10 | MAY 5 • 2022 

student corner
Understanding Jewish Philanthropy
T

his year, I was fortunate 
to be included in a 
very rewarding Jewish 
program. As part of the Morris 
J. & Betty Kaplun Foundation 
Youth Board, 
I recently pre-
sented $5,000 in 
grant money to 
two incredible 
nonprofits. The 
board, composed 
of passionate 
students from 
around the country, spent 
several months learning the 
grant-making process and 
eventually applied that knowl-
edge to fund some amazing 
organizations.
First, we learned about 
consensus; we often broke 
into smaller groups, in which 
we could each share our own 
perspectives and opinions, 
then reconvened to report our 
findings and make decisions 
together. Using consensus, the 
board chose two main Jewish 
values to help us determine 
which organizations to fund: 
justice (tzedek) and lovingkind-
ness (gemilut chasadim).

Next, we began the 
grant-making process by writ-
ing our mission statement: 
“Guided by the Jewish values 
of lovingkindness and justice, 
the 2021-22 Morris J. & Betty 
Kaplun Foundation Youth 
Board seeks to support organi-
zations that promote education 
and literacy for youth. The 
board’s goal is to help young 
people from any background 
connect to and learn about 
community-based social jus-
tice needs, and gain access to 
resources and opportunities to 
promote career development.”
We then sent out our RFP 
(Request for Proposal). When 
we received proposals, we 
split into groups to study and 
create presentations on each 
application.
The next step in our pro-
cess was, in my opinion, the 
most gratifying: site visits. 
Over the course of a week, 
we joined various virtual 
calls and connected with the 
people behind the proposals. 
Diving deeper than our initial 
research, we got up close and 
personal with our applicants, 

asking questions and getting 
to hear more about these 
projects from the most enthu-
siastic, driven people.
The most exciting part of 
this experience, however, was 
getting to lead these meetings 
ourselves. During meetings, 
the board members asked all 
the questions and directed the 
interview. For teenagers to have 
the opportunity to not only 
meet with prominent figures in 
nationwide organizations but 
also to lead those meetings was 
truly exceptional.

CHOOSING CHARITIES
Finally, the board decided 
on two nonprofits to fund: 
the Olga Lengyel Institute 
for Holocaust Studies and 
Human Rights (TOLI), 
which works through sem-
inars to educate teachers 
on Holocaust education, 
spreading awareness to 
teachers’ students, schools, 
and communities; and C.B. 
Community Schools, which 
provides classes on school 
subjects and life skills to vul-
nerable students in the child 

welfare or juvenile justice 
system.
Both of these organiza-
tions are truly outstanding, 
and I am so grateful that the 
Kaplun Foundation provided 
our board with the resources 
necessary to connect with and 
support these projects.
This program as a whole 
was just about the most mean-
ingful and impactful journey 
I’ve ever experienced. Not 
only did we learn such crucial 
skills as conducting research, 
creating proposals, directing 
meetings and making difficult 
decisions, but we all got to 
partake in real philanthropy 
with the most compassionate 
people.
Our journey to granting this 
money was such an exciting 
and educational process and 
one that I will never forget, 
and I am so looking forward 
to taking this experience 
with me and continuing this 
rewarding path of Jewish 
philanthropy. 

Samantha Caminker is a sophomore 

at Frankel Jewish Academy.

Samantha 
Camiker

PURELY COMMENTARY

The poll also demonstrates 
the wide gap between most 
Americans (who are largely 
supportive of Israel) and the 
“elite” media (which is system-
atically critical of Israel).
Israel’s 71% favorability rat-
ing attests to the fact that most 
Americans realize the inaccura-
cy and immorality of the State 
Department’s claim of moral 
equivalence between Israel and 
the Palestinians. They identify 
Israel as a reliable, democratic 
and productive ally, and view 

the P
.A. as a member of the 
rogue entities of the world, 
associated with terrorism, in 
general, and enemies and rivals 
of the United States, in partic-
ular.
Irrespective of the New York 
Times’ attitude toward Israel, 
most Americans empathize 
with Israel culturally, histori-
cally, ideologically and strategi-
cally. They identify the Jewish 
state with key precepts that 
have shaped American cul-
ture, civic and judicial systems 

since the Early Pilgrims and 
the Founding Fathers, such as 
faith, the Mosaic legacy, civil 
liberties, patriotism, optimism, 
defiance of odds and a can-do 
mentality.
Moreover, they consider 
Israel a unique force and dollar 
multiplier for the U.S. econ-
omy and defense in the face 
of mutual threats (e.g., Iran’s 
Shi’ite ayatollahs, Sunni Islamic 
terrorism) and in the pursuit of 
a U.S. commercial and military 
technological edge over China, 
Russia and Europe.

Israel’s 71% favorabili-
ty demonstrates that most 
Americans subscribe to the 
following assessment made 
by Adm. James Stavridis, for-
mer Supreme Commander 
of NATO: “Our best military 
partner in the region, by far, 
is Israel. … It truly is a case of 
two nations that are unargu-
ably stronger together.” 

Yoram Ettinger is a former ambassa-

dor and head of Second Thought: A 

U.S.-Israel Initiative. This article was 

first published by The Ettinger Report.

ISRAEL RETAINS HIGH FAVORABILITY continued from page 4