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Executive Director Message

Orange Balloons

March, 2025

As we reach the halfway point in our annual visit with our Israel grantees, there is a deep heaviness that permeates our conversations.

Being a nonprofit leader is stressful in the best of circumstances. During an elongated war, it is on so many levels beyond challenging. Each of our Good People here has a personal situation demanding valuable physical and emotional presence. At the same time, they are seeking to serve their communities with limited resources.

Yet countering the stresses is a fierce determination to overcome the moment and claim the impact and positive change that is their drive. And that is just as apparent during our visits, and a source of pride to all of us who support them at a time when their work is arguably more important than ever.

We were already here that difficult day when four coffins arrived in Israel from Gaza, when the entire country seemed to be holding its breath. That evening, we celebrated the 80th birthday of our grantee, Gideon Ben Ami, founder of Pesia’s Kitchen/EAT. In the large restaurant were many other tables celebrating milestones. Suspended above were orange balloons reminding everyone of Kfir and Ariel Bibas, the babies who have come to represent the horrors of October 7.

In the midst of the horror and pain, people here continue to live and believe there are better days ahead, and our grantees are no different.

This year, in addition to our one-on-one conversations and site visits, we brought our grantees together for small gatherings in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Our intention, as always, was to provide an opportunity to connect, spark ideas for collaboration and support, and nurture a strong sense of community.

A memorable moment (pictured) was at our Jerusalem event, as we walked together through the rain to witness firsthand the impact of JLM Food Rescuers, one of our grantees. Our hosts, co-founders Daniella Seltzer and Itay Peled, took us through the bustling Givat Shaul wholesale market, where we learned about how they rescue surplus food and redistribute it to those in need. Their efforts alleviate hunger, address food waste and promote sustainability — all while strengthening community ties in the disparate neighborhoods of Jerusalem.

These gatherings are a part of building lasting relationships between our grantees, supporting each other’s growth, and reinforcing our commitment to our shared values of kindness, compassion, and empathy. We are posting moments from our visits with our grantees to our GPF social media accounts and hope you are following our highlights there too.

Finally, our Good People Talk! podcast this month features Esty Shushan, founder of Nivcharot — a GPF grantee — which is breaking down barriers for Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) women by working for equal space in society and empowering them through leadership training to redefine their roles and voices, changing society from the inside. Please listen and be inspired by the impact you are making as part of the GPF family.

Another week to go meeting our wonderful Good People Fund grantees!

Naomi and Julie

Homeward Bound, and Changed

In a few hours, Julie and I will board a plane in Israel and head home. Our 15 days here have been enlightening and enriching as always, but also highly emotionally charged.

To say that we were welcomed with open arms would be an understatement. Our very presence was a balm to our grantees, who have been overwhelmed with so much sadness, stress, and also conflicting emotions. I think these words from one of our grantees best express it:

“Since you came to visit, I feel I’m shining. Throughout these many months of war, I had only brief moments of synchronization in my life. Our meeting, with all that’s happening, reminded me how things have a reason, how solutions come at the right time, how good people are important, and how much hope there actually still is.”

It has been an honor and a privilege to be here on behalf of all of you, to connect with our grantees and to help make the shining and hope possible and tangible.

On Sunday, as our trip was winding down, we invited three of our Good People here to sit with us for a live webcast. As we sat and talked in Tel Aviv with Avraham Hayon of S.A.H.I., Shlomit Somech-Lehmann of Al-Baqour, and Yael Noy of Road to Recovery, we were moved by their expressions of fortitude, creativity and passion upholding and advancing hope at a time of great challenge. They are representative of all of our Good People in Israel who are doubling down on their missions to uplift their communities and strengthen the broader civil society.

If you missed it, you can click here — or scroll down — to watch our one-hour conversation, one that has already generated so many warm and positive responses from our online audience. It is at once raw and heartwarming, and underscores the realities here in Israel and the embrace of our Good People Fund family.

You will be hearing more of our observations and takeaways soon, once I’m back home and settled. In the meantime, please know how thankful I am for your friendship and support of our work together.

New look…new colors…but, still lots of good news

As we celebrate our 10th anniversary year,  we are designing dynamic new channels through which we can share some of the highlights of all of the good your ongoing support makes possible. Ideally, each of you would be able to be at my side each day and watch as we use your dollars and our creativity to improve lives in the US, Israel, and elsewhere around the world. Until that is practical, we hope our monthly Good News e-newsletter will remind you of the good work you make possible.

We also hope that the news we share here will be an antidote to the headlines we all read each morning.  It is very important to me that you — vital members of the GPF community — know about the impact you help to drive and the issues you help to advance. Please let us know your thoughts — we would love to hear from you.