Selection Process
Members are admitted to the program through a three-part process: nomination, application, and personal interview:
1. The Wexner Foundation solicits nominations from top professional and lay leaders representing the broadest cross-section of the Jewish community as well as Wexner Alumni. Candidates must be nominated by one of these sources.
2. Select nominees are invited to apply for the program. The written applications, completed online through this website, are then screened and a group of finalists is chosen based on the applications.
3. The finalists are interviewed by a selection panel composed of Wexner Foundation staff, Wexner Heritage alumni, and other respected Jewish professionals and leaders. Following the interviews, the final group of 20 Members is selected.
What are we looking for in candidates? Whom should you nominate to apply for the program?
Members are generally 30 to 45 years old and have personal, professional, and communal lives reflecting leadership and commitment to the Jewish people, as well as significant potential for future growth as Jewish leaders.
Note: this is not a complete list of criteria; this list is simply meant as a trigger for nominators to bring to mind those individuals with the greatest potential to become significant leaders in the Jewish community. Candidates need not possess all of these characteristics. Some will be strong in one category and weaker in another:
■ Demonstrated commitment to Judaism, the Jewish community, and/or Israel.
■ Intelligence, curiosity, and creativity.
■ Strong socialization and communication skills.
■ Demonstrated ability to attract followers.
■ Emotional stability and personal integrity.
■ Innate vision for future possibilities; the ability to articulate the vision; and the drive to make the vision a reality.
■ Approximately 30-45 years of age.
■ Potential to be a future president or significant driving presence within your organization or agency.
■ Track record of leadership in Jewish communal life.
■ Financial resources (which are neither necessary nor, by themselves, sufficient).
The Wexner Foundation values diversity and pluralism and believes that our differences can be a source of richness and strength. The selection process reflects this commitment to diversity in terms of gender, religious denomination, organizational affiliation, background, Jewish interests, and personality type. The Wexner Heritage Program creates a unique culture of mutual respect among each group, as well as in its curriculum, faculty, and staff.
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