Jewish Peoplehood
Love of education. Respect for hard work. Appreciation of community. And pastrami on rye. Mix together in equal parts and you have the makings of a people - the Jewish people.
For thousands of years, the concept of Jewish Peoplehood has inspired, intrigued, vexed, and perplexed Jews and non-Jews alike. Many believe that the principle form of Jewish expression is no longer found exclusively in the synagogue but also in Jewish humor, music, food, and art. Today, Jewish identity is often defined by tradition, heritage, culture, and family. To better understand and cultivate a positive Jewish identity, the Koret Foundation and Taube Philanthropies have launched The Koret Taube Initiative on Jewish Peoplehood, a grantmaking approach that spans the San Francisco Bay Area, Poland, and Israel.
We embrace Jewish Peoplehood as a framework for engaging in the global conversation about a collective Jewish experience and identity, and exploring a more connected, better networked sense of Jewishness. Programs are designed to help develop the sense that one's Jewish identity is a positive, not a negative or even neutral aspect of individual identity. Grantmaking strategies are designed around four main principles: Coming Together in Communities, Celebrating Jewish Ideas and Culture, Fostering Global Dimensions of Jewish Peoplehood, and Recognizing Contributions of the Jewish People to Western Culture.
Our specific interest in encouraging engagement in Jewish life has energized the Jewish cultural scene. The initiative focuses on collaboration among Jewish organizations celebrating the connection, continuity, and culture that come from diverse Jewish traditions. In the Bay Area, we fund Jewish Community Centers, campus Chabad and Hillel houses, Jewish cultural institutions, and family services, among other areas. In addition, we support programs and capital projects in Israel and Poland.
