Dispatches from the network and updates from the Foundation.
Jul 2012
Daniel is a Wexner Graduate Fellow and rabbinical student at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City, where he also earned a master’s degree in Religious Education. Daniel can be reached at daniel.kirzane@gmail.com Jake’s 4th-grade math students are learning the rudiments of algebra, practicing the placement and manipulation of points on a grid. Last night’s homework was to plot and connect a series of ordered pairs.
Elan Ezrachi is an independent consultant to international Jewish organizations, is a community activist in Jerusalem and a founding fellow at the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education. Elan can be reached at ezrachi19@yahoo.com. I live in the heart of Jerusalem. I mostly work as a professional with international Jewish organizations. This means that I am destined to meet many Jews from around the world, as they come to Jerusalem to
Jul 2012
The population of the New York Jewish community has grown nearly 10 percent since the previous study in 2002, according to UJA-Federation of New York’s Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011, released June 12th. More than 1.5 million Jews now live in the eight-county New York area, a total that surpasses the combined Jewish populations of the metropolitan areas of Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. In
Jun 2012
Joey Asch graduated this month from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, as a Wexner Israel Fellow. He is a senior prosecutor for the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office, dealing with major political, and white collar crimes. He can be reached at chani.joey@gmail.com Parshat Balak is an unusual story both in its content and in the way it is described in the Torah. It’s strange that the Torah chose
Jun 2012
Rachel Kest is an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship (Class 11) and is completing her 13th year at Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland, MA as the Director of Elementary and Family Education. Rachel can be reached at rachelkest@gmail.com. In my role as principal of a Religious School, I frequently ask parents to take on leadership roles – from being a member of the school committee to being a room
Martine Fleishman is an alumna of the Wexner Heritage ( NY IV) Program. Martine has dedicated herself to family, friends and the Jewish communal arena promoting Israel, Jewish identity, Jewish leadership, education, human rights and social justice. Martine is the chair of the Jewish Agency’s Project T.E.N. She can be reached at mtf37@optonline.net. At 11 years old, my family and I made our first trip to Israel. I went back
Ann Hartman Luban is an alumna of The Wexner Graduate Fellowship (class IV) and The Wexner Heritage Program (Pro-99). Ann is a Program Specialist in Community Services at Jewish Child and Family Services in Chicago and the Director of Recruitment for the Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Studies at Spertus. She can be reached at annluban@sbcglobal.net. We all have those things that we think about but that just never
May 2012
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg is an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship, Class XI. Rachel has been the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek since 2007. She currently serves as co-chair of Rabbis for Human Rights-North America. Rachel can be reached at: rabbirg@snet.net. When I started as the rabbi of my synagogue, the congregation had just come through a difficult period of instability of rabbinic leadership and of dysfunctional
May 2012
Naomi is a proud alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship, Class XIII. She is currently an Assistant Professor in Hebrew and Israeli Culture at The Ohio State University. Naomi can be reached at brenner.108@osu.edu. Recently, I was asked to answer questions and facilitate a discussion after a campus screening of the Israeli animated film Waltz with Bashir on Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day. “College students won’t show up at a
May 2012
PENINA GRSSBERG IS AN ALUMNA OF THE THE WEXNER GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP, CLASS 5. PENINA IS AN EDUCATOR AND ACTIVE COMMUNAL VOLUNTEER IN NORTHERN NEW JERSEY. PENINA CAN BE REACHED AT: PENINAG@OPTONLINE.NET.? Beyond loosening my stiff back, yoga offers tools for navigating leadership challenges. Set an intention. At the start of a yoga practice, students consider what they want to get from the experience. Intentionality encourages me to make personal meaning
Wexner Heritage Program nominations are now open for its upcoming cohorts in Northern New Jersey, Philadelphia, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Nominate a Jewish lay leader today!