Marci Bratt Bykat , a graduate of Spertus Institute’s MA in Jewish Professional Studies program, with her family at our 2023 Graduation Celebration. An artist and educator, Marci could recently be found sharing her expertise at the pop-up Franklin Judaic Art Studio outside of Detroit. Read about all of this year’s graduates starting on page 11 u
News
A Letter from Spertus President & CEO Dr. Dean P. Bell | P5
Announcing Harold Israel as New Chairman of Spertus Board of Trustees | P7
Spertus Institute’s 2023 Graduates | P11
Combating Antisemitism | P19
Uniting a New Generation of Community Leaders | P21
Interfaith Iniatives | P27
Graduate and Certificate Programs
MA & DS in Jewish Studies | P9
Doctor of Hebrew Letters | P9
MA & Executive MA in Jewish Professional Studies | P9
Certificate in Jewish Leadership | P9
Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism | P19
Workshops
Build a Board of Directors for Your Career | P25
Understanding Antisemitism in America Today | P25
Support
Spertus Students Count on You! | P23
Spertus Institute is a partner with the Jewish United Fund in serving our community
We recently marked the end of Spertus Institute’s 2023 Fiscal Year. Along with the start of the Jewish New Year, this presents a perfect occasion to celebrate our achievements over the past year and look forward to a special year ahead.
For 100 years, we have been dedicated to the goal of applying Jewish learning to address the most pressing issues of the day. As we finalize the ways we will mark this important occasion, we look forward to sharing opportunities for you to be involved.
This past year was a remarkable one for Spertus Institute, made possible with your involvement and support. Here are a few important successes:
We grew our graduate programs and reached thousands of adult learners, Jewish communal professionals, and educators around the globe. Our impressive students inspire me every day as they bring their Spertusacquired knowledge and skills to their own communities. Their work impacts every aspect of Jewish life. See examples on page 21 u
We launched the Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism, filling a critical need.
The executives in the pilot cohort represent communities with a combined Jewish population totaling more than two million. We raised significant funds to support this initiative, which continues with a second cohort beginning this fall and a third scheduled for next year. See page 19 u
Based on this success, new initiatives will be launched in the coming years, including one centering on interfaith leadership.
Our newly developed website reflects our impressive impact. It shares the voices of our students and alumni and illustrates the opportunities we make possible in communities worldwide. Visit spertus.edu to learn more.
I look forward to learning together in the year ahead!
Dr. Dean P. Bell, President and CEO Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and LeadershipSpertus Institute proudly announces the election of Harold D. Israel as Chairperson of its Board of Trustees
Tributes in honor of Harold Israel’s appointment will support important educational initiatives. To donate, visit spertus.edu/make-a-tribute-gift
Use this QR code to read a recent interview with Harold Israel and learn about his first Spertus experience as a high school student on a field trip from suburban Detroit.
Attorney Harold Israel is a partner in the Financial Services & Restructuring Practice Group at Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC.
A Spertus Trustee since 2014, he served as Vice Chairman for the past year, working closely with outgoing chairperson Dr. Sharon Silverman and the Spertus leadership team.
About his appointment, Spertus President & CEO Dr. Dean P. Bell said, “Harold is a long-standing community leader and a remarkable Spertus trustee. As Chairman of our Governance Committee, he guided important future-focused work. He is a respected and thoughtful leader who gets things done. I’m excited by the opportunity to expand our work together in the coming years.”
Since the early 2000s, Harold Israel has shared his expertise throughout the community. He is a past president of the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association and past Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Bankruptcy and Reorganization Committee, as well as past President of Temple Beth-El in Northbrook, Illinois. He serves on the Jewish United Fund’s Community Outreach and Scholarship Committees and on the Board of Directors of Illini Hillel at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
For nearly 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.
Spertus Institute is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
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.
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.
Chicago-area graduates Rachel Bachrach, Rhonda Levy-Wehner, Elizabeth Ury, and Zhanna Soloveychik.
Photos by Maggie Russo.
