36 Ways to Celebrate with Bronfman in 2023

Thank you to all who joined us to celebrate 36 (double chai) amazing years of The Bronfman Fellowship! Please make a contribution to help us continue our important work for the next 36 years and beyond.

Below, read about the 36 ways we celebrated our double chai anniversary in 2023:

Virtual and Asynchronous Events (in chronological order):

• Inspire 36: Israelis in America – On March 13, Daphna Yizrael (Director, Amitei Bronfman) hosted as Daphna Ezrachi (Amitei Bronfman ‘05) and Oz Bin Nun (Amitei Bronfman ’15) spoke about how their exposure to American Judaism has shaped their thinking about Jewish community, Jewish expression and culture, and connection between Jews in the U.S. and Israel. 
• “Two Pockets” Podcast Launch – Sign up here for more info.
• Inspire 36: Strategic Plan Q&A – June 7, 12pm ET. Thank you to all who attended! Read our strategic plan here.
• Celebrate & Study 36! Learn in Chevrutah – Please celebrate with us by studying these source sheets independently, within a chevruta, online, in-person, or in multiple modalities. We encourage you to share these sources with your friends and family to inspire dialogue and connection. 
  • All source sheets combined
  • Invitation to Learn: Instructions
  • Rabbi Vanessa Ochs’ source sheet
  • Rabbi Avi Weinstein’s source sheet
  • Jake Marmer’s source sheet

• Celebrate & Study 36! A Special Evening for the Bronfman Community – June 11, 7pm ET/ 4pm PT. 50 alumni attended this event, which included a learning session led by Rabbi Vanessa Ochs and Rabbi Avi Weinstein, inspired by the texts in their source sheets. Artists Hannah Bashkow ’18 and Joshua Meyer ’91 spoke about the power of chevruta as part of their process of co-creating art as a gift for Rabbi Sharon. Participants also shared in recognizing Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld for her years of service to the Fellowship.

• Inspire 36: “The Creative Process: Act, Iterate, Collaborate” – On July 24, alumni attended this interactive virtual session that helped them to tap into their creativity, whether or not they consider themselves artists. Yoela Zimberoff ’16 facilitated participants through a series of interactive solo and group activities to play with the creative process. 

 

In-Person Alumni Events (in chronological order):

• Gather 36: New Haven – February 22. Over 30 Bronfmanim gathered to discuss “Three Ways of Looking at an Ending,” facilitated by Joshua Leifer ’11. Thanks to all who attended! 
• Gather 36: Bay Area (Topic: Climate Change and Hasidism) – February 28. Over 20 Bronfmanim gathered at the home of Elissa and Alan Kittner, ’17 parents, and learned with Bronfman faculty member Rabbi Dr. Ariel Evan Mayse. Thanks to all who attended!
• Gather 36: L.A. – March 1. Over 15 Bronfmanim gathered at the home of Dr. Sheila Nazarian ’94, where Dr. Miriam Heller Stern (’93) led a talk about creativity. Thanks to all who attended!
• Gather 36: Denver – April 20. Members of the Bronfman Denver community gathered at the home of David Andorsky ’92 and Joanna Arch, where they engaged in Jewish learning and conversation led by Hannah Kapnik Ashar ’04 (Faculty 2015-2018 and 2023) and enjoyed drinks and desserts. 
• Gather 36: Chicago – April 27. Members of the Bronfman Chicago community gathered at the home of David ’88 and Betsy Seligman, where they discussed what makes for “good Jewish education” in a learning led by Rabbi Rebecca Milder ’91. 
• Gala* (NYC) – May 11, 6:30-9:30pm. Over 260 Bronfman alumni, families, supporters, educators, and community partners attended the first-ever Bronfman Fellowship Gala at Tribeca 360! Read more.
• Shabbat Bogrim (Israel) – May 12-13. Over 85 young Israeli alumni and 3 North American alumni attended this gathering in Israel.
• Gather 36: NYC (Manhattan) – June 21, 6pm. Over 20 members of the Bronfman NYC community gathered for a happy hour celebration at a Manhattan bar (Juniper Bar and Grill at 237 W 35th Street, between 8th & 9th). 
• Gather 36: D.C. – July 9, 4pm. Over 20 members of the Bronfman DC community gathered for a wine & cheese celebration at the home of Ben Magarik ’01. It was a casual family-friendly gathering, with fun activities for the kids. 
• Gather 36: Alumni in Israel – On July 29, 7 members of the Bronfman community joined the Fellows for Shabbat at Goldstein Youth Village.
• Gather 36: Brooklyn – On August 6, 28 people joined us for a picnic/ bagel brunch in Prospect Park. Many family members attended.
• Young Alumni Weekend – On October 13-14, over 50 young alumni gathered in NYC. Rafi Ellenson, Bronfman alum and Rabbinical student at Hebrew College, said the following about the event: “Well, as they say, the kids are alright. More than alright. The kids are great! I saw young alumni wrestle with text and each other on issues happening in their lives, on their campuses, in Israel, and beyond. These young alumni are engaging with some difficult questions regarding their own positionality and leadership in these trying times and they’re approaching these issues with grace and thoughtfulness. Throughout the weekend there was a spirit of liveliness, fun, camaraderie, joy, and care. Not to overstate the case, but it felt inspiring to see these young people speak with one another across lines of political thought and even encourage each other within their differences.”
• Gather 36: Boston – On November 15, 11 members of the Bronfman Boston community gathered for a 36th anniversary dinner and learning at the home of Sara Leventhal Fleiss ’97 and Peter Fleiss. They engaged in Jewish learning and conversation led by Judith Rosenbaum, former Bronfman faculty member and CEO of the Jewish Women’s Archive, on the topic of “What does it mean to be a creator?” 
• Gather 36: Chanukah Party in D.C. – On December 9, approximately 30 members of the DC Bronfman community gathered for a Chanukah celebration at the home of Donya ’97 and Igor ’91 Timofeyev. They fried and ate delicious latkes, and the kids participated in a Dreidel Spinning Contest.

