8000 Walton Parkway, Suite 110
New Albany, Ohio 43054
614 939-6060
Aug 2017
One of the most puzzling aspects of the book of Jonah is the prophet’s fear of success. It’s easy to relate to a failing leader, to a man who runs away from responsibility and, ultimately, destiny. We’ve all been there. Like Jonah, most of us have faced inadequacy, imposter syndrome, insecurity and the desire to hide when we’re needed most. And that was just yesterday. But when Jonah was spat
Aug 2017
My Wexner certificate came in the mail, marking the formal end of my time in the Wexner Heritage Program. Wexner changed my life, in more ways that one. Wexner gave me the knowledge and tools I need to lead my community into a brighter future, but more importantly, it gave me myself. I prepared for the panel interview for what seemed like months. During that interview, I hoped they could
Aug 2017
Let every valley be raised Every hill and mount made low Let the rugged ground become level And the ridges become a plain Isaiah 40:4 I have always struggled with this passage from the Prophet Isaiah, but never more so than standing amongst the mountains of Aspen. Hearing this passage in isolation, it always feels to me more like a threat than the consolation it is intended to be. In
The WHP Alumni Council is made up of delegates from the 30-plus communities across North America where we have held the Wexner Heritage Program. Delegates help promote the Wexner Network so that alumni can leverage each other to become more effective leaders in order to exponentially impact and improve the Jewish community and our future. We hold quarterly video conferences and meet annually in person. Jill Max (WHP Alum, Baltimore
Aug 2017
Dear Wexner Fellows, Members and Alumni, Les asked me to send this video message, excerpted from remarks he delivered yesterday to an audience at his business here in Columubs, about the need for moral leadership in our day particularly following the ugly and disturbing events in Charlottesville. It is a fitting message as we move into Shabbat. I am proud to send this in his name and as
Aug 2017
Shmuly Yanklowitz (WGF Alum, Class 19) and Asher Lopatin (WGF Alum, Class 5). We have just signed on to this statement, written by long-time Wexner faculty, Rabbi Dr. "Yitz" Greenberg, initiated by the Orthodox Rabbinic Group Torat Chayim and signed by many Wexner alumni: The central teaching of the Bible is that every human being is created in the image of God.This means that every individual and group is unique and
Aug 2017
Reposted with thanks to Malkah Binah’s Blog, Thriving Spirit. I spent this past Shabbat in Charlottesville with a small group of rabbis as part of a delegation from T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. The rabbis and other spiritual leaders who went to Charlottesville fulfilled many roles, some on the front lines of the protests, some as witnesses, and some as protectors and nurturers. There is much for us
Aug 2017
It is 30 days since Jonathan Woocher's passing. We didn't talk regularly, but I am struck at the number of times I have thought of him — almost daily. Simply, that's how profound the impact of his work is on the daily life of Jewish educational organizations. One of the things to admire about Jon is that he never let any of us off the hook. This work — the strengthening
Most Israelis are not concerned with the Western Wall issue — a sad truth that a group of WIF alumni, of varied Jewish denominations, decided to tackle. Deeply worried about the Israeli public's lack of engagement with the collapse of the Western Wall Compromise and the Conversion Law, a spontaneous interest group -- initiated by WIF Alum Einat Hurvitz (Class 26) — formed during our recent 2017 Summer Institute, hoping
Reposted with thanks to the Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” The all-too-familiar opening of Charles Dickens' nineteenth-century classic A Tale of Two Cities could not have better encapsulated the current state of the Jewish world. As the international community is rocked by political and economic turbulence, the Jewish People—an international people if ever there was one—has not been