Wexner Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Wexner Foundation is a charitable organization designed to enhance Jewish leadership founded by Leslie Wexner, CEO of Limited Brands
and his wife, Abigail Wexner in Columbus, Ohio
. There are three core leadership programs: the Heritage Program for North American Jewish volunteers; the Graduate Fellowship for students pursuing a master's degree in the rabbinate, cantorate, or Jewish studies; and an Israel Fellowship which funds Israeli public officials for a master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government
.In addition to the core leadership programs, the Wexner Foundation supports other Jewish charities on a local, national, and international level.
and his wife, Abigail Wexner. Leslie and Abigail developed the foundation to promote Jewish leadership around the world and specifically strengthen Jewish leadership in North America and Israel. The foundation’s goal was to help Jewish professionals, volunteers, and Israeli public officials strengthen Jewish communities. There are three programs within the Wexner Foundation designed to accomplish this goal.
The first of the three core programs was founded in 1985. Leslie Wexner and Rabbi Herbert A. Friedman, the former CEO of the National United Jewish Appeal, established the Wexner Heritage Program. This program’s mission statement, according to the Wexner Foundation website, is “to educate Jewish communal leaders in the history, thought, traditions and contemporary challenges of the Jewish people.”
In 1988, the Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program was founded by the Wexner Foundation. It awards scholarships to 20 exceptional individuals in North America
who wish to obtain degrees in Jewish education, Jewish leadership, rabbinical studies, or cantorate studies. The mission for this program, according to the Wexner Foundation website, is to “to encourage promising candidates to successfully meet the challenges of professional Jewish leadership in the North American Jewish community.”
The Wexner Israel Fellowship Program was created in 1989. It is a partnership between the Wexner Foundation and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government
. The program annually selects up to 10 Israeli public officials and/or nonprofit leaders to participate in leadership seminars while they pursue a mid-career Master of Public Administration
(MPA) degree at the Kennedy School. The goal of this program, according to the Wexner Foundation website, is “to provide Israel's next generation of public leaders with advanced training in public management and leadership development, thus enhancing the quality of democracy and the institutional vitality of Israel's public sector.”
The Wexner Foundation headquarters are located in New Albany, Ohio
. Smaller Wexner Foundation offices can be found in New York City
, Israel
, and at Harvard University
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
. The president of the Wexner Foundation is Larry S Moses.
The Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program financially supports graduate students planning a career related to Judaism
. The program selects 20 students who wish to become a rabbi
, hazzan
(cantor), or Jewish professional. Wexner Graduate Fellowships are given to students who are strongly committed to the Jewish community, have excellent grades, and show potential to become leaders. Each student selected receives $20,000.00 each year for up to three years to finance their education. Each student’s scholarship is dependent upon his or her grades and achievement. In addition, each Wexner Graduate Fellowship member participates in annual institutes where leadership seminars are designed to enhance the skills of emerging Jewish professionals. Graduate Fellowship Alumni continue meeting and building a network throughout their careers.
The Wexner Israel Fellowship Program is partnership between Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government
and is housed at the Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership
. The Wexner Israel Fellowship Program pays all expenses associated for each participant including tuition, book fees, travel fees, etc. The Wexner Foundation also grants each individual a generous living stipend. These public officials must meet certain requirements set by the Wexner Foundation in order to participate in the program. These requirements are generally 5 years of experience working with the Israeli public, proficiency in English, and demonstrating leadership potential. The Wexner Foundation hopes to improve the caliber of public leadership in all sectors of Israeli society. At Harvard, the fellows are part of the Master of Public Administration
(MPA) degree program. Participants must also attend leadership institutes sponsored by the Wexner Foundation throughout the year. After the program, the Israeli public officials return to Israel
and serve in high government positions such as the Israeli Defense Forces. Alumni activities are held throughout the year in Israel.
