Jewish communal leadership aspires to the highest ethical standards, and yet, not infrequently, these aspirations go unmet. In part, this is because the Jewish community mirrors the same inequities around gender, race and class, and the scandal and misuse of power. The gaps between our values and our actions challenge the moral integrity of our communities. Yet at the same time, for some, the fear of yielding power bravely and responsibility – to set out a vision or to make commitments to values and actions – can often lead to inertia and paralysis.

This four-part seminar, which is cohort-based and open to principle funders and their families, will explore the ethics of power, what it means to have power and wield it ethically, and how, as a community, we navigate the way change and loss emerges when power relationships change.

These key questions will be explored throughout this four-part series:

• What are different currencies of power?
• How do we navigate change and loss?
• How do we navigate between moral imperatives and moral concerns?
• What is the relationship between charisma and corruption?

This series is open to principal funders and their families. Please note that this series is a cohort-based learning experience and full participation in all four sessions is encouraged in order to ensure the highest-quality experience for all participants. The first three sessions will be held via Zoom, and the fourth will take place in person at the JFN International Conference in Palm Beach, Fla.

Session Dates & Speakers:

Session 1 (Virtual): 

Wednesday, December 8, 2021 from 12-1:30pm ET / 9-10:30am PT / 19:00-20:30 Israel

Mijal Bitton
Scholar in Residence

Session 2 (Virtual): 

Wednesday, January 5, 2022 from 12-1:30pm ET / 9-10:30am PT / 19:00-20:30 Israel

Elana Stein Hain
Director of Faculty and Senior Fellow

Session 3 (Virtual):

Wednesday, February 2, 2022 from 12-1:30pm ET / 9-10:30am PT / 19:00-20:30 Israel

Mishael Zion
Faculty in Residence, Bay Area

Session 4 (In-Person): 

March 2022 at JFN Conference (March 27-29, 2022 in Florida)

Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer 
President of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America