Dan Rothstein, Cohort 8: Boston, 2010
Max Klau, Cohort 8: Boston, 2010
Nigel Savage, East Coast, 2004; and Cohort 7: Organizational, 2009
Ruth Messinger, Cohort 7: Organizational, 2009
Sharon Gelman, Cohort 6: Los Angeles, 2009
Elissa Barrett, Cohort 5: National, 2008
Jaime Rapaport Barry, Cohort 4: National, 2007
Heather Booth, Cohort 4: National, 2007
Marilyn Sneiderman, Cohort 4: National, 2007
Shawn Landres, Cohort 4: National, 2007
Robert Bank, Cohort 2: East Coast, 2005; and Cohort 7: Organizational, 2009
Sally Gottesman, Cohort 2: East Coast, 2005
Quito Ziegler, Cohort 2: East Coast, 2005
Rabbi Felicia Sol, Cohort 1: East Coast, 2004
Elissa Barrett, Cohort 5: National, 2008; and Cohort 7: Organizational, 2009
Elissa Barrett is the Executive Director of the Progressive Jewish Alliance, a Jewish nonprofit in Southern California. PJA educates, advocates and organizes on issues of peace, equality, diversity and justice, as a progressive voice in the Jewish community and a Jewish voice in the progressive community.
Who ever thought being pushed to acknowledge the full compliment of my strengths and my obstacles to success could be so rewarding and so enjoyable! I am grateful to Selah for the tools I now regularly employ in managing team meetings, setting project goals and pushing myself and my team to imagine and implement ambitious plans for our organization's future. And I am grateful for the camaraderie with my fellow participants with whom I found an instant sense of fellowship and whom I have called on frequently to guide my decision-making in all aspects of my life. The relationships I have built in Selah have proved invaluable, personally and professionally.
Jaime Rapaport Barry, Cohort 4: National,
2007
Jaime Rapaport Barry is pursuing a Masters Degree in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the former Southern CA Regional Director of Progressive Jewish Alliance.
It is rare to find a leadership program that effectively balances training, intentional relationship-building, and strategic thinking for the movement. I consistently find that I refer back to the practices that I learned at Selah, consult with fellow cohort members, and experience the benefit of the tight network that Selah helps create. The intergenerational aspect of the program provided a rich learning environment, allowing individuals to share from their experiences and expertise. Selah is one of the best strategies out there for investing in the Jewish social justice movement, bringing people together who might not otherwise meet, but who share a commitment to improving our communities.
Shawn Landres, Cohort 4: National,
2007
Shawn Landres is the CEO & Director of Research of Jewish Jumpstart,
which develops, strengthens, and learns from emerging Jewish organizations that
build community at the nexus of spirituality, learning, social activism, and
culture. Prior to his work at Jewish Jumpstart Shawn was the Director of Research
at Synagogue 3000.
The gift of this brain trust (and "heart trust") has been extraordinary for me. I recommend Selah for anyone who is prepared to challenge all of his assumptions, take ownership of and responsibility for her personal and professional power, and commit fully to relationships with some of the finest human beings in the community - Jewish or any other. The thoughtful encouragement (and honest nudging) of my cohort peers gave me the push I needed to co-found Jumpstart. Without Selah, I wouldn't be where - or who - I am today.
Robert Bank, Cohort 2: East Coast,
2005; and Cohort 7: Organizational, 2009
Robert Bank is the Executive Vice President of American Jewish World Service (AJWS), and international development organization motivated by Judaism's imperative to pursue justice. Robert is a human rights activist and lawyer who has been advocating for vulnerable communities for over 20 years.
“The core pillars of Selah - Purpose, Vision, Resourcefulness, Partnership,
and Performance - have become my organizational life blood. I use the teachings
of each of these pillars in everything that I do, whether it be motivating staff,
writing performance evaluations, public speaking, or fundraising.
I have been able to focus on the movement's strategic goals and accept the difficulties inherent in building national coalitions because of the part of the Selah curriculum that focuses on partnership and communication. I have been working to bring together widely diverse groups in government, non-profit, and industry around a National AIDS Strategy for the next US President to adopt in 2009. I am constantly humbled by the simplicity of stepping back and listening deeply, rather than relying on old assumptions. We have built a strong coalition that has been successful in persuading the leading Presidential candidates about the need for a bold, outcome-driven federal response to the AIDS epidemic.”
