Jewish Funders Network

Los Angeles — “This is the most exciting and frustrating Jewish community in the country,” proclaimed Jay Sanderson, chief executive of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, the site and showcase of the annual Jewish Funders Network international conference held here over three days this week.

Jewish teens in the United States who take part in the Jewish Teen Funders Network are making more charitable contributions, and they are giving mostly to Jewish causes.

The Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) is launching what is believed to be the first-ever research project mapping current services available to children with special needs and physical disabilities at nonprofit Jewish overnight camps across North America.

On Long Island, the b’nai mitzvah project has found an older sibling: philanthropy. Decades after community service became a standard part of the American bar and bat mitzvah experience, rabbis and educators are trying build on those earlier lessons in empathy by teaching Jewish teens how to make grants to nonprofits.

Within hours of last week’s bus bombing in Jerusalem, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee sent an e-mail blast to its supporters: “Israel is under terrorist attack — please help.”

“Dear Friend of Israel,” the e-mail began, “today terrorists exploded a package at a Jerusalem bus stop killing one person and injuring 30 others, 15 seriously. And in this last week alone, Gaza terrorists have bombarded Israeli towns with more than 50 rockets and mortars.”