The Wexner Heritage Program focuses on helping volunteer leaders in Jewish communities throughout North America
. The program intends to strengthen Jewish values and establish these values in the community. It is a two-year program that consists of 36 seminars held in the local community and three summer institutes including one institute in Israel. All travel and associated expenses are paid for by the Wexner Foundation in partnership with local communities. The seminars focus mainly on four areas: traditions of the Jewish people, Jewish history, contemporary Jewish thought, and contemporary issues facing the Jewish community today. To become a participant in the Wexner Heritage Program, candidates must be nominated by their community. The participant must demonstrate commitment to the Jewish people through personal and/or professional leadership. After the program, the alumni are encouraged to continue their Jewish study and to exercise Jewish leadership locally, nationally or globally.
Center for Public Leadership: The Wexner Foundation also helped establish and continues to support the Center for Public Leadership
at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government
.
Central Ohio
philanthropies supported by the Wexner Foundation
United States
philanthropies supported by the Wexner Foundation
Israel
philanthropies supported by the Wexner Foundation
Limited Brands
Limited Brands is an American apparel company based in Columbus, Ohio. In 2009 it reported 9.04 billion dollars in revenue for the last fiscal year.-History:...
and his wife, Abigail Wexner in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. There are three core leadership programs: the Heritage Program for North American Jewish volunteers; the Graduate Fellowship for students pursuing a master's degree in the rabbinate, cantorate, or Jewish studies; and an Israel Fellowship which funds Israeli public officials for a master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
.In addition to the core leadership programs, the Wexner Foundation supports other Jewish charities on a local, national, and international level.
History
The Wexner Foundation was founded in 1984 by Leslie Wexner, CEO of Limited BrandsLimited Brands
Limited Brands is an American apparel company based in Columbus, Ohio. In 2009 it reported 9.04 billion dollars in revenue for the last fiscal year.-History:...
and his wife, Abigail Wexner. Leslie and Abigail developed the foundation to promote Jewish leadership around the world and specifically strengthen Jewish leadership in North America and Israel. The foundation’s goal was to help Jewish professionals, volunteers, and Israeli public officials strengthen Jewish communities. There are three programs within the Wexner Foundation designed to accomplish this goal.
The first of the three core programs was founded in 1985. Leslie Wexner and Rabbi Herbert A. Friedman, the former CEO of the National United Jewish Appeal, established the Wexner Heritage Program. This program’s mission statement, according to the Wexner Foundation website, is “to educate Jewish communal leaders in the history, thought, traditions and contemporary challenges of the Jewish people.”
In 1988, the Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program was founded by the Wexner Foundation. It awards scholarships to 20 exceptional individuals in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
who wish to obtain degrees in Jewish education, Jewish leadership, rabbinical studies, or cantorate studies. The mission for this program, according to the Wexner Foundation website, is to “to encourage promising candidates to successfully meet the challenges of professional Jewish leadership in the North American Jewish community.”
The Wexner Israel Fellowship Program was created in 1989. It is a partnership between the Wexner Foundation and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
. The program annually selects up to 10 Israeli public officials and/or nonprofit leaders to participate in leadership seminars while they pursue a mid-career Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
(MPA) degree at the Kennedy School. The goal of this program, according to the Wexner Foundation website, is “to provide Israel's next generation of public leaders with advanced training in public management and leadership development, thus enhancing the quality of democracy and the institutional vitality of Israel's public sector.”
The Wexner Foundation headquarters are located in New Albany, Ohio
New Albany, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,711 people, 1,263 households, and 1,030 families residing in the village. The population density was 415.7 people per square mile . There were 1,424 housing units at an average density of 159.5 per square mile...
. Smaller Wexner Foundation offices can be found in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. The president of the Wexner Foundation is Larry S Moses.
Core leadership programs
The Wexner Foundation consists of three core leadership programs: Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program, Wexner Israel Fellowship Program, and the Wexner Heritage Program.The Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program financially supports graduate students planning a career related to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. The program selects 20 students who wish to become a rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
, hazzan
Hazzan
A hazzan or chazzan is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources...
(cantor), or Jewish professional. Wexner Graduate Fellowships are given to students who are strongly committed to the Jewish community, have excellent grades, and show potential to become leaders. Each student selected receives $20,000.00 each year for up to three years to finance their education. Each student’s scholarship is dependent upon his or her grades and achievement. In addition, each Wexner Graduate Fellowship member participates in annual institutes where leadership seminars are designed to enhance the skills of emerging Jewish professionals. Graduate Fellowship Alumni continue meeting and building a network throughout their careers.
