Despite the weather, ‘Spark’ shone brightly at CJP campaign breakfast

MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR

Acold and damp morning greeted 320 attendees for the “Lighting the Spark Campaign Breakfast” at The Clayton House in Scottsdale on March 21.

The Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix’s (CJP) sold-out event highlighted its programs and honored people in the community with the Belle Latchman Community Service Award, the Lee Amada and Sy Clark Young Leadership Awards and the first CJP Spark Award. After the honorees were identified, a video was shown with clips of the award winners, CJP employees and community members highlighting what the Center does.

The event concluded with a Q&A with Rachel Hoffer, CJP’s board chair, and Julie Platt, board chair for the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), who shared the importance of collective giving and its impact on the work JFNA is doing in the areas of security, global outreach and creating flourishing Jewish communities.

The CJP just completed its first full year of operation as a new organization created by the integration of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix and the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix.

“These firsts demonstrate a new approach, a new way of thinking about inclusivity, supporting community needs, being dedicated to service and applying a holistic view to philanthropy,” Hoffer said.

Rabbi Aviva Funke, associate director of the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix and principal of Hebrew High, led the Hamotzi and gave the

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invocation.

“This morning I see a tree of an organization, rooted in this community, sprouting gorgeous blossoms,” she said. “It is my privilege to make this blessing upon the fruits that will come and the blossoms that are and the holy work we have the righteous responsibility to do.”

“The CJP exists in part to create real change and growth in our community and fuel innovation and to ensure that Greater Phoenix is a place where Jewish people can lead meaningful Jewish lives — however they define that for themselves,” said Richard Kasper, CJP’s CEO. “We also celebrate collective achievements by recognizing individuals and organizations who, through their time, action and dedication, are committed to making our community an exceptional place to live.”

Kasper then presented the Belle Latchman Community Service Award to two local organizations, Valley Beit Midrash’s (VBM) social justice program Arizona Jews for Justice (AJJ) and the East Valley Jewish Community Center’s (EVJCC) JBox program.

“Each of these programs addresses growing local humanitarian needs on behalf of our Jewish community,” said Kasper.

AJJ is one of the fastest-growing

Jewish social service organizations in the Southwest. Its initiatives include work to protect the unhoused, support refugees and assist asylum seekers. In 2022, AJJ provided 200 meals per week to individuals and families in need, provided food and water to the unhoused during the summer heat and distributed thousands of dollars’ worth of toys to vulnerable children.

“I don’t know what the question at the gates of heaven will be, but if I were to guess what the most powerful question for me would be, it is, ‘Did you give more than you took from the world?’” said Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, president and dean of VBM. “We want AJJ to be a vehicle for us to make clear to ourselves, and the society at large, that our Jewish community is here to serve, partner and give back.”

JBox is a community service program of the EVJCC. Last year, JBox provided more than 5,000 meals to low-income youth and seniors in their own homes. JBox also provides free lunches to lowincome children attending EVJCC preschool. In response to increased demand during the pandemic, the EVJCC established the JBox Food Pantry to provide free groceries to 300 families.

“We never thought that we would win an award,” said Rabbi Michael Beyo, EVJCC’s CEO. “We are very humbled, there is so much more to do and there are so many more people that need services; we are very thankful that we can be there for them.”

Leah Bold Mondlick received the Lee Amada Young Leadership Award and Bryce Schotz received the Sy Clark Young Leadership Award.

“Both Bryce and Leah embody a new generation of young leaders who are stepping up and assuming positions of leadership in established organizations or want to reach their peers in novel ways,” said Hoffer.

Mondlick chaired two young leadership missions to Israel, is a JFNA National Young Leadership Cabinet alumnus and is the past chair of NowGen in Phoenix, where she served as the chair for two years and launched the Live, Give, Lead program, which is still in place today. She is a prior Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix board member and serves on CJP’s board. She is also the current chair of CJP’s Women IN Philanthropy, which she relaunched in 2020, bringing new programming including Dignity Grows, Floranthropy and the first WIP Women Cares Day.

Her husband, Dr. Joshua Mondlick, said, “There’s never really a ‘no’ that comes out of her mouth, which is impressive. Sometimes I wish she would be able to say ‘no.’ She does everything really well and it’s incredible to watch her.”

Mondlick said that she looks back at the previous winners of the award as icons in the community and also considers her mother an icon, stating that they perform community service work together.

“Both (of my) parents do community service every week and they’re very involved with their shul,” she said. “It’s a great honor, I’m very happy to accept it and thank everyone who put me in this place to receive it. We have to take care of one another. If not us, then who?”

Schotz, a second-generation Arizona native, was involved in BBYO as a teen, then transitioned to Jewish involvement at Arizona State University. He held leadership positions in his Jewish fraternity, Sigma Alpha Mu, was president of Chabad at ASU and an active member of Hillel and pro-Israel groups on campus. He attended Birthright in the summer of 2009, where he met his wife, Shawna. Upon graduation from the WP Carey School of Business, he helped launch Moishe House Phoenix and the NowGen Giving Circle while being a BBYO advisor for Jonas Salk AZA for five years.

“I’m very proud of him, obviously, and I’m not surprised because he puts in the work and he’s really passionate,” said Shawna Schotz.

“Honestly, it’s a great honor. Being involved in the community, giving back, feels so natural for me,” said Bryce Schotz.

“We may be the younger generation but we have to start building now what we want the Jewish community to be in five, 10, 20 or 30 years.”

Kasper then introduced Carmen and Michael Blank, the honorees of the first CJP Spark Award that “celebrates and recognizes extraordinary individuals who give, advocate and volunteer for positive change in our community.”

Since the 2015 establishment of The Molly Blank Fund, in memory of Michael and Arthur Blank’s mother, Carmen and Michael Blank have directed $18 million to support Jewish and non-Jewish organizations in the Greater Phoenix area and Northern Arizona.

“The Blanks’ philanthropy has been invaluable to the CJP, helping us provide countless summer camp scholarships, senior rides, PJ Library books and so much more,” said Kasper. “Without Mike and Carmen Blank’s leadership and support, JewishPhoenix.com would still be just another good idea on the community’s collective wish list.”

“I witnessed my mother’s involvement in her local community with seniors and a lot of her activities. I got involved when I joined the board of my brother’s foundation (The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation) and we started The Molly (Blank) Fund, which is active in things like arts and culture, at-risk youth and various other Jewish causes,” said Blank. “Personally, I’m more involved with the at-risk children and Carmen is a big hero for the arts and culture. The Molly (Blank) Fund is doing what I anticipated it would do,”

“But you can do more,” Carmen Blank said, which elicited laughter from the audience.

“But you can do more,” said Michael Blank. “Which is what we’re instilling in the grandchildren — the same sense of doing and getting involved. You have to show by example.” JN

For more information, visit phoenixcjp.org. Jewish News is published by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix, a component of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix.