Flagship community course announces new cohort

Eighteen senior communal leaders have joined the fourth cohort of the prestigious Dangoor Senior Leadership Programme, run by Lead, the leadership development division of the Jewish Leadership Council.

The initiative first ran in 2014 under the name GAMECHANGERS and the new group will join 66 distinguished alumni, including United Synagogue chief executive Jo Grose, Maccabi GB chief executive Ashley Lerner, chair of the Jewish Youth Fund Joshua Marks, former president of the Board of Deputies Marie van der Zyl and London School of Jewish Studies chief executive Joanne Greenaway.

The 15 month-long programme, set to open in March, welcomes participants from London, Manchester, Leeds, Brighton and Wales. The group is cross-denominational as well as being cross-communal with participants including Anthony Shaw (head of philanthropic development at UJIA and chair of JVN Connect), Olivia Davidson (founder of Laviot and co-chair of Ohel HaMoed independent Masorti minyan), Susie Gordon (chief executive of the Leeds Jewish Representative Council) and Rachel Stein (director of communications and marketing at World Jewish Relief).

Programme sponsor David Dangoor said: “I am delighted to see that such a strong group of young professionals is about to start the 2025/26 DSLP. The remarkable achievements of the alumnae of the previous programmes bodes well for a dynamic UK Jewish community into the future.”

Fellow 2025-26 participant Jonny Newton (director of external relations at the Community Security Trust) said: “I’m honoured to have been selected to join the next DSLP cohort, which I hope will provide the opportunity, expertise, guidance and space to maximise both my communal career and the effectiveness of senior professionals and lay leaders in continuing to work in the service of the Jewish community.”

Erica Marks, also joining the cohort and chief executive of Jewish Sexual Abuse Support, added: “I am grateful to be given the opportunity to work with so many distinguished colleagues on the upcoming DSLP. I look forward to where the next 15 months will take us all.”

Programme Directors, Michelle Janes and Larry Shulman said: “The overwhelming number and standard of applications for this cohort really reflects the reputation and impact of our senior leadership programmes over the last decade. It also speaks to a growing interest and investment in the development of our communal leadership which should be commended. We are really looking forward to supporting the group on their journey.”

• Click here to find out more about the programme and see the full cohort for 2025.