The Economic and Religious Implications of Billionaire Steve Green’s Purchase of the Schøyen Collection Discussed by Rabbi Sacks.

Former Ambassador Alfred Moses has purchased the Codex Sassoon, a near-complete copy of the Tanakh, for the ANU: Museum of the Jewish People for $33.5 million. Moses had never seen the codex before purchasing it and did so because he wanted it to be somewhere it would be available to the Jewish people, instead of some rich person’s bank vault. In an interview with eJewishPhilanthropy, he said that he hopes seeing the book will give Jews a sense of the history of their people and pride. The codex is now available for everyone to see.

White House to release antisemitism strategy ahead of Shavuot

The White House is set to release its national strategy to combat antisemitism after many months of behind-the-scenes work and input from more than 1,000 Jewish community members. Among other things, the strategy includes efforts to encourage $360 million in funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program and full funding for the Jabara Heyer NO HATE Act, expand access to kosher food in U.S. Department of Agriculture food assistance programs, and an awareness and education campaign for university, elementary, and secondary education to tackle antisemitism on campus. It also aims to create more workplace programs to ensure that antisemitism is included in diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Shavuot Study Guides

As Jews prepare for Shavuot Day, Rabbi Sacks Legacy has launched two new resources based on the teachings of the late British Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks. One of the guides were produced for adults and the other for teenagers, using his writing, biblical sources, oral Torah, and contemporary writers. They were created by the two members of the first cohort of Sacks Scholars, which officially launches next month. The guides are meant to be accessible and are available in English, Hebrew, French, and Spanish with the teen guide also produced in German. For humans who question where they came from and who they want to be, Shavuot is the holiday when the Jewish people asked these questions and considered the significance of receiving the Torah and the covenant between the Jewish people and God.

Considering Covenant

In an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy, Andres Spokoiny, president, and CEO of Jewish Funders Network, explores the problematic themes of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”. He explains how the song has become emblematic of one of the most selfish periods of human history and how the idea of complete freedom is behind many popular policies today. Spokoiny believes that year after year, Shavuot comes to remind people that freedom cannot exist without law. It is a critical holiday and necessary for the Jewish people who had to receive regulations that would rule their coexistence.

Worthy Reads

• The Jewish Quarterly Review explores David Ben-Gurion’s 1960 visit to the United States and his interactions with American Jewish college students.
• The Jewish Telegraphic Agency profiles Orthodox Yael Schoultz who launched L’Chaim, a nonprofit dedicated to helping sex workers in the Czech Republic

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