Heather Booth, Cohort 4: National,
2007
Heather is Director of Americans for Financial Reform, a national coalition working to hold the largest banks accountable. She was previously Director of the Campaign for Health Care Reform at the AFL-CIO and is President of Midwest Academy (a training center for social change organizers).
“Selah re-ignites the connection to a Judaism in which values, community,
the sense of being part of a movement, justice and being Jewish combine.
It brought back this sense that I had when I was growing up and too often gets
lost or segmented. The people in my cohort are wonderful-- activists/leaders/artists--people
who will make a difference. Selah helps us connect to each other and deepen
our understanding of each other's work. Selah's leadership focus has
been strengthening individually, and working together opens the possibility
for greater impact. As Selah supports us as Jewish change agents, and
helps build connections to both the Jewish institutional community and broader
society, it can bring new vitality to Jewish social justice. Selah supports
us, as social justice Jews, in changing the world.”
Sally Gottesman, Cohort 2:
East Coast, 2005
Sally is the founder and President of The Eleemoysnary Group, consultants
to not-for-profit organizations. She is also Chair of the Board of Moving Traditions.
“My experience with Selah gave me time to reflect on how to be a more effective Board chair. The 360 degree feedback exercise helped me to realize that I held too much of the enthusiasm for our mission. I needed to find a way to for my fellow Board members to carry some of the passion for our work. Some exercises and feedback conversations gave me tools to do this -- and a few years later I am happy to say much of it has worked.”
Marilyn Sneiderman, Cohort
4: National, 2007
Marilyn is the Deputy Director and Chief Field Operations Officer for the
B'nai B'rith Youth Organization. She has spent over 30 years in the labor movement, as a leader and an activist.
“I have enjoyed tremendously working in the labor movement for the last
30 years. I started as a rank and file AFSCME member, worked as the Teamsters
Education Director and directed the AFL-CIO's Field Mobilization Department.
I have always believed that my dedication to building a progressive movement
was rooted in my Jewish values.
Selah played an important role in my thinking how being Jewish has shaped who I am. It has inspired, energized, and motivated me to continue organizing for a more just world and to try to organize now within the Jewish community about the importance of our committing itself to social justice.
Selah reminded me of how important it is to make sure the work we do matters, that it really makes a difference. That’s a lot about what the Selah training was. It encouraged me to step back and look at the vision I have for the work that I do in my life – ensure that it ties to my passion – and that it can make a difference. I’ve been lucky; this experience sharpened my vision and reconnected me to it.”
Rabbi Felicia Sol, Cohort 1:
East Coast, 2004
Felicia Sol serves as a Rabbi and spiritual leader at Congregation B’nai
Jeshurun in New York City.
“The fact that Selah was linked to maximizing my potential as an activist
was both challenging (because I didn’t necessarily see myself as an activist)
and compelling. As a consequence of the Selah program, I now identify as an
activist and am consistently returning to the question: What is my purpose?
With this as my core question, I am willing to take more risks in terms of my
desires for the world and can be more strategic about the relationships I seek
out, the work I take on and my mission. Questioning my purpose awakens and challenges
me to be doing my work in the world from a deeply soulful place while forcing
me to recognize when I am not aligned with my sense of purpose. The Selah program
helped to give me language to work within this powerful framework.
The Selah program also gave me concrete tools to use in my everyday life to
help me to maximize my potential as a rabbi. As a supervisor, pastoral counselor,
prayer leader and teacher, I consistently draw up on the learning from the Selah
program and it has allowed me to get to the next level in my own leadership.”
Quito Ziegler, Cohort 2: East Coast, 2005
Quito Ziegler is a photographer and organizer working on immigrant justice issues.
“Since participating in Selah, I have begun a regular practice of rest and reflection. This practice has made my social change work more sustainable. Participating in Selah also had an immeasurable community-building impact. Selah helped me connect to a huge network of amazing people engaged in social justice work that I never would have met otherwise.”
Sharon Gelman, Cohort 6: Los Angeles, 2009
Sharon Gelman is the Executive Director of Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA), a nonprofit organization that was founded to help end apartheid in South Africa. They now work in the U.S. and Africa to fight aids and advance human rights. Ms. Gelman specializes in harnessing the power of the arts and the creative community to support social justice.
