Barry Finestone wisely identified the crisis facing Jewish communal professionals in his recent piece, “The crisis we’re ignoring: Who’s caring for the people who hold up the Jewish world?” (Aug. 25). In an era of rising antisemitism and polarization, Jewish educators, clergy, fundraisers, social workers, CEOs and staff are “running on fumes,” as he says. Unless we address the crisis, mass burnout will leave us with what Finestone calls “a gaping hole in the infrastructure we rely on to keep Jewish life functioning.” 

The resonance of his essay — shared widely by Jewish leaders across social media and emailed to me by multiple colleagues — shows how deeply this reality hits home. His call to safeguard our professional leaders and protect their work-life balance and physical and mental health is crucial. And there is another essential solution that we as a community must put on the table.

We can restore the leaders who sustain, nurture and build our community by connecting them to the treasure that belongs to us all: 3,000 years of Jewish wisdom.

The leaders who teach our children, guide our ritual lives, plan our programs, keep our institutions safe and care for our most vulnerable often lack access to the very sources of meaning that have sustained and empowered our people for thousands of years. For many, their last serious engagement with Jewish knowledge was in Hebrew school, summer camp or a Hillel program. Since then, the near-constant stream of emergencies has left little space for the nourishment of learning.

But Jewish learning is not a luxury — it is fuel. And the people entrusted with building our shared future deserve its restorative power. 

At the Jewish Learning Collaborative, we see this every day. When Jewish professionals and volunteers are paired with independent Jewish educators and clergy for customized, one-on-one learning, they blossom. With no tests, no end-date and full freedom to explore any topic that inspires them — whether Talmud, contemporary Jewish texts, Jewish ethics, biblical Hebrew or many other facets of Jewish learning and exploration — leaders discover belonging, growth and renewal. 

We invest deeply in matching each learner with the right educator whose philosophy, identity or experience aligns with the learner’s needs. Some sessions feel like academic study; others resemble coaching or self-care. Always, they provide flexible space to grow and find personally relevant meaning based in the living corpus of Jewish sources. 

The results are profound. Professionals and volunteers feel valued by the investment made by their bosses and organizations. They can be vulnerable and safe to question without judgement. And they feel reconnected to the mission-driven work they do every day. The staff at Finestone’s own organizational home, the Jim Joseph Foundation, is among the partner organizations that have warmly embraced JLC learning. In JLC’s recent external outcomes evaluation, 89% of learners said they felt understood by their educator, and 97% reported that the learning was influential in their lives. 

Not only does the experience of JLC learning move “our Jewish IQ” higher, as one board member put it, but it “shows me that my employer cares about holistic wellbeing,” said a communal professional. “Not just professional development, but spiritual and emotional wellness too. It shapes the culture. It makes me feel valued. And it helps me grow.” 

This is chavruta learning at its best: an age-old practice of questioning, exploring and growing together. And it fills the personal, professional, and spiritual tanks of our professionals. 

Jewish learning offers a deep well of sustenance that complements spa days and lasts a lot longer. It is ours to unlock.

If we want Jewish communal life to not merely survive but truly thrive, our leaders must be guided by professional skills and Jewish wisdom. By investing in their ongoing learning, we give them the strength to nurture our communities without burning out. When our leaders are nourished, our people are nourished.

Rabbi Ana Bonnheim is the founding executive director of the Jewish Learning Collaborative, which is incubated at Mem Global.