Former Soviet Union
Rebuilding for a brighter future
ABOUT
Kaplan Leadership Initiative is a professional development program for talented, creative, mid-career Jewish community
professionals who want to make a difference in their communities and maximize their potential.
Over the course of a year participants join three in-person seminars (including one with peers from Latin America and Europe), where they gain practical skills, confidence, Jewish knowledge, and a peer network that will propel them to future leadership and meaningful contributions in their communities.
PROGRAM DETAILS
The program address three main topics:
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Leadership and Management in Jewish communities
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Community development
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Jewish content and context
Program Details:
The Kaplan Leadership Initiative program consists of the following components:
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Three in-person seminars over the course of a year (mandatory)
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3 webinars on related topics throughout the year (mandatory)
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Jewish learning in virtual study pairs “chavruta” (optional)
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One-to-one Topic-Based Coaching (3-5 sessions)
The seminars are intensive and experiential, offering a dynamic blend of theory, values exploration, and practical skills. Grounded in Jewish context to enhance your learning and empower you to take meaningful action within your organizations and communities.
The detailed program will be provided to successful candidates in advance of each seminar.
Dates of the seminars:
Seminar 1: 22-26 June 2025 [Regional]
Seminar 2: 23-27 November 2025 [Regional]
Seminar 3: 26-30 April 2026 [Global]
Global Webinars:
September 9, 5:00-6:30 PM Israel time
March 17, 5:00-6:30 PM Israel time
Location of the seminars:
Regional seminars will be conducted in West Ukraine\Moldova\Georgia\Israel.
Global seminar will be conducted in Europe.
Specific locations will be provided to the selected participants in April 2025.
LEARNING METHODS
How will we learn?
Seminars are interactive and participatory, requiring full involvement of all participants, with a wide range of methods and approaches, including, for example:
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Keynote speakers
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Small group discussions
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Exercises for personal and group reflection
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Jewish and other text work
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Case studies and role plays
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Small group project/lab work with presentations to the whole group
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Site visits
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Group building activities
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Skills training and practice
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Some sessions will offer a choice of topic/skills
Language
The seminars in the FSU will be conducted in English and in Russian, simultaneous translation from English to Russian will be provided in case of need.
Kaplan Leadership Initiative will provide a limited number of hours for English lessons, for those who may need it.
The communication in the global seminar will be in English, we encourage those who apply to improve English skills independently towards the opening of the program, in order to maximize the potential of their participation in a global program.
PROGRAM BENEFITS
What will I get out of the program?
Here are just a few of the things we believe you will take away:
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A stronger commitment to being a Jewish community professional. An understanding of why this work is valuable and how you can contribute.
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Practical skills You can apply in your everyday work and in your future roles.
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An understanding of different approaches to leadership. How you can contribute to your own acts of leadership and what it means to envision and catalyze change in your community.
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A greater understanding of your own values, strengths, challenges and areas of growth.
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A strong network of peers in varied Jewish communities who provide each other mutual support, sharing of knowledge and possibilities for future collaboration.
ELIGIBILITY
If the following criteria are true for you, then you are eligible to apply for Kaplan Leadership Initiative cohort 4:
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Live and work in one of the following locations: Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and the Caucasus Countries.
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Currently employed full time in a professional position within the Jewish community.
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The position should involve the planning and delivery of activities for the Jewish community, JCC, a Jewish school, a synagogue, an educational program, Jewish media, Hesed, JDC, Hillel, or other Jewish communal organizations.
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At least two years of leadership experience and four years as community activist.
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Committed to continue working in\for the Jewish community for three years or more.
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For Ukrainian citizens: Able to travel inside Ukraine, preferably also able to travel outside Ukraine.
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Have at least 5 years of proven professional experience in Jewish communal/educational frameworks.
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Demonstrate professional accomplishment, including recommendations from your current place of work.
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Be personally driven for professional development in the fields of Jewish literacy, community development,and leadership development.
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Speak and understand English at a sufficient level.
Your current role includes a main responsibility for a specific area or process in the organization, such as:
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Program coordinator
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Project manager
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Communications role
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HR role
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Educational worker\Counselor in a school
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Responsible for Jewish education in the organization
In addition:
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Demonstrate leadership and professional accomplishment, including recommendations from the current place of work.
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Personally driven for professional development in the fields of leadership development, community engagement and Jewish learning.
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Open-minded, self-reflective, excited to engage with new ideas
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Speak and understand English at a basic level, with the willingness to learn and improve English skills.
If you are uncertain whether your role fits our criteria, feel free to reach out to us at: kaplanleadership@jdc.org
If you meet the eligibility requirements and want to grow your potential through this program, we’d love you to apply!
Kaplan Leadership Initiative is a competitive program. You will be interviewed and must submit one professional recommendation.
The recommendation should be attached to the application form, so we recommend having a recommendation at hand when applying.
Please be aware that Kaplan team representative will contact the recommender as a part of the screening process.
Applications start on January 6th, 2025, and close on January 26, 2025. Interviews will be in February 2025.
For more information or to have a conversation with us, please contact kaplanleadership@jdc.org
COST
The Kaplan Leadership Initiative will cover the costs of the seminar program, flights, double room accommodation, and full-board kosher meals during the in-person seminars.
The cost for each participant is 120$ for the entire program.
The sum should be paid by the participant\participant’s organization.
Participants will be required to cover their own insurance, visa expenses, and transport to and from airports in home country and seminar countries.
Got a question not covered here? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to find out anything you need to know.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION!
The candidates who will be selected for the program will be informed on all travel requirements and procedures in a timely manner.
Before applying, make sure you meet the criteria for international travels and public events participation.
For more information, please email us at kaplanleadership@jdc.org