Judaism teaches that it is important to pursue knowledge throughout our lives, not just in our early years. Learning strengthens our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. It grounds us in our history, expands our perspective, and equips us to adapt in the face of change.
The twenty-seven 2023 graduates of Spertus Institute’s acclaimed Master’s and Doctoral programs embody this beautiful and vital Jewish tradition. They join thousands of other Spertus alumni who advance Jewish organizations and communities around the world with their Spertus-acquired knowledge and skills.
See this year’s graduates on pages 16-17 u
In his welcome to graduates and guests at this year’s ceremony, Spertus President & CEO Dr. Dean P. Bell said:
“Our graduates come from all kinds of backgrounds and bring a wide range of experiences. But an important thread unites them. They are committed learners who reach thousands of people in the work they do every day. They are remarkable ambassadors, spreading the light of Jewish learning and laying the groundwork for a better world.”
Elaborating, Spertus Dean & Chief Academic Officer Dr. Keren E. Fraiman said:
“ At Spertus, we are very proud of the outstanding education that we provide our students. But we are even more proud of what our students share with the thousands of people who they impact. I look forward to being part of the future they create.”
Graduation speaker Susan L. Abrams, a community leader known for creating transformational growth.
Student speaker Scott Braswell. (See Jessica Ochs on page 22.)
Graduates Olivia Berlin and Lindsay Eiley.
Two student speakers shared remarks.
Jessica Ochs spoke of how the Spertus Institute program changed her and her fellow graduates and how those changes ripple through their lives and communities. She said:
“For our families and friends, it’s the growth in us that you have witnessed. For our colleagues, it is our shared commitment to serve our people, as well as the great ideas that we have brought back and implemented in our work. For us, it is immense pride we have in the work we have done to obtain our degrees, and the bonds we created that will last a lifetime.”
Scott Braswell referenced a core Spertus tenet: the merging of theory and practice. He said:
“Jewish leaders must understand both our history and the realities of the present day. We need to use our new knowledge and skills to construct bridges, increase understanding, and help bring together a fractured world.”
“Spertus helped me to see my work in a new light. It encouraged me to aspire toward leadership in the Jewish community.”
Marci Bratt Bykat added, “This program was life changing!”
Two graduates received degrees in advanced Jewish Studies, carrying on Spertus Institute’s decades-long role as a pioneer in this area. Dr. Russell Hendel received his Doctor of Science in Jewish Studies.
Bruce Greenberg received his Master of Arts in Jewish Studies and will continue his studies at Spertus to earn his Doctor of Hebrew Letters
These sentiments were echoed by other graduates. Rachel Adams said:
Graduate Rachael Coe with happy fans.
Graduate Eliana Leader and Dr. Keren E. Fraiman.
Graduate Lara Goldenberg.
Twenty-five graduates received their Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Studies in executive, local, regional, and North American cohorts. This program advances the work of those who serve Jewish organizations.
