The Wexner Davidson Fellowship (WDF) is a leadership development and Jewish learning initiative for North American Jewish communal professionals ages 26 - 36 years old. WDF provides opportunities for personal and professional growth to the next generation of Jewish professional leaders serving the North American Jewish community.
Through the Wexner Davidson Fellowship, up-and-coming Jewish professional leaders will participate in biannual institutes focused on leadership learning and Jewish education. Outside of institutes, Fellows are provided coaching, personalized Jewish learning, professional development funds and access to other immersive learning opportunities still in development.
This cohort-based program will deepen Fellows' leadership skills and Jewish knowledge and provide access to a worldwide network of diverse and innovative colleagues for the duration of the three-year program and the rest of their careers.
If you are a North American Jewish professional aged 37-50, please visit the Wexner Field Fellowship page to see if you're eligible for that program.
Meet Our Fellows
Through this three-year professional development program, Wexner Davidson Fellows will:
Engage in cohort-based learning at biannual Institutes - Participate in six cohort-based Institutes (or virtual equivalent if necessary) on leadership and Jewish issues with skilled leadership teachers and Jewish educators. Institutes will feature learning in adaptive leadership, communication, diversity and equity, and innovation.
Receive coaching - Receive professional small group coaching for the first year of the Fellowship and work one-on-one with a leadership coach for the subsequent two years.
Deepen their personal Jewish learning - Institutes will feature group study around topics such as Mussar (character development for Jewish leaders) and Israel. Outside of Institutes, Fellows will work individually with a Jewish educator to achieve their personal learning goals.
Invest in their professional growth - In addition to coaching and Jewish education, Fellows will have access to funding to support their own professional development.
Build a strong professional network - There will be many opportunities for Fellows to connect with their fellowship cohort remotely between Institutes to network, share concerns and for peer-consultations.
Join our worldwide alumni network - All Fellows will become part of The Wexner Foundation’s network of over 3,500 professional and volunteer leaders in the North American Jewish Community and in Israel.
Staff
Jessica Reback, Director
Trisha Taylor, Program Coordinator
Re-Applicants
If you have applied to any of The Wexner Foundation’s programs in the past, you are welcome to re-apply with an entirely new application. Because we are creating a cohort, each applicant pool results in different selections and re-applications are considered independently from past applications.
If you applied to the Wexner Davidson Fellowship Class 1, you are not eligible to apply in back-to-back years unless it is your last year of eligibility.
The Wexner Foundation is focused on the health and safety of our community. Guided by public health and medical professionals on our COVID Advisory Committee, the Foundation requires all incoming participants in Wexner programs to be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccination according to the CDC. All applicants must submit proof of up-to-date vaccination before a finalist interview. If you have questions or concerns about this vaccination policy, please contact Trisha Taylor at ttaylor@wexner.net.
Applicants:
All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply, irrespective of denominational affiliation, gender, racial or ethnic origin, disability or sexual orientation.
Wexner Davidson Fellows will:
*Should we be unable to meet in person due to COVID-19 or for any other reason, Fellows will be expected to join Virtual Institutes on the originally scheduled dates with up to 4 hours of additional Zoom time per month in order to build trust within the cohort. Exact timing will be determined based on Fellow availability but with an expectation that Fellows will prioritize these virtual meetings.
Opportunities to learn, connect, and exercise leadership do not end with the active fellowship. Through the Wexner Professional Leadership Programs Alumni Network, alumni of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholars Program, Wexner Field Fellowship, and Wexner Davidson Fellowship are invited and encouraged to participate in, and contribute to, our alumni network and community.
The Wexner Foundation and the William Davidson Foundation have partnered to support and strengthen up and coming Jewish professional leaders for nearly two decades through the Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholars (WGF/DS) Program.
As a result of the tremendous success of the sunsetting WGF/DS Program and emerging trends in the field, The Wexner Foundation and the William Davidson Foundation are continuing to stack hands on a new offering. With a bespoke curriculum designed to prepare Fellows for the opportunities and challenges of today and tomorrow, the Wexner Davidson Fellowship represents a deep investment in the leadership development of North American Jewish communal professionals.
Wexner Heritage Program nominations are now open for its upcoming cohorts in Northern New Jersey, Philadelphia, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Nominate a Jewish lay leader today!