Igor Golyak’s debut of “The Dybbuk” at the Vilna Shul in Boston / Photo Credit: Irina Danilova
Community News
- Lee Conell (Cultural Leadership Program, Cohort I) started as an Assistant Professor in Creative Writing, a tenured position, at Purchase College this fall. She also has a short story, Bedtime Stories from the Permian, in Kenyon Review’s forthcoming summer issue.
- Hugh Seid-Valencia (Executive Leadership Program, Cohort I) of Jewish Silicon Valley helped publish the 2024 Santa Clara County Community Study.
- Liana Finck (Cultural Leadership Program) published a new book: “How to Baby: A No-Advice-Given Guide to Motherhood, with Drawings.”
- Evan Goldman (Executive Leadership Program, Cohort IV) visited the White House as a guest of a Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) to commemorate Jewish American Heritage Month, first proclaimed by President George W. Bush in 2006 at the initiation of Rep. Wasserman Schultz and Senator Arlen Specter.
- Cara Levine (Cultural Leadership Program, Cohort I) completed her first month of a 3-month fellowship at Montalvo Arts Center in Northern California, where she is a Lucas Artist Fellow. She has also had 3 exhibitions at her new project space Outlook Is___ Projects and her summer show opens July 25 with artist Alan Chin.
- Stacey Aviva Flint (Executive Leadership Program, Cohort IV) was appointed to the Board of the Hadassah foundation.
- Maya Cueva’s (Cultural Leadership Program, Cohort I) documentary “A Rebel Without a Pause”, highlighted in Variety Magazine for being selected into the 2024 Tribeca Festival Creators Market Program.
- Shelley Wernick (Executive Leadership Program, Cohort III) of JFNA’s Center on Holocaust Survivor Care teamed up with Deborah Grayson Riegel, MSW, PCC, to co-author an article in Psychology Today, “Your Meetings Need to be Trauma Informed.”
- Igor Golyak (Cultural Leadership Program, Cohort I) was featured in the Boston Globe and The Forward for his debut of “Dybbuk” at Boston’s Vilna Shul.
- Adina Frydman (Executive Leadership Program, Cohort I) published two op-eds in the Times of Israel and one op-ed in eJewishPhilanthropy.
- Matthew Kernkraut (Executive Leadership Program, Cohort III) was promoted to Executive Vice President at the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.
- Yael Jaffe (Educational Leadership Program, Cohort I) published an article in the Journal of Jewish Education: A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words: A Reflection on Art-Based Assignments for the Study of Traditional Jewish Texts.
- Laura Shaw Frank (Executive Leadership Program, Cohort V) was named the inaugural director of the American Jewish Committee’s new Center for Education Advocacy.
- Adam Silver (Executive Leadership Program, Cohort I) was appointed the CEO of Ottawa Jewish Federation.
- Jonathan Schmidt Chapman (Educational Leadership Program, Cohort I) published a new book: “Let There Be Play.”
- Sarah Beutel (Executive Leadership Program, Cohort I) was appointed President of the Soloway Jewish Community Center in Ottawa, Canada.
Cohort IV’s Final Seminar & Graduation
In early May, Cohort IV of the Executive Leadership Program met in Boston for their final seminar and graduation. Fellows explored the seminar’s theme of Jewish Peoplehood through a variety of sessions, including an inquiry project on social movements, and delivered their capstone presentations.
For the inquiry project, Shaul Kelner delivered a lecture about the Soviet Jewry Movement based on his recently published book, A Cold War Exodus: How American Activists Mobilized to Free Soviet Jews. Fellows learned about the influential mass mobilization efforts of American Jews from the 1960’s through the 1980’s to pressure the U.S. government to take action on behalf of Jews in the Soviet Union experiencing religious persecution. Kelner juxtaposed this historical social movement with contemporary examples of mobilization, analyzing key similarities and differences in approaches, strategies, and goals. The inquiry project continued with a panel discussed led by Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights and Jeremy Burton, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston. Jill and Jeremy offered insights from their experiences mobilizing Jewish communities around the polarizing issues of antisemitism and the Israel-Hamas war. Fellows integrated this learning through a mobilization workshop to reflect on their own experiences organizing locally and nationally, and explore new goals and approaches.
Throughout the week, fellows also delivered capstone presentations that synthesized their leadership narratives and highlighted community issues they seek to address. Special guests Adam Lehman, CEO of Hillel International, and Liz Fisher, Chief Talent Officer at Jewish Federations of North America, joined for the presentations. Program advisors, who have been integral to the growth and development of fellows, were also in attendance to offer feedback and well-deserved praise.
The week concluded with a graduation ceremony, featuring remarks from fellow, Stacey Aviva Flint, and advisor John Ruskay. Congratulations Cohort IV and welcome to our Graduate Network!
Executive Leadership Fellows Explore the Diversity of Israeli Society
In early June, Cohort V of the Executive Leadership Program participated in a study tour to explore the diversity of Israeli society and challenges of social leadership in times of deep division and crisis. The seminar was organized around encounters with Israel’s largest sectors – ultra-orthodox, secular, national religious and diverse groups within Arab society. Through roundtables, site visits and cultural experiences, fellows gained an appreciation for the shared values and commitments that animate each sector, as well as the social, religious and political cleavages within and across groups.
A few examples of the diverse sites and communities fellows visited include: the Beit Bracha girls’ school in the ultra-orthodox neighborhood of Geula, the Museum of Bedouin Culture in Rahat, sites of cultural and historical significance to Mizrahi communities such as the Ohavei Tzion synagogue in Jerusalem and the Neve Tzedek neighborhood in Tel Aviv, the homes of hostage families in Ofakim and the unrecognized Bedouin village of Al-Ziadna, and a tour of Lod’s old city with Jewish and Palestinian social activists.
Fellows also learned about currents of change within each sector through exchanges with leaders of innovative initiatives aimed at strengthening the civic fabric of their communities and society at large. In nearly every encounter, fellows heard personal accounts of the impact of October 7th and ensuing war, crises that have challenged Israel’s diverse sectors in vastly different ways and generated new solidarities as well as accentuated divisions.
A highlight of the seminar was a day of exchange with Mandel Fellows in the Program for Social Leadership in the North. Fellows in this program organized small group excursions to their home communities – Haifa, Acco, Kiryat Bialik, Kiryat Tivon, Acco, Sarid, and Majd Al-Krum – inviting North American fellows to gain a more intimate picture of the people and issues that shape the Northern periphery of the country.
The experience was sobering for fellows, who came to understand the magnitude of active trauma, despair and division that has taken root after eight months of war. It was also inspiring for them to meet leaders, who despite the grave challenges ahead, chose hope, imagination, and the slow, hard work of mobilizing communities for a better future. Fellows Leah Palestrant and Mark Young share their takeaways from these encounters in their reflections.