The Wexner Israel Fellowship Program is partnership between Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
and is housed at the Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership
Center for Public Leadership
The Center for Public Leadership is an American learning institution that provides teaching, research and training in the practical skills of leadership for people in government, nonprofits, and business. It was established in 2000, through a gift from the Wexner Foundation, at Harvard Kennedy...
. The Wexner Israel Fellowship Program pays all expenses associated for each participant including tuition, book fees, travel fees, etc. The Wexner Foundation also grants each individual a generous living stipend. These public officials must meet certain requirements set by the Wexner Foundation in order to participate in the program. These requirements are generally 5 years of experience working with the Israeli public, proficiency in English, and demonstrating leadership potential. The Wexner Foundation hopes to improve the caliber of public leadership in all sectors of Israeli society. At Harvard, the fellows are part of the Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
(MPA) degree program. Participants must also attend leadership institutes sponsored by the Wexner Foundation throughout the year. After the program, the Israeli public officials return to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and serve in high government positions such as the Israeli Defense Forces. Alumni activities are held throughout the year in Israel.
The Wexner Heritage Program focuses on helping volunteer leaders in Jewish communities throughout North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The program intends to strengthen Jewish values and establish these values in the community. It is a two-year program that consists of 36 seminars held in the local community and three summer institutes including one institute in Israel. All travel and associated expenses are paid for by the Wexner Foundation in partnership with local communities. The seminars focus mainly on four areas: traditions of the Jewish people, Jewish history, contemporary Jewish thought, and contemporary issues facing the Jewish community today. To become a participant in the Wexner Heritage Program, candidates must be nominated by their community. The participant must demonstrate commitment to the Jewish people through personal and/or professional leadership. After the program, the alumni are encouraged to continue their Jewish study and to exercise Jewish leadership locally, nationally or globally.
Center for Public Leadership: The Wexner Foundation also helped establish and continues to support the Center for Public Leadership
Center for Public Leadership
The Center for Public Leadership is an American learning institution that provides teaching, research and training in the practical skills of leadership for people in government, nonprofits, and business. It was established in 2000, through a gift from the Wexner Foundation, at Harvard Kennedy...
at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
.
Other philanthropies that the Wexner Foundation supports
The Wexner Foundation also donates funds to other charities. The Foundation specifically donates to Jewish charities in Central Ohio. However, it does contribute money to United States and Israeli charities.Central Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
philanthropies supported by the Wexner Foundation
- Columbus Jewish Federation
- Columbus Jewish Foundation
- Wexner Jewish Student Center of Ohio State UniversityOhio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
- Wexner Heritage Village
- Columbus Torah AcademyColumbus Torah AcademyColumbus Torah Academy is the only Orthodox K-12 school in the Central Ohio Area.-School Quick Facts:Library facility:Students of Color: .6% Hebrew Language and Israel Studies Coordinator: Mrs. Galit Golan....
- Columbus Jewish Day School
- Leo Yassenoff Jewish Community Center
- United Way of America campaign
- Wexner Institute for Pediatric Research at Children's HospitalNationwide Children's Hospital (Columbus)Nationwide Children’s Hospital is a primary pediatric hospital in Columbus, Ohio, with more than 950 medical staff members and over 6,800 total employees. In recent years, the hospital has been ranked as one the best hospitals in the United States by US News & World Report...
- Wexner Center for the ArtsWexner Center for the ArtsThe Wexner Center for the Arts is The Ohio State University’s multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art...
at Ohio State UniversityOhio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States... - Foundation for Jewish CampFoundation for Jewish CampThe Foundation for Jewish Camp , formerly known as the Foundation for Jewish Camping, is a 501 nonprofit serving North America...
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
philanthropies supported by the Wexner Foundation
- Birthright IsraelBirthright IsraelTaglit-Birthright Israel is a Jewish Israeli registered charity that sponsors free 10-day heritage trips to Israel. Birthright Israel's goals are to diminish the division between Israel and Jewish communities around the world and to strengthen participants' personal Jewish identity and...
- Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJEPEJEPEJE or Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education is an organization designed to support Jewish day schools. It was founded in 1997 by Michael Steinhardt and 11 other partners, including Rabbi Irving "Yitz" Greenberg and Charles Schusterman who was the founding president of PEJE from its...
) - Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus LifeHillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus LifeHillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, working with thousands of college students globally...
- Jewish Education Service of North America (JESNAJESNAJESNA is the Jewish federation system’s educational coordinating, planning, and development agency...
) - all major rabbinical seminaries
- Brandeis UniversityBrandeis UniversityBrandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
- United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Holocaust Memorial Museum
Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
philanthropies supported by the Wexner Foundation
- Hebrew University of JerusalemHebrew University of JerusalemThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
- Tel Aviv UniversityTel Aviv UniversityTel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
Alumni of the Wexner Foundation programs
Many alumni of the Wexner Foundation's core leadership programs are successful and influential Jewish people in modern society.- Yossi Abramowitz has been nominated twice for the Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
for his work in the former Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He was a keynote speaker in the Human Rights Conference in RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Currently, Yossi and his daughter are working on Worldmanna.org, an organization created to reduce world hunger.
- Robin S. Axelrod is a clinical professor of Judaic Studies and social workSocial workSocial Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
at the University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. She is developing programs for Jewish leadership training with the help from the Ross School of BusinessRoss School of BusinessThe Stephen M. Ross School of Business is the business school of the University of Michigan. Numerous publications have ranked the Ross School of Business' Bachelor of Business Administration , Master of Business Administration and Executive Education programs among the top in the country and the...
and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public PolicyGerald R. Ford School of Public PolicyThe Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, often referred to as the Ford School, is a leading public policy school in the United States. Founded in 1914 as the Institute of Public Administration, it was named in 1999 after former President Gerald Ford, who was a 1935...
. She frequently teaches seminars around the Midwest about recent issues in Jewish communities.
- Lila Corwin Berman PhD is writing a book entitled Jewish Missionaries: How Jews Presented Themselves to America. It discusses how American Jewish people understand their identity. She is a Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Young Historian, an award given by the Center for Jewish HistoryCenter for Jewish HistoryThe Center for Jewish History is a partnership, or consortium, of five Jewish organizations based in Manhattan. It is a partnership of five organizations of Jewish history, scholarship, and art: the American Jewish Historical Society, the American Sephardi Federation, the Leo Baeck Institute, the...
.
- Shira Reifman is the executive director of the Jewish Student UnionJewish Student UnionThe Jewish Student Union, or JSU is an organization aimed at educating youth in public schools about the Jewish culture, heritage, and religion...
, which is an organization that strives to enhance Jewish culture in public schools.
- Ohad Marani currently serves as the director general of the Israel Ministry of FinanceMinistry of Finance (Israel)The Israeli Ministry of Finance is a part of the Israeli political system. It is responsible for planning and implementing the Government of Israel’s overall economic policy....
. He helps create the economic policies of IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Previously, Yossi served in Washington D.C. as the Minister of Economic Affairs at the IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
Embassy. He worked on creating aid for IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
from the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
- Dr. Yair Birnbaum is the director of the Hadassah Ein Karem HospitalHadassah Medical CenterHadassah Medical Center is a medical organization that operates two University hospitals at Ein Kerem and Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, Israel, as well as schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, and pharmacology affiliated with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.The hospital was founded by Hadassah,...
in IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. He is a board certified pediatrician and an ordained OrthodoxOrthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
rabbiRabbiIn Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
.
See also
- Leslie Wexner
- Limited BrandsLimited BrandsLimited Brands is an American apparel company based in Columbus, Ohio. In 2009 it reported 9.04 billion dollars in revenue for the last fiscal year.-History:...
- Wexner Center for the ArtsWexner Center for the ArtsThe Wexner Center for the Arts is The Ohio State University’s multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art...
- Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public LeadershipCenter for Public LeadershipThe Center for Public Leadership is an American learning institution that provides teaching, research and training in the practical skills of leadership for people in government, nonprofits, and business. It was established in 2000, through a gift from the Wexner Foundation, at Harvard Kennedy...