Educational Leadership Program

In this section:

About the Program

The future vitality of the Jewish people depends on the talent and dedication of Jewish educators and educational leaders, who do their sacred work in a wide range of settings: college campuses, preschools, camps, day schools, synagogues, JCCs, environmental and service organizations, and more. Too often, educational leaders are siloed from others in the field, and too busy with the day-to-day tasks of teaching, planning, and leading to engage in the kind of rich learning that pushes them to grow in their educational thinking and leadership capacities.

The Educational Leadership Program is rooted in the belief that the practice of Jewish educational leadership is worthy of deep reflection: on educational ideas and purposes, on the self as leader, and on the broader Jewish educational ecosystem. Through sustained engagement with peers, learning with our outstanding faculty, and visits to a variety of schools and programs that serve as sites of inquiry and analysis, fellows deepen their educational thinking and grow as leaders. Grounded in this learning and inquiry, fellows are empowered to extend their impact in their schools/organizations, and in the broader field.

Over 16 months, fellows participate in four in-person seminars as well as virtual learning between seminars. Three seminars are held in North America and one in Israel. The Israel seminar is premised on the belief that Jewish educational leaders should be familiar with contemporary Israeli society in all its complexity. It provides the opportunity to dive into this complexity and to encounter a range of educational visions and approaches to leadership through visits to Israeli schools and educational programs.

The program curriculum is organized around three strands:

Curriculum

Educational Ideas & Practice

Fellows clarify and enrich their educational thinking through engagement with and analysis of deeply intentional schools and educational programs (both Jewish and non-Jewish), and through reflection on their evolving educational visions.

Educational Ecosystem

Fellows deepen their understanding of the history and current shape of the Jewish educational institutional landscape as they imagine possibilities for the future.

Reflective Leadership

Fellows grow in their self-awareness, develop their capacity to lead wisely and intentionally, and cultivate the skills necessary to shepherd change and bring their ideas to life.

Program Dates

Seminar 1: March 7-11, 2027

Seminar 2: August 15-19, 2027

Seminar 3: Israel - January 4-11, 2028 (travel on January 2 and return January 12)

Seminar 4: June 25-29, 2028

About the Fellows

Fellows are educational leaders responsible for or significantly involved with their organization’s Jewish educational mission, who aspire to deepen their impact in their own settings and on the broader field. The program seeks to bring together fellows from a wide range of settings and perspectives. We believe that educators from different settings and backgrounds have much to learn from one another and that the robust exchange of ideas across educational contexts and communities can clarify visions and spark innovation.