Jewish professionals will receive professional development and education in leadership and Jewish learning over the course of three years.
(Courtesy of The Wexner Foundation) The Wexner Foundation, in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation, is pleased to announce Class 7 of the Wexner Field Fellowship. Utilizing the diverse, cohort-based learning that is the hallmark of the Wexner Foundation programs, Field Fellows will be exposed to different approaches to leadership and tools for addressing pressing issues in the Jewish community. Fifteen outstanding professionals were selected from a competitive pool of applicants for this three-year intensive program. These fellows will be integrated into the Wexner Foundation’s vast network of more than 3,000 professional and volunteer leaders in North America and Israel, including the 45 outstanding professionals who are currently in the Field Fellowship program as well as 70 alumni.
New local class area fellows are Yosef Gillers, co-executive director of GrowTorah in Teaneck, and
Ivy Schreiber, director of N.Y. education initiatives, the Jewish Education Project, Westchester, New York.
The Wexner Foundation has more than 30 years of experience developing excellence in Jewish professionals and volunteer leaders in North America. The Wexner Field Fellowship was created in 2013 in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation to focus on developing promising Jewish professionals’ leadership skills while enveloping them in a rich network of Jewish colleagues. Fellows are selected based on their past accomplishments, career trajectory, and exceptional attributes they will contribute to the cohort of 15 diverse Jewish professionals of which they will be a part. Class 7 will come together through intensive
institutes where they will be exposed to Jewish educational and professional growth opportunities while addressing their unique career needs.
“The need to support emerging professional leaders in the Jewish ecosystem has never been more pressing. From year to year, our candidates make clear to us that our field is richly blessed,” said Rabbi B. Elka Abrahamson, president of the Wexner Foundation. “I am particularly excited about the ways in which these 15 mid-career Jewish professionals will contribute to the Wexner Field Fellowship and, more importantly, to Jewish organizational life. Both the Jim Joseph and Wexner Foundations are increasingly aware of the importance of supporting those exercising leadership across the landscape of Jewish life. We are so proud of the depth and connectedness of the Wexner network that is sure to be enriched by our newest Field Fellows.”
As with the first six classes of Field Fellows, Class 7 is composed of dynamic Jewish professionals at pivotal moments in their careers. Fellows work in Jewish federations, advocacy and social justice organizations, day schools, national organizations, and local institutions across North America.
“The Wexner Foundation continues to be one of our field’s model programs for developing talented leaders within a strong, supportive network of peers,” said Barry Finestone, president and CEO of the Jim Joseph Foundation. “These 15 new Fellows will learn with exceptional leaders and gain skills to realize their own vision of meaningful Jewish learning that positively influences youth and young adults.”
As part of this three-year intensive professional development program, Wexner Field Fellows:
Become part of a selective cohort of lifelong professional learners.
Learn with amazing leadership teachers and Jewish educators.
Receive one-on-one professional coaching and Jewish learning, along with access to funds toward customized professional development opportunities.
Develop a nuanced appreciation for the diversity of the North American Jewish community.
Focus on developing strengths in adaptive leadership, storytelling, difficult conversations, negotiation, and other crucial leadership skills.
For more information, visit www.wexnerfoundation.org.
