Leaders with a commitment to the ‘Jewish way’ are Wexner’s ‘tremendous gift’
June 10, 2015, 3:50 pm
They are presidents of Jewish schools and board members of Jewish organizations. They preside over committees and task forces and congregations.
They are your Jewish community leaders, and many are graduates of the Wexner Heritage Program, a two-year intensive Jewish learning program for North American Jewish lay leaders and volunteers.
The program is run by the Wexner Foundation, which also created the Wexner Graduate Fellowship for emerging leaders in relevant Jewish fields, and the Wexner Israel Fellowship for mid-career Israeli public officials who enroll in a master’s program at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
The Columbus-based foundation, founded by businessman Les Wexner and his wife, Abigail, recently turned 30, with alumni from Pittsburgh and around the country in attendance at the anniversary celebration-reunion in April, the first time that representatives from every single class gathered together.
Three American cities are chosen each year to be the home base of a class of 20 participants. Pittsburgh was selected in 1986 and again in 2007. The sessions begin and end with a total of three summer retreats held out West or in Israel, and the program of intensive study lasts for two years.
The classes, which meet every three or four weeks, cover such topics as Jewish history, rituals, theology, literature, contemporary issues and the like.
Teachers at each session will vary, but top leaders and scholars from around the world are brought in, such as Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, and historian Deborah Lipstadt, to name a few.
Charles Saul, an attorney and previous vice president of Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh, was part of the first class, along with real estate businessman and current Yeshiva chair of the board, Bill Rudolph.
Rudolph, who participated with his wife, Lieba, said, “We really did not think it would have the transformational effect on us that it did. We figured it would give us a good, well-rounded knowledge and understanding of Jewish history and religion, but it became life changing. Once we started to learn, we started to change our lives. We started to become more connected Jewishly and more observant Jewishly.”
In addition to involvement with many other Jewish institutions, Rudolph went on to become chairman of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, the first member of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement to do so in Pittsburgh. “It was revolutionary,” he said.
Saul has been active in numerous Jewish organizations in Pittsburgh, including at least 30 years with Federation. He said that all participants viewed Wexner as a “tremendous gift.”
Saul attended the 30th anniversary celebration, saying that it was a meaningful and moving experience to be with 1,500 like-minded individuals. “We are all united in a common desire for a vibrant Jewish people and a better world.”
Cheryl Moore was part of the 2007-2009 class. She has had extensive involvement in local Jewish organizations, including as president of the Agency for Jewish Learning, chair of Jewish Learning at the Federation and board memberships elsewhere. In addition, she has sat on national boards of Jewish organizations.
Moore is grateful to have participated. “I never would have been able to do such extensive and intimate learning with so many world-renowned scholars. I have maintained a relationship with many of them and have frequently used them as a resource. The quality of the teaching and materials was superb.
“The depth of thinking that we were challenged to do was profound. The formation of a true community was moving and has paid off handsomely,” she said.