I hope you are well! As the 2021-22 academic year draws to a close, we are excited to update you on another semester of growth and success for JGSI. This year (like the two before it) has been a crazy ride, filled with unexpected bumps in the road and false starts. But last summer we made a promise to our students, our supporters and ourselves that 2021-22 would be JGSI’s biggest programming year ever – and thanks to your help, we delivered on that promise in a big way.

Some unbelievable stats for 2021-22:

• 121 grad campuses (up from 85 just one year ago)
• 513 events and programs (up from ~350 last year)
• 8,007 individual participants through our doors (130% of pre-COVID reach), and
• 13,172 total attendance at JGSI programs!
  

Some exciting highlights from this past Spring Semester since January 2022:

• We welcomed the following new campuses to our roster: Rutgers Medicine | UConn Medicine | Florida Law | Florida MBA | Georgia State Law | Columbia Social Work | Stony Brook Medicine | UMiami MBA

• Our live Campus Events across North America went forward at full throttle. Through the dedication of our incredible volunteer student representatives, we executed hundreds of creative programs to engage Jewish grads such as: Chametzapalooza (NYU Law), Chocolate Seder (UOregon), Int’l Jewish Moot Court (UWindsor Law), Jewish Softball League (UVA Law), BOT Mitzvah (Northwestern Kellogg), and Black/Jewish Solidarity Summit (Vanderbilt Law).

• Our Scott & Ashley Cohen Shabbat Dinner Series provided inspiring Shabbat and holiday programs for participants around the country – including citywide Grad Shabbats in six markets, Purim parties, and Passover Seders – for a grand total of 236 events this year.

• To raise awareness of the Shoah and increasing anti-Semitism (especially on campus), we helped organize 28 programs featuring Holocaust Survivors and expert panelists that reached more than 1,241 students. One such event at Osgoode Law drew 319 attendees and included opening remarks from Toronto mayor John Tory.

• Our James B. Freedman Executive Speaker Series hosted 65 events where C-level executives shared insights into career, industry and Judaism. Sessions were held on campus, on Zoom, and over livestream for maximum reach. VIP guests included Gary Cohn (Vice Chairman; IBM), Bill Koenig (Pres., Global Content; NBA), Jay Levine (CSO; WarnerMedia), Spencer Rascoff (Co-Founder; Zillow), and Rena Reiss (GC; Marriott).

• Our Redstone Family JELCON (Jewish Executive Leadership Conference) launched in a new hybrid format, with in-person events in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and New York livestreamed to our worldwide audience. Students enjoyed keynotes from Brad Jacobs (CEO, XPO Logistics), Bryan Palbaum (President, Trader Joe’s), Dr. Katie Rodan (Co-Founder, Rodan + Fields), and Barry Salzberg (Former CEO; Deloitte), plus luminaries like Daniel Cooperman (Former GC; Oracle / Apple), Stacy Green (CPO; Sony Pictures), David Lawee (Founder; Google Capital), Tatiana Segal (CRO; Morgan Stanley), and Neal Shapiro (Former President, NBC News).

• We welcomed three brand new cohorts (1 live; 2 online) of our prestigious Sloan Fellowship for select Jewish grad students with demonstrated leadership qualities. A total of 118 Fellows spent the semester exploring Jewish ethics and leadership representing 4,909 hours of learning! Here’s what one participant had to say:

"At a time when I was starting to lose touch with my Jewish identity, the Sloan Fellowship …allowed me to explore aspects of Judaism that went beyond what we did learn, or could have learned, in early Hebrew school programs. Listening to the weekly speakers, exploring the weekly topics, and engaging with fellow colleagues and educators truly inspired me to re-engage with my Jewish identity." - Lisa Rosenof, UCincinnati Law‍

Special thanks to the Sloan and Sagansky Families and the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles for their ongoing support of this program.

• This August marks JGSI’s first-ever Birthright Israel mission for grads and alumni across North America, in partnership with Israel Outdoors. We can’t wait to send you pictures!
  

Fundraising Update - As of May 17, 2022, we have raised $1,607,013 (85%) towards our total 2021-22 goal of $1,900,000, fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2022. Donating is quick, secure, and easy: thejgsi.org/donate

Despite the challenges of the past year, JGSI has outdone itself once again – producing mission-related outputs and impact like never before! Thanks to your friendship, thousands of young adults are prouder and more excited to be Jewish than they were a year ago – and for that we are eternally grateful.