Leadership development for Jewish communal professionals
in the field
The Wexner Field Fellowship provides opportunities for professional growth to promising Jewish professionals who plan to continue to pursue careers as professional leaders in the North American Jewish community.
Through the Wexner Field Fellowship, Jewish professional leaders are provided 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.
Program Overview
Through this three-year intensive professional development program Field Fellows will:
- Participate in six cohort-based institutes (or virtual equivalent during the COVID-19 health crisis) on leadership and Jewish issues with skilled leadership teachers and peer Jewish educators.
- Receive one-on-one professional coaching and Jewish learning, along with 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, storytelling, 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
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.
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, as of September 2021 the Foundation requires all incoming participants in Wexner programs to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. All applicants for programs that start in 2022 must submit proof of vaccination before a finalist interview.
Applicants:
- Are based in North America and employed full-time by one Jewish communal organization
- Have been employed full-time at their current organization for at least one year by March 1, 2023
- Were born between March 2, 1979 and March 1, 1995 (ages 28-43 on March 1, 2023)
- Cannot apply two years in a row unless it is your 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)
- Will provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination before a finalist interview
All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply, irrespective of denominational affiliation, gender, racial or ethnic origin, disability or sexual orientation.
Want to apply in 2022?
The application is currently closed. Please click here to be notified when the application opens for Class 7 in 2022.
Selection Process
OCTOBER 27, 2022 AT 1:00PM (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 to allow for any technical complications that might arise.
MID-NOVEMBER
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 November 14.
DECEMBER 4-7, 2022
A select number of finalists will be required 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.
MID-DECEMBER
Wexner Field Fellowship Class 7 Fellows are selected.
EARLY JANUARY
WFF Class 7 publicly announced.
INSTITUTES STARTING FEBRUARY 2023
Any candidate accepted as a Wexner Field Fellow must attend institutes on the days listed below, as well as subsequent Spring and Fall Institutes in 2025 for three years total. If it is not possible to gather in person, a Virtual Institute will be held on the days listed below, with some additional programming via Zoom in the weeks preceding and following the Virtual Institute, not to exceed an additional 4 hours per month.
- February 26-March 1, 2023
- October 15-18, 2023
- March 3-6, 2024
- September 15-18, 2024
- Dates for 2025 are TBD
Any Questions?
Please contact Dara Katzner, Program Coordinator.
Benefits & Expectations
Field Fellows will:
- Participate in all Fellowship-sponsored programs 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. Fellows will attend two Institutes annually (a Spring Institute around March and a Fall Institute around September). The Wexner Foundation covers all expenses for program participation.
- During the COVID-19 health crisis and building on what we have learned so far about virtual education, 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.
- Commit to work full-time at a North American 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 access to a pool of funds (approximately $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. The Wexner Foundation cannot give tax advice. Some opportunities which are reimbursed may incur taxes.
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 Eastern business hours. Please ensure you submit your pre-application with enough time to fill out a full application (if approved). Those invited to complete a full application will need to provide the following items. The recommended browsers to use when filling out the application are Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Firefox.
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 referees 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.
“To say that the Wexner Field Fellowship was the most rewarding and fulfilling professional AND personal development opportunity I’ve had in my career is not hyperbole. Being able to learn together, and just be together with a cohort of incredibly impressive, talented, and caring humans is an experience that will stay with me for years to come.”
Zach Rolf
Chief of Staff, Central Synagogue
Wexner Field Fellowship, Class 3
Alumni Offerings
Wexner Graduate And Field Fellowship Community Coordinating Committee
We help shepherd initiatives, offer advice to the WGF/WFF professionals when asked, and try to identify ways that Wexner fellows and alumni can be of service to and make the most of the talent and energy of the Wexner community.
Most significantly, WexCoComm invests time and energy thinking about how we can most effectively and efficiently communicate opportunities to members of the Wexner community that could be personally or professionally enriching. We try to gauge the interests, issues, and concerns of alumni community members and we try to be responsive to those needs and interests where we think we can be appropriately helpful.
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.
