grantmaking process.
During one breakout session, Jessica Mehlman, associate vice president of impact and planning at The Jewish Federations of North America, shared interesting findings from new survey data about the post-October 7th Jewish engagement surge and subsequent plateau. The speaker's point was clear—if we want people to stay connected, we have to offer more flexible ways to belong.
Another breakout session on leading through uncertainty was a summit highlight. Panelists offered down-to-earth advice for steering organizations through change and keeping communication honest when times get rough. The final plenary pulled together a broad mix of voices, each sharing their take on what belonging really means inside the Jewish community.
The event itself, which followed the JPro2025 conference, pushed everyone to rethink what true inclusion actually looks like—and why trying to squeeze Jewish identity into a box just doesn’t work. “All Jews should have access to places where they feel like they belong,” Aggie emphasized.
Read more about the Jewish Belonging Summit in eJewishPhilanthropy below: