Besides heading The Israel Lemonade Fund — a Good People Fund grantee — Shari Mendes serves on an Israel Defense Forces reserve unit dedicated to caring for the bodies of female IDF soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice. In this episode — presented as we mark one year since October 7 — Shari describes her experiences and observations on and after that day … the imperative to honor and dignify those we lost … and the place of testimony and remembrance as legacy. She speaks with GPF Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger.

Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of atrocities, including sexual violence, committed on October 7. Listener discretion is advised.

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Shari Mendes is a breast cancer survivor — who during her journey of treatment and recovery, met patients facing severe financial struggle exacerbated by loss of work and other factors. Responding, she founded Israel Lemonade Fund — a Good People Fund grantee — to help breast cancer patients in financial crisis, offering one-time grants covering basic living costs and alleviating distress. Marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, she speaks with GPF Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger.

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Good People Fund (un)conference keynote speaker Ruth Messinger is a prominent social change advocate, and former President and current Global Ambassador of the American Jewish World Service. In this special pre-(un)conference episode, Ruth speaks about the Jewish and moral imperative to repair the world … the challenges facing visionary leaders … and what she’s planning to impart in her keynote address at the (un)conference in November in New York City.

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Tag Meir (“Light Tag”) — a Good People Fund grantee — was founded in 2011 by Gadi Gvaryahu to counter racism in Israel, and has grown to lead a coalition of more than 50 organizations across political, religious and cultural spheres to mobilize voices for coexistence, support victims of hate crimes, and more. Since October 7, the work of Tag Meir is especially crucial as tensions rise in the country and region. “We don’t have the privilege to give up,” says Gadi, in this timely conversation with GPF Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger.

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Come November, at The Good People Fund’s (un)conference in New York, singer-songwriter John Beltzer will bring us into his unique zone of good … leading attendees as we give our voices to a song personalized for a child facing a serious medical challenge.

Since 1996, John’s Songs of Love Foundation has touched the lives of tens of thousands of children and teens in this way. By crafting free, original and customized songs for them — written and recorded by a network of talented singer–songwriters — the Foundation is providing solace, relief and escape, and expanding a community of care and compassion.

In this episode of Good People Talk, John speaks with GPF Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger about the vision, the growth, and the impact … and what he has planned when he presents at GPF’s (un)conference this fall.

Since Oct 7, colleges are flashpoints of antisemitism and anti-Zionism. TribeTalk, a Good People Fund grantee, is equipping Jewish college students with knowledge, resources and confidence to navigate through this challenging reality … and giving college-bound students information on what to expect when they arrive on campus.

Jude Sydney and Robin Friedman are co-founders of TribeTalk. In this episode they speak with GPF Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger about how TribeTalk is meeting the moment with urgency and impact.

In our severely challenged world — as we look to define and grasp hope — Rabbi Debra Orenstein sat with Good People Fund Director of Engagement Julie Fisher to talk about her own journey to hope … the value of hope to our mental and physical well beings …  practical tips for all of us to embrace and elevate hope … and much more.

Rabbi Debra is spiritual leader at Congregation B’nai Israel in Emerson, NJ, and a nationally known Jewish educator and commentator on the theory and practice of hope, and the Jewish wisdom surrounding it. She recently taught a six-part online workshop, “Real Hope”  — the inaugural series in GPF’s Good People Learn program.

“Real Hope” Session 5 — “Meeting Hope Heroes” 

More about Rabbi Debra Orenstein

Amy Ever, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, is the Founder and CEO of A Courageous Voice — educating and equipping children, parents, teachers and community leaders with the knowledge and tools to end the scourge of child abuse, neglect and exploitation rooted in both on- and offline spaces. Amy talks about her journey from trauma to impact with GPF Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger.

Three of our visionary grantees in Israel vividly describe how they’re meeting new challenges since the terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, and staying true to their passions and missions elevating good and hope — and uplifting the communities they serve with renewed resolve.

While in Israel in March, GPF Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger and GPF Director of Engagement Julie Fisher sat with Avraham Hayon of S.A.H.I., Yael Noy of Road to Recovery, and Shlomit Somech-Lehmann of Al-Baqour for a live Zoom event (link below), here presented in audio-only podcast format.

Live from Israel Zoom Recording:

Listen below or wherever you listen to your podcasts.