Focus on the Jewish Nonprofit Sector with David Gantshar and Willie Hochman

at JM and the AM Wednesday morning broadcast. One of the ways that we keep our hand on the pulse of the employment world in the Jewish community is a conversation we like to have once in a while with David Ganchar and Willie Hawkman. David is a president of the Marine Group. Um Willie is president of the Joel Paul group and um Joel Paul is part of Merraine and therefore um David is chairman of the Joel Paul group. I think I have that all right as we introduce both of our guests. David Ganchar, a pleasure to welcome you back to JM in the AM. >> Oh, just a moment. I apologize. Um give me a second. always working on the technical problems. David, welcome to JM and the AM. >> Hey, great to be back with you again. I prefer to be introduced as Willy's sidekick, but chairman will do. >> Yeah, it's interesting because you guys do have official titles, but whenever you appear here, it seems like you're a team, a team that works together and tries to get a lot of good work done together. So, I I will I will take you at your word because I think you're being accurate. And Willie Hoffman, our good friend. Uh, a welcome back to JM and the AM. Good morning. Last early in the morning, so thank you for that introduction. Yes. Uh titles are just titles. It's how we work together, who we are, and what we do for our uh Jewish nonprofit clients and professionals. So, thank you for that introduction. >> No, you're welcome. And it does seem like I mean, we've spoken to you guys enough times where it does seem like the teamwork is very, very effective. Willie, this is an interesting time of year because when we speak to you in July or August, we're always talking about turnover in the Jewish not for-profit world. A lot of movement. You're getting contact from organizations, schools, and and the like. And you're getting contact, of course, from a lot of potential candidates. And there are other times of the year, uh, again, May and June, I think, would be like that as well. What do we see about the Jewish world and specifically the Jewish not forprofit world when we're sitting at the end of January and the beginning of February? >> So, um the recap of 2025 is what we're, you know, here to kind of give you you and your audience. Um it was a I think a good year for the Jewish nonprofit world. Uh there's always opportunity. there's more opportunity. Uh placements were made, careers were advanced. Hopefully, our clients uh are happy with the professionals they've hired. um year end 2025, organizations uh kind of either use up their budget that they have for hiring, they've already budgeted for 2026, and that's where we're sitting now in in January with organizations who are hopefully looking to add to staff. They don't know yet about staff transitions, if uh professionals will be moving on on on their choice or other reasons to move on. and budgets are in place for 2026 and hopefully the hiring uh continues throughout uh 2026. >> Well, David, let me get your uh impression of 2025 then as you look back at the last 12 months, look back at last year. You know what good years look like. You know what difficult years look like for both candidates and organizations that are looking to hire. How would you evaluate the year 2025? I think first of all I would say that that you know you were talking about titles and Willie of course is the serious one of the two of us. I'm I'm more of the uh you know the lightweight in the group and so I like to call myself as I mentioned you know his sidekick but really I'm his drinking buddy. He makes a very good kittish, a very good. Just for the record, I want you to know we're friends, not just co-workers. So that I need to set the record straight on that one. But uh all kidding aside, look, it was a very busy year for us. The truth is that there are more nonprofit organizations on the scene today than we've ever seen. I don't know if that is perhaps an outcome of 107 that more people feel the calling and are coming into the field and we've talked with you previously about people moving from the private sector to the public sector but I think what's been an outgrowth is that now we're seeing even more organizations than we've ever seen before and the need for talent is even greater. So our business is the best it's ever been. Uh we are uh we have had to hire additional staff and we are really at a at a point now where uh quite frankly candidates have the luxury of picking which assignment they want because there is a tremendous need for talent. >> Wow. Very interesting. And how how are they getting the skills to go ahead and fulfill those talent needs? cuz I it it always seems to me that as time goes by more and more young people are discovering the value of certain degrees and courses and online material that they could study etc. I mean is that the trend? Are they coming in better skilled and better prepared for these jobs than in the past? >> Well, you know, Willie may have Willie. Go ahead. I have I may might have a slightly different take from you being the fact that I'm so much younger than you, but please go ahead. >> Thanks a lot. There you go. So, uh [laughter] when you ask the question, I think most of our clients, of course, they'd like, you know, whether the professional is, you know, mid level or senior, they want that, you know, college education. In certain positions, be they finance and others. they want a mast's or other uh degrees, but most of our clients that we're seeing as a Jewish nonprofit, it's really about work experience skills and as as David started to mention, uh transferable skills. So there are there are professionals out there from the corporate world who have skills and experience that is transferable and we're seeing a growing trend of that um coming from the corporate sector to the Jewish nonprofit sector be they in accounting marketing um even even development you know a salesperson a good salesperson or manager can make the transition from [clears throat] sales in the corporate world to fundraising. And I'll caveat that by saying what helps is if they have fundraising experience as a lay leader in their community, synagogue, school, they understand the difference between sales where you're selling something versus um fundraising where you're selling the organization's mission and accomplishments. H David, you wanted to add something. >> No, I mean I think I really think that's right on the money, but I think it's so much today um about passion and and I know you've heard that term before in the in the corporate world, the nonprofit world, but you know, my kids have tried to convince me that a college degree is not what it was years ago. And and I I'm not sure I agree with them. It's okay. there can be a difference of opinion in the family, right? But uh I think that that so so of course experience matters. But what I what I see and I think I think Willie you I'm sure you would echo this is that the those that are most passionate about the Jewish nonprofit world those individuals that have been sitting on the sidelines and have not been participating over the last let's say 10 years 15 years. Now again, as in previous times in our history, feel a calling and and it's brought out a a a level of passion that we haven't seen before. And and and I think I really believe that it is changing the workforce within the Jewish nonprofit sector because of that calling, because of that passion. >> Interesting. David Ganar and Willie Hoffman are with us live via telephone. We're talking about employment in the Jewish world. they would know uh with their experience at the Marine Group and of course at Joel Paul Group. If you'd like to get your resume or be in touch with Willie in order to find out how you could advance your standing as a potential candidate, especially in the world of uh Jewish not forprofit, but in general uh uh when it comes to employment, William jo.com. You'll find Willie on LinkedIn and of course all the social media uh platforms. is the Marraine Group has a website that's dedicated to the Jewish not for-profit sector. Marraine m r a i ne again me r a i ne.com/jewish-non-profit. Willie, uh tell me about people who are moving the um uh from the private sector into the not for-profit sector. I know you alluded to it before. Uh is this trend only getting bigger and bigger? I did notice I did actually encounter somebody the other day who was very successful in the private sector and then became the executive director of a synagogue. And by the way, there are some large synagogues in this country that actually need full-time executive directors to keep track of everything. I'm wondering if uh if you've gotten that feeling over the last few months. Most certainly knock even from the recap from the last time we spoke maybe you know in 2025 that trend is increasing and I don't think it's you know burnout or anything like that. It really is like what David alluded to. It's a calling. People are starting to see the the wonder and the excitement and the camaraderie. It's not just a job. And I you know people who know me know I came from the corporate world decades ago. Right. >> It was a job. It was a nice job. I did well, etc. But all of my clients when they interview candidates, they're they seem to be asking that question, especially if you're coming from the private sector, you know, why do you want to make the switch? They want to know also. They want to hear that sincere, it's not made up. They want to hear that sincere passion from the person. and knock them. People think that it's just in fundraising because if you're fundraising, you have to love the mission, love the cause. Everybody, my clients tell us, everybody who works for us in the Jewish nonprofit world, in an organization, school, or synagogue, has to have that passion. You never know where they are. They're at an event. They're at a synagogue. They're in wherever they are vacationing and they're talking about if something comes up, they're talking about their organization. Their passion comes through because whether you're in accounting, finance, marketing, of course, fundraising. That's what our clients want to see and that's the kind of people they're hiring in many, many cases. >> Yeah. And when they're on vacation, they're also advancing the cause and they're troubleshooting all the time to say the least on that on that phone, making sure they're getting uh they're getting things done that need to be done and putting out all the fires that need to be put out. Also, um Willie, what year did you join the Joel Paul Group? >> So, my history very briefly is I joined the Jo I bought the Joel Paul Group in 2009. So back then in so back then in I I I would guess there were some people in the New York New Jersey area who were moving to out of town positions. What has that trend how has that trend developed? Because now in 2025 over 15 over 15 years later it would seem that the that there are so many Jewish communities and so many areas of this country that are now bustling uh with large with a large Jewish presence. I would have to imagine that so many of your candidates if you're actually willing to go and test out those communities. Not >> on that. I want your listeners to know we didn't rehearse. We didn't talk about this topic beforehand. And it's a it's a it's a very very moving ahead and growing topic as well. And probably we have to thank um the federal government, the state government who and the organizations that wave the flag for uh tuition subsidies, vouchers as they're called in various um states around the country. >> No state income taxes. your your listeners know the cost of Jewish day school tuitions whether it is in your you know modern