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Participants ‘inspired’ by inaugural communities leadership course
Lay leaders from Plymouth, Hastings, Brighton and York graduate from new initiative
A year-long leadership development programme for current and emerging Jewish small community lay leaders is being hailed a success by its first, 15-strong cohort.
Created by the Jewish Small Communities Network chief executive, Ed Horwich, the year-long initiative is made up of a combination of 10 sessions delivered in-person, online and via peer group meetings together with a weekend learning retreat at Brighton & Hove Jewish Community centre.
Bringing together senior professionals from communities including Plymouth, Hastings, Brighton, York, Newcastle and Belfast, the inaugural Empowering Leadership programme provides in depth work with communal figures including Rabbi Raphael Zarum (The London School of Jewish studies), Michelle Janes, one of the leading trainers in leadership and management in the Jewish community, Nicki Goldman and Rachelle Lazarus of the Jewish Volunteer Network, and fundraising specialist Jonny Wineberg.
Comments from the evaluation survey include praise for the weekend retreat as “nourishing, and the nourishment has built my confidence and inspired me to think a little differently and try new things, but rooted in my values and Jewish joy” and gratitude for the course, “not only for being on the Leadership Programme, but I now feel like an active, rather than passive member of JSCN if this makes sense. In time, I hope there will be many opportunities to pay this gratitude forward”.
Ahead of the 2026 cohort graduation in November, the programme, at a subsidized fee of £300, funded by the National Lottery and community benefactors, is now interested in hearing from applicants for its 2027 session.
Horwich told Jewish News: “It took me 5 years of research and consultation to build this course and I am so thankful to all those who gave me support and advice in the process.”
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