What Gives? The Jewish Philanthropy Podcast

• Sarah Hurwitz - Reclaiming Jewish Identity and Peoplehood

  Episode 70 of What Gives?—the Jewish Philanthropy Podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. In this episode, our guest is Sarah Hurwitz, former speechwriter for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and the author of two widely discussed books about Jewish life and identity. Her newest book, As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us, challenges us to rethink how centuries of prejudice have shaped Jewish self-understanding, and why now is the time for a more confident and substantive embrace of Jewish tradition and peoplehood. Sarah spoke about what it means to live as a Jew “without apology,” why shallow or self-deprecating Jewish identities aren’t enough in this moment, and how young Jews especially can ground themselves in real content and community. Take a listen.

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• Elias Saratovsky - Immersive Israel Travel and the Future of Jewish Identity

  Episode 69 of What Gives?—the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. In this episode, we speak with Elias Saratovsky, President and CEO of the Birthright Israel Foundation. As Birthright turns 25, we reflect not just on the nearly 900,000 young Jews who’ve visited Israel through this transformative program, but on how immersive travel, identity, and belonging are being reimagined for a new generation. Elias shares his personal story, from growing up in a family of Soviet Jewish immigrants with little Jewish identity, to going on the very first Birthright trip in 1999, to now stewarding the future of the most ambitious Jewish educational initiative of our time. Elias and Andrés explore how Birthright adapted through a pandemic and a war, why pride and not propaganda is its most powerful product, and how a second trip to Israel might be even more important than the first. Take a listen.

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• Shai Held - Judaism is About Love

  Episode 68 of What Gives?—the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. In this episode, we speak with Shai Held, President and Dean of the Hadar Institute and author of the new book Judaism Is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life. Shai returns for his second appearance on this podcast to talk about the enduring caricature of the “Old Testament God,” and how that distortion has shaped both Jewish and Christian imaginations. Shai and Andrés explore why many rabbis feel ill-equipped to support spiritual seekers, how the trauma of October 7 has intensified theological yearning, and what role funders can play in revitalizing Jewish conversations about God. You’ll hear why Shai believes that real love, the kind rooted in justice, compassion, and mutual responsibility, is the most powerful force we can bring to a fractured world. Take a listen.

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• Josh Miller - How Great Grants Get Made (and What Happens When They Don’t)

  Episode 67 of What Gives?—the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. In this episode, we speak with Josh Miller, Chief Program Officer at the Jim Joseph Foundation. Over the past 17 years, Josh has helped shape some of the most significant philanthropic investments in Jewish education and talent development. In this episode, we talk about how the field of Jewish philanthropy has professionalized, why general operating and multi-year grants are smarter bets, and what it really takes to support meaningful innovation, whether inside legacy institutions or bold new ventures. Josh also reflects on the “accidental” path that led him into Jewish professional life, the critical importance of field experience for funders, and how October 7 has reshaped our sense of urgency, purpose, and possibility. Take a listen.

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• Simon Greer - Viewpoint Diversity

  Episode 66 of What Gives?—the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. In this episode, we speak with Simon Greer, a longtime leader in Jewish philanthropy, former CEO of the Nathan Cummings Foundation, now the driving force behind the Viewpoint Diversity Initiative at the University of North Carolina, and the founder of Cambridge Health Ventures Simon takes us through his three‑part awakening—realizing that America’s crisis is as much spiritual as it is political, recognizing his own part in the problem of tribalism, and discovering that real change happens when we lean into the humanity of “the other.” We’ll explore why “viewpoint diversity” isn’t just an academic buzzword but an urgent practice for our fractured times—from campus debates about Israel and Palestine to retreats that bring correction officers and formerly incarcerated people together to reform our justice system. Take a listen.

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