MY URBAN KVETCH

FFF: PLP (Yeah, You Know Me) LiveNetworks and ThinkTank

Some of you know I'm in a network called Professional Leaders Project, headquartered in LA but with networks across the country for outstanding nextgen professionals and/or volunteer leaders in the Jewish community. They run many programs throughout the year for network members, including a SkillsSummit that I'm attending this weekend. (They've connected me with social and professional opportunities out here, too, which shows some real networking-in-action.)

So if you think that describes you and you'd like to join a national network with other entrepreneurs and change agents, apply now for PLP's signature Jewish leadership programs: LiveNetworks 2009 and ThinkTank4 - "LEADERSHIFT! Next-Gen Changing Culture of Jewish Leadership."

LIVENETWORKS 2009
A national network of Talent (outstanding professional and volunteer leaders in their 20's to 30's) committed to leading and serving as change agents in both established organizations and start-ups in the Jewish community.  LiveNetworks seminars include leadership and skills development, customized Jewish curriculum, personal coaching and mentoring from successful leaders across the nation for all Talent.

THINKTANK4 (TT4) - "LEADERSHIFT! Next-Gen Changing Culture of Jewish Leadership"
Sunday- Tuesday, October 18 - 20, 2009
Universal Studios, CA

Talent unite to proactively shape and change the Jewish community in the 21st Century. Attracting the best minds, freshest thinkers, and next generation Jewish leaders, TT4 will ignite ongoing dialogue, brainstorming, and action. By learning from and sharing with mentors, philanthropists, and activists, participants will gain tangible leadership skills, best practices, and new networks.

Turning Jewish Leadership Over to the Next Generation www.jewishleaders.net

FFF: Jewish Journalism Fellowship, Natan Grants

Funding and Fellowship Fridays are back, featuring both Fellowships and Funding! Go figure!  

I was a Gralla Fellow in 2007 and thought it was an excellent program, both in terms of curriculum and networking. Check out the list from our 2007 class here.

2009 Gralla Fellowship, July 12-17, Brandeis University (application required)

The 2009 Gralla Program for Jewish journalists runs from Sunday afternoon, July 12th through Friday morning, July 17th at Brandeis University near Boston, MA. 

This year will feature sessions on the future role, and the future, of the North American Jewish Press; as well as content sessions on the economy, Jewish-Christian relations, American Jews and Israe,; and the culture, politics, and "front burner" issues in North American Jewish life and religion. Sessions include lectures, round-table discussions, field trips, and films.

We look forward to your application, and to a superb gathering of journalists, editors, educators, and leaders of the American Jewish religion beat. 

Questions--please contact Ellen Smith:esmith2@brandeis.edu, 781-736-2998 (and tell her you read about it on Esther Kustanowitz's blog).

Natan Grants: Emergent Jewish Communities in North America and Israel / Advancing Inclusiveness in the North American Jewish Community 

Natan is now accepting Letters of Inquiry for two sets of grants: the 2010 Emergent Jewish Communities in North America and Israel and Advancing Inclusiveness in the North American Jewish Community. Letters of Inquiry are due to Natan by 5pm EDT on Thursday, May 28, 2009. 

Natan has designed a very brief Letter of Inquiry with relatively standard questions that they hope most applicants will be able to answer quite quickly. Applicants should go to Natan's website for complete details, including info on how to submit an online application. Through their new online application system, applicants may begin the application process whenever they like, and can save drafts of their application until they are ready to submit it.

Applying? Good luck to you! And Shabbat shalom.

FFF is Back

The fellowships are coming...the fellowships are coming!

Two fellowships flew across my desk this week, and another one's been floating across my sidebar...

Kivun (run by the Center for Leadership Initiatives) (up to age 27)

The Center for Leadership Initiatives, in partnership with the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, is excited to announce the launch of The Kivun Intensive 2009. Kivun, which in Hebrew means "direction," is a five-month professional development program that will equip 40 of the finest young Jewish professionals in North America with the top tools for excellence and impact in the Jewish non-profit sector. See here for a complete program description and to apply.

Shapiro Family Fellowship (age 22-28)

The Shapiro Family Fellowship creates a unique opportunity for future leaders to deepen their personal knowledge and appreciation of Israeli life and society, and strengthen their Jewish identity and personal connections to Israel. The second round of Fellowships will be awarded in 2009 to promising individuals aged 22-28 who currently live in the greater New York metropolitan area and who have previously been to Israel. Each fellowship includes: A fully paid 17-day trip to Israel, (June 17-July 1, 2009) featuring exclusive meetings with Israeli professionals and experts in the fellows' chosen careers; Participation in 3 post trip Institutes to be held in the New York area throughout the 2009-2010 academic year; Access to the growing community and network of Shapiro Family Fellows, mentors and peers. See here for more information and to apply.

