Spertus News & Events | Vol 1 2024 by Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership

Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning & Leadership | spertus.edu

2024 News & Events Spertus Institute celebrates its centennial at a time when its work could not be more important.

Jewish Learning for a Better World Read about our impact and new initiatives.

Combating Antisemitism with Education | P10 Exploring the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence | P16 Creating Communities of Learning | P27

Learning in Real Life

Spertus Institute’s MA in Jewish Professional Studies (MAJPS) program is for professionals serving Jewish organizations. The part-time, cohort-based program offers an integrated curriculum of professional skills, history, and theory. In January, students in the MAJPS fifth North American cohort came together in Chicago. It was the first time they had met in person, although they had been learning together online for months. They traveled to Chicago for a spirited onsite seminar that also included students from four other MAJPS cohorts, in a seminar week that saw Spertus buzzing with activity.

Pictured left to right are: Leigh Evans, Arts & Culture Manager, Mandel JCC | Josh Schalk, Executive Director, Jewish Future Pledge | Ellie Rips, Director of Jewish Student Life, Hillel UW | Sylvie Tobias, Director, Leadership & Organizational Development, American Technion Society | Hannah Elbaum, Assistant Director of Mayim, Temple Beth Shalom | Marissa Marx, Development & Operations Associate, Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach | Aliza Silverman, Interim Campus Director, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Hillel | Michal Slabodnik, Settlement Worker, JIAS | Mara Swift, Education & Partnership Manager, The Hub, My Jewish Learning, 70 Faces Media | Barak Malkin, Leadership Development Manager, Union for Reform Judaism | Tzippy Wiens, Chief Operations & Advancement Officer, Northwest Yeshiva High School.

Contents News Letter from the President | P5 Welcome to Our Centennial | P6 Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism | P10 Preparing Community Leaders | P13 Meet Spertus Director of Academic Communications Eve Becker | P21 Teaching the Unthinkable | P25 Cultivating Connections & Community | P28 Bringing Chicago’s Professional Jewish Community Together | P30 Graduate & Certificate Programs | P22 Programs & Workshops Critical Conversations | P16 Artificial Intelligence, Jewish Ethics, and the Future of Humanity Connect & Learn: Presented with JPro Chicago | P27 Develop a Culture of Abundance Expanding the Jewish Canon Navigating Today’s Jewish Workplace Support Raising $1 Million to Combat Antisemitism | P8

Spertus Institute is a partner with the Jewish United Fund in serving our community.

Letter from Dr. Dean P. Bell

What does it mean for a Jewish organization to turn 100? Several times a year, students from across a range of Spertus Institute’s academic programs come together for seminars that are lively, exciting times of creative and intellectual cross-pollination. One of those seminars took place this January, with students and faculty from across North America joining us at our beautiful home base in Chicago. Although it was cold outside, the warmth and sense of community in the room was unmistakable. While together, we kicked off Spertus Institute’s centennial with a toast celebrating 100 years of passionate and inspired Jewish learning.

100 Years of Life-Changing Learning In my remarks, I referenced the Jewish sages who asserted that one forms a habit after 100 times of repetition. Thus, in 100 years, the staff and faculty of Spertus Institute have developed extraordinary expertise in serving students, from casual learners to devoted scholars. Since 1924, Spertus students have benefited from life-changing educational opportunities that have shaped them as individuals and provided the skills for them to elevate their communities.

100 Years + 1 Our tradition also teaches us that 100 is not enough; 101 is better. While we pause to celebrate all that we have accomplished, we also recognize that every year ahead will require greater growth, creativity, community-building, wisdom, and resourcefulness. There are new challenges to face and much still to do. Please join me in toasting the first 100 years and the next 100 that will follow, as we dedicate ourselves to learning that is deeply relevant to the challenges we face today. Here’s to building a stronger, more compassionate, more vibrant future together!

