8000 Walton Parkway, Suite 110
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614 939-6060
Dec 2013
Pictured from Left to Right: Top: Ken Carr (WGFA, Class 3); Ruben Posner (WGFA, Class 23); Lauren Berkun (WGFA, Class 8); Ken Chasen (WGFA, Class 6); Andy Koren (WGFA Class 1); Elka Abrahamson, (President, The Wexner Foundation); Jason Rodich (WGFA, Class 22); Rachel Joseph (WGFA, Class 20); Michael Latz (WGFA, Class 8); Aaron Panken (WGFA, Class 8). Bottom: Josh Fixler (WGF, Class 25); Miriam Wajnberg (WGF, Class 23); Rachel Sabath
As always, the recent Wexner Alumni Network Gathering -- in San Francisco on December 8, “Unleashing Creativity, Fostering Motivation” -- was spectacular. And, in between thought-provoking presentations in the morning and the afternoon, we had the opportunity to split up into small groups to discuss our particular Jewish interests and issues. Since completing a recent stint as synagogue president, I have been looking for my next Jewish gig – and
I keep thinking about the meeting I attended several weeks ago sponsored by the Wexner Foundation during the GA in Israel. Wexner alumni from all 3 programs (Heritage, Israel and Graduate Fellowships) gathered for an exclusive Wexner program led by Colonel (ret.) Miri Eisen, the Israeli Prime Minister’s international media advisor; Gordon Hecker, Wexner Heritage alumnus (Columbus ‘00) and recently elected President and CEO of The Jewish Federation of Columbus;
Rockets were falling in Israel. Missiles were landing in Gaza. It was the fall of 2012, and I was Skyping with my Israeli friend Rivki. “Was the country rallying behind Netanyahu or frustrated by his actions?” I asked. Rivki answered, “Yes, everyone is behind him, total support. The left is furious because he attacked Gaza and the right is irate that he isn’t sending in troops.” I was not privy
Dec 2013
Dr. Tina Seelig, from the Stanford Design School, taught Wexner Heritage and Graduate Fellowship Alumni about creativity at the San Francisco Regional Networking Day. At the open space brain storm session during the San Francisco alumni gathering, I led a spontaneous discussion for whomever wanted to come talk. 20 alumni were encouraged to come up to an open mike and declare to the packed house what issue most impassioned them.
I recently fielded an inquiry from a reporter at a Jewish newspaper asking if I knew how many Israel Studies centers and programs there are in the entire United States. While there is no official catalogue, the answer by my count is seventeen, which is in some ways impressive and in others disappointing. When I was an undergraduate at Brandeis a decade and a half ago, this university known for
Participants of the Israel Alumni Beth Midrash: Meron HaCohen (Class 10), Tsvia Efrati (Class 2), Shmuel and Hagit Porat (Class 10), Yaron Charka (spouse Class 22), Kobi Goldberg (Class 23), Yitzhak Avigad (Class 6) and (not pictured) Deb Housen-Couriel (Class 12) Alumni of the Wexner Israel Fellowship launched a Beit Midrash. We gathered at the Foundation’s office in Jerusalem and even a non-objective observer could note two signs of how successful
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer is planning a free conference call/text study for any and all interested Wexner alumni on Wednesday, December 11th, 2013, 8:30-9:30pm EST. We are trying a new model of after hours text study. If this call is well received, we will likely continue to offer similar sessions. Since many of us have trouble with the metaphor of God as king, common in the liturgy, I thought we would
Some days it feels like modern orthodoxy is disappearing, like the contours that once defined a vision for a compassionate and worldly traditional Jewish life are fading into a mass of religious extremism. Or perhaps it’s just been a bad month. A few weeks ago, a group of Orthodox rabbis, including many who have been identified with modern Orthodoxy for most of their careers, came out with a scathing public
Nov 2013
First year rabbinical student and Wexner Graduate Fellow Juliana Schnur (Class 26), overhears the quip, “No one in the history of the world ever washed a rented car,” and writes this open letter to her peers. And to the “elders” she exhorts: “confront the growing multiculturalism of our community: from intermarried couples to friendship networks across faiths and cultures, to children raised in mixed religious (or non-religious!) households.” With thanks