On behalf of my WHP Greater MetroWest 15 cohort, I write this as a letter of thanks for this wonderful journey, the Wexner Heritage Program. From Aspen, where it all began just over two years ago, through multiple learning sessions in New Jersey and fantastic Institutes in Israel and Utah, in this New Year we continue our Jewish leadership journeys, richer for the knowledge and wisdom you have imparted.
To show our appreciation, we wanted to share some photos of a mural that was commissioned in Arad, Israel (a MetroWest sister community) in honor of all of our Wexner Heritage Program teachers and staff. This mural started as single pieces of wood, painted by many of us, along with the children of Arad, literally put together like a jigsaw puzzle and finally mounted on the wall of their Community Center. The mural is all the more special because it could not have been completed without the leadership and teamwork of all of those involved, including us, 19 very different people from GMW 15. It was amazing to see how each of us approached the task – some jumped right in and some assessed the overall process and added their pieces as they saw fit, others completely differently. But as in our learning and our future communal work, 19 unique people came together to realize a vision.
May the work of our hands pave the way for our hearts and minds to come together to solve complex challenges in the coming year.
Rachel Scherzer, an alum of the Wexner Heritage Program (Greater MetroWest 15), lives in South Orange with her husband Paul and three sons, Nathan, Aaron and Isaac. Rachel is a Wall Street veteran, holding several management positions in Human Resources. She has been active in her children’s school as both the Board Chair for the Parents’ Association and as a Member of the Board of Trustees.
