Federation launches new leadership development program

By Stephanie Smartschan
JFLV Director of Community Development & Operations

The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is helping community members to take their Jewish leadership to the next level.

This fall, the Federation will bring Yesod, a program of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning, to the Lehigh Valley.

The Yesod program merges Judaic text studies, business skills, leadership theory and experiential applications to enable participants to become more informed leaders in their community.

The program, which is being funded in large part by the Sylvia Perkin Perpetual Charitable Trust, will run over eight sessions from October to February and will be facilitated by a professional Jewish educator. 

Synagogues and agencies will have the opportunity to nominate participants to fill the available slots. The goal: to engage and empower the next generation of leaders, said Jeri Zimmerman, Federation’s executive director.

“Bringing this program to our community is an investment in the development of individuals with leadership potential in order to build sustainable volunteer leadership as well as cultivating solid volunteer succession plans,” Zimmerman said. “The Yesod program will not only educate and create a pipeline of leadership for the Jewish community, but it will also have a multiplier effect on the greater Lehigh Valley community.”

To learn more, contact Aaron Gorodzinsky at 610-821-5500 or aaron@jflv.org.