The Latest From The Foundation

The Wexner Foundation and various communal stakeholders met together with Heritage alumni (Detroit 86) and potential nominees for the Detroit ’17 class. They learned what is new in the Heritage program and also heard from various alumni how the program continues to impact their leadership. To nominate someone for the Detroit, Chicago or Montreal 2017 cohorts, please click here.  What might be said in two minutes that can capture my

Last week I had the opportunity to speak to a distinguished group of people in an intimate living room setting.  There were Wexner Heritage Alumni, prominent figures in the Boston Jewish community, colleagues from the Wexner Israel Fellows Class 28 and their spouses.  The intention of the gathering was to have a Fellow offer fodder for conversation and I chose to speak about aspects of Israel’s narrative, their connection to

Orit Farkash-HaCohen, WIF Alum (Class 18) What moved me the most was that for three full days cynicism was gone out the door.  But really.  Even the Israelis who are prone to be skeptics of everything. The Summit was a strong emotional reminder for me of why I am committed to what I do and why it is something to be proud of.  Sue Reinhold, WHP Alum (San Francisco 14)

Re-posted with thanks to the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma counties. As the program officer for Jewish overnight camps at the San Francisco-based Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, I made it my mission this summer to visit all four Northern California camps to see, first-hand, how they are helping build the next Jewish generation with the Federation’s support. It was at my final

Snapshot: It’s 11 PM on a Thursday at a bar in scenic Stowe, Vermont.  There are dozens of people singing a niggun, a wordless melody.  They have been singing this same tune for nearly an hour as they clasp shoulders, pound tables and dance.  Their joy is palpable and their song is whole hearted.  How did I, how did we, Wexner Graduate and Field Fellows, end up here? Let’s backtrack.

One of the most beneficial aspects of sending kids and teenagers to overnight summer camp is the opportunity to disconnect and unplug from the world at large.  The absence of phone, TV, internet and social media allows our youth to focus primarily on developing friendships, physical and artistic skills and their intellectual muscles.  This countercultural “bubble” that camp creates is a cherished part of the camp experience. However, while working

Reposted with thanks to The Mental Health Safe Space blog , founded by Jamie Bornstein (WGF Alum, Class 18) . Mental illness has of course always been a part of the Jewish Community, as it has been for all people everywhere, and yet, most leaders tend to stay quiet about it. Not so for some of our pioneering alumni who have created and contributed to a platform for Jews to speak

The trends and attitudes of American society pour down into every corner and crevice of the American Jewish community.  This is both the marvel and the challenge of being a Jewish American. Whatever Jewish actions we take, they are significantly framed by American culture.  Today, American culture is marching to the beat of a near-hysterical parade towards everything Millennial.  And one of the results is that ageism, now against Boomers,

Should leaders criticize their opponents and detractors?  When is reprimanding other people legitimate — or even necessary — and when should castigating others be viewed as an impious act?  This question weighed heavily on my mind after hearing Donald Trump’s insensitive criticism of Khizr Khan, a Muslim father of a slain U.S. soldier.  In my recently published book, Pious Irreverence: Confronting God in Rabbinic Judaism, I discuss one such Jewish

Photo: Wexner Israel Fellows (Class 27) during graduation weekend  On the morning of May 25th, the day before HKS graduation, Wexner Israel Fellows Class 27 gathered with their families to mark the end of their year at Harvard.  During the ceremony, they received certificates from the Foundation for having completed their year of seminars, institutes and learning.  The fellows shared reflections on the year and made public declarations about the