Rachel Adams, Associate Director of Travel & Tours, Jewish National Fund, New York, NY
Rachel Bachrach, Assistant Vice President of Endowment Development, Jewish United Fund of Chicago, IL
Olivia Berlin, Senior Associate, Israel and Overseas, Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit, Detroit, MI
Adam Bershad, Director of Engagement and Israel Experiences, Maryland Hillel, College Park, MD
Scott Braswell, Chief Executive Officer, Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County, Irvine, CA
Marci Bratt Bykat , Arts Educator, Huntington Woods, MI
Roberta Catalinotto, Vice President of Development, Friends of the Urban Forest, Mill Valley, CA
Maureen Chapman, Executive Director, Temple Emanuel, Andover, MA
Rachael Coe, Manager of People & Operations, JewishColumbus, Columbus, OH
Lindsay Eiley, Director, Passport to Jewish Life, Federation CJA, Westmount, Quebec
Degree recipients in absentia were:
Lara Goldenberg, Manager of Customer Experience, Membership and Events, Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA, Cote Saint-Luc, Quebec
Katelyn Graves, Youth Program Manager, Jewish Federation Louisville, Louisville, KY
Eliana Leader, Director, Kaplan Mitchell Retreat Center at Ramah Darom, Atlanta, GA
Rhonda Levy-Wehner, RMT, Coordinator of Jewish Care Services and Team Chaplain, JourneyCare Hospice and Palliative Care, Arlington Heights, IL
Jessica Ochs, Senior Youth and Teen Director, Shalom Austin, Austin, TX
Zhanna Soloveychik , Case Manager, Center for Russian Speakers, Dina and Eli Field EZRA Multi-Service Center, Chicago, IL
Danica Torchin, Associate Program Director, Jewish Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
Elizabeth Ury, Director of Jewish Community Engagement, JCFS Chicago, Deerfield, IL
Jessica Zimmerman, Manager of Content Operations, Jewish Enrichment Team, BBYO North Florida Region, Bonita Springs, FL
Zvi Zobin, Director of Atid Programs, JFNA, New York, NY
Grace Miller-Day, Associate Director of Community Engagement, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, BC
Casey Cole, Chief Financial Officer, Texas Association for the Education of Young Children, Austin, TX
Mac Lindner, Camp Director, Camp Young Judaea, Houston, TX
Jackie Menter, Executive Director, Orange County Jewish Coalition for Refugees, Orange County, CA
Rachel Wimberley, Senior Social Services Director, Shalom Austin, Austin, TX
We look forward to seeing our graduates spark change in their own communities. Find out more at spertus.edu/impact.
Front row, left to right: Jessica Zimmerman, Rhonda Levy-Wehner, Maureen Chapman, Zhanna Soloveychick, Rachel Bachrach, Eliana Leader, Lara Goldenberg, and Roberta Catalinotto.
Back row, left to right: Adam Bershad, Elizabeth Ury, Lindsey Eiley, Olivia Berlin, Jessica Ochs, Rachel Adams, Katelyn Graves, Marci Bratt Bykat, Danica Torchin, Zvi Zobin, Scott Braswell, Dr. Russell Hendel, and Rachael Coe.
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 program is a hybrid 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.
Read about the members of the inaugural cohort (completing the program as we go to press) and those selected to participate in Cohort 2. The application period for Cohort 3 opens soon. Join Spertus students for a Connect & Learn about Understanding Antisemitism in America Today.
See page 25 u
Jewish leaders need to be equipped to respond to antisemitic incidents with strength, skill, and expertise. To be effective, they need training.
Brandi Hunter and Katie Babin
Zvi Zobin
Lauren Silverman
Every Jewish professional should go to Spertus! — Brandi Hunter
As Spertus Institute’s MA in Jewish Professional Studies program increases its reach, organizations with multiple alumni are realizing a multiplier effect.
Spertus Director of Academic Administration Brooke Herszage spoke with pairs who are professional colleagues. These excerpts are from those conversations. Visit spertus.edu/news for the full stories.
Lauren Silverman, MAJPS 2021, is Associate Director, Changemakers Engagement and Strategic Partnerships, for the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). From her Chicago base, she connects young Jewish adults, including nearly 2,000 graduates of the Jewish Changemakers Fellowship, with leadership opportunities and pathways to Jewish engagement.
Zvi Zobin, MAJPS 2023, recently moved from Los Angeles to New York, stepping into a new role at JFNA as Director of Atid Programs. Atid means “future” in Hebrew, and Atid is a new JFNA program that works with young Jewish philanthropists at a time when they are first starting to think about their future impact.
Lauren and Zvi met for the first time at an in-person conference for JFNA colleagues from across North America. Lauren recognized Zvi from Spertus materials announcing his new position, and Zvi quipped that Lauren was a conference celebrity because she led a discussion with JFNA President & CEO Eric Fingerhut for attendees.
Talking about their work sparked ideas for synergies between their programs. In fact, Zvi has already been looking to members of Lauren’s team for insights about launching a new JFNA program for young adults.
Both are putting their Spertus education to work in many ways. Among them, Zvi mentioned his increased understanding of the Jewish landscape and Lauren cited strategic planning skills. But key for two professionals who work regularly with new people and partners, the faces of other Spertus alumni in the room (or on Zoom), provide an important circle of skilled and welcoming professional connections.
