Wexner Field Fellowship Announces Class 6

Jewish professionals will receive professional development and education in leadership and Jewish learning over the course of three years

The Wexner Foundation, in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation, is pleased to announce Class 6 of the Wexner Field Fellowship. Crucial support and professional development continue to be necessary during the pandemic and from a competitive application pool wanting to engage in this work, 15 outstanding professionals were selected for this three-year intensive program. Utilizing the diverse, cohort-based learning that is the hallmark of The Wexner Foundation programs, Field Fellows will be exposed to different approaches to leadership and tools for addressing pressing issues in the Jewish community, while being integrated into The Wexner Foundation’s vast network of more than 3,000 professional and volunteer leaders in North America and Israel, including the 45 outstanding professionals who are currently in the Field Fellowship Program, as well as 55 Alumni.

COMPLETE LIST OF CLASS 6 FELLOWS

• Sarah Abramson: Senior Vice President, Strategy and Impact, CJP, Boston, MA
• Rachel Faulkner: Director of Community Investments, Safety Respect Equity Network, Washington, DC
• Ron Gubitz: Executive Director, Tulane Hillel, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Jon Hornstein: Program Director, Jewish Community, US, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Baltimore, MD
• Ari Levy: Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Hillel International, Washington, DC
• Erica Phillips: Program Officer, Crown Family Philanthropies, Chicago, IL
• Aaron Potek: Senior Rabbi and Executive Director of Jewish Life, Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Washington, DC
• Rachel Robinson: Director of Individual Giving, Reconstructing Judaism, Wyncote, PA
• Melissa Rosen: Director of Strategic Engagement & Operations, Jewish Women’s Foundation of New York, New York, NY
• Sara Sideman: Director of the JCC Camps at Medford, Katz Jewish Community Center, Cherry Hill, New Jersey
• Scott Topal: Director of Operations, Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, Chicago, IL
• Aviva Walls: Head of School, Gesher JDS, Fairfax, Virginia
• Amy Weiss: Director of Jewish Communal Engagement and Learning, OLAM, Washington, DC
• Sara Wolkenfeld: Chief Learning Officer, Sefaria, Chicago, IL
• Terry Wunder: Director of Community Engagement, Temple Solel, Cardiff-by-the Sea, California

The Wexner Foundation has more than 30 years of experience developing excellence in Jewish professionals and volunteer leaders in North America. The Wexner Field Fellowship was created in 2013 in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation to focus on developing promising Jewish professionals’ leadership skills while enveloping them in a rich network of Jewish colleagues. Wexner Field Fellows engage in a diverse, cohort-based leadership learning program. Fellows are selected based on their past accomplishments, current motivation and engagement, and exceptional attributes they will contribute to the cohort of 15 diverse Jewish professionals of which they will be a part. Class 6 will come together through intensive institutes where they will be exposed to Jewish educational and professional growth opportunities, while addressing their unique needs of career and personal progress.

“We are so impressed with the new cohort of dynamic Jewish Professionals. Their commitment and creative visions for the Jewish future inspire me deeply. We are particularly proud to partner with the Jim Joseph Foundation to provide support for our Field Fellows at this challenging crossroad in Jewish communal life,” said Rabbi B. Elka Abrahamson, President of The Wexner Foundation. “These transformational leaders will add powerfully to the community of Wexner Fellows and Alumni shaping the Jewish future.”

As with the first five classes of Field Fellows, Class 6 is comprised of dynamic Jewish professionals at pivotal moments in their careers. Fellows work in Jewish federations, summer camps, advocacy and social justice organizations, day schools, national organizations, and local institutions across North America. To get more info about each Fellow, please click here.

“The Wexner Foundation provides such vital support to leaders who will shape the future of Jewish life and learning,” says Barry Finestone, President and CEO of the Jim Joseph Foundation. “These 15 talented new Fellows will begin the journey of a lifetime – gaining new skills, engaging in learning opportunities, and building an incredible network of alumni to help them positively influence the lives of countless youth and young adults for years.”

As part of this three-year intensive professional development program, Wexner Field Fellows:

• Become part of a selective cohort of lifelong professional learners.
• Learn with amazing leadership teachers and Jewish educators.
• Receive one-on-one professional coaching and Jewish learning, along with access to funds toward customized professional development opportunities.
• Develop a nuanced appreciation for the diversity of the North American Jewish community.
• Focus on developing strengths in adaptive leadership, storytelling, difficult conversations, negotiation and other crucial leadership skills.