Mandel Jerusalem Fellows (MA or higher degree required; click here for requirements)

The Mandel Jerusalem Fellows (MJF) is a one-year, residential fellowship program based in the Mandel Leadership Institute. This fellowship is aimed at mid-career professionals with a proven track record in Jewish educational and communal leadership. MJF provides Fellows with a rich, supportive environment, over the course of a year, in which to: Develop a compelling vision of what they are seeking to achieve in the next phase of their careers, along with a strategic plan of how to implement it; reflect on their professional practice, examining the fundamental assumptions that have informed their work to date; and challenge and refine their conceptions of the goals and methods of contemporary Jewish education, through study with top scholars, policymakers and practitioners from around the world. Click here for more complete information and to apply.

ROI Summit 2008--Apply Now!

As many of you know, I'm involved as a staff member with ROI, the annual summit for Jewish innovators and creatives. I'm pleased to announce that application season is upon us, and that ROI will be held June 15-19 in Jerusalem.

Are you running initiatives – on your own or with the assistance of established communal structures – that stand to reshape the contours of the Jewish community of the future?
Are you committed to expanding the horizons of your Jewish community?
Are you looking for support and assistance in pursuing your dream for the Jewish people?
Are you a young Jew between the ages of 22-34?

If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions you may be eligible for attendance at the third annual ROI Summit in Jerusalem, Israel this summer.

Check out the full eligibility requirements and application process here.

Check out the seven tracks to see which one you should apply for.

Application deadline is March 28.

Good luck, and hopefully I'll see you in Jerusalem this summer!

Selah Fellowship

Applications are now open for the Selah Leadership Program, which trains a cross-section of leaders in Jewish and secular organizations to be effective, sustainable and collaborative agents for change.

Through its six-month training program, Selah provides unparalleled personal leadership training, skills to facilitate organizational change, and opportunities for social networking. Selah is transforming leaders, their organizations and the broader Jewish social justice field.

Since 2003, Selah have trained over 260 leaders representing 150 organizations from around the country, and they are currently accepting applications for a new cohort. For more information or to apply, click here.

The Israel Project: TIP Paid Media Fellowship

If you're an aspiring journalist (college student or grad school student) who has always wanted to help improve the media portrayal of Israel, the TIP Media Fellowship may be for you. Application deadline is February 15.

TIP's Media Fellows participate in an intensive eight-week program aimed at educating future journalists and advocacy professionals in the art of research, interviewing, writing for publication, communications skills and public relations.

The Israel Project Media Fellowship is open to undergraduate students with a minimum of two years of completed university studies and graduate students studying journalism, communications and public relations as well as recent college or graduate school alumni who are starting their careers in journalism or strategic communications/Israel advocacy.  An ideal Media Fellow is an excellent writer and researcher, has strong computer and communications skills, wants to publish or be on-air, follows current events, is  a hard worker and team player and has a strong interest in Israel.  International student, whether residing in the U.S. or abroad, are also encouraged to apply. Knowledge of Hebrew, Arabic, French, German and Spanish is a plus.

The Israel Project Media Fellowship trains students on techniques designed to increase accurate and fair coverage of Israel and Jews in the news media.  Our fellows learn about media coverage of Israel and the region, meet with top-level journalists and utilize what they learn practically in hands on writing assignments which will be published over the course of the fellowship.  Media Fellows in Jerusalem and Washington will be involved in staffing and planning TIP speaking events in regions across the United States.  In Israel, the Media Fellows will undertake in-depth research projects pertaining to current events in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. 

Through this practical experience-- building relationships with journalists, providing reporters with key information, assisting with media events and research activities --The Israel Project Media Fellows will work to improve what is being reported about Israel in the American and global media.

For more information, check out the TIP website.

Kohn Summer Intern Program (Bay Area, CA)

This week's fellowship opportunity is an undergraduate internship program run by the Jewish Vocational Service, The Kohn Summer Intern Program:

The Kohn Summer Intern Program in Jewish communal service is an                     innovative eight-week program for college students sponsored by                     Jewish Vocational Service.