Dr. Dean P. Bell, President and CEO Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership

This year, Spertus Institute celebrates an impressive milestone: 100 years

A century of passionately advancing Jewish scholarship. A century of impactfully training Jewish leaders and educators to skillfully serve their constituents, in our hometown of Chicago and across the globe. A century of applying Jewish thought to critical contemporary issues, over decades of profound change, both within and beyond the Jewish world. A century of bringing alive the wisdom found in Jewish history, texts, and literature for everyone who seeks to know more. A century of watching with pride as those we have taught and touched have in turn sparked growth, creativity, and innovation in their own communities.

Looking ahead We plan to take this once-in-a-century occasion to look ahead, applying our 100 years of expertise, connections, knowledge, and know-how to address issues ranging from rampant antisemitism to the rise of artificial intelligence. We passionately believe that Jewish learning has meaning as both an academic pursuit and as a catalyst for action. Please join us as we explore its relevance to the challenges we face today and as we build a stronger, more compassionate, more vibrant future.

$1 Million to Combat Antisemitism This year, as Spertus Institute marks its centennial, we have set a goal that reflects our organization’s strengths and a crucial Jewish community need. In 2024, we will raise $1 million to expand our work training Jewish leaders and community professionals to combat antisemitism.

Why This Goal? Antisemitism has been rising for some time, but the dramatic escalation since October 7 is truly shocking. Since October 7, the ADL has documented a nearly 400% increase in antisemitic incidents, including physical violence, across the United States. Similar conditions exist for Jews across the globe. The severity and pervasiveness of incidents has also increased, with virulent instances of antisemitism at universities and in public spaces, with messages magnified by public figures and across social media. The need to train Jewish leaders and communal professionals to confront antisemitism with strength and skill is more critical now than ever.

Why Spertus Institute? Two years ago, we identified a need for professional training in combating antisemitism, particularly for senior leaders of Jewish organizations. In response, we developed and launched the Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism (LCCA), which brings together executives from Jewish organizations across North America to work with experts in risk assessment, crisis communications, strategic engagement, and more. On the following pages, read stories about LCCA and how alumni are bringing game-changing new skills to their communities u LCCA builds on Spertus Institute’s hundred-year history of educating Jewish communal professionals with acclaimed programs that blend theory and practice.

Now We Need You! Funding for the program’s first several years was secured from local and national foundations that came together around this important initiative. Now, there is a critical need to scale the program, expanding access so more people can gain essential tools to combat antisemitism in their communities. There is demand for an online version of the certificate program, for regional versions, and for cohorts designed for advocates outside of Jewish communities.    Please join us by investing in this sacred work.

Give online at spertus.edu/million or use the QR code.

The Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism

Jewish leaders need to be equipped to respond to antisemitic incidents with strength, skill, and expertise. To be effective, they need training. The Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism is a new program that addresses this need with the expertise it demands. We are accepting applications from professionals in leadership positions in North American Jewish organizations of all types, including social justice, social services, synagogues, advocacy, education, community relations, philanthropy, campus engagement, and interreligious partnerships. These front-line leaders will work together with a team of experts over a period of approximately six months. The LCCA is a hybrid program with both online and in-person learning.

Components include: Real-time online training A seminar at Spertus Institute’s downtown Chicago campus One-on-one faculty advising on a project in your community Courses that combine theory and practice Content that includes case studies and experiential learning

Visit spertus.edu/LCCA to learn more. Learn about the program’s impact from two members of the inaugural cohort. See page 12 u Meet the members of Cohort 2. See page 14 u Applications are being accepted now for Cohort 3. Apply by March 15 to waive $50 application fee.

Debra Barton Grant

Now accepting applications for LCCA Cohort 3 (begins in August 2024) Visit spertus.edu/LCCA

Scott Braswell

Certificate Program Prepares Leaders to Combat Antisemitism Although antisemitism was already on the rise when Spertus Institute’s Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism (LCCA) was first proposed in 2021, no one anticipated the Hamas invasion of Israel and the subsequent skyrocketing of antisemitic speech and hate crimes. “For me, this program has been extremely timely and incredibly impactful,” said Debra Barton Grant, a member of the inaugural cohort, which completed its work in August 2023. Grant is Associate Vice President of LiveSecure, a security initiative from the Jewish Federations of North America.

