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Jan 2009
The sacred story of Hanukkah reads like a mystery. Unlike Purim, Hanukkah has no biblical book and no tractate in the Talmud. There is the apocryphal book of Maccabees which documents much of the historical scene, but it fails to record the miracle of the menorah. Thus, we approach Hanukkah as we would a mystery. We collect the clues – the narrative fragments scattered throughout rabbinic literature. We compare and analyze them, formulate
Dec 2008
Marc Suvall, a Wexner Heritage alumnus from New York, sits on the Boards of the JDC, Yemin Orde, and UJA, and is Chair of the Integration and Absorption Cluster of the Peoplehood Commission at UJA. He can be reached at mksuvall@aol.com This week's Torah portion, Miketz, reflects clearly on the times in which we are living. The portion begins with Joseph, who was wrongfully incarcerated, being released from prison due
Dec 2008
As a teacher of negotiation, I work with students to strengthen their interpersonal effectiveness at the table. My classes offer students a number of key skills as well as the opportunity to engage in systematic preparation. Together, we try to frame opening arguments, figure out where to anchor within the zone of possible agreement, and exercise process leadership. We work to manage the pattern of concessions and to recalibrate in
Dec 2008
From Vayeshev to HaTikvah They call me Anatol. In prison I do lie. My little window looks out on the Russian sky. I've been arrested here for crimes they have not named. But all my people know the charge will be a frame. What do these lyrics from the song “Leaving Mother Russia” by Safam have to do with this week’s Parshah? How do the mournful laments of Anatol,
Leslie Ginsparg, a Wexner Graduate Fellowship alumnus (Class 16), is a Professor of Jewish History at Touro College. She can be reached at Ginsparg@comcast.net When I announced to family and friends that I was going to Germany as part of a Germany Close Up/American Jewish Committee student trip, I kept hearing the same response: don’t spend any money there. The reasoning behind and the implication of that imperative was obvious.
Dec 2008
Yehuda Kurtzer is an alumnus of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program (Class 15). He is Visiting Professor of Jewish Communal Innovation at Brandeis University, and a co-coordinator of the Independent Minyan Conference. Yehuda can be reached at kurtzer@gmail.com The juxtaposition of Noah and Abraham as adjoining narratives in the Torah makes for a clear study in contrasts. Both represent paradigms of obedience: Noah acts as the sole obedient listener to
Ariel Beery is the founder and co-director of PresenTense (www.presentense.org), an organization dedicated to fostering innovation and solving problems facing the Jewish People and the World through educating individuals and organizations with cutting-edge tools and business practices. He can be reached at arielbeery@presentense.org As much of the United States basks in the afterglow of a historic election campaign, and as Israel prepares for its own election in only a few
Jonathan Schreiber is an alumnus of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program. He can be reached at jonathanschreiber@sbcglobal.net I must be part zealot and part masochist. A few months ago, I was listening to a phone message telling me our daughter had just been accepted to one of the most difficult magnet schools to gain admittance to in the Los Angeles Unified School District – and we turned it down.. When
Laura Lauder is a Wexner Heritage alumna from San Francisco. She would be delighted to receive comments and questions, and/or to assist any Wexner alumni regarding their personal strategic philanthropy. She can be reached at: Laura@Lauderpartners.com Writer’s Note: The piece below is an excerpt from a 12-page Retrospective with charts and photographs that can be seen in its entirety at:http://www.lauderfoundation.org Realizing the need for a philanthropic self-evaluation Our family created
Pam Medjuck Stein, an alumna of the Wexner Heritage Program from Toronto, is a lawyer by training and artist by habit. She chairs the Lola Stein Institute, edits Leadership in Education, the Lola Stein Journal and serves on the Canadian Jewish News Editorial Advisory Board. She can be reached at pamelams@mac.com. Each generation faces a journey to transmit values to its children. Parashat Lech Lecha deals with journey, guidance and