With 75% of Jewish organizations scheduled to be looking for new top leadership in the next five years as baby boomer CEOs retire, JWI’s Jewish Communal Women’s Leadership Project is clearing the path for women to ascend to these executive positions. After successfully piloting the project in 2019 with a select group of senior-level women seeking C-suite positions, JWI is now taking the project national.

Made possible through a generous grant from the Hadassah Foundation, the Jewish Communal Women’s Leadership Project has a gendered lens – focusing firmly on the skills women need to succeed at the highest level of leadership and the persistent biases that still prevent true equity. We will fully lean in to the strengths we bring to the table when we lead like women. This is not your typical Jewish leadership workshop: In addition to career-building topics, discussions will also focus on policies and procedures to create safe and equitable workplaces, and how to mentor the next generation of women leaders. Monthly workshops, beginning in February and continuing through November 2021, are led by highly-accomplished professional Jewish women in business, finance, media, and development. Many of these leaders have been honored as JWI Women to Watch.

Unlike the D.C.-based pilot, the national expansion makes room for greater participation; those who were unable to take part in the pilot are strongly encouraged to apply again. 

This year’s project will offer two options: 

Option 1 participants will be in the (virtual) room with 10 extraordinary Jewish women leaders, able to participate live, ask questions, and be part of the conversation. Participants will be placed into smaller peer cohorts and JWI will provide supplemental books, articles, videos, and discussion guides to for additional monthly conversations. They will also be connected to the previous year’s cohort for additional peer mentorship. These participants will be selected through an application and interview process. 

Option 2 participants will have access to recordings of the presentation portions of the masterclasses, but will not engage live. JWI will suggest supplemental materials and readings. No application is necessary for Option 2.

JWI is hosting a virtual conversation on the state of women’s leadership in the Jewish community on Tuesday, November 24th from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET. Moderated by JTA Opinions Editor Laura Adkins, graduates of the pilot program will share thoughts and ideas on driving equity, increasing women’s leadership, and why women leaders are best positioned to lead the workplace of the future. At the conclusion of the event, applications and registration will go live for both participation options. 

This event is for all who are interested in the conversation, and highly suggested for those interested in applying for the national project. 

To learn more about the project and the pilot, and to apply or register for the 2021 cohort, go to www.jwi.org/jcwlp