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The New Mandel Fellows Program at Hebrew Union College
Despite the dramatic changes in North American Jewish life, the synagogue is still perhaps the most important gateway institution in Jewish life. The future of synagogues in North America depends on their capacity to create compelling and self-renewing communities which engage the minds and hearts of today's Jews.
Recent initiatives in synagogue transformation, such as the Experiment in Congregational Education of Hebrew Union College's Rhea Hirsch School of Education, have acknowledged the potential of synagogues to become such communities. Dr. Rob Weinberg, Director of the Experiment in Congregational Education, observes: “The rabbi plays a unique role in the transformation of the synagogue and synagogue life. To transform congregations, rabbis must act both as symbolic leaders and collaborative leaders.”
To produce such a cadre of vision-guided rabbis, the Mandel Foundation has instituted the Mandel Fellows Program at HUC-JIR, in which eight outstanding HUC rabbinic students will prepare to assume leadership roles for synagogue transformation in the 21st century.
The new program builds upon the rigorous five-year program required of all students seeking ordination as Reform rabbis. Rabbinic students who seek to deepen their leadership skills and organizational knowledge, as well as enhance their capacity for creating vibrant Jewish learning communities in their role as rabbis, can elect to spend a sixth year of study in the education program on the Los Angeles or New York campuses. HUC Mandel Fellows will be supported in this additional year of study, whose program seeks to develop a visionary stance toward Jewish institutional life, a reflective understanding of their professional practice, and a broad perspective on leadership.
During their additional year Mandel Fellows will also participate in two special seminars created by the Mandel Leadership Institute in collaboration with the Hebrew Union College faculty. A week-long winter seminar in North America bridges the two semesters, focusing on "Community as a Reform Jewish Value". At the completion of their year of education studies Mandel Fellows will participate in a three-week seminar in Israel, addressing Israel and Jewish peoplehood and the challenge of embedding these two core affirmations in a vision of Reform congregational life.
Eight Mandel Fellows are chosen from among those rabbinic students applying to the education degree programs in Los Angeles and New York. The criteria for selection include academic excellence, leadership potential, a capacity for vision and reflection, and an interest in and commitment to transforming synagogue life. A national HUC-JIR faculty committee selects the Mandel Fellows based on written applications and a personal interview. For 2007-2008 three men and five women have been selected. Mandel Fellows studying at the Rhea Hirsch School in Los Angeles are: Erin Ellis, Noam Katz, Ari Margolis, Dan Medwin and Rena Polonsky. Mandel Fellows studying at the New York School of Education are: Rachel Kort, Melissa Simon and Melissa Zalkin-Stollman. |
