The Good People Fund

10/07/2026

Today marks three years since October 7.

In 2024, we recorded the "Good People Talk!" episode "Voices from Israel: Marking a Year Since October 7" with Shari Greenwald Mendes. Shari founded the Israel Lemonade Fund לימונדה ישראל, a Good People Fund grantee. She also serves in an IDF reserve unit dedicated to caring for the bodies of female soldiers who were killed.

In this conversation with Naomi Eisenberger, GPF Founder, Executive Director Emerita and Master Mentor, Shari describes what she witnessed on and after October 7, the obligation to honor and dignify those we lost, and the role of testimony in how we remember.

We're sharing it again today because her words still need to be heard.

Content warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of atrocities, including sexual violence, committed on October 7.

Listen to the full episode of "Good People Talk!" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Link in comments.

10/05/2026

Fifteen years ago, a woman who had escaped a forced marriage decided to spend her life making sure other girls wouldn't have to.

Her name is Fraidy Reiss. When first met her, Fraidy was just beginning — one person with a story and a conviction that a hidden injustice had to end. The Good People Fund has been beside her ever since.

This week, that long fight reached a milestone we won't forget. On September 30, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1267, making 18 the minimum age to marry in California, with no exceptions. Until now, a child of any age could be married there with a parent's consent and a judge's approval — an estimated 9,000 children every year.

Fraidy's organization, Unchained At Last , sponsored the bill and led the California Coalition to End Child Marriage. At the signing, survivor Courtney Stodden — married at 16 — stood beside the governor.

This is what one determined person can set in motion. And knowing Fraidy, California won't be the last.

Mazal tov, Fraidy. 🌻

Small actions make a huge impact. Visit goodpeoplefund.org to support grassroots heroes doing extraordinary work.

10/01/2026

Celebrating Sukkot and reflecting on bringing compassion, unity, and healing into the world together!

Chag Sameach!

09/22/2026

Some dreams take years of quiet, stubborn work before the first shovel ever hits the ground. 🌱

This month, Good People Fund alum Yoni Yefet Reich shared news four years in the making: every document has been signed and every permit issued to break ground on חוות קיימא בית זית - kaima Beit Zait farm — a new packing house and home that will also serve as Israel's future national hub for training in social agriculture.

It's a full-circle moment for us. Years ago, Yoni and Naomi Eisenberger sat together on a field of rocks, dreaming about what a farm could be if it made room for young people to belong, to work, and to grow.

That dream became Kaima — the "mothership" behind a growing family of farms, including our current grantees חוות קיימא נהלל and חוות קיימא חוקוק Kaima hukuk organic. Now the model born on that field is poised to become a blueprint for the whole country.

We could not be prouder to have supported Yoni from Kaima's earliest days.

09/20/2026

A note from our Executive Director, Julie Fisher:

Shana Tova! I hope the Jewish new year has begun with moments of sweetness, connection, and possibility for you and your loved ones. And as we approach Yom Kippur, I hope you are finding moments to pause and reflect.

One of the great gifts of beginning 5787 was seeing all three of my daughters and spending meaningful time with each of them. With busy lives and schedules, I'm reminded how precious it is to simply be together — to slow down, listen, laugh, and deepen the relationships that sustain us.

That feels especially important at the start of a new year. So much of what we do at the Good People Fund is rooted in relationships: taking the time to truly know people, understand what they need, and show up for one another.

Next month, I'll travel to Israel with 18 people for our first-ever group trip, to celebrate our 18th year. We'll spend time with our grantees, see their work up close, and learn about the communities they serve. If you'll be in Israel at the same time — or if you live in Israel — please reach out. I'd love to connect with you.

Wishing you and those you love a sweet and meaningful new year.

— Julie Fisher, Executive Director

G'mar Chatima Tova from all of us at The Good People Fund.

09/15/2026

At 16, Shahar was diagnosed with a bone cancer so rare it almost never appears in someone her age.

Partway through treatment, the tumor returned, and her doctors concluded that amputating her leg was the only way to save her.

Her parents didn't accept that as the only answer. They brought Shahar's case to MyChildsCancer, a GPF alumni grantee. Around a small table, the team sketched a plan on a napkin and connected the family with the world's leading pediatric cancer experts.

Before surgery, Shahar wrote three words on her leg: "Save my leg."

Eight hours later, specialists had rebuilt her hip using bone from her own leg. She was told she might never walk again.

She walked, and she went on to become a Paralympic medalist.

This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we're sharing Shahar's story and honoring the work MyChildsCancer does every day: making sure no child faces cancer without the right expertise.

Please watch and share. 💛

Small actions make a huge impact. Visit the link in our bio to support grassroots heroes doing extraordinary work.

09/10/2026

Wishing you and your loved ones Shana Tova u’Metuka — a good and sweet new year. 🍯🍎

In a world that so often feels divided, we are grateful to you for being part of our community grounded in compassion, courage, and care.

May 5787 bring sweetness, peace, good health, and renewed hope for all of us.

And may we continue to find strength in one another and in the simple but powerful act of doing good.

— The Good People Fund Team

Julie Fisher
Naomi Eisenberger
Jordan Namerow
Randi Cairns
Andrea Steiner Good
Beth Wiener Gansky

09/08/2026

Julie Fisher, handwriting personal notes on the Good People Fund Rosh Hashanah cards. 🍯💙

Send your own beautiful greeting, order your Rosh Hashanah ecards at the link in comments.

09/06/2026

For months, the members of Collective Lavo B'tov's Empowerment Zoom workshop had only known each other through a screen.

Then came one summer day in Tel Aviv.

Danielle — a professional artist who is visually impaired, and a member of the workshop — debuted her very own comic book stand at the Animix Festival. And she wasn't alone. Fellow members came in person to cheer her on, meeting face to face for the first time after months of showing up for each other on Zoom.

Co-founded by Rachel Kolette Wheeler and Shoshi Margolin, Good People Fund grantee, Collective Lavo B'tov builds exactly this kind of community for people with disabilities across Israel — the kind that starts online and shows up, in person, when it matters.

Rachel wrote about the day for the Jewish Press — it's worth your time. https://www.omahajewishpress.com/news/voice-from-israel-one-summer-day/article_84718c47-54b6-47d7-8ec0-ac9cb9c5bb01.html

Small actions make a huge impact. Visit the link in our bio to support grassroots heroes doing extraordinary work.



קולקטיב לבוא בטוב

This summer in Israel, even making plans with the children comes with a question mark. With Iran in the background, I keep hearing the same half-joking phrase: “We just hope