A Skill-Building Blend of Theory and Practice The LCCA program expertly blends theory and practice. Participants, who are leaders in national and regional Jewish organizations, gain critical skills in community engagement, risk assessment, crisis communications, and alliance building. “This could not be more timely. We are helping to lead our communities through this time when people are raw and on edge,” said fellow participant Scott Braswell, CEO of Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County. “Being able to understand how to speak about antisemitism, especially as it relates to anti-Zionism, has been a gift,” said Braswell, who is also a graduate of Spertus Institute’s Executive MA in Jewish Professional Studies. “We learned how to be proactive but also to react with strength when antisemitism rears its ugly head.” “The LCCA program utilizes Spertus Institute’s powerful cohort model in which participants work together to leverage each other’s skill, resources, and relationships. It also draws on the expertise of the leading voices in the field,” said Dr. Dean P. Bell, Spertus President & CEO.

Application in Participants’ Own Communities Participants discuss strengthening communications plans, building relationships inside and outside the Jewish community, and developing leadership on their teams. The program culminates in a project that is directly applicable to participants’ organizations. Grant said her project has turned into a major LiveSecure initiative, educating high-level security experts, such as former FBI members and chiefs of police, about the Jewish community and contemporary antisemitism. “One of the amazing things about Spertus is that it beautifully blends both an academic approach to learning and the practical,” Grant said. “There’s been one moment after another where I’ve taken what I’ve learned and applied it to my everyday work. My vantage point has expanded tremendously. I can’t stop talking about it and sharing it with colleagues.”

LCCA Cohort 2

We are pleased to announce the participants in Cohort 2, who were selected in mid–2023 and began the program in October.

Rabbi Dovid Asher of Richmond, VA Rabbi, Keneseth Beth Israel Adam Chaskin of Jacksonville, FL CEO, Jewish Community Alliance Deborah Coltin of Peabody, MA President and Executive Director, Lappin Foundation Niv Elis of Washington, DC Associate Vice President, External Communications, Jewish Federations of North America Jordanna Gessler of Los Angeles, CA Cheif Impact Officer, Holocaust Museum LA

Noam Gilboord of Teaneck, NJ Interim CEO, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York Daniel Goldwin of Chicago, IL Executive Director for Public Affairs, Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago Jessica Haller of Bronx, NY Executive Director, The New Majority NYC Sharon Jacker of Brooklyn, NY Director of Education and Partnerships, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York

Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism Jenn Magalnick of Edmonton, Alberta Associate Director, Holocaust Education and Community Engagement, Jewish Federation of Edmonton Natanya Miller of Charleston, SC Director of Educational Initiatives, Charleston Jewish Federation Symi Rom-Rymer of Washington, DC Outreach Director, Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington Rabbi Daniel Septimus of Austin, TX CEO, Shalom Austin

Sara Sideman of Cherry Hill, NJ Director, JCC Camps at Medford, Katz JCC/Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey Sharon Tash of Washington, DC Director of Education, Temple Micah Rabbi Andrew Terkel of St. Louis, MO CEO, Be the Narrative Bluma Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein of Memphis, TN Chief Impact Officer, Jewish Community Partners and Executive Vice President, Memphis Jewish Federation

Spertus is currently accepting applications for Cohort 3, which begins in July 2024 Visit spertus.edu/LCCA for details. 15

Critical Conversations is an annual Spertus Institute program that brings together experts and activists to address the most critical issues of the day. This year’s program will be moderated by Spertus President & CEO Dr. Dean P. Bell.

Artificial Intelligence, Jewish Ethics, and the Future of Humanity Sunday, March 17, 2024 7 pm–8:30 pm CT Online. Join us from wherever you are!

