Andrea Good

At an oasis of calm and healing called Ruca’s Farm — a Good People Fund grantee — IDF veterans like Gideon are finding relief from trauma and a path toward light. Here, social visionary Nir Lahav, who grew up on a kibbutz in northern Israel, is combining his own love for the land with a deep commitment to the welfare of Israel’s veterans, giving them space for needed healing and growth.

“Stories of Hope” is a special series of Good People Talk, where the art of audio storytelling brings the impact of our Good People Fund grantees into bold relief and movement.

Read The Good People Fund 2024 Journal of Good for more stories of inspiration, hope and impact.

Thank you to our narration team: Jordan Rich of Chart Productions, Nir Lahav, and Gideon Boaz

Besides heading The Israel Lemonade Fund — a Good People Fund grantee — Shari Mendes serves on an Israel Defense Forces reserve unit dedicated to caring for the bodies of female IDF soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice. In this episode — presented as we mark one year since October 7 — Shari describes her experiences and observations on and after that day … the imperative to honor and dignify those we lost … and the place of testimony and remembrance as legacy. She speaks with GPF Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger.

Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of atrocities, including sexual violence, committed on October 7. Listener discretion is advised.

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Shari Mendes is a breast cancer survivor — who during her journey of treatment and recovery, met patients facing severe financial struggle exacerbated by loss of work and other factors. Responding, she founded Israel Lemonade Fund — a Good People Fund grantee — to help breast cancer patients in financial crisis, offering one-time grants covering basic living costs and alleviating distress. Marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, she speaks with GPF Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger.

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Good People Fund (un)conference keynote speaker Ruth Messinger is a prominent social change advocate, and former President and current Global Ambassador of the American Jewish World Service. In this special pre-(un)conference episode, Ruth speaks about the Jewish and moral imperative to repair the world … the challenges facing visionary leaders … and what she’s planning to impart in her keynote address at the (un)conference in November in New York City.

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Tag Meir (“Light Tag”) — a Good People Fund grantee — was founded in 2011 by Gadi Gvaryahu to counter racism in Israel, and has grown to lead a coalition of more than 50 organizations across political, religious and cultural spheres to mobilize voices for coexistence, support victims of hate crimes, and more. Since October 7, the work of Tag Meir is especially crucial as tensions rise in the country and region. “We don’t have the privilege to give up,” says Gadi, in this timely conversation with GPF Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger.

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Come November, at The Good People Fund’s (un)conference in New York, singer-songwriter John Beltzer will bring us into his unique zone of good … leading attendees as we give our voices to a song personalized for a child facing a serious medical challenge.

Since 1996, John’s Songs of Love Foundation has touched the lives of tens of thousands of children and teens in this way. By crafting free, original and customized songs for them — written and recorded by a network of talented singer–songwriters — the Foundation is providing solace, relief and escape, and expanding a community of care and compassion.

In this episode of Good People Talk, John speaks with GPF Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger about the vision, the growth, and the impact … and what he has planned when he presents at GPF’s (un)conference this fall.