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17 October 2019
On Thursday, November 7, a passionate group of Jewish 20s & 30s from across the DMV will gather for Federation’s Flash Philanthropy: a one-night-only giving circle experience. Presented by Federation’s Young Leadership, and co-chaired by Eva Davis and Julien Guttman, this unique opportunity will bring local young leaders together to discover the power of collective giving, using Jewish values to guide their impact. We sat down with Eva and Julien to learn what excites them about engaging their friends and networks in philanthropy.
What encouraged you to co-chair this event?
Julien: Through my engagement with Federation, I have learned so much about my personal philanthropic journey—how I can and want to put my values into action through giving. I’m excited to co-chair Flash Philanthropy because it is an entry point into a critical and meaningful conversation about values and giving that many of us haven’t had.
Eva: I love the idea of an event where like-minded Jewish young professionals can get together to learn about the impact of collective giving, learn about different needs in the community, and have a substantive discussion about what matters and why. There aren’t enough opportunities for younger people to both have this conversation and be able to make a difference by allocating funds to worthy organizations.
Why do you think it’s important for young leaders in our community to come to this event and participate in philanthropy?
Julien: The central values of tikkun olam (repairing the world) and tzedakah (righteousness/charity) guide many of us as Jewish individuals, and through Flash Philanthropy, we are building a community around the impact of tikkun olam. We have the opportunity to make a big difference when we think and give collectively.
Eva: Collective giving is impactful and important for everyone to experience because it’s important to learn where the needs are in the Jewish community, and to meet others who care about similar things.
How did you select the beneficiary organizations for this event?
Julien: The organizations we’ll be focused on represent a wide array of work that touches the lives of individuals in our community, in our country, in Israel, and around the world. We wanted to give Flash Philanthropy participants a chance to see their values represented through a range of potential beneficiary organizations.
Eva: The potential beneficiaries show the breadth and depth of the need in the Jewish community. The diversity amongst them also illustrates how challenging allocations decisions can be when there are so many needs – which we hope will encourage the group to channel and stay true to their values.
What comes after Flash Philanthropy?
Julien: We hope this is just the beginning of a lifelong conversation about putting our values into action. As young leaders working to build our future, we want to seed a culture of philanthropy that will blossom into a vibrant, engaged, and whole-hearted Jewish community.
Eva: We hope this experience creates momentum for people to stay involved with Federation through collective giving circles or in other meaningful ways, to continue the conversation, and to feel empowered with their giving while building community with other like-minded people.
What is one word that comes to mind when it comes to philanthropy?
Julien: Invitation
Eva: Priorities