PresenTense Fellow to Match Skilled Baby Boomers with Israeli Organizations

Jerusalem, Israel-June 28th, 2010—Marla Gamoran is ready for her “encore career.” After a career in workforce development in Madison, she’s excited to launch Skilled Volunteers for Israel at the PresenTense 2010 Global Summer Institute. Her organization will design and coordinate customized volunteer opportunities in Israel that connect skilled Baby Boomers to the Israeli non-profit sector.

As a Summer Fellow of the prestigious six-week Institute, Gamoran will join fifteen other budding Jewish social entrepreneurs from Australia, Israel, and America to gain the skills and connections necessary to launch their ventures.

"The 2010 Fellows represent some of the most innovative Jewish minds today.  They are embarking on projects that have the potential to transform Jewish life here in Jerusalem and around the world," commented Flo Low, Chair of the Institute Steering Committee.

The Institute culminates on July 22nd with Launch Night, when the Fellows gain the opportunity to pitch their project to community leaders. Gamoran looks to emerge from the Institute with a business plan “that will enable me to press the ‘go’ button from idea to implementation.”

A recently released NYU study reports that nearly one-half of active Jewish adults in the United States today are Baby Boomers.  As this population retires, many are moving from their primary careers to an “encore career” that explores personal passions.

At PresenTense, we're always looking out for the next big thing to impact the Jewish world and Israel. We Foster Innovation, Grow Social Entrepreneurs, examine Jewish Life in the Here and Now. And with our operations physically based in Israel, we're constantly seeking to impact the Israeli community. Without innovation, the Jewish people will become stagnant and lifeless. But to have innovation, you need a basic level of security and safety, the freedom to dream and to act.

For that, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Israel's soldiers, and even more so to the 22,684 who died defending Israel.

I looked sheepishly at the speaker who dragged out to Waltham to speak to our Israel advocacy group. We felt rather awkward when only six people showed up to the training session, the latest in a series of pro-Israel educational events on campus.  Five of the six people were on my club’s board.

In my freshman year of college, I became president of an Israel advocacy club.  I was excited to lead a group of people in a cause that I believed in.  I learned quickly how to plan events, and advertise them so hundreds of people would show up.  But I also learned quickly that our club was not really serving our campus community, or the Jewish people, or Israel.  We were just a bunch of tools for large Jewish organizations that wanted to push their ideas on our campus. 

 Israel - US Partnership For Clean And Secure Energy Solutions

Today the AJC is holding a world wide conference on the Jewish Response to the Energy Challenge. AJC Jerusalem, sponsored by PresenTense, IDC Herzliya, IREP, and Gvahim, is currently running a panel discussion on the Israel - US Partnership for Clean and Secure Energy Solutions. Tune in to the Jerusalem panel to find out what is in store for this important issue.