Projects
“BREAKING NEWS” – NEW PROJECTS IN 2024
Of course, the ongoing fallout from the horrors of Oct. 7 has been the biggest challenge of 2024. Many members of Kavod’s leadership were in Israel in 2024, and we sought out Tzedakah projects that reflected Kavod’s principle of finding direct and impactful ways to make an immediate difference in the lives of the recipients.
In addition to many of our longstanding projects in Israel, who pivoted to support the victims of terror and the war, we also took on these new projects in 2024:
Transcending Trauma. Kavod has worked with Dr. Anita Shkedi, one of the world’s premier experts in equine-assisted therapy, since our inception. She puts broken bodies and lives back together with the help of a team of professionals and, of course, her wondrous horses. Transcending Trauma is her resounding response to October 7 and the war. The horses and the therapy groups are part of a holistic approach healing the chronic PTSD of the victims of the attacks, the soldiers, and so many others.
Eden Association. Members of Kavod’s board visited the devastated site of the Nova music festival and the kibbutzim of the eastern Negev this summer. We also had the opportunity to meet the heroic people who are rebuilding hope. The Eden Association is a long-standing non-profit in the region that promotes and advocates on issues of gender, with a special focus on trauma care and education. Since Oct. 7, much of their care has been directed to addressing the trauma of the survivors of the attacks—including the survivors of the terrorists’ sexual assaults. We were deeply moved by the dignity and power of their work, and we’re glad to bring them into Kavod’s network.
Achvah: A Special Scholarship and Investment. We wrote about Achvah: The Partnership for Abayudaya Rights as one of our new projects in 2023. This year, we were able to make a special investment a member of the Abayudaya community: we provided a scholarship for Aaron Mateka to go attend university to work towards a music degree. You can see Aaron as a featured guitarist in Achvah’s extraordinary Pesach video supporting the Israeli hostages in Gaza.
We also continued to support the victims of terror and the war through our long-standing relationships in Israel: Gesharim Letikvah/Bridges for Hope, Yad Elie, Beit Uri, the Jerusalem Rape Crisis Center, as well as recommitting ourselves to building a just and pluralistic society in Israel through the work of IRAC and Hiddush. More than ever, our Tzedakah support has felt absolutely crucial and relevant.
Click here to see the amazing work our KAVOD Fellows did in 2008!
NOTE: We are experimenting with a new model for the Fellowship program and are currently working with a few students in the Year-in-Israel Program. We will update you on changes as we go forward.
KAVOD Tzedakah Fellowship Program
The KAVOD Tzedakah Fellowship Program in partnership with the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) is training the next generation of Mitzvah Heroes. Rabbis, cantors, educators, and communal service professionals are learning to raise and distribute tzedakah wisely and effectively.
Here’s how the fellowship works: First year HUC-JIR students are eligible to apply for the fellowship. A committee of the KAVOD board selects Fellows. KAVOD provides guidance and support to the Fellows so they can raise and distribute funds in accordance with the values of KAVOD. All disbursements are reviewed by members of the KAVOD board.
KAVOD recognizes that for students to understand fully the challenges (and joys) of giving money away, they must understand the challenges of raising money. So, in addition to an upfront sum that KAVOD entrusts the fellow to donate, we offer a 1:1 challenge matching grant._ That grant grows each year, creating a bigger and bigger incentive for the Fellow and his/her supporters. Each fellowship “costs” KAVOD $6000 over four-years ($1,000 in up-front grants and $5,000 in matching grants). The total tzedakah yield, assuming the Fellow makes the match, will equal $11,000 (that is, the $5,000 matching grant will yield $10,000 in tzedakah+ the $1,000 up-front grant). And if the Fellow surpasses the challenge grant (as a few have already done), s/he can donate more than $11,000 over the course of her/his fellowship.
We love the idea of the tzedakah Fellowships for a number of reasons. For one, it’s a great tzedakah investment – every dollar directed to the fellow will be given to tzedakah. Plus, the fellow will be raising their own additional funds for tzedakah. This is a generative program – it’s a fellowship that keeps on giving because we expect great things from these fellows in the years ahead. Years from now, they will be leading synagogues, educating youth and adults, serving on community boards, and running their own tzedakah collectives.
If you would like to sponsor a fellow (a $6,000 donation over four years), please contact us at [email protected].