When educator Brandi Hunter was considering Spertus Institute’s MAJPS program, she wanted to talk about it with someone from her own community. Spertus put her in touch with Katie Babin, MAJPS 2022. From their first Zoom call, they found common ground around their evolving Jewish community careers. Over coffee dates, they helped each other tease out what brought them meaning, what motivated them, and how they sought to manifest their passion for Judaism in their next professional roles.
In April, Katie fulfilled that dream, becoming the first Chief Administrator (a job comparable to Executive Director) of Congregation Beth Torah in Richardson, Texas. She invited Brandi to apply for another opening on the synagogue’s leadership team, and today Brandi serves as Principal of Beth Torah’s Learning Center and Director of Youth Engagement. According to Katie, as millennials and working moms, they are bringing fresh ideas to the ways Beth Torah engages its community.
One of those ideas comes from a theme that Katie drew from her Spertus experience: the idea that there are multiple ways to connect to Judaism. With this idea as a guide, Brandi and Katie are shaping Beth Torah’s engagement model, giving congregants a bigger range of ways to plug in. The latest is a beautiful mural in the youth lounge, created by young people as a way to engage with their Judaism and each other. See photos at spertus.edu/news
Jessica Ochs , MAJPS 2023, and Ethan Lane-Miller, a current MAJPS student, work at Shalom Austin, the hub of Jewish life in Central Texas. Both were awarded promotions earlier this year, Jessica to Senior Youth and Teen Director and Ethan to JCamps Director. Jessica attributes these promotions to Spertus. She says that she and Ethan were able to elevate what they do professionally, very quickly, because of their work in the MAJPS program.
As part of a high-energy, highly integrated team, Jessica and Ethan work together closely. The language of leadership they share from their Spertus experiences infuses their work with a professional shorthand rooted in Jewish community and best practice.
Ethan learned to structure meetings based on action items, which has led to planning efficiencies and ways to communicate more effectively with seasonal staff. Jessica says that Spertus gave her a compelling professional language to talk about the things she’s passionate about, including why everyone else should be passionate about them too!
Jessica Ochs and Ethan Lane-Miller
Did you know that charitable contributions from donors like you fund more than $350,000 in student scholarships each year?
Equity and accessibility are core Spertus values, which means that tuition assistance is available to students who need it. In fact, many of our academic programs offer scholarships that cut tuition costs by more than half, ensuring that our programs are affordable to all learners. Your donations make this possible.
As our students navigate today’s financial uncertainties, your support is incredibly important.
When you give, you support our students and the innovative, essential work they do in Jewish organizations and communities worldwide.
Give today at spertus.edu/make-a-donation
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.
Sessions are led by members of the Spertus faculty.
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 November session is a Solomon Goldman Program, endowed by the late Rose and Sidney Shure.
The January session is a Norman Asher Memorial Program, endowed by the Asher family.
The series is free thanks to their generosity and the support of donors like you!
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 12:30 to 1:30 PM CT
Have you ever considered developing a personal Board of Directors? By doing so, you can have a team of experts providing support and strategic guidance, just like a board does for an organization. Learn how from Professional Coach Marissa Lifshen Steinberger.
Marissa Lifshen Steinberger is the Founder of One Eleven Leadership, where she coaches mission-driven individuals, leaders, and teams. She also coaches students in Spertus Institute’s Certificate programs.
Today
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
12:30 to 1:30 PM CT
American Jews are increasingly concerned about instances of antisemitism. But where is this resurgence of antisemitism coming from and why is it growing? Explore the answers with Dr. Dov Waxman, an expert on contemporary antisemitism.
Dr. Dov Waxman is a political science professor at UCLA and a member of Spertus Institute’s faculty. He writes for publications including the Washington Post , Guardian, and Atlantic
Sponsored by Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC.
At Spertus Institute, our organizational values encompass both academic excellence and community building, including bringing people together to bridge differences. These values animate our work. We believe that applying Jewish learning— with insights from texts and experiences—can help us to think creatively and imagine innovative solutions, even to intransigent and vexing problems.
