In this section:
About the Program
Organizations that serve the Jewish community operate in a rapidly changing social, cultural and political landscape. The Executive Leadership Program is an 18-month fellowship designed to prepare outstanding mid-career professionals for senior leadership roles. Fellows analyze the changing communal landscape, sharpen their guiding visions of Jewish life, and expand their leadership and management skills.
Program Overview
The program includes four in-person seminars, skills-focused short courses and peer-led practice groups. Three seminars are taught by the program’s multidisciplinary faculty and held at the Mandel Institute’s space in Brookline, MA. One seminar is held in Israel and features joint learning with fellows of Mandel’s Israel-based programs. All program costs and most travel expenses are covered by the Mandel Institute. The curriculum is organized around three strands:
Social Analysis
Fellows analyze trends in North American Jewish communities and Israeli society, and deliberate together about salient opportunities and challenges.
Ideas and Contexts
Fellows examine ideas that animate contemporary Jewish life in diverse settings, and sharpen their own visions of the Jewish future.
Nonprofit Management
Fellows develop their leadership signatures and stories, and learn ways to catalyze organizations to achieve vision-guided change.
Alongside cohort-based learning, fellows meet monthly with an advisor . All program advisors are current or past leaders of Jewish organizations. The advising program is tailored to each fellow’s current workplace challenges, unique leadership profile and future career pathways.
Seminar Dates
Cohort V (2024-2025)
Seminar One: Boston – January 7-11, 2024
Seminar Two: Israel – May 28-June 4, 2024
Seminar Three: Boston – October 27-31, 2024
Seminar Four: Boston – June 8-12, 2025
Cohort VI (2025-2026)
Seminar One: Boston – January 12-16, 2025
Seminar Two: Israel – May 20-May 27, 2025
Seminar Three: Boston – November 9-13, 2025
Seminar Four: Boston – May 3-7, 2026
About the Fellows
Fellows of the program are mid-career Jewish communal professionals who aspire to and are on track for executive leadership positions. Executive leadership positions include CEO roles in organizations of any size and senior leadership (C-Suite) roles in large organizations.
The Executive Leadership Program is coordinated with Jewish Federations of North America and Jewish Community Centers Association of North America. Cohort VI will include a mix of federation and JCC professionals, alongside professionals who work in other Jewish nonprofit settings. We strive to recruit cohorts that reflect the diversity of the Jewish community.
Fellows & Graduates
Alixandra Liiv Caplan
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Brauna Doidge
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Lindsay Hirsch
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Juliana Kalish
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Lindsay Kopecky
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Jacob Leibowitz
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Sonia Marie Leikam
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Aaron Levitt
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Ariel Moritz
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Deirdre Munley
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Rob Nagus
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Jesse Paikin
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Ashley Pressman
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Willie Recht
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Margo Hughes-Robinson
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Naomi Shapiro
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Karen Silverman
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Katy Strulson
Executive Cohort VI 2025-2026
Maayan Blum
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Allie Conn Kanter
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Brandon Fish
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Rebecca Gerbert
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Leah Greenblum
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Evan Hochberg
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Dena Klein
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Rachel Lappen
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Luba Palant
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Leah Palestrant
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Josh Pernick
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Anna Saul
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Nadav Shachmon
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Laura Shaw Frank
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Cynthia Weinger
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Shani Winton
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Ari Witkin
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Holly Wolfson
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Mark S. Young
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Jackie Zais
Executive Cohort V 2024-2025
Sam Aboudara
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Matt Abrams Gerber
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Marni Allen
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Steven Baker
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Michal E. Becker
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
David L. Cohen
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Isabel de Koninck
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Stacey Aviva Flint
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Derek Gale
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Evan Goldman
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Adam Kolett
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Naomi Lamb
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Lisa Long
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Amy Marks
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Judith Moses Dworkin
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Rori Picker Neiss
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Betsy Polk Joseph
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Alexandra Roth-Kahn
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Richard Walter
Executive Cohort IV 2022-2024
Judy Alperin
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Lisa Armony
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Ronnie Conn
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Abbey Feinberg
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Brad Finkel
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Abbey Frank
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Meggie Fredman
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Dan Goldwin
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Stephanie Hausner
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Matt Kernkraut
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Naomi Knopf
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Ashley Lasher
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Allie Lipner Rosenblum
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Liv Mendelsohn
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Maxima Patashnik
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Shelley Rood Wernick
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Darren Schwartz
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Karen Sher
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Stefanie Tuzman
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Martín Yafé
Executive Cohort III 2021-2023
Zach Briton
Executive Cohort II 2020-2022
Faculty & Advisors
Naomi Adler
Advisor
Theodore Sasson
Faculty
Deborah Ancona
Faculty
Mara Benjamin
Faculty
Robin Bernstein
Advisor
Jeremy Burton
Advisor
Cindy Chazan
Advisor
Serena Eisenberg
Advisor
Allan Finkelstein
Advisor
Alan Gill
Advisor
Stephen H. Hoffman
Advisor
Dan Judson
Faculty
Asher Lopatin
Advisor
John Ruskay
Advisor
Devora Steinmetz
Faculty
David Stolow
Faculty
Eligibility & FAQ
Applications for Cohort VI are now closed.