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Dispatches from the network and updates from the Foundation.
May 2010
Brian Shirken is a Wexner Heritage LA alumnus, the current co-chair of the Leadership Pillar of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation, and former Real Estate Division Chair. Brian can be reached at brian@columbuspacific.com. So here is something to think about! What responsibility have our Jewish communities assumed for identifying, training and placing Jewish leaders? Based on what is going on in the majority of our communities, the answer is clearly
Apr 2010
Jonathan Gribetz is an alumnus of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship, and the Maurice Amado Foundation Fellow at the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Next year, he will be the Ray D. Wolfe Fellow in Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto. Jonathan can be reached at gribetz@post.harvard.edu We met Yosef at a small synagogue in Istanbul a few years back. There were just eighteen people
Apr 2010
Iris Feinberg is a Wexner Heritage alumna from Atlanta. Iris is a community volunteer and business person in Atlanta and can be reached at ifeinberg@me.com. For the last 25 years, I have raised a family, run a business, been involved in my community, and pursued hobbies and interests with great passion. I have had the privilege of travelling around the world with family, friends and colleagues, and of sharing glorious
Apr 2010
Nessa Liben is a Wexner Graduate Fellow/Davidson Scholar alumnus, FEREP Scholar alumnus, and recent graduate of the NYU Dual Degree program in Nonprofit Management and Judaic Studies. She can be reached at Nessa.Liben@gmail.com On purim night, I joined a dozen octogenarians for a conveniently located megilla reading at my neighbors’ apartment across the hall. My neighbors have been married for almost 50 years, during which they have experienced both the
Apr 2010
Jonathan Woocher is Chief Ideas Officer at JESNA and directs its Lippman Kanfer Institute, an action-oriented think tank for innovation in Jewish learning and engagement. Jon served on the original Wexner Foundation Advisory Committee and on its Institutional Grants and Graduate Fellowship committees. Jon can be reached at: jwoocher@jesna.org. Several months ago JESNA published a “best of the decade” list of notable achievements and developments in Jewish education (http://www.jesna.org/component/k2/item/626). It
Apr 2010
Bill lIpsey is an alumnus of Wexner Heritage MetroWest (NJ). He is a past President of Congregation Agudath Israel a Masorti/Conservative shul in Caldwell, NJ; and is on the Board of the Masorti Foundation for Israel and Masorti Olami. Bill helps run an investment firm in New York and can be reached at Lipsey@pzena.com A couple of months ago I was helping my 11-year old son Josh prepare for a
Apr 2010
Carla Fenves is an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program. Carla is a rabbinical student at the Hebrew Union College-Institute of Religion in New York. She can be reached at cfenves@gmail.com This Passover I led a seder on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. While planning with the ship’s staff, the maitre d’ kept insisting that we use only paper plates and plastic utensils for the meal. Despite my
Apr 2010
Robin Axelrod is an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program. She is the Undergraduate Coordinator at the University of Michigan’s Department of Classical Studies, and the founder of Axelrod Consulting. She can be reached at robin.axelrod@gmail.com It is remarkable how quickly my siblings and I fall into our familial “roles” whenever we are together. In addition to being “the tall one,” as the eldest of five I am also
Apr 2010
Elena Weinstein is a Wexner Heritage alumna from Westchester, NY. Elena is a board certified rheumatologist in private practice in Littleton, Colorado. She has served in a variety of Jewish leadership positions, including those dedicated to furthering the cause of affordable Jewish day school education and is currently on the development committee at Herzl/Rmha in Denver, Colorado. Elena can be reached at elenajonw@hotmail.com One evening in November of 2008, my
Mar 2010
Joel Alperson is a Wexner Heritage Chicago alumnus. Joel lives in Omaha, NE and is a past national campaign chair of the United Jewish Appeal campaign. Joel can be reached at joel.alperson@omahafixture.com. Imagine attending a pro-Israel event in a large venue filled with thousands of supporters. The evening includes emotion filled speeches, inspiring performances, and fundraising to serve Jews in need around the world. Picture dozens of these events being