Artificial intelligence has become interwoven into our lives with alarming speed. This year, our presenters will address its pervasiveness, perils, and potential. For some, AI is a boon to society, capable of helping humanity advance in remarkable ways. For others, it is a dangerous tool destined to compromise privacy, escalate inequity, and, in its most extreme examples, threaten humankind itself. By bringing together experts in the fields of artificial intelligence, ethics, and Jewish thought, this year’s program will help us consider what this rapidly expanding new technology means for our future. 16

Tickets are free. Reserve your spot at spertus.edu/conversation or use the QR code.

2024 Presenters AI pioneer Dr. Oren Etzioni Legal policy expert Ellen P. Goodman Author and entrepreneur Dr. David Zvi Kalman Renowned tech policy scholar Dr. Orly Lobel Turn the page to learn about them and their trailblazing work u

Critical Conversations is generously funded by the late Eric Joss. 17

2024 Presenters Above left to right:

Dr. Oren Etzioni is an AI researcher and entrepreneur who now leads truemedia.org—a nonprofit dedicated to fighting deepfakes in politics. Dr. Etzioni has founded several companies including Farecast, which was acquired by Microsoft. He was the founding CEO of Allen Institute for AI (AI2), where he now serves as an advisor and technical director of the AI2 Incubator. He writes about AI for publications including The New York Times. Ellen P. Goodman is an expert on information technology law, including AI and digital platform policy. She currently serves as the Florence Rogatz Visiting Professor of Law at Yale Law School, after completing a stint as Senior Advisor for Algorithmic Justice at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the US Department of Commerce. Goodman co-founded and co-directs the Rutgers Institute for Information Policy & Law and is a Distinguished Professor at Rutgers Law School. Dr. David Zvi Kalman is a scholar, writer, and entrepreneur working at the intersection of technology, religion, and art. He serves as a research fellow at institutions including the Shalom Hartman Institute. Widely published (and the founder of an independent publishing house), he writes regularly about AI. Dr. Orly Lobel is a renowned tech policy scholar and the Warren Distinguished Professor of Law at University of San Diego. The Economist named her newest book, The Equality Machine, a best book of 2022. Dr. Lobel served on President Obama’s policy team, advised the FTC on tech policy, and, in 2023, keynoted the United Nations AI for Good Summit. She has been featured in publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Harvard Business Review.

Photo by Maggie Russo.

Tell Us Your Spertus Story! As Spertus Institute celebrates its centennial, Eve Becker would like to hear how your Spertus experience has impacted you, your career, or your community.

See spertus.edu/story for a short form or use the QR code to share what Spertus means to you.

Meet Spertus Director of Academic Communications Eve Becker Spertus Institute is proud to welcome award-winning writer and content strategist Eve Becker in a position new to the Spertus team, Director of Academic Communications. Becker will serve as a key member of Spertus Institute’s academic team, developing integrated communications strategies to expand awareness of our academic programs and the impact that our alumni bring to Jewish communities around the world. In announcing her appointment, Spertus Dean and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Keren E. Fraiman said, “For centuries, storytelling has been part of Jewish practice, helping us derive meaning and relay knowledge. At Spertus, Eve will continue this powerful narrative tradition. She’ll serve as the institution’s chief storyteller, highlighting our academic initiatives, the contributions of our faculty to their fields, and the successes of our students.” Originally from Philadelphia, Becker came to the Midwest as a University of Michigan student. Since then, she has made Chicago her home. She is excited to bring her years of communications expertise to Spertus. Before joining the Spertus team, Becker served as Editorial Director, Advancement Communications, at DePaul University. She has worked for a range of consumer and specialty publications, and, earlier in her career, she served as Managing Editor of Tribune Media Services, where she handled syndicated columns, features, comic strips, and crossword puzzles. This experience has all of us at Spertus a bit awed. (We have dreams of a Spertus crossword.) Becker arrives at Spertus at a pivotal moment, as we celebrate our first 100 years of Jewish education and look ahead to a future of continued programmatic advancement and geographic growth.

