Each cohort of the
Chai Giving Circle is a small group of like-minded women who appreciate the
importance of giving and the power of combined resources and knowledge. The
women pool their charitable donations, engage in social justice learning and
philanthropic research together, and collaborate in deciding how to allocate
their giving.
To learn more, please
contact Michelle Kracoff at
[email protected] or (650)-223-8693.
For the most recent cohort, click here.
2022–2023 Participants and Funders:
|
Host Committee: Madeline Chaleff, Andi Frenkel, Liza Hausman, Lori Krolik, Orli Rinat, Nicole Singer, Shannon Stein
|
| Julie Arnheim |
Mimi Ezray |
Wendy Kaplan Miller |
Rebecca Shomair |
| Vera Baum |
Catherine Crystal Foster |
Susan Mirbach |
Julie Shulman |
| Lauren Berman |
Jennifer Foster |
Rosita Newman |
Susan Sims |
| Lorraine Brown |
Jinghan Hao |
Karen Orzechowski |
Abigail Sooy |
| Cindy Cohan |
Lori Kaplan |
Aliza Peleg |
Emily Wu |
| Yudy Deng |
Laura Keller |
Tracy Shedroff |
|
A group of 30 community members pooled their charitable donations, expanded their knowledge and collaborated in support of addressing mental health issues here in our area. After learning about the topic, the group researched local organizations doing good work. Ultimately, we granted funds to Ravenswood Family Health Network, NAMI Santa Clara, and El Camino Foundation's MOMS program.
2021–2022 Participants and Funders, OFJCC Leslie Family Preschool Giving Circle:
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Host Committee: Julia Agam, Leslie Behar, Amy Berg, Madeline Chaleff, Andi Frenkel, Alina Libova, Rebecca Shomair, Nicole Singer
|
Agam Family
|
Frenkel Family |
Libova Family |
Smithline Family |
| Behar Family |
Greenberg Family |
Leslie Family Preschool Teachers
|
Thiel Prizant Family |
| Berg Family |
Gunn Family |
Sharon/Koskas Family |
|
| Berman Family |
Hudesman Family |
Shomair Family |
|
| Chaleff/Arfin Family |
Lapidus/Margolin Family |
Singer Family |
|
A group of 16 OFJCC Leslie Family Preschool and alumni families pooled their resources in support of Ukraine at our first-ever giving circle for the preschool community. At our second one-time, pop-up giving circle of the year, the group granted funds to NOVA Ukraine and The Survivor Mitzvah Project.
2021–2022 Participants and Funders:
|
|
Host Committee: Leslie Behar, Madeline
Chaleff, Cynthia Cohan, Andi Frenkel, Wendy Miller, Beth-Ann Schwabacher-Wenger, Rebecca Shomair, Shannon Stein
|
| Mallary Alcheck |
Catherine Crystal Foster |
Lori Kaplan |
Orli Rinat |
Sara Schnell |
| Julie Arnheim |
Jennifer Foster |
Dana Kleiman |
Talya Ronen |
Pamela Shames
|
| Cheryl Bader |
Hillary Frank |
Sheryl Klein |
Debbie Roose |
Susan Sims |
| Vera Baum |
Lisa Friedman |
Dana Kornfeld |
Lisa Rothstein |
Deborah Sloss |
| Sabrina Braham |
Yael Goshen |
Lori Krolik |
Susan Steiner Saal |
Kate Vanzanten |
| Margarita Casanova Cohen |
Liza Hausman |
Elaine Leff |
Jennie Savage |
Viviane Wildmann |
| Alison Elliott |
Sandy Hirsh |
Aliza Peleg |
Emily Scheinman |
Emily Wu |
| Mimi Ezray |
Miranda Junowicz |
|
|
|
A group of 45 women pooled their resources in support of Local Afghan Resettling at our first-ever pop-up giving circle program. With thought, intention, information and strategy, the group met for a few short hours and granted funds to Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay and Pars Equality Center.
2019–2020 Participants:
Co-chairs: Andi Frenkel and Wendy Miller
|
|
Kim Brummer
|
Mimi Ezray
|
Elena Shvarts
|
Beth Wenger
|
|
Cynthia Cohan
|
Yael Goshen
|
Shannon Stein
|
Rahn Basche
|
|
Nancy Dobronsky
|
Elaine Babayan Leff
|
|
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Participants of the fourth funding cycle of the Chai Giving Circle have chosen Juvenile Justice Reform as the main focus. Funds were granted to Fresh Lifeline for Youth, New Door Ventures and Young Women's Freedom Center.
2018–2019
Participants:
Co-chairs: Ellen
Brown, Andi Frenkel and Rebecca Shomair
|
|
Leslie Behar
|
Liza Hausman
|
Aliza Peleg
|
Elana Shvarts
|
|
Kim Boyanowski
|
Patty Krigel
|
Orli Rinat
|
Mimi Spier
|
|
Maddy Chaleff
|
Lori Krolik
|
Rivi Rochkin
|
Shannon Stein
|
|
Mimi Ezray
|
Esther Levy
|
Susan Steiner Saal
|
Judith Stubbs
|
|
Myra Gilfix
|
Lucy Milgram
|
Sara Schnell
|
Beth Wenger
|
|
Yael Goshen
|
Wendy Miller
|
Pam Shames
|
Deborah Wexler
|
|
Karen Gould
|
Stacey Newman
|
|
|
Participants focused their learning on two key areas: mental health and housing insecurity, each with a sub-focus on girls. Funds were granted to Shalom Bayit, Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC), Unity Care Group and Jewish Family and Children's Services (JFCS).
2017–2018
Participants:
Co-chairs: Maddy
Chaleff and Rebecca Shomair
|
|
Leslie Behar
|
Liza Hausman
|
Stacey Newman
|
Pam Shames
|
|
Kim Boyanowski
|
Sara Janzen
|
Orli Rinat
|
Shannon Stein
|
Ellen Brown
|
Erica Katz
|
Rivi Rochkind
|
Andrea Stern
|
|
Mimi Ezray
|
Sharon Leslie
|
Susan Steiner Saal
|
Beth Wenger
|
|
Andi Frenkel
|
Linor Levav
|
Sara Schnell
|
Karen Zuckerberg
|
|
Karen Gould
|
Wendy Miller
|
Jodi Schwartz
|
|
This cohort of Chai
Giving Circle learned about social justice issues in the local, South Bay community, specifically as they relate to hunger and food insecurity. Members worked together to make impactful decisions while infusing Jewish values into their philanthropic discussions. They ultimately granted funds to
Ecumenical
Hunger Program,
MAZON and
Project
WeHOPE
2016–2017
Participants:
Chair: Michelle
Sandberg
|
|
Tavi Alcheck
|
Jennifer Dibrienza
|
Jonna Hunter
|
Rebecca Shomair
|
|
Leslie Behar
|
Andi Frenkel
|
Lauren Kutcher
|
Emily Waldorf
|
|
Ronit Bodner
|
Tricia Herrick
|
Sharon Leslie
|
Hilary Weisfeld
|
|
Maddy Chaleff
|
Vanessa Hood
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Susan Steiner Saal
|
Emily Wessler
|
Participants from the
inaugural giving circle focused on three pressing, relevant issues:
reproductive justice, religious and racial tolerance and immigration rights.
Ultimately the group granted funds to the Center
for Reproductive Rights, If
| When | How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice, Center
for Gender and Refugee Studies and Facing
History and Ourselves.
