Head of Israel-Diaspora initiative steps down

Gary Torgow, a Detroit businessman who serves as chairman of Mosaic’s steering committee, said that the organization is searching for her replacement.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated: MARCH 14, 2017 14:31
Amy Holtz (photo credit: Courtesy)
Amy Holtz
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Amy Holtz, head of Mosaic United, a joint Israeli-world Jewry initiative, announced her resignation on Monday, 14 months after taking up the post.
Mosaic United was founded in 2016 as the reincarnation of what was originally known as the “Government of Israel World Jewry Initiative,” which got its start with a cabinet decision in June 2014 that set aside some NIS 200 million for Diaspora programming.
Holtz served as Mosaic’s first CEO. She was previously the president of Jerusalem U, a film-based Jewish educational NGO, located in the capital.
Under the initiative, the government funds one-third of Mosaic’s budget, while the other two-thirds come from philanthropists, foundations and Jewish organizations.
The first program established by Holtz in Mosaic was a $22 million contribution by the government to be shared among Chabad on Campus International, Hillel International and Olami, to support their ongoing efforts to engage Jewish students on university campuses worldwide.
The three organizations matched the contribution two-toone, resulting in an overall inflow of $66m. into Jewish life on campus over the next two years.
Holtz said that she decided to resign so she could return to the effort to curb the rising tide of antisemitism in the United States.
“I am confident Mosaic will continue to do remarkable work to help strengthen the Jewish people throughout the Diaspora,” she said.
Gary Torgow, a Detroit businessman who serves as chairman of Mosaic’s steering committee, said that the organization is searching for her replacement.
“We are very grateful to Amy for her considerable efforts to help establish Mosaic United and we wish her the best in all her future endeavors,” he said. “Mosaic is making great strides in its critical work on behalf of Diaspora Jewry and a search is currently under way to identify a new CEO to lead these efforts.”