Frequently Asked Questions

For Participants

  • Yes. To join a Chavurot cohort, you must currently be employed by a Jewish institution. However, you do not need to be Jewish.

  • There is no specific age requirement. However, Chavurot is designed for mid-career and executive-level leaders.

  • Not necessarily. Some cohorts are based on geography, while others are organized around shared interests, job roles, or areas of focus.

  • You do not need to leave your cohort. Once you’re part of a Chavurot group, your participation continues unless the cohort itself decides otherwise. Many members have changed jobs, institutions, or even become solo practitioners and remained actively engaged.

  • Chavurot is a highly subsidized program supported by the Jim Joseph Foundation and other philanthropic partners.

    There is typically a $300 cost to the participant though this may be cohort dependent or be covered by a contribution from participants’ institutions. If funding is a barrier, we are happy to explore options with you.

  • Chavurot is intentionally designed to be manageable for busy professionals. Most activities happen within scheduled sessions, with minimal outside work. Any additional commitments are mutually agreed upon by cohort members. Our goal is to make participation meaningful, not burdensome.

  • While we can’t override your supervisor’s decision, we encourage you to reach out to us. We may be able to help you frame the value of Chavurot, provide context or supporting materials, or even connect directly if we have a relationship with your organization. Let’s explore the options together.

  • The decision around cohorts will depend on the interests that emerge from our next round of recruiting participants and funding partners.

    Our current outreach efforts are working to identify senior professionals in national Jewish education nonprofits overseeing strategy, program, talent, finance, operations, fundraising, and other related functional areas.

    Please reach out if you have an idea on a cohort.

For Funders

  • No. While Chavurot supports Jewish communal professionals, we welcome partnerships with any foundation aligned with leadership development, sector resilience, and values-based work. If you’re passionate about building strong, connected leaders, we’d love to talk.

  • Our current and previous cohorts (and facilitators) include: 

    • BIPOC Professionals (Gamal Palmer) 

    • Bridge Builders (Ginna Green)

    • Cohort Experience Providers (Catherine Bell) 

    • Data & Learning Pros (Arielle Levites)

    • National Event Planners (Heather Wolfson) 

    • Feminist Founders (Jaime Rapaport Barry) 

    • Jewish Men of Color (Gamal Palmer) 

    • LA Parents (Catherine Bell) 

    • VPs and Deputy Directors (Heather Wolfson) 

    • Solo Consultants - “Independent Journeyers” (Yechiel Hoffman)

    • Spiritual Founders - “The Group” (Sara Luria)

    • Senior Strategy and Growth Officers (Heather Wolfson)

    • Associate/Assistant Rabbis - “Team Rabbis” (Judith Talesnick)

    • Women 45+ - “Fueling the Future” (Nancy Kaufman and Sara Shapiro-Plevan)

    • Cohorts strengthen your grantee network and support the broader ecosystem you’re funding.

    • They create greater connection and collaboration among leaders, many of whom manage people or programs that could benefit from shared learning.

    • Engaging alumni of leadership or professional development programs has always been a challenge—largely due to limited time and bandwidth. A cohort provides an already-designed, well-supported structure to keep alumni connected and growing.

    • There are far fewer professional development opportunities than there are Jewish communal professionals in the U.S.

    • Cohorts increase collaboration, coordination, and peer support—locally and nationally.

    • They help weave networks among funders, grantees, and community leaders, strengthening the overall ecosystem.

    • More connected, resilient, and supported leaders in the communities you care about.

    • Increased collaboration among your grantees, leading to better-aligned efforts and stronger results.

    • Tailored focus areas (e.g., talent development, education, antisemitism, Israel, DEI) depending on your priorities.

    • To boost collaboration and peer learning among local grantees and within the local ecosystem.

    • To strengthen relationships between organizations in your funding portfolio and foster shared problem-solving.

    • To connect leaders across geographic boundaries around shared issues or fields of practice.

    • To lift up and invest in a thriving Jewish ecosystem at a national level.

    • Umbrella organizations can bring this opportunity to their networks, even without direct bandwidth to run it.

    • Partner organizations can help recruit participants and champion the model within their communities.