Naftali Schiff

Rabbi Naftali Schiff
Rabbi Naftali Schiff
Occupation Founder and Executive Director of Jewish Futures Trust - Netzach
Known for Founding and directing innovative educational organisations

Rabbi Naftali Schiff is a British rabbi and educator who is the founder of the Jewish Futures Trust - Netzach (JFT), an organization of non profit educational organisations that assist Jewish children and adults in the United Kingdom and Israel.

Schiff has founded several other organizations during his career and has raised over $100 million for charities over the past ten years].

Early life and education

Schiff was raised in London and studied at Yeshivat HaKotel in Jerusalem. He then graduated from the London School of Economics with a B.Sc (Econ) specializing in International Relations. [1] After an Aliyah to Israel, Schiff joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and served with the Givati Brigade in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

After his military service, Schiff received rabbinic ordination from the Jerusalem Rabbinate as well as a Diploma of Education. In 1993, he assumed the role of Director of the Jerusalem Fellowships.[2]

Creation of Innovative Educational Non Profits and Charitable Organisations

In 1996, Schiff founded the Danny Frei Jerusalem Fellowships, a four-week summer program in Israel for Jewish youth from the United Kingdom. The program gave young people the opportunity to explore Judaism, meet Israeli politicians and assume roles of communal responsibility.

In 1999, Schiff returned to London to head a new organization, Aish UK. Under his leadership, Aish UK grew from a staff of ten to tens of full-time educators.[3] Aish UK's objective was to stop the trend of Jews marrying gentiles in the United Kingdom. Since its founding, the rate of intermarriage in the United Kingdom has reportedly decreased. [4][5][6] In 2013. 20% of Jewish marriages in the UK involved Aish alumni. [7]

In 2004 Schiff founded GIFT (Give It Forward Today).[8] GIFT's objective was to change what was perceived as a decline in the culture of giving in the United Kingdom. As well as regular educational workshops and programs in schools, youth movements and communal organisations GIFT provided volunteering opportunities for young people,[9][10].[9][10] GIFT later expanded its services to To Israel.[11]

Schiff has also created Chazak: vitalizing young Sephardic Jews in the UK,[12] Common Denominator: building tolerance and understanding between disparate parts of Israeli Society, Ezra Youth Movement,[13] Chazon - Klal UK: inspiring students, teachers and parents in the Orthodox Jewish community, [14] J*Link: bringing educational programs into mainstream, non-Jewish schools and Forum for Jewish Leadership (FJL): identifying and training future, young British leaders for the Jewish community. [15]

Holocaust Education

Schiff has been actively involved in Holocaust education for many years [16] In 2006 he founded JRoots,[17] a non profit educational organisation that offers trips for Jewish youth to destinations of Jewish interest worldwide. JRoots has specialized in passing on the legacy of Holocaust survivors and educating young Jewish people about their heritage and Jewish identity.[18]

Schiff has traveled the world interviewing Holocaust survivors to record their stories. This project was filed as a documentary series by JRoots multimedia division Legacy Live,[19] The “Vehigadeta Levincha – And you shall tell it to your children” [20]. This first film in the series has been distributed worldwide.

The second film in this series tells the story of Holocaust survivor Eva Neumann,[21] who was featured alongside Rabbi Schiff on Channel 5 News in October 2006. [22]

Schiff aided in publishing the bespoke JRoots Guide to Poland: Triumph and Tragedy. [23][24] Other films in this series include documentaries about Holocaust survivors Leah Kaufman, Pearl Benisch (student of Sarah Schenirer) and Dov Landau.

Film making

Schiff founded the Legacy Live film and book production organisation. Legacy Live has produced documentaries including a film about Lady Amélie Jakobovits wife of former Chief Rabbi Lord Immanuel Jakobovits, Baron Jakobovits. Legacy Live produces bespoke films and books on commission.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Naftali-Schiff/139347534
  2. ↑ "The JC Power 100: Numbers 51 - 60 | The Jewish Chronicle". Thejc.com. 2008-09-17. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
  3. ↑ "Worldwide". Aish.com. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
  4. ↑ Aish Hatorah reverses UK intermarriage trend - poll - Jerusalem Post | HighBeam Research
  5. ↑ http://www.pinterest.com/aishinspiring/
  6. ↑ http://instagram.com/aishinsta
  7. ↑ http://www.thejc.com/business/business-features/119679/rabbi-naftali-schiff
  8. ↑ http://www.communityloversguide.org/#!gift/c1pnm
  9. ↑ "Fund set up in memory of young mother Jenny Morheim from Edgware (From Times Series)". Times-series.co.uk. 2010-11-11. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
  10. ↑ Naftali, Rabbi (2004-06-23). "A Fire that Destroys; a Fire that Builds". Aish.com. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
  11. ↑ http://www.jgift.org/#!giftisrael/ct6l
  12. ↑ http://www.chazak.org.uk/Chazak/Welcome.html
  13. ↑ http://ezrayouth.com/
  14. ↑ http://www.projectchazon.com/images/Article_Hamodia_May_22_2007.pdf
  15. ↑ http://www.jewish-leadership.com/about.html
  16. ↑ http://www.jewishnews.co.uk/torah-for-today-23012014
  17. ↑ http://jroots.org.uk/contact.php
  18. ↑ http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/35733/i-was-17-and-surviving-wild-id-fled-humanity-its-worst
  19. ↑ http://www.legacy-live.com/rabbi-naftali-schiff/
  20. ↑ http://vimeo.com/channels/230195
  21. ↑ http://www.aish.com/h/9av/mm/Bobbys-Story-Living-with-Faith-after-the-Holocaust.html?s=rab
  22. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnCHs8BlikY
  23. ↑ http://www.feldheim.com/triumph-and-tragedy.html
  24. ↑ https://www.amazon.com/Triumph-Tragedy-Journeying-Through-Jewish/dp/1937887065
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.