Mandel Institute for Nonprofit Leadership

09/28/2026

We are pleased to share that The Covenant Foundation named Aaron Portman (Educational Leadership, Cohort II) as one of this year's Pomegranate Prize winners, an honor presented to emerging leaders in the field of Jewish education. Mazal tov to Rabbi Portman!

This is also a perfect moment to spotlight the growing list of Mandel-affiliated Pom Prize winners, with Rabbi Kendell Pinkney (Faculty, Cultural Leadership Program), Eliana Light (Educational Leadership, Cohort II), Jonathan Shmidt Chapman (Educational Leadership, Cohort I), and Beverly Socher-Lerner (Educational Leadership, Cohort I) all receiving the award in the past few years.

09/23/2026

The Mandel Institute recently launched the Graduate Microgrant Program, a new initiative designed to invest in the creativity and leadership of our graduates. The program provides graduates with advising support and up to $5,000 in funding to advance innovative projects that strengthen Jewish life, deepen professional practice, and contribute to the fields of Jewish community development, education and culture. We are excited to announce the inaugural cohort of recipients!

Michal Eskenazi Becker
Executive Leadership Program, Cohort IV
Shoresh Sunday School

Rebecca Berger & Yafit Shriki Megidish
Educational Leadership Program, Cohort II
The Mandel Leadership Lab

Laura Elkeslassy
Cultural Leadership Program, Cohort I
Ya Ghorbati: Divas in Exile

Yael Jaffe
Educational Leadership Program, Cohort II
Empowering Communities to Strengthen Orthodox Day School Education

Jacob Leibowitz
Executive Leadership Program, Cohort VI
The Hillel Leadership Institute Continuum

Antonia Lassar
Cultural Leadership Program, Cohort I
This Is Judaism: The Pilot

Stephanie Tankel
Educational Leadership Program, Cohort I
Family Engagement: Ages 0–5

Daniel Olson
Educational Leadership Program, Cohort II
Ramah Mission to Chile

Anthony Russell
Cultural Leadership Program, Cohort I
Az**el Magazine Audience Development Initiative

Frieda Vizel - Tour Guide, Essays, Etc.
Cultural Leadership Program, Cohort I
Fruit Stands of Gotham

Yafit Shriki Megidish
Educational Leadership Program, Cohort II
Embracing Complexity with Care: A Framework for Israel Education in Early Childhood

Micol Zimmerman Burkeman
Educational Leadership Program, Cohort I
Sacred Partnership: A Podcast Series

📷s: Rebecca Bloomfield, Harry Browne, and Yariv Weinberg

09/22/2026

"It is the responsibility of the poet to be mischievous and stark, mesmerized by the world, heartbroken by it, awake to the strangeness of it all, to find ways to love and be in love with people and this world we live in."

Writer Moriel Rothman-Zecher (Cultural Leadership, Cohort II) published a short essay extolling writer and activist Grace Paley for her ability to blend her many identities and pursuits--to reject assigning individuals to strictly defined lanes in their careers or allegiances. You can read the essay in LitHub: https://loom.ly/I1nXXdA

I first started reading Grace Paley in the weeks after my second novel was published, as I sought refuge from refreshing Goodreads, from waiting for the Booker Prize Committee to phone. Reading the…

09/18/2026

Before we transition into Shabbat and Yom Kippur, we wanted to share the Mandel Institute Director's annual Rosh Hashanah letter: https://loom.ly/jpkqATk

What do you know, and how do you shape your understanding of the world and all it contains? How does what we know lead us to imagine new, improved futures? Eva Heinstein shares a few vignettes from her past year to help us navigate 5787. May it be a year of sweetness, connection, possibility, and peace.

📷: Image from Five Hands, Efrat Hakimi ()

09/17/2026

Now is the moment! Applications for the Educational Leadership Program are due September 24.

Immerse yourself in educational ideas and purposes that differ from your own by engaging with and contributing to a cohort diverse in educational setting and background. Advance your capacity to lead with intentionality. Expand your knowledge base through encounters with inspiring sites and educational thinkers working within and beyond the field of Jewish education.

Read more & apply today: https://hubs.ly/Q04lskZ70

09/09/2026

Fig Tree, an independent Jewish education program founded by Educational Leadership Program graduate Rachel Weinstein White (Cohort II), is partnering with NYC's 14th Street Y to offer weekly Jewish learning this Fall for kids in pre-K through 6th grade.

Fig Tree began in a small room in Brooklyn and has since expanded to serve over 1,000 students across three (now four!) boroughs. Classes begin September 17th!

Read more about Fig Tree: https://loom.ly/_d3yrYQ
Learn about this collaboration: https://loom.ly/_d3yrYQ14y

📷: Courtesy of Fig Tree

09/07/2026

"Igor Golyak's genius - it doesn't seem too strong a word at this point - is to bring not just form and brio but the flavor of originality to some of the most complex and demanding material the theater has to offer."

Those were words from The Boston Globe's Don Aucoin in his review of Igor (Cultural Leadership, Cohort I) and Arlekin Players Theatre's adaptation of Frenzy for Two, a play by Eugene Ionesco. From September 8th through October 24th, Delirium heads to the Irondale Ensemble Project in Brooklyn, New York.

Grab your tickets today 🎟️: https://loom.ly/SqvXh70
📷: Irina Danilova

09/04/2026

When is surveillance a helpful tool? When might it harm us? And how does a space elk fit into it all? Lee Conell (Cultural Leadership, Cohort I) published "Space Elk" in Oxford American last month, taking us into the life of a young woman navigating her relationships with others, with technology, and with herself. And as we head into the new year, there is reference to tashlich (a common Rosh Hashanah custom) for good measure.

You can read the full story here: https://loom.ly/UstcEX4

📷: courtesy of Lee.

09/03/2026

We're hiring a new Senior Administrative Associate! This person will be a highly organized and proactive individual contributor supporting the Institute’s administrative, financial, office, and program operations. Serving as a central resource for day-to-day administration, this role coordinates systems, vendors, technology, calendars, travel, and logistical needs that help the Institute operate smoothly.

Learn more and apply today: https://loom.ly/-aPhxuU

09/02/2026

Register for an info session regarding the Educational Leadership Program happening next week on Tuesday, September 8 from 12 - 1pm Eastern.

Dive into the program's components and gain a deeper understanding of whether it's a fit for you or someone in your network. After a brief presentation, you'll be able to speak directly with the program director, Jethro Berkman.

Applications are due September 24!

Registration: https://loom.ly/m6VCY_k