orthodox you see or your you know community day schools Jewish community schools tuition is expensive and it weighs on various families if they have the opportunity and maybe family support even to consider moving from whether it's New York, New Jersey and other states to the states that have vouchers and I live in one now for a couple of years in Florida and there's Ohio and that is a trend that is definitely on the forefront of families where they can afford a little bit more um you know to live sometimes the cost of living is lower in certain states most times not but it's an opportunity for them to move and consider especially also as we know a lot of work now is done remotely so the combination. It's a perfect storm of the vouchers of the growing Jewish communities, organizations that have done things to grow the various Jewish communities and support these Jewish communities, member organizations, as well as um the opportunity to move because the spouse or spouses can either find a job in an office environment or work remotely to continue what they were doing. And finally, David, um, how has the AI space grown in this space? I mean, if there are people in the Jewish not for-p profofit world or really any world when it comes to employment, when it comes to a job or a title or a position these days, uh, I mean, I would guess you would warn that you better be up on the latest when it comes to AI. It could only enhance your whole employment experience. >> Yeah, no doubt. But I mean you're you're you're raising a sense of the topic because I'm sure we are all aware that earlier well in the last 24 hours Amazon has announced 16,000 layoffs. I think I have the number right. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I think 16,000 layoffs as a result uh of AI and and expectations around AI. And so we have I always know when there's a a big announcement coming because the resumes start coming in about you know four hours 5 hours before the announcement even if it's the middle of the night. Um but I I would say to you we're not concerned. I don't think we're going to see uh you know [laughter] who was it the other day? Elon Musk said in 15 years work will be optional. I I don't agree with that statement, although he's a lot brighter than I am. I I don't think that AI is going to replace all of these individuals. But what it will do is it will transition. And that's the key word because so many people right now and those young people coming out of school and even people my age and obviously a lot younger than I am are transitioning along with AI into different parts of their career or different parts of of the professional world that they never thought they'd enter as a result. So, it's not so much replacement as much as it is transition, but the impact that it is going to continue to have over the next 5, 10, even 20 years is is just massive. >> Uh, all right, Willie. The best way for a potential candidate who thinks that you'd be interested in their resume, the best way for them to get that to you, and the best way for organizations, synagogues, groups around the country, not for profofits to be in touch uh with uh this entire effort. What do you recommend? >> So, thank you. So, I always tell people who ask me, you know, what's more important to get the client or the candidate? And it's not the 8020 rule. It's 51% 40 to 50 49%. Why? We need the clients to help our candidates. So for clients who want to inquire of how we do our business and how we can help them in and grow uh my email address as you said is [email protected] and you can find my uh phone number on there as well. And candidates what I also recommend before you send resumes to us take a look at our job board. Uh it's very easy to find it as NA mentioned uh on the marine.com and you can drop down in industry. One last plug for the Marine Group. Uh the marine.com website. We uh Marine also services several industries, healthc care, regulatory, engineering, dermatology to mention a few. So you'll see on the website jawboard, even if your listeners are not nonprofit world and they're looking for their next job in a field that we cover, the drop-own box under industry can help them look for our for jobs that we have. If there's not a job right now that you're interested in, you want to get your resume done. Again, my email Williampaul.com or on the job board on the website, there's a way to send your resume in as well. >> Oh, I'm glad you mentioned those other uh industries because there's a lot of people in our community uh nationwide that would be interested in that list of industries that you just gave us. William at Joelpole.com. get your resumes in. If you're interested in uh entering the world of Jewish not forprofit, uh go to the Marine website, m r a i ne.com. They have, as Willie just noted, not only the Jewish not for-p profofit sector on there, but they've got the um they've got a whole bunch of different industries that they take care of uh in addition to what the Joel Paul Group does. Um so it's very possible you will find an offering there that will strike uh that will strike you as um you know as uh something you want to pursue. Um again William at joelpole.com. Gentlemen, I thank you. I hope this leads to a lot of employment, a lot of clients because uh there are a lot of organizations that really could use the professional help and I know that you're going to help them find the people they need. So thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Now you listeners 2026. >> Appreciate that. Yeah, good year ahead for everybody and let's hope that uh those who need work will in fact get to work and that they'll succeed at it. More coming up at America's one and only Jewish moments in the morning radio program heard on listeners sponsored digital radio on the web and alhams.com on the single network and of course in the beloved NSN app.