A Newcomer's Perspective
/By Naftali Ejdelman, Senior Program Officer
Although I officially started working as a Senior Program Officer less than two months ago, my fascination with the Mayberg Foundation's values and approaches goes back much further. I was particularly drawn to three qualities of the foundation that allow it to play a unique role in the national Jewish philanthropic ecosystem.
1. Ideological Diversity: תּוֹרָה נִדְרֶשֶׁת בְּשִׁבְעִים פָּנִים
The Mayberg Foundation serves an important role as a bridge between funders and organizations across the ideological spectrum. Whereas some funding partners primarily support Orthodox outreach or programs serving Orthodox audiences, and others exclusively prioritize strengthening non-Orthodox communities, the Mayberg Foundation’s investment in Jewish life reflects their commitment to all of klal Yisrael.
Our Jewish education portfolio illustrates this vividly: it includes programmatic support for Prizmah, a network of schools across the denominational spectrum, the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools (CoJDS), whose core constituency includes dozens of Beis Yaakov, Chabad, and Yeshivish schools; Hadar, an organization building robust egalitarian Jewish life; and Pardes, which is committed to a pluralistic vision of Jewish learning.
2. The Inner Experience of Judaism: עִבְדוּ אֶת ה' בְּשִׂמְחָה
Back in 2008, while pursuing a graduate degree in Jewish studies alongside other aspiring Jewish communal professionals and educators, I was struck by a particular classroom moment. At the professor's prompting, students were brainstorming possible answers to the question "What is the purpose of Jewish education?" Every suggestion centered on values like community, pride, peoplehood, and belonging — so I offered the thought that perhaps one purpose of Jewish education was helping students develop a relationship with G-d. I was surprised to see this suggestion, which seemed obvious to me, met with intense resistance.
Indeed, issues such as Jewish identity, Israel, antisemitism, and peoplehood tend to rise to the top of the communal agenda, while the subjective, inner experience of Judaism is rarely prioritized. The Mayberg Foundation’s trustees and staff understand that even if a Jewish school, institution, or community appears to be thriving, there is still work to be done if Judaism is not experienced as a source of meaning, spirituality, and connection. This value is reflected across the Foundation's grantmaking portfolios — from the Jewish Education Innovatoin Challenge’s (JEIC) emphasis on G-d-centered and student-centered schools, to high-quality professional development programs like Lifnai Vlifnim, which helps Jewish day school teachers deepen their own personal Jewish spirituality, to Elevation Project, which helps people heal and grow spiritually through principles and practices drawn from Gemara and Chassidus.
3. Entrepreneurial Courage: בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אֲנָשִׁים, הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ
The North American Jewish community is blessed with an abundance of institutions doing inspiring work, and many major national funders concentrate their giving on the largest and most established organizations. The Foundation’s track record demonstrates a willingness to do something different: to take risks and even to incubate and operate their own programs when no existing vehicle is available to bring a vision to life.
MyZuzah is a striking example. MyZuzah turns the mitzvah of mezuzah into a vehicle for Jewish engagement and ethical commerce, bringing the beauty of this everyday mitzvah to Jewish homes across the country. Both were nurtured in whole or in part through the Foundation’s willingness to bet on a bold idea before it was proven.
I came to the Mayberg Foundation as an admirer. I am wrapping up the first couple of months as something more: a committed partner in this work, energized by where the foundation is headed. The Jewish community faces real challenges in engagement, in meaning-making, in the talent pipeline of the next generation, and the Mayberg Foundation is positioning itself to meet each of them with creativity, courage, and an uncommonly wide embrace. I cannot wait to be part of what comes next.
Naftali Ejdelman is the Mayberg Foundation’s senior program officer specializing in Jewish life and education. He brings a deep understanding of the diversity of Klal Yisrael and a wealth of experience partnering with educational and communal organizations across the Jewish spectrum. His background spans denominational, generational, and geographic settings, including roles at Maimonides Fund, Beit Rabban Day School, and Adamah. He has also founded educational ventures serving children, college students, and adults.