Participants are placed in professional positions at leading Bay                     Area Jewish agencies for the purpose of gaining valuable workplace                     experience, an opportunity for supervision and mentoring from Jewish                     community leaders, exploring volunteer opportunities in the Jewish                     community, and exposure to issues currently facing the Jewish community.

JVS will match participants to agencies according to their expressed                     area of interest and skill. Potential internship placements include:                     political advocacy, marketing, public relations, advertising, finance,                     journalism, event coordination, Israel advocacy, educational programming,                 and direct service with youth and the elderly.

                                     

For more information or to download an application (due by March 3), visit the Jewish Vocational Service's website.

Funding/Fellowship Fridays: Shapiro Family Fellowship

Shapiro Family Fellowship (Greater NY Metro area only)

The Shapiro Family Fellowship: a program designed to help future leaders of the worldwide Jewish community connect with peers and mentors in the United States and Israel.                

In 2008, the Shapiro Family Fellowship will be awarded to 15 promising individuals ages 22 to 28 who currently live in the greater New York metropolitan area and who have previously been to Israel.  Each one-year fellowship will have as its centerpiece a fully paid, 17-day trip to Israel featuring exclusive meetings with Israeli professionals and experts in the fellow's chosen careers, as well as other leaders. The Shapiro family will also invite fellows to exclusive programs, workshops, and high-profile lectures in New York during the balance of the fellowship year.         

For more information: www.shapirofellowship.org, or contact shapirofellowship@ujafedny.org.

Funding/Fellowship Friday: PLP Academic Fellows

This is a continuation of the series of profiles of interesting funding opportunities for Jewish innovators and in promotion of creativity in Jewish life.

PROFESSIONAL LEADERS PROJECT (PLP) — 2008 CLASS OF ACADEMIC FELLOWS

The PLP Academic Fellowship is a highly selective program offering full tuition plus additional benefits to graduate students pursuing an executive career in the American Jewish non-profit community. Applicants must possess demonstrated leadership skills, creativity in developing and implementing solutions, strong character and a deep passion for building Jewish community, and they must aim to set new standards of excellence for Jewish non-profits – individually and as part of an organization or team. Beyond full tuition and a professional growth stipend, all fellows receive integrative professional learning, coaching, mentoring and proactive job placement. Fellows are required to serve in highly substantial leadership roles in U.S.-based Jewish non-profit organizations for a minimum of 3 years following completion of their degrees.

Please note that applicants must be citizens of, or have permanent residency status in, the United States. Acceptance is contingent upon admission to the Fall 2008 incoming classes of:
• Top 30 Ranked U.S. Business Schools or Public Administration Programs - Fellows pursuing an MBA or MPA will also participate in additional requirements including, but not limited to, an individualized course of Judaic study and a 3-week winter seminar in Israel;
• New York University Wagner-Skirball Program – Master of Arts in Judaic Studies & Masters in Non-profit Management;
• Hornstein: The Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University - Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Leadership and Master of Business Administration; or,
• William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America - Masters of Arts degree in Education, with additional non-profit management courses at NYU’s Wagner program.
• University of Southern California-Hebrew Union College - Masters of Arts in Jewish Communal Service and Masters in Business Administration or Public Administration.

Applications are due no later than Friday, February 15, 2008. For an application and more information please contact Arianna Jeret at Arianna@jewishleaders.net, and check out the website: http://www.jewishleaders.net/web/guest/initiatives/academic-fellowships

Funding/Fellowship Friday: Bikkurim-An Incubator for New Jewish Ideas

I'm pleased to announce what may be a semi-regular feature on My Urban Kvetch, in which I share news about interesting fellowships or funding opportunities, especially those for young Jewish innovators. The first--which is appropriate, because it was really one of the first such opportunities that I heard of and from which projects have gone on to become prominent organizations making real contributions to Jewish life in this century--is Bikkurim.

Bikkurim: An Incubator for New Jewish Ideas is accepting applications for 2008. Bikkurim seeks innovative, NYC-based, Jewish, non-profit projects that are in early stages of formation and organizational growth. We provide free office space, free and subsidized capacity-building consulting, small stipends, and a peer community with other Jewish start-up initiatives.

Bikkurim is a joint project of UJC, JESNA, and the Kaminer Family. Pre-applications can be downloaded from www.bikkurim.org and are due February 1, 2008. Full applications, by invitation only, will be due April 11, 2008. Finalists will be interviewed and selected in mid-June. Residency begins in July, 2008. For more information, contact Nina Bruder at nina@bikkurim.org or 212-284-6892.