Archives: Newsletter

Micah Pierandri: An Empowered Jewish Leader for Today and Tomorrow

In the heart of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a remarkable young leader reflects a new era of Jewish leadership. Meet Micah Pierandri, an 18-year-old deeply involved with BBYO, both locally and on the international stage. Her journey, marked by personal experiences in Jewish communal spaces, and a commitment to inclusivity, led her to create MoCA, the Members of Color Alliance.

A Successful Launch of the LA JoC Pro Network: Nurturing Connections and Building Community

The JoCI recently launched the Los Angeles Jews of Color Professionals Network (LA JoC Pro Network) in the vibrant tapestry of the Jewish community of Los Angeles. This initiative, which builds on the JoC Pro Network’s success in New York, is creating a space for JoC leaders in the greater LA area to connect, build relationships, and positively impact the local JoC community.

Metrics of Mitzvot: How to Track Progress in Tikkun Olam

My fascination with data began to grow when I became a Leadership Fellow at JoCI, which is dedicated to generating and sharing data to make progress towards equity. When the Fellowship matching process presented the opportunity to work with data at Repair the World, I felt very excited.

Centering Jews of Color While Engaging White Jewish Audiences

Over the summer, Riki Robinson, the Program Director of our New York Hub, and Jade Groobman, our Programs Associate, had the opportunity to lead presentations to young adults and rising communal leaders about Jewish racial diversity and the JoCI’s commitment to racial equity. Here are the top four tactics they utilize to center Jews of Color among white Jewish audiences.

Empowering Future Generations to Shape New Traditions

Kumi prepares Jewish teens between tenth and twelfth grade for leadership in anti-racist and anti-oppression spaces on college campuses, by equipping them with the skills to identify and disrupt systemic racism and injustice. Kumi features a month of virtual training, and a four day in-person retreat that features two separate tracks: Jews of Color Empowerment for JoC, and Anti-Racist Allies track for white Jewish teens.

Building the Field for JoC Leaders

Last year, we created several new programs to build and enrich the professional, organizational and communal field for Jews of Color. Our offerings and those of grantees serve a communal field where Jews of Color find more belonging, empowerment, and community than ever before. Today, because of many JoCI grantees, there are JoC leadership, philanthropy, project building, and other professional development cohort opportunities, creating a new reality in which the JoC field is more programmatically diverse than ever.

Moving Towards Collective Change

Over the past year, whether through community education, research, or leading training sessions in predominantly white institutions, we have developed new strategies to advance the Jewish communal ecosystem’s commitment to racial equity. Change in this area does not occur passively; rather, by actively mobilizing efforts to center the leadership of Jews of Color, we are closer to realizing a Jewish communal ecosystem that reflects the multiracial reality of American Jews.

This Year in Grantmaking

In fiscal year 2022–2023, the JoCI granted $735,825 to 45 projects across 36 unique organizations, including, for the first time, multi-year grants for three organizations. We also established a Philanthropy Fellowship and hired three fellows: Santy Barrera, Ilana Ybgi, and Maya Katz-Ali.

Embracing Growth and Impact: My Journey as a JoCI Fellow at Hofstra Hillel

As a Jews of Color Initiative Fellow at Hofstra Hillel, I immersed myself in a dynamic environment and collaborated with passionate individuals to contribute to projects that engaged students. Through my journey, I encountered challenges, learned valuable lessons, and formed lifelong connections.