The Jewish Congregation of Maui was selected to participate in Nitzavim Hawaiʻi, a new initiative designed to turn leadership into collective action, delivering positive change within the local Jewish community and Hawaiʻi at large.
● Starting this month, Nitzavim Hawaiʻi will convene 26 leaders from 13 Jewish incorporated nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations throughout Hawaiʻi – including ours – for a two-year program to strengthen relationships, build organizational and collective capacity, and explore collaboration in service to the community.
● Rabbi Raanan Mallek and board member Mitch Berman represent JCM as Nitzavim Leaders along with counterparts from other Jewish organizations. We look forward to hearing and learning from our Nitzavim Leaders as they participate in this experience.
● The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation is supporting this first-of-its-kind Jewish leadership program in Hawaiʻi.
● Rooted in the interpretations of Nitzavim – a section of the Torah that includes some of the most fundamental principles of the Jewish faith – all of us participating in Nitzavim Hawaiʻi are dedicated to standing up and standing together to deliver positive change.
● Five goals guide the program:
1. Build strong relationships among the participants as the foundation for future purposeful, collective action.
2. Explore connections and intersections between Judaism and Hawaiian culture.
3. Explore a Jewish response to health, safety and other issues, and develop strategies for measurable, motivational and effective action.
4. Address capacity building needs to help lay a foundation for collective action by Hawaiʻi’s Jewish organizations, making our communities safer, healthier and more resilient.
5. Create an unforgettable experience with lasting, positive impact on participants and the community.
● Respected community leader and nonprofit consultant Josh Levinson, who has addressed community health and wellbeing issues throughout Hawaiʻi, will serve as the program lead; Aloha United Way will provide fiscal sponsorship for this two-year initiative.
● Nitzavim Hawaiʻi provides each participating nonprofit 501(c)(3) with a $30,000 annual stipend to address their unique capacity building priorities and opportunities.
As part of the first Nitzavim Hawaiʻi cohort, JCM is committed to helping make every community in Hawaiʻi – both within Hawaiʻi’s Jewish community and beyond – safe, healthy and just.
● We will keep you informed as our organization embarks on this journey.
● Ultimately – through collaborative effort – we hope to make our entire community stronger.
● For questions about the Nitzavim Hawaiʻi initiative, contact Marisa Hayase, Program Director-Hawaiʻi, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation:
mhayase@hjweinberg.org