As one of her first Spertus activities, Eve Becker interviewed Dr. Keren E. Fraiman, Spertus Dean and Chief Academic Officer, about combating antisemitism in a post–October 7 world. See page 25 u

At our core— learning with lasting impact For 100 years, Spertus Institute has been dedicated to learning that is rich, rigorous, and deeply relevant to the issues that shape Jewish life. While we proudly present programs in an array of formats—for participants in Chicago and around the world—at our core are the degree and certificate programs that offer students the opportunity to passionately engage with Jewish ideas in the service of their personal and professional advancement. Learn more Contact Assistant Director for Recruitment Amie Barrish at abarrish@spertus.edu.

Kendall McCaugherty © Hedrich Blessing

Spertus Institute is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Jewish Studies spertus.edu/JewishStudies MA in Jewish Studies

For learners seeking to explore Jewish heritage, thought, and community.

Doctor of Science in Jewish Studies

For those seeking enhanced academic grounding in Jewish history, thought, and text.

Doctor of Hebrew Letters

For rabbis and educators seeking academic grounding to address issues in contemporary Jewish life.

Jewish Leadership spertus.edu/Leadership

MA in Jewish Professional Studies

For professionals seeking to advance their careers in the Jewish community.

Executive MA in Jewish Professional Studies

Accelerated program for executive-level Jewish community professionals.

Certificate in Jewish Leadership

Presented with Northwestern University for professionals, educators, and lay leaders.

Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism For leaders on the front line.

Teaching the Unthinkable

Dr. Keren E. Fraiman

Dr. Keren E. Fraiman, Spertus Institute’s Dean & Chief Academic Officer, is an expert in Israeli-Palestinian relations and conflict education. In the past few months, Dr. Fraiman, who also holds a faculty appointment as Professor of Israel Studies, has been speaking to organizations across the country to help Jewish educators understand the complexities of today’s rising antisemitism and use that deeper understanding in their work. Spertus Institute’s new Director of Academic Communications, Eve Becker, sat down with Dr. Fraiman to discuss how to navigate this moment and combat antisemitism in a post-October 7 world. Q: What is the increased need to teach about antisemitism? A: Over the last few years, we’ve seen an increase in the number of antisemitic incidents. Even before October 7, an ADL poll found that six in ten Jewish Americans had experienced or witnessed antisemitism in the previous five years. The increase after October 7 has been significant, sharpening our understanding of just how challenging this moment is and how pervasive antisemitism has become. Q: How have your recent travels informed your perspective on teaching about antisemitism? A: As I’ve been traveling and speaking, there is not a single person who hasn’t been able to share an incident that they’ve experienced or that someone close to them has experienced. You can feel the collective angst. And it’s not about somebody else. It’s about the way we are experiencing antisemitism, either in our leadership roles, our community, or our personal lives. Our community is in a moment of heightened attentiveness and high anxiety. We introduced a mental health module in our Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism (LCCA) program (see page 10) because we recognized that our leaders need to have opportunities for self-care and the space to name what they are feeling. It is extremely difficult for them, as well as for the people they’re leading. Q: What is unique about the Spertus approach? A. With LCCA, we created a program that was true to Spertus Institute’s values. We created a space that allows students from diverse perspectives to be in conversation with one another and to engage in complexity in a world that is increasingly polarized. They come out with important skills and tools, and they’re also grounded in deep academic learning that can be applied in their professional work. Spertus Institute is a convener. We bring history into conversation with the present and the future. Our programs include research and the latest writing. Students discuss theory, not just for its own sake, but also to examine how it impacts their work, how it changes their practice, and who they need to be in relationship with. People leave feeling empowered to do their jobs better.

Read more of this interview at spertus.edu/QA 25

Connect & Learn Presented by Spertus Institute and JPro Chicago, Connect & Learn is an online, community-building, professional development series.

Connect & Learn workshops offer professionals from Jewish organizations around the world a chance to join Spertus students and alumni for lively sessions on topics key to Jewish life today. Build skills you can apply immediately to your life and work. Become part of a network of learners and Jewish community leaders.

