Launch of Schusterman Foundation’s ‘Make It Happen SA!’

Launch of Schusterman Foundation’s ‘Make It Happen SA!’

The Cape Board is proud to have partnered with one of the world’s largest Jewish philanthropic networks, the US-based Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, to launch the ‘Make It Happen Initiative’.

This new and exciting endeavour follows the Schusterman Foundation’s Young Jewish Innovators Gathering in Johannesburg this past February. On 10 August, the foundation returned to South Africa to host 25 young Jewish ‘change-makers’ and entrepreneurs in Stellenbosch to discuss how to further innovation in the Cape Town Jewish community.

While all of the participants have strong Jewish identities and are extremely successful in their respective fields, many feel disconnected from the ‘official’ Jewish community, as it does not meet their specific needs.

Micro-grants for macro change
However, philanthropist Lynn Schusterman believes in the power of young adults to create change, and through her generosity, enables them to create the type of Jewish experiences they would like to see in their community.

Whenever Lynn meets with young adults, she reminds them, “You make it happen and I make it possible.” Already on his third visit to South Africa in the past year, Director of Network Initiatives Seth Cohen introduced the concept of ‘micro-grants for macro change’, which makes every South African participant in a Schusterman programme eligible for a ‘Make It Happen’ micro-grant.

This funding enables each individual to create exciting Jewish experiences and develop his or her skills set. The only conditions attached to the grant are that the experience must be inclusive, cannot charge an entrance fee nor fundraise, and must be used by March 2013. Participants also have the option of pooling their money together with other Schusterman community members towards a single project.

Jonathan Marks, former director of the Raymond Ackerman Foundation Academy for Entrepreneurial Development at the University of Cape Town, facilitated a master class for the group entitled ‘Entrepreneurial Thinking: Ways of Seeing and Ways of Being’.

Sheryl Ozinsky, former Managing Director of Cape Town Tourism, facilitated the second master class, entitled ‘Putting the ‘J’ back in the OY of being Jewish’.

This was followed by a Mini-Nachum Goldmann style (www.ngfp.org) text study and lively discussion facilitated by Cape Board Executive Director David Jacobson on ‘What is our commitment to Jewish community and Jewish peoplehood?’ South Africa is the first Jewish community outside of the United States to benefit from the ‘Make It Happen’ micro-grants. Should the model work here, it will be rolled out to other Jewish communities throughout the Diaspora.