In July, two local cohorts – one from the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis and another with Indiana University Hillel – joined hundreds in a three-week intensive Jewish leadership development journey through Jewish Federations of North America’s Jewish Changemakers program.
The newly developed program focused on leadership and professional development building structured around three stories; the story of self, the story of us, and the story of now. Topics covered included leading at a time of change & crisis, resiliency, defining your personal mission statement, and sharing your story. Changemakers also completed a personal values assessment and wrote thank-you notes to mentors who helped them along the way. Changemakers updated Jewish Federations of North America taglines on LinkedIn and reached out through LinkedIn to leaders and exemplars they admire. They studied the Periodic Table of Character Strengths, fine-tuned their pitch skills, and met successful CEO’s in the for-profit and non-profit world. They also got to know each other better through small group cohort meetings, explored how being a professional is connected to personal passion and goals, and discussed what it means to be a mensch.
“The sage Hillel guides our curriculum with his teaching from Mishnah Avot 1:14: ‘If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, then what am I? If not now, when?’ Changemakers are leaders who take action rooted in a strong sense of self – an identity grounded in purpose and values. They have ideas and ideals – a vision to change the world. And they understand the urgency of the moment – and particularly this moment, when the need for change is pressing. A Changemaker is never satisfied with the status quo – They know that we can do better,” said Eric Fingerhut, CEO of Jewish Federations of North America.
Greater Indy Changemakers also had opportunities to connect with local and professional staff during the program, both from IU Hillel, JFGI, and Indianapolis community leaders. During the program, changemakers were also paired with mentors at both a national level as well as a local level here in Indiana, offering unique opportunities for personal networking and professional growth.
“The program allowed me to turn a summer defined by canceled plans into more of a meaningful growth experience,” said Joel Barrett, a Jewish Changemaker participant. “It is always a special opportunity to get to connect with Jewish communities around the county and the world, being a part of a global program. It was cool hearing perspective from Jews in communities different than mine on important issues.”
The July session was a pilot program, with 548 fellows ages 20-25 years old. There were 60 Jewish communities across North America that participated. The first session was so successful, a second program began in August. Future cohorts will be organized in the Fall.