Sessions are free, online, live, and interactive. Advance registration required | Reserve at spertus.edu/connect

This series is presented under the auspices of Spertus Institute’s Center for Jewish Leadership, supported in part by a generous grant from the Crown Family. The March and May sessions are Solomon Goldman Programs, endowed by the late Rose and Sidney Shure. The April session is an Alex and Klara Tulsky Presentation on the Jewish Future. The series is free thanks to their generosity and the support of donors like you!

Develop a Culture of Abundance Tuesday, March 19, 2024 12:30 to 1:30 PM CT

Destigmatize the role of fundraising in your organization by embracing the real meaning of philanthropy. This session will be led by nonprofit innovator Megan Roth Abraham, CEO of The Goldie Initiative.

What Makes a Text Essential? Expanding the Jewish Canon Tuesday, April 16, 2024 12:30 to 1:30 PM CT

Jews are known as the “people of the book,” although “people of the books” might be more accurate. With Dr. Claire Sufrin, Editor of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, explore what contemporary books we might include in an expanded Jewish canon.

Navigating Today’s Jewish Workplace Tuesday, May 21, 2024 12:30 to 1:30 PM CT

The Jewish nonprofit sector includes an array of voices, identities, and perspectives. Learn from Leading Edge COO Mordy Walfish how to best navigate this diversity in charged moments and every day.

Presented in partnership with JProChicago.org

Cultivating Connections & Community

A critical component of Spertus Institute’s mission. Today, technology allows us to connect easily from anywhere, and we are grateful to have found ways to cultivate real connection online. Nonetheless, there is something magical about being together in person. Thus, Spertus staff and faculty are often on the road, strengthening connections, sharing educational opportunities, and building platforms for new initiatives. Among recent travels, Assistant Director for Recruitment Amie Barrish and Director of Academic Administration Brooke Herszage attended the Hillel International Global Assembly (HIGA) in Dallas. They visited with the many Spertus students and alumni who work for Hillel at colleges and universities across North America, bringing them together to meet over pizza and share their experiences. At a time when Hillel professionals are often on the front line of rising antisemitism on campus, this communitybuilding could not be more important.

Alumni Katie Babin, Chief Administrator, Congregation Beth Torah in Dallas; Devra Sadler, Assistant Director, Hillel at Miami University; and Valerie Chambers, Campus Director, Kennesaw State University Hillel, Georgia.

New student Marissa Marx, Development and Operations Associate, Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach, with alumnus Matthew Kramer-Morning, Executive Director, Hillel of Purdue University.

Alumna Beverley Shimansky, Chief Campus Officer, Hillel Ontario, with Brooke Herszage, Amie Barrish, and Northwestern Hillel’s Executive Director Michael Simon.

Amie Barrish; Terri Green, Director of Advancement, Hillel at the University of Washington; and Brooke Herszage.

Bringing Chicago’s Professional Jewish Community Together Spertus is committed to serving and celebrating Chicago’s professional Jewish community. For years, we have hosted a trademark annual networking night, bringing together staff, lay leaders, and volunteers of the many organizations that serve Jewish Chicago. This year, we leapt into 2024 with a new format titled Leap into Community, held on February 29 (leap day). Among the changes, we brought together three partner organizations, who, like Spertus, are dedicated to strengthening the Jewish community: SketchPad, ChiTribe, and JPro Chicago.

Thank you to our partners!

SketchPad is a collaborative workspace for Jewish organizations and entrepreneurs. ChiTribe presents ways for young Jewish people to connect. JPro Chicago (under the auspices of Chicago’s Jewish United Fund) is the local affiliate of an organization that educates professionals working in the Jewish community sector across North America. The event included community-building by affinity groups, a workshop on navigating change, and a lively networking reception with plentiful opportunities to connect with longtime colleagues and meet new friends over food and drink.

WE’RE READY TO HOST YOUR NEXT CELEBRATION!

Courtesy of Madi Ellis Photography.

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