What Gives? The Jewish Philanthropy Podcast · Jewish Funders Network

Stephen Bronfman & Nigel Savage - Climate Action & Jewish Leadership

·42 min·2 clips

Nigel Savage says the Jewish Climate Trust offers “hope” and “vision” after October 7th.

1. What Gives? The Jewish Philanthropy Podcast frames this episode around climate action and Jewish leadership through Stephen Bronfman and Nigel Savage. 2. Stephen Bronfman is a Jewish philanthropist with environmental roots, and Nigel Savage is the founding CEO of the Jewish Climate Trust. 3. The episode asks how Jewish philanthropy can treat climate change as a core Jewish priority rather than a side issue. 4. Stephen says his climate passion grew from Montreal, a country home in the Laurentians, ski teams, baseball teams, and summer camps in Vermont. 5. He describes a formative Israel trip at age 20, when his father connected him with Yuval Pellet of the Nature Reserve Authority. 6. Stephen says time in the southern region, diving, and driving in a jeep near Aqaba made the outdoors feel “magical.” 7. He also names David Suzuki as a major mentor and says he volunteered with the David Suzuki Foundation for more than 30 years. 8. Nigel says he grew up in Manchester, worked in asset management for eight years, and was a lay leader in Britain. 9. He says a sea-to-sea hike from Aksiv to the Sea of Galilee was the moment he realized Jewish history is tied to land, climate, and food. 10. Nigel links that insight to the Jewish Climate Trust’s purpose: using climate work to offer hope and a future-oriented path after October 7th. 11. Stephen says the trust gives philanthropists a way to combine climate passion with Jewish and Israel engagement instead of choosing one or the other. 12. Nigel says the organization wants to improve Israel and the Jewish people’s performance on climate over the next 25 years. 13. Both speakers emphasize that the trust is not trying to replace existing nonprofits, but to amplify them and build collaborations. 14. Nigel points to a substantial grant to Adama as a catalytic way to develop North American Jewish climate action and interfaith work. 15. He also says the Israeli field needs coordination, capacity building, reserves, HR systems, and a shared strategy. 16. Stephen cites October 7th, the Gaza envelope, and the need for rebuilding in the north as places where climate-linked projects can matter. 17. The tone is interview-driven, with Stephen and Nigel trading answers, examples, and follow-up questions from Andres Pokojdi. 18. The conversation mixes strategy language with personal stories, and both guests return repeatedly to the idea of “hope.” 19. People interested in Jewish philanthropy, Israel strategy, and climate action will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners looking for a light, entertainment-first interview may skip it.

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