Har Initiative Doubles Down on Antisemitism as Sector Pivots

The Har Initiative, formed in 2024 and revealed in September 2026, mobilized nearly $75 million from 11 donors to support 15 grantees between 2024 and 2025. This year the initiative expects to distribute $120 million in five-year unrestricted donations. The emergence of this coalition marks a sharp inflection point in jewish philanthropy: while many Jewish funders are pivoting away from antisemitism work after realizing these efforts were not effective, the Har Initiative is swimming against the current with a radically different approach.

The old model is dead. Immediately after the October 7 massacres in Israel, Jewish philanthropists poured money into more than 160 organizations claiming to fight antisemitism—but according to a 2025 Jewish Funders Network study, the initiatives were often redundant and couldn't prove they accomplished anything. That dysfunction triggered an identity crisis across the sector. In February 2026, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens called for the American Jewish community to dismantle the Anti-Defamation League and focus on education and instilling Jewish pride instead.

Before: The Redundancy Trap (2023–2024)

The post-October 7 moment unleashed an instinctive philanthropic response. Donors saw antisemitism spike—especially on campuses and in progressive spaces that had historically received Jewish support—and money flowed. A study by the Jewish Funders Network showed a clear lack of clear data and goals across these organizations, significant redundancies, overlap and misspending, and a lack of coherent overall strategy.

By late 2024, the realization had set in: more money was not the answer. Multiple initiatives were funding identical programs. Organizations couldn't measure impact. Worse, the traditional defensive posture—monitoring antisemites, issuing responses, lobbying platforms—felt reactive and exhausting. Funders began asking: what if we stopped fighting the fire and instead built something new?

After: The Har Model (2024–2026)

The Har Initiative doubled down on combating antisemitism through innovative initiatives centered on building Jewish pride, supporting boycotted initiatives, cultivating cross-cultural partnerships and educating potential allies, instead of attacking antisemites who refused to listen.

The structural design reflects this philosophical shift. Co-chaired by Lindsey Spindle, president of the Samueli Foundation, and Fay Twersky, president of the Arthur Blank Family Foundation, the Har Initiative is not a pooled fund. Instead, donors choose from a portfolio of initiatives with the floor for participation set at a $10 million commitment that can be spread across grantees.

Investments are for five years of unrestricted funding, allowing grantees room to pivot and take risks. For most grantees, the funding was the largest gift ever received in their organizations' history. That scale of long-term, flexible capital is unprecedented in antisemitism work. It signals trust in innovation, not crisis management.

The Ideological Shift

Who funds Har, and where they come from, matters as much as the dollars. The initiative is made up of 12 funders, including The Tepper Foundation, The Einhorn Collaborative, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and Maimonides Fund. Many partners are not typical Jewish philanthropic heavyweights. Funders come from across the U.S. with vast ideological differences.

This is not the traditional consensus model where major federations and legacy organizations coordinate. It is ideological diversity by design—a deliberate rejection of the unified-front approach that had defined Jewish institutional responses to antisemitism since 2023. By assembling funders from across the spectrum, Har acknowledged that there was no single answer, and that disagreement itself was fertile ground for new thinking.

Comparison: Old vs. New Strategies

Why Other Donors Are Walking Away

Not all funders have followed Har's lead. The Open Society Foundations, founded by left-wing billionaire George Soros, pledged $30 million over three years to combat antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate, directing those funds to a number of progressive groups, some of which are at odds with the mainstream Jewish establishment. This represents a different pivot: toward progressive Jewish organizations and away from establishment consensus.

The truth is simpler than it appears: the old playbook didn't work. The data showed it. The combating antisemitism complex is in disarray, and donors are either exiting the field entirely or, like Har, reimagining it from first principles. The floor for participation in Har is set at a $10 million commitment that can be spread across grantees, which naturally filters for serious capital and serious intent—not reactive desperation.

The Practical Reality for Grantees

What does this shift mean on the ground? Organizations previously dependent on narrow, compliance-heavy grants can now operate with breathing room. For most grantees, the funding was the largest gift ever received in their organizations' history. That allows them to hire, experiment, and plan beyond the usual 18-month cycle.

For new aliyah organizations and Jewish community groups watching the sector, the lesson is clear: the days of defensive posturing are ending. Donors want to see Jewish institutions building outward—toward allies, toward pride, toward sustainability—not inward toward fear.

FAQ

Q: Is the Har Initiative replacing traditional antisemitism organizations?
A: No. Har is a new model running parallel to existing work. Many Jewish funders are pivoting away from the field, but others, like Open Society Foundations, are funding alternative approaches. Har represents a third path: high-capital, strategic focus.

Q: Why is