Lucrative high-tech opportunities have been luring young college graduates into careers, thus depleting the pool of candidates looking into the world of nonprofits. The Jewish community is particularly affected by this depletion as they are looking into the future when current leaders of Jewish nonprofits will be retiring and there may not be capable replacements. Taking on this challenge, the Orthodox Union (OU) initiated their Executive Fellowship Program in 2023 to attract young graduates into the field of nonprofits. Their first cohort of eight was highly successful and even hired one of its participants to help spearhead the program.
The current cohort of 11, which began in late August, brings together young people from New York, New Jersey, Cleveland, Dallas, Maryland, Los Angeles, some graduates of Yeshiva University, Stern College and others from a variety of public and private universities around the country. The 10-month fellowship offers them opportunities to see the workings of the OU from within 11 internal departments and be mentored within these departments by senior OU professionals and lay leaders. Visits are conducted to other large Jewish nonprofits in the New York/New Jersey area. The program also sends the fellows on relief missions to communities around the U.S. to help in rebuilding after natural disasters.
Shai Kopitnikoff of Passaic serves as the director of the Executive Fellowship along with his position as director of talent development for the OU. Under these two titles he shoulders great responsibility both to the Jewish community as well as to the fellows.
Kopitnikoff outlined his goals. “For the community, we are trying to get the next generation excited about klal work. These fresh, young talents may foster innovative collaboration across the various OU departments. Hopefully, they will bring new energy and ideas to the organization. Eventually, we hope that some will come aboard as future leaders within the OU. For the fellows, we are affording opportunities to explore possibilities for the next step in their careers. Through the fellowship they are being mentored by seasoned internal professionals as well as meeting leaders of other major organizations. They are afforded an opportunity for self-assessment and self-discovery which may lead them to become contributing members of the Jewish community as ‘klay kodesh or lay kodesh.’”
Kopitnikoff defined his roles within the OU as follows: “I have the privilege of championing the growth of our 3,500 employees worldwide. I do this by providing training, creating career pathways, overseeing executive coaching and designing developmental strategies. I spend my days, and often nights, trying to foster a culture of excellence wherein our community and employees are stronger and more thoughtful. My goal is to make people like what they do and be the best they can!”
First cohort participant Adina Peck, who now serves as talent development coordinator for the Executive Fellowship Program, came to this position from an eventful journey. Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina where there was little Jewish community to speak of, she spent summers in Cleveland, where she was introduced to NCSY Regional Central East. She went on to participate in NCSY’s Give West and winter Yarchei Kallah. At home in Charlotte she was able to form a small NCSY chapter. In Israel, at Midreshet Tehillah, she was further inspired and when she returned to attend college at Emory in Atlanta, she became involved in the campus JLIC and the Atlanta Georgia Yavneh.
After earning a degree in psychology from Emory, Peck came north and hearing about the OU Executive Fellows Program, was excited to apply. The program was equally excited to accept her in light of her impressive determination to identify with and participate in the Jewish community.
In her role at OU, she values the exceptional opportunities the fellowship offered her to meet illustrious leaders including Executive Vice Presidents Rabbi Moshe Hauer and Rabbi Josh Josephs; President Mitch Aeder; CEO of OU Kosher Rabbi Moshe Elefant; Yoni Cohen, chief of staff; Rabbi Adir Posy, director of community and synagogue services; and others. She valued her visits to other major Jewish organizations including Federation, UJA, Agudah and Lubavitch, where she gained insight into their particular missions and methods.
She greatly appreciated participating in meaningful events such as the relief missions to New Orleans, Louisiana and Fort Myers, Florida, the November 2023 March for Israel rally in Washington and the “180 for 180 Campaign” to free the hostages. In encouraging future college graduates to apply to the OU Executive Fellowship, Peck commented, “Whether you stay at the OU or move on to other klal work, through the fellowship you will meet and be inspired by individuals who have dedicated their lives to providing a full and flourishing Jewish life to communities around the globe.”
Current OU Fellow Kayla Stelzer of Teaneck attended Yeshivat Frisch, Midreshet Harova and Stern College. She has participated in NCSY’s Yad B’Yad program as well as Yachad summer programs at Camp Morasha. She is excited at the opportunities the fellowship will afford her during her 10 months to see the workings of many of the OU departments as well as participate in the relief projects of the Community Project and Partnership.
She is looking forward to the relief trip to New Orleans to rebuild homes destroyed by natural disasters. Through the program she will be participating in food pantries and soup kitchens. She greatly appreciated the sessions offered by the leaders of the OU from which she has gained so much insight into “working for the klal.”
Another member of the second cohort of the OU Fellows is Chani Adler of Teaneck, who learned of the program through a friend. Adler is a graduate of YNJ, Maayanot, Michlala and Stern College, where she majored in art history and business strategy. So far she is grateful to the program for introducing her to the workings of the huge OU organization, including its business strategies. She is looking forward to the upcoming relief mission in New Orleans as well. She shared, “The program will help you grow your skills and allow you an opportunity to give back to the Jewish community.”
Maya Langer, a third New Jersey fellow, hails from Livingston, where she attended Kushner Hebrew Academy from kindergarten through 12th grade. After her gap year at Midreshet Moriah, she attended Stern College where she majored in marketing and business analytics through the Sy Syms Program. Always interested in working for a Jewish nonprofit, Langer was delighted to learn of the OU Executive Fellowship Program.
Already well-versed in video recording and editing, Langer is working in the technology department at the OU where she is currently editing the mega OU Women’s Initiative Siyum of last spring. She is excited about the opportunities this fellowship will afford her in many areas in the coming months. She too will be participating in the upcoming New Orleans relief mission. She wondered if perhaps she will remain on in the OU’s video division after her completion of the fellowship.
The OU invites current college seniors to consider the OU Executive Fellowship for their next step. To learn more about the program, go to careers.ou.org. To check for applications for next year’s cohort, go to ou.org/fellowship.
For questions as well as organizations who wish to partner with the OU Fellowship, contact Peck at [email protected]
