Launching Early 2026

Maimonides Jewish Leadership Institute

Cultivating the next generation of Jewish leaders.

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Our immersive year-long program is designed to empower rising leaders across industries to meet the challenges and opportunities facing the Jewish people today.

Program Overview

Join a New Generation of Leaders Shaping Jewish Thought and Public Life

The Maimonides Jewish Leadership Institute (MJLI) is developed and led by Rabbi David Wolpe and Dr. Mijal Bitton, Scholars in Residence at the Maimonides Fund. MJLI delivers a masterclass in Jewish thought, history, and tradition—tailored for high-achieving professionals eager to explore Jewish ideas in a meaningful, dynamic, and relevant way.

Participants learn from some of the sharpest contemporary thinkers and educators in a fully pluralistic environment, diving deeply into the Jewish experience past and present. Whether they hold public platforms, serve on boards or philanthropic initiatives, represent Jewish interests in the workplace, or are looked to as voices among peers, MJLI strengthens their understanding and connects them to a community of outstanding leaders.

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What Participants Gain

MJLI Participants Can Expect:

Opening and closing long-weekend retreats in the U.S. focused on foundational Jewish ideas and the most pressing issues in contemporary Jewish life

A week-long immersive trip to Israel, with access to leading thinkers, innovators, and changemakers

5–6 in-person evening learning sessions with a small cohort of peers

A rich, curated curriculum taught by preeminent scholars

Long-term connection to the Maimonides Fund network and a cohort of diverse, values-driven peers

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Program Structure

Year-Long Cohort Experience (Early 2026–Early 2027)

  • Winter 2026: Opening retreat (U.S.)
  • Spring 2026: Evening cohort learning sessions begin
  • Summer or Fall 2026: Week-long Israel experience
  • Throughout the Year: Ongoing seminars, cohort engagement, and curated learning
  • EARLY 2027: Closing retreat and long-term network onboarding

Participant Qualifications

MJLI is a nomination-based program. Maimonides Fund has tapped a diverse group of nominators to identify exceptional candidates for the inaugural cohort. Ideal nominees are:

  • Admired and inspiring leaders in their fields

  • Ambitious, curious, and values-driven

  • In their 30s–50s, representing sectors such as technology, business, arts and culture, law, government, education, medicine, media, and more

  • Proud of their Jewish identity and connected to Israel

  • Eager to deepen their understanding of Jewish thought, heritage, and contemporary issues

  • Ready to explore how their talents and voice can best serve the Jewish People

Prior Jewish study or involvement in the Jewish community is not expected. What matters is openness, seriousness of purpose, and readiness to step into meaningful leadership.

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Program Leadership

MJLI is guided by leadership that brings together expertise, warmth, and intellectual rigor—defining the character of this unique learning experience.

Rabbi David Wolpe

SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE, MAIMONIDES FUND
One of the most influential Jewish thinkers and educators of our time, Rabbi David Wolpe is the Max Webb Emeritus Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles and the inaugural rabbinic fellow at the ADL. As Scholar in Residence at the Maimonides Fund, he is shaping a renewed vision of non-Orthodox Judaism, equipping rabbis, educators, and Jewish leaders with ideas and practices to strengthen communities and respond to the evolving challenges of Jewish life and Israel.

Dr. Mijal Bitton

SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE, MAIMONIDES FUND
A leading voice in Jewish community, identity, and pluralistic thought, Dr. Mijal Bitton is the spiritual leader of the Downtown Minyan, a Visiting Researcher at NYU Wagner, and a former Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. As Scholar in Residence at the Maimonides Fund, she focuses on renewed spiritual and communal hunger among American Jews since October 7th, advancing accessible and intellectually rich Jewish life-especially for young adults and parents.

MJLI exists to meet this moment by equipping promising leaders with the knowledge, community, and grounding needed to lead with confidence, depth, and purpose.

Why now?

Jewish communities around the world are facing a rapidly shifting landscape—socially, culturally, and geopolitically. More than ever, rising leaders across industries are being called upon to represent Jewish values, speak with clarity, and help shape a more resilient, informed, and connected Jewish future.

  • Maimonides Fund 2025

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