by Maya Bernstein At the core of leadership is the ability to assess a situation, name its challenges, imagine new possibilities, and attempt to implement those imagined new paths. It is necessary for those who care about the future of the Jewish community to apply this approach to our own educational systems. What is and isn’t working in our spaces of Jewish education? How can we educate today’s Jewish children to be excited about Judaism, nourished by it, and use its teachings to contribute meaningfully to society? There has been much recent debate about the best ways to achieve a Jewish day school’s vision: to instill a grounding in Jewish values and a deep sense of Jewish identity, a love of learning and a rigorous overall education, and the imperative to make a positive, mending … Continue Reading

Gender and Leadership: a murky relationship by Charlie Schwartz Gazing back at my job search this past spring, I’m now able to notice the subtle trends and patterns that only time and distance can bring into relief, in particular the lack of women in the highest levels of leadership in the organizations I encountered. Time and time again, I found myself interviewing at organizations where charismatic, visionary men occupy the upper echelons of leadership. As a man who hopes to be a leader and visionary in the Jewish world, the question emerges: How can I address issues of gender inequality in Jewish organizational life? In hindsight, the gender inequality I anecdotally experienced shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Jewish demographers have clearly documented the absence of women from the … Continue Reading

by Rachel Ain I was 10 years old when my parents took me to the National Mall in Washington, DC, to march for the freedom of Soviet Jewry. I remember feeling connected to the Jewish people as a whole. Walking with my parents, I felt their passion, and it placed in me a personal commitment to “kol yisrael arevim zeh lazeh” (“All of Israel is responsible for one another.”) Participating and leading in the Jewish community was something I learned from my parents at a young age. As the Jewish community develops new leaders, funders, professionals, and volunteers, we must examine different ways to transfer knowledge and leadership. The knowledge goes beyond book knowledge. It includes the skills, stories, traditions, and values that come with being Jewish. The following approaches all use a … Continue Reading

Jewish Team Captains: observant at-bats by Morris Levin The season’s change from summer to fall brings Rosh HaShanah and, with the month of Tishrei, baseball’s postseason and the World Series. The timing is fateful: American sports have long occupied a unique role in Jewish American identity. A great challenge of Jewish living in the Diaspora has entailed the delicate balance between social integration into civil society and the maintenance of Jewish identity. Hanukah happens in Jerusalem whether one does anything or not; menorahs shine in the windows of virtually every home for eight days, and there is no end to jelly donuts. In America, however, bringing Jewish behavior into the mainstream can often be daunting. Naama Shafir of the Hoshaya yishuv in the Galil is in her final … Continue Reading

Gender Equality: what you can do for your organization's success by Joanna Samuels It’s not just about the women, it turns out. The biggest and most pleasant surprise of my work at Advancing Women Professionals and the Jewish Community (AWP) is that it affords me a unique window into the inner workings of Jewish communal organizations. Through helping boards to create generous parental leave policies, coaching women on how to negotiate more effectively, and mentoring men on ways to bring action to their beliefs in gender equity and shared leadership, I have learned a lot about the Jewish communal sector and about the role of organizational culture in making change. But it starts with women and their allies. Savvy and idealistic professionals, female and male, are intent on effecting … Continue Reading