Michael Dean

Project Inspire Arizona

Mission: Project Inspire Arizona has been created:  to ignite and empower all streams of the Arizona Jewish Community in order to build a grassroots movement of mutual inspiration through learning and experiential Judaism.  to create a dedicated group of men and women that grows together with their fellow Jews through learning, social programs and trips to Israel. Values: Reach Out and Touch Every Jew.  Each Jew has a spiritual, Jewish spark which yearns both to glow and to grow.  Reach out to all Jews and provide them with meaningful pathways to strengthen their Jewish roots. Objectives: Engage a Person According to His/Her Way.  Provide learner-centered Jewish content, programs and experiences that facilitate personal growth and deepen connections with each other and with G-d.  Develop an active network of Jewish mentors that support learners on a one-on-one interactive basis (e.g., in person, by phone, Skype, etc.). Goals  Revitalize the Arizona Jewish Community by providing opportunities for Jews of all backgrounds to discover their heritage in an atmosphere of open inquiry and mutual respect, set up one-on-one learning sessions, and subsidize trips to Israel.  Serve as an Expansion Model to Other Cities for reconnecting Jews to their Jewish roots through learning and experiential Judaism. Benchmarking/Best Practices  Benchmarking – we have traveled to Cincinnati, Detroit, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City and Passaic to observe first hand and interact with other leading Jewish outreach programs.  Best Practices – we continue to communicate with our benchmarking neighbors to identify what programs work best as well as the most effective implementation procedures. History:  National Jewish Education Foundation (NJEF) was founded and endowed by Michael and Carol Dean in 2010 to focus on Jewish literacy, identity, and inspiration.  Since its inception, NJEF has generated over $1 million in support of Jewish learning and education through its innovative partnership programs Dr. Michael L. Dean, Co-Director Robin Davina Meyerson, Co-Director