This week, JumpStart released its 2008 survey of New Jewish Organizations, a ground-breaking collection of findings on the Jewish nonprofit start-up sector. The purpose of the survey, as explained by JumpStart on their website, “is to better understand the needs of these organizations, with the goal of creating effective responses to the current economic downturn.”

UpStart applauds its “start” colleague down south, and wanted to ensure that our readers were aware of the important data they have found. UpStart is in the process of accepting a new round of applicants – a group of entrepreneurial, creative, impressive individuals in the Bay Area all starting phenomenal projects to engage Jews in Jewish life. We salute all of the Jewish social entrepreneurs, working in these difficult economic times to bring meaningful, impactful change to the Jewish landscape.

Glasses of wine in hand, the tingle of beet dip and sweet potato puffs on their palates, twenty young Jewish adults mingled in UpStart’s office last night, greeting each other, a-buzz with the energy of UpStart’s first network event.

UpStart’s “How Do You Jew?” sessions bring together a myriad of people to discuss various issues from the perspective of what it means to “do Jewish” in the 21st century. The events will range from social action to film, from technology to spirituality. At each session, UpStart will convene thought-leaders in the field with its innovative, curious network community, and create a space for conversation and ideas to spark.

Had you told me that 260 Jewish Gen X-ers and Millenials, from Santa Cruz, the Peninsula, the East Bay, Marin, and San Francisco, many of whom are part of CSAs, and some of whom had never heard of a CSA, whose favorite trees include eucalyptus, olive, cherry, and redwood, would crowd together in the assembly hall of the Women’s Building in the Mission District, swaying like palm trees to the Israeli folk-dance “Tzadik Katamar Yifrach” (the righteous will grow like palm trees), I would have raised a cynical eyebrow in your direction. Since, though, I was swaying like a palm tree along with the crowd, I can assure you that this year’s Second Annual Bay Area Eco Tu B’Shevat Seder was a sight to behold.

Welcome to the first UpStart Resource RoundUp: Several times a month I will be posting current articles, events, resources, links or anything the UpStart Team thinks is relevant and useful for our community of Jewish social entrepreneurs.

If you come across anything you would like to share, please comment below, or email me and I will post in the next round up!