This orientation is particularly important in interreligious initiatives, which require us to explore numerous perspectives and multiple narratives that can both deepen and challenge our own assumptions.
Spertus Institute has been involved in interreligious work for many years. It is critical work with real-world impact.
Highlights include our participation in the annual Bernardin Jerusalem lecture that focuses on Jewish-Catholic relations, as well as more recent work in resilience, which has been supported by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation and which we have incorporated into the full range of our graduate and certificate programs.
Chicago itself has an interreligious history worth celebrating. In conjunction with Chicago’s famous 1893 World’s Fair, religious leaders from an impressive array of faiths convened here for the first Parliament of World Religions . This past August, the Parliament of World Religions returned to Chicago, marking the third time it has done so in the past 130 years. Titled A Call to Consciousness: Defending Freedom & Human Rights, this year’s conference sought to address the looming threat of authoritarianism. It also organized and hosted panels on issues related to climate change and the environment, another area in which Spertus has brought leaders from different faith traditions together in think tanks and working groups.
I was pleased to be among the speakers at the Parliament, where I presented with Professor Mike Hogue of Meadville Lombard Theological School on the topic of Interreligious Resilience, based on our recent book, Interreligious Resilience: Interreligious Leadership for a Pluralistic World. Also from Spertus, Dr. David Gottlieb, Director of Jewish Studies, presented on Multi-Religious Perspectives.
During the Parliament, Spertus hosted the Elijah Interfaith Institute, an organization that brings religious leaders and scholars together to create bridges between faith and society. I was invited to join deliberations relating to religious leadership, with more than two dozen representatives from an array of Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, and Jewish backgrounds from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. I was impressed by the commonalities in how we thought about leadership and its challenges, as well as our shared commitments to our communities and the broader world. I was excited by the passion of these leaders for intellectual and personal growth and the ways in which they engaged with the ideas of others. Even when we had different theological positions, we took the time to understand and learn from one another, finding ways to expand and deepen our thinking.
At Spertus, we have modeled this in our signature Critical Conversations programs, which bring people with divergent perspectives into civil dialogue.
As we approach our 2024 Centennial, Spertus Institute continues its tradition of interreligious work in critically important ways. In doing so, we are building on our core strengths, expanding our programmatic and geographic reach, and advancing how our work addresses some of the most pressing issues of today and the future.
In an age of polarization, it is increasingly important to engage with complexity and nuance, not simply retreat to what we know or might wish to believe.
Spertus Institute is proudly based in Chicago, but we increasingly work with communities around the world.
Here are some snapshots of Spertus staff and faculty on the road, where they have been teaching, learning, strengthening connections, and building platforms for new programs and initiatives.
Israel
The Spertus leadership team joined colleagues from the Jewish United Fund and other local agencies at the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America , held in Israel as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations.
Pictured are: Spertus Dean & Chief Academic Officer Dr. Keren Fraiman with Brooke Herszage and JUF Vice President Jay Tcath.
David Prystowsky, Lee Miller, and David Golder are behind them.
Dr. Dean P. Bell (back left of center) representing Spertus at the New York Symposium Against Antisemitism, which brought together community leaders and activists to discuss partnerships, diplomacy, and grassroots engagement in the fight against antisemitism.
Samantha Walsh (left) is a student in Spertus Institute’s Executive MA in Jewish Professional Studies program. She welcomed Spertus to Denver with a tour of the Denver Jewish Day School campus where she serves as Director of Development. Pictured with her are Spertus Assistant Director for Recruitment Amie Barrish and Spertus Director of Jewish Studies Dr. David Gottlieb.
Spertus President & CEO
Critical Conversations is an annual Spertus Institute program that brings together high-profile experts and activists to address the most critical issues of the day.
Sign up to receive your invitation to the next installment of this important annual event!
Past Critical Conversations have focused on issues including rising antisemitism, climate change, race, and immigration.
Critical Conversations is generously funded by the late Eric Joss.