* = Not just for alumni

Other Ways to Engage:

• Buy Bronfman swag at our new online store – Get your Bronfman T-shirts, mugs, sweatshirts, and more!
• Be a Bronfman alumni mentor/ mentee. Email Elizabeth for more info.
• Apply to the Alumni Venture Fund. (Applications are now closed for 2023.)
• Want to plan an alumni gathering with your cohort/ in your city/ at your school? Email Elizabeth.
• Get involved as an alumni leader – Email Elizabeth to find out about volunteer opportunities (e.g. listserv groundskeeper committee, Alumni Venture Fund committee, Fellow application readers, etc.)
• Join an alumni affinity group:
  • Join the parenting affinity group – An online forum for Bronfman alumni who are parents. Email Ashlie to join.
  • Join the LGBTQ+ affinity group – An online forum for Bronfman alumni in the LGBTQ+ community. Email lgbtq@bronfman.com to join.
  • Join the JOC affinity group – A group for Bronfmanim who identify as Jews of Color. Email Jess Radin to join.
• Join an alumni professional or interest community:
  • Join the Start-up/ Tech community – A group for Bronfmanim involved in start-ups and tech. Click here to join on WhatsApp.
  • Join the Climate community – Email Erica.
• Explore our online learning resources (e.g. BronfTalks recordings, divrei torah written by Bronfmanim, Passover resources, and more). 
• Sign up to be notified about our next “Where Pluralism Thrives” series. 
• Explore our collection on alumni-founded Sefaria. It’s the 10th anniversary of Sefaria, a living library of Torah, founded by Bronfman alumni Joshua Foer and Brett Lockspeiser. If you have a source sheet you’d like to add to the collection, email Stefanie.
• Take a walk down memory lane at our virtual museum.
• Find opportunities through our young adult resource database.
• Access Bronfmanim-made culture.
  • Read a book, watch a movie or show by a Bronfman alum. (Is something missing? Email Stefanie.)
  • We’re making a playlist of songs by Bronfmanim! Email Erica to add your song to the list.
• Join us on social media – Click below to view and join our pages:
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Bronfmanim FB group – A closed Facebook group for Bronfman alumni to share news, ask questions, etc. 
• Set up a monthly donation to show your support. Making your donation monthly helps lower administrative costs by providing reliable support.