Four JTS Alumni Awarded Seeds of Innovation Grants

Press Contact: Beatrice Mora
Office: (212) 678-8950
Email: bemora@jtsa.edu

July 12, 2016, New York, NY

The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is pleased to announce the 2016 recipients of Seeds of Innovation Project grants, which provide funding for groundbreaking new initiatives developed by JTS alumni. The project supports JTS alumni who are pioneering new ideas that foster fresh and innovative forms of Jewish engagement. With this initiative, JTS continues to lead the vital religious center of American Judaism by nurturing leaders who serve and impact their local communities throughout North America and beyond.

Up to $20,000 per project in multiyear grants have been awarded to the following JTS alumni:

Rabbi Michael Goldman (RS ’05)
Seivah: Jewish Life Beyond Memory (A resource for caring for those with dementia)
White Plains, New York 

Rabbi Rachel Isaacs (RS ’11)
The Maine Conference for Jewish Life (Revitalizing rural Jewish living)
Waterville, Maine 

Rabbi Aaron Levy (LC ’98)
Makom Afterschool (Creating community around Hebrew language and Jewish learning)
Toronto, Canada 

Shirah Rubin (DS ’03)
Hebrew Play’s Teacher Training (Developing the field of early Hebrew language instruction)
Brookline, Massachusetts

“During the last three years, JTS has provided $150,000 in grants to new and innovative programs spearheaded by JTS alumni,” said Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Marc Gary. “The breadth of the projects led by this year’s Seeds of Innovation grant recipients reflects the expansive impact that JTS graduates exert on their communities—from early childhood Hebrew education to caring for those with dementia, and from exciting afternoon educational programming in a major urban center to outreach to isolated rural Jewish communities. We are proud to support their efforts.”

Recipients are determined by a selection committee, which includes JTS alumni, chaired by the executive vice chancellor. Eligible programs may be synagogue-based, organization-based, or independent; must be intended to have a significant impact on the Jewish community; and have clear-cut leadership and goals. Over $150,000 has been awarded in grants since the program’s inception in 2014.

Read about previous Seeds of Innvation Project grant recipients.