Dell Jewish Community Center Senior Health and Wellness Director, Mark Pattis. Courtesy: Shalom Austin

The Wexner Foundation, in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation, welcomes Class 8 of the Wexner Field Fellowship. Utilizing the diverse, cohort-based learning that is the hallmark of Foundation leadership initiatives, Field Fellows learn from experienced faculty and develop tools to enhance their leadership while address the pressing issues in the Jewish community. These fifteen professionals were selected from a competitive pool of applicants for this three-year intensive program. Class 8 of the Wexner Field Fellowship will be integrated into The Wexner Foundation’s network of 3,000 professional and volunteer leaders in North America and Israel, including 45 current Field Fellows and 85 Alumni.

“Today’s Jewish leaders need a reservoir of courage, a cadre of wise colleagues and a reimagined set of scenarios for a vibrant and secure Jewish People tomorrow,” said Rabbi B. Elka Abrahamson, President of The Wexner Foundation. “Our Field Fellows are blessed with a cohort of peers, a circle of proud and determined Jewish professionals each prepared to exercise leadership for a strengthened Jewish community even when it is hard to see around the corner. This is not a new reality in our history, but nonetheless a difficult one. The capacity to develop and support a new generation of Jewish professionals is one The Wexner Foundation cherishes more than ever. We are proud to introduce these newest Wexner Field Fellows, remarkable individuals our community needs more than ever.”

COMPLETE LIST OF CLASS 8 FELLOWS:

• • Sarah Allyn: Chief Operating Officer, The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, West Bloomfield, MN
  • Matt Baram: Executive Director, Hillel 818, Northridge, CA
  • Emily Bornstein: Chief of Staff, Jewish Federation of St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
  • Leili Herlinda Davari: Director of Racial Equity and Inclusion, Jewish Social Justice Round Table, Remote
  • Whitney Fisch: Executive Director, Hillel at Miami University, Oxford, OH
  • Tzvi Haber: Executive Director, IMADI, Baltimore, MD
  • Rachel Hillman: Associate Director, Northwestern Hillel, Evanston, IL
  • Leah Kahn: Vice President of Education, Office of Innovation, New York, NY
  • Rachel Libman: Chief Curator, Toronto Holocaust Museum (UJA Federation of Greater Toronto), Toronto, ON
  • Arya Marvazy: Senior Director of Programs, Jews of Color Initiative, Oakland, CA
  • Mark Pattis: Senior Director of Health and Wellness, Shalom Austin, Austin, TX
  • Shanie Reichman: IPF Atid Director, Israel Policy Forum, New York, NY
  • Julianne Schwartz: Director of Program Operations, Jewish Studio Project, Berkeley, CA
  • Jordan Soffer: Head of School, Striar Hebrew Academy, Sharon, MA
  • Jeremy Weisblatt: Campus Director, Kristol Center for Jewish Life (Hillel at The University of Delaware), Newark, DE

“Life changed irrevocably following October 7th and Jewish communities face unprecedented challenges right now,” adds Barry Finestone, President and CEO of the Jim Joseph Foundation. “We need leaders with the vision, talent, and dedication to navigate this current moment and to strengthen Jewish life in the future. Meaningful Jewish experiences provide people with immense support and profound learning throughout life’s highs and lows. The newest Wexner Field Fellows, along with past cohorts, are vital to this work that can lift up individuals and entire communities.”

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, negotiation, difficult conversations, mindful communication, and other crucial leadership skills.

To learn more about the Wexner Field Fellowship, click here.

About The Wexner Foundation

The Wexner Foundation develops and inspires leaders in the North American Jewish community and public service leaders for the State of Israel. Through diverse, cohort-based educational programs, the Foundation invests in promising professionals and volunteers, giving them tools to exercise transformative leadership. Working in partnership with other foundations, philanthropists, and local communities, the Foundation develops visionary, purpose-driven, and collaborative leaders. For more information, please visit The Wexner Foundation’s website.