WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis-Genesis Institute for Russian Jewry, in partnership with the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University, is accepting nominations for the Brandeis Jewish Leadership Incubator, a professional development program for Russian-speaking Jewish communal professionals. Jewish communal organizations across North America are encouraged to nominate their staff to this highly selective, rigorous and enriching year-long fellowship.

Supported by the Genesis Philanthropy Group and the Jim Joseph Foundation, the Brandeis Jewish Leadership Incubator (BJLI) is a 12-months fellowship that strives to nurture a cadre of effective Russian-speaking Jewish communal professionals, fortified by superior management skills, Jewish knowledge, systematic understanding of the Russian-speaking and American Jewish communities, and commitment to the future of the Jewish people. The program, designed for early career professionals, will help to develop the skill-set, knowledge, and strong network of peers that is critical for professional advancement within the North American Jewish community.

Once nominated, applicants will be invited to officially apply and interview. Fellows will be selected by the Admissions Committee, comprised of the BJLI staff and faculty. Selection criteria include professional promise, commitment to the Jewish communal field, academic achievement and leadership potential.

“To date, Russian speakers remain underrepresented in the organized American Jewish community – especially its leadership,” said Victor Vitkin, executive director of the Brandeis-Genesis Institute for Russian Jewry. “The disproportionately low number of Russian-speaking communal professionals deprives Jewish organizations of engaging an exceptional pool of talent. By advancing Russian speakers in the professional Jewish world, the leadership training program will create important opportunities for mutual understanding and enrichment for all segments of the American Jewish community.”

The fellowship will include intensive professional seminars, overseas educational travel and a year-long cycle of online instruction. BJLI curriculum will emphasize core management and leadership skills in the context of Jewish teaching, as well as American and Russian Jewish history. Faculty from Brandeis University, leaders from major Jewish organizations, and leading practitioners in a variety of relevant fields will teach the BJLI courses and modules.

The program is scheduled to begin in January 2015. Up to 15 fellows will be accepted into the first cohort, with the goal of representing organizations from a range of Jewish communal institutions across the United States and Canada.

For more information on the Brandeis Jewish Leadership Incubator, nomination and application process, please visit www.brandeis.edu/bgi/bjli or email bgi@brandeis.edu