Leadership development for established Jewish communal professionals in the field (ages 37 – 50)
The Wexner Field Fellowship provides opportunities for growth to promising Jewish professionals (ages 37-50) who plan to continue to pursue careers as leaders in the North American Jewish community.
Through the Wexner Field Fellowship, Jewish professional leaders are provided in-person leadership Institutes, along with coaching, Jewish learning, and professional development funds. This cohort-based program will deepen these professionals’ leadership skills alongside a rich network of colleagues for this three-year program and the rest of their career.
If you are a North American Jewish professional aged 26-36, please visit the Wexner Davidson Fellowship page to see if you’re eligible for that program.
Program Overview
Through this three-year intensive professional development program Field Fellows will:
- Participate in six in-person cohort-based institutes (2 per year) on leadership and Jewish issues with skilled leadership teachers and peer Jewish educators.
- Receive one-on-one professional coaching, Jewish learning, and access to funds toward customized professional development opportunities.
- Become part of The Wexner Foundation’s network of 3,000 professional and volunteer leaders in the North American Jewish Community and in Israel.
- Connect with their fellowship cohort remotely between institutes to network, share concerns and for peer-consultations.
- Develop a nuanced appreciation for the diversity of the North American Jewish community.
- Focus on developing strengths in adaptive leadership, effective communication, difficult conversations, negotiation and other crucial leadership skills.
- Connect with members of The Wexner Foundation’s alumni community.
Staff
Dara Katzner, Program Coordinator
Ruthie Warshenbrot, Director
Benefits & Expectations
Field Fellows will:
- Participate in two in-person Institutes totaling approximately eight days of travel (six business days) per year for three years and ensure that there will be no conflicts with these programs. Spring Institutes are usually in March and Fall Institutes are usually in September or October. The Wexner Foundation covers all expenses for program participation.
- Commit to work full-time at a North American non-profit Jewish communal organization for all three years of the Fellowship Program and three years beyond (six years total).
- Select a professional coach from a roster of approved professional coaches to work with one-on-one on an ongoing basis. The coach will partner with Field Fellows and will meet 15-20 times a year for three years to help them reach their potential.
- Work with a Jewish educator 12-15 times a year for three years to help expand their Jewish understanding based on their unique needs or participate in an immersive experience for the equivalent amount of time.
- Benefit from up to $5,000 per fellow per year for additional learning and growth. These funds can be used on Foundation-approved professional development opportunities and associated travel and accommodations. Field Fellows will be reimbursed for these expenses.
- Must submit a personal W-9 (signed and dated in the current year) to The Wexner Foundation after they have been accepted. Fellows may be taxed on some reimbursed expenses. The Wexner Foundation cannot give tax advice.
Eligibility
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 Field Fellowship last year, you are not eligible to apply again this year unless it is your last year of eligibility.
To apply for the Wexner Field Fellowship, all eligibility requirements must be met. Please note there are no exceptions to the eligibility requirements listed below. A new class will be selected each year, so you may be eligible to apply in the future if you are not currently eligible.
WFF applicants:
- Are based in North America and employed full-time by one non-profit Jewish communal organization
- Have been employed full-time at their current organization for at least one year by April 1, 2026
- Were born between April 2, 1975 and April 1, 1989 (ages 37-50 on April 1, 2026)
- Cannot apply two years in a row unless it is their last year of eligibility
- Have at least five years of post-baccalaureate full-time work or volunteer experience
- Are a citizen of the United States, Canada or Mexico, or have documentation that allows them to work in that country
- Receive the written support of the Executive Director and Board President of their current organization for full participation in the Fellowship Program (a letter of support will be provided for those invited to complete the full application)
All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply, irrespective of denominational affiliation, gender, racial or ethnic origin, disability or sexual orientation.
Selection Process
SEPTEMBER 29, 2025 AT 2:00 PM (EASTERN)
Field Fellow applicants must submit a pre-application and a full application to be considered for the fellowship. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline. We recommend that you submit your full application several days in advance of the 2:00 PM Eastern deadline on Monday, September 29th to allow for any technical complications that might arise.
MID-OCTOBER
Applicants will be notified by email as to whether they have been invited for an interview. Please contact Dara Katzner if you haven’t received an email from us by October 24th.
NOVEMBER 17-20, 2025: FINALIST INTERVIEWS
A select number of finalists will be invited to interview on Zoom. The selection of Fellows is made by the Wexner Field Fellowship Selection Committee, which is composed of professionals who are committed to Jewish professional leadership.
END OF NOVEMBER
Wexner Field Fellowship Class 10 Fellows are selected.
EARLY DECEMBER
WFF Class 10 publicly announced.
INSTITUTES STARTING MARCH 2026
Any candidate accepted as a Wexner Field Fellow must attend institutes on the days listed below, as well as subsequent Spring and Fall Institutes through 2028 for three years total.
- March 15-18, 2026
- October 11-14, 2026
- March 7-10, 2027
- Fall Institute 2027 date is TBD
- Institute dates for 2028 are TBD
Any Questions?
Please contact Dara Katzner (614-939-6062), Program Coordinator.
How to Apply
Application Requirements
All applicants must fill out their basic information and upload a resume (no more than 2 pages) as part of a pre-application eligibility form. Pre-applications are approved manually on a rolling basis during regular business hours (Eastern time). Please ensure you submit your pre-application with enough time to fill out a full application (if approved). The recommended browsers to use when filling out the application are Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Firefox. Those invited to complete a full application will need to provide the items below.
Essays
Several short answer questions (Step 1) and two essays (Step 4). Please click here to view the essay prompts.
Video
A 60-second video answering the question provided within the application in Step 5 (“Video Answer”). The video should not be created professionally and must be uploaded in one of the following formats: .mov, .mp4, .mpeg, .avi. Additional guidelines are provided within the application (Step 5).
Letter of Support
A letter of support form (provided in Step 5) signed by your organization’s Executive Director and Board President. If you are the Executive Director, you should sign your own letter of support along with your Board President. The form ensures your organization is aware of the time commitment the Wexner Field Fellowship requires. Applicants should submit the signed form electronically.
Two Letters of Recommendation
Two letters of recommendation (final step), which are available for electronic transmission to your identified recommenders through the online application. The first recommendation needs to come from your current direct supervisor. If you are the Executive Director, your board chair serves as your current direct supervisor and therefore should write a recommendation.
“The Wexner Field Fellowship has elevated the ways I think about myself and my work as a Jewish professional. The resources and network of supportive colleagues made available to me have pushed me to grow as a stronger leader, deepened my commitment to the Jewish communal field, and inspired me to learn valuable skills I otherwise may have ignored.”
Alumni Offerings
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 and Wexner Field Fellowship (as well as eventual alumni of the new fellowship for emerging leaders) are invited and encouraged to participate in, and contribute to, our alumni network and community.
Meet Our Alumni and Fellows
History & Partnerships
The Wexner Field Fellowship was created in 2013 in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation to focus on developing promising Jewish professionals’ leadership skills while enveloping them in a rich network of Jewish professionals. Through in-person, intensive conferences and virtual meetings, Wexner Field Fellows are exposed to Jewish educational and professional growth opportunities while addressing their unique needs of career progress.
Fellows are selected based on their past accomplishments, current motivation and engagement, and the exceptional attributes they will contribute to the cohort of 15 Jewish professionals of which they will be a part.
