I am pleased to introduce our streamlined Partner Organization Newsletter. In these bimonthly newsletters, you will find updates and reflections from leaders across our work as well as information and news from CJP.
This month, I am excited to share an update on CJP’s portfolios. You will also find information about our 2025 Greater Boston Jewish Community Study and upcoming professional development opportunities for you and your colleagues.
Updates: CJP portfolios
Over the past six months, we have worked to clarify and articulate CJP’s vision for impact through our work with community partners, which I wanted to communicate below. We are grateful to those of you who have offered advice and input along the way.
CJP aims to power a comprehensive ecosystem of thriving organizations strengthening the Jewish community in Greater Boston, Israel, and around the world — that leads to more people who want, and are able, to meaningfully engage in Jewish life.
Our core work occurs across three portfolios:
Jewish Communal Life, focused on ensuring that opportunities exist for all people to meaningfully engage in Jewish life and learning
Caring, focused on caring for our Jewish community here in Greater Boston and “caring Jewishly” for the community around us
Israel and Global Jewry, focused on strengthening connections between Greater Boston and Israel and caring for Jews in Israel and around the world
Across these portfolios we play a core role as a grant maker, and we also aim to work toward our vision by supporting partners as a convener, connector, and capacity builder. Over the next few months, we are working to reimagine these parts of our work (i.e., outside of grant-making) and look forward to sharing more opportunities soon.
In addition, as many of you are aware, CJP has a commitment to meeting the moment. Currently, we are doing this through emergency funds focused on Israel and the Ukraine, and CJP’s Center for Combating Antisemitism, a central hub for communal efforts to respond to antisemitism, anti-Jewish hate, and anti-Israel sentiments in Greater Boston.
Reflecting on this work — and conversations with many of you whom I have had the opportunity to meet and learn from — I am struck by the vibrancy of our community and by our interconnectedness. I hope that our work at CJP can support and nourish that vibrancy and help create even more connections across our community. I am grateful for each of your work and your partnership, and look forward to meeting again, or for the first time, soon.
With gratitude,
Annie Knickman Plancher Vice President, Grantmaking and Portfolio Management
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CJP news and events
CJP’s 2025 Greater Boston Jewish Community Study launches
CJP has commissioned a study of the Jewish population of Greater Boston to learn not only about the size and characteristics of the Jewish community, but also about the issues they care for the most. With this information, we can work with you to build a stronger, more vibrant Jewish community.
In the coming weeks, some of your constituents or members will receive a letter or postcard from our research partner, SSRS, inviting them to complete the survey — online, on paper, or by phone — if they are one of the 170,000 households randomly selected.
If you receive questions from them about the survey, please let them know the basics:
The survey takes approximately 25 minutes to complete, and participation is voluntary
All information collected is completely confidential and secure
Households were randomly selected from all publicly available residential addresses in the Greater Boston area, and contact information was collected from multiple sources including publicly available data and local Jewish organizations
This information will be used solely for research purposes and will not be shared with any outside organizations
At the conclusion of the research period next summer, CJP will share study findings with our partners and the community as well as introduce new tools for organizations to analyze the resulting data to learn more about their constituents.
CJP invites you to join a unique opportunity to hear from esteemed political commentator and New York Times bestselling author, Van Jones. Van will be in conversation with CJP’s President and CEO, Rabbi Marc Baker, where together they’ll discuss a range of topics, including American democracy, the election, Israel and its influence on Jewish life in America, allyship, and, of course, Van’s personal journey.
Learn how AI can improve productivity, reduce burnout, and free up staff to focus on relationship-building and high-impact work. By incorporating AI, your organization can better serve your mission while maintaining a human-centered work environment. Facilitated by Kelly Segal of Effect Collective, we’ll explore real-life applications of AI in fundraising, communications, and operations — and leave with actionable strategies and tools to adopt AI in your work. All members of your team welcome!
Or copythis linkinto your calendar to join directly at the scheduled time.
Professionals working with teens, college students, and young adults
See the latest professional development offerings for professionals working with teens, college students, and young adults. For information about professional development resources and opportunities for professionals working with teens, college students, or young adults, get in touch with Brett Lubarsky, CJP's Director, Jewish Communal Life.
CJP works with you to support our shared goal of building a strong and vibrant community. Take advantage of our essential services (and other resources!) that will help your organization thrive.