“I am grateful to have participated in Selah and came away with an arsenal of good tools. As a secular Jew and human rights activist whose sense of social justice originated from my Jewish roots, I particularly valued the introduction to Mussar as well as the wonderful people I met. ”
Nigel Savage, Cohort 1: East Coast, 2004; and Cohort 7: Organizational, 2009
Nigel Savage is the Executive Director of Hazon, now the largest environmental organization in the American Jewish community, Hazon works to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community and a healthier and more sustainable world for all.
“I was in the first Selah cohort as an individual, and this year Hazon was one of the groups in the first Selah Cohort for organizations. It is a superb program, and I commend it without hesitation. The staff do a superb job of integrating hard skills with personal and organizational values. Over time, the program is building a shared language amongst participants, and is establishing a strong and important network. Kudos to JFSJ for stewarding the program, to NCF for funding it, and to the Rockwood trainers for outstanding leadership.”
Max Klau, Cohort 8: Boston, 2010
Max Klau is the Director of Leadership Development for City Year where he oversees the leadership development experience of 1500 young adults engaged in a year of full-time citizen service. He received his doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of education with a focus on leadership education.
“My Selah experience was a meaningful encounter with powerful ideas and fascinating people. I chose to focus my energies on improving my partnership skills, and Selah provided me with insights, tools, and a network of relationships that pushed me to advance on that front in ways that were noticed by my colleagues at City Year. During the program I was given the opportunity to collaborate with another key department at my organization in ways that had the potential to powerfully support my own efforts—if I could initiative a conversation around sensitive issues of overall purpose and goals in a respectful and effective way. Through the tools we encountered at retreats, conversations with Selah peers, and the support of my study partner, I was able to advance the partnership in substantial and powerful ways. It didn't take long to see the ripple effects of that partnership. My supervisor told me that she had been hearing positive feedback from colleagues about a change in my working style. And soon after Selah ended I was surprised to find the head of the other department invite me to sit in on a meeting with a senior staffer from the White House Fellows program. They were looking for best practices in developing their fellows into leaders, and the department head felt it would be valuable for me to be a part of the conversation! I have no doubt that the partnership skills I learned through Selah played a meaningful role in creating this new level of interdepartmental collaboration, and it is exciting to think about how these newly strengthened relationships will advance City Year's leadership development efforts both internally and externally. ”
Ruth Messinger, Cohort 7: Organizational, 2009
Ruth Messinger is the President of American Jewish World Service, an international organization that fosters civil society, sustainable development, and human rights for all people, while promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship within the Jewish community.
“On a personal level, Selah provided me with a great opportunity to step back from the day-to-day and reflect on my leadership style. It was helpful to get new and different perspectives on how to exercise my leadership more effectively. Organizationally, Selah offered my team concrete tools to become more flexible and adaptive. Using Selah tools like POP, we are now sharper about the focus of our internal meetings. With a shared language and leadership skill set among many members of the organization, we are now better at confronting issues rather than skirting around them. Selah taught us new ways to do things, to evaluate our work, and to strengthen our organizational thinking. These are essential skills for AJWS to respond better to constantly changing environments and a difficult economic climate. ”
Dan Rothstein, Cohort 8: Boston, 2010
Dan is the Executive Director of the Right Question Project (RQP), a non-profit educational organization that offers strategies to help people in low and moderate-income communities learn to advocate for themselves, participate in decisions that affect them and partner with service-providers and public officials.
“I recently thought about the value of Selah during a very busy week for my organization. At the beginning of the week, we did a training with City Year Mentors in New Hampshire to help them use the RQP Strategy as they are tutoring students at risk of dropping out. That was thanks to a connection I made with a member of my Selah cohort. At the end of the week, we were in Washington at the Department of Justice talking about how we could be helpful to a new Access to Justice initiative; a meeting tied directly to a connection I made with another member of my cohort at the Selah opening retreat. And, in the middle of the week, we had a meeting with a very smart young entrepreneur who was helping us think through organizational and revenue challenges; a connection I made through a Jewish Funds for Justice event featuring Selah in Boston. So, after working for nearly 20 years at keeping the dream alive at my organization, I found that the Selah provided one of the quickest, most effective, biggest bang for the buck, meaningful networking opportunities I've ever experienced. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity.”
