Seminar in Professional Leadership

The IJE's Seminar in Professional Leadership has been a major innovation in professional training for informal Jewish educators. It was the first targeted effort in the field to provide professional development to emerging leaders. It has built the first professional network in the field to cross denominational and organizational lines, encouraging promising professionals to stay in the field and aspire to leadership positions. The seminar was the first in the field to base itself on the principles of best practice in informal Jewish education.

The leadership seminar's unique nature is in its combination of these features:

• A professional network
• Dedicated faculty
• Mentors
• Development of a vision
• Creation and presentation of projects.

The leadership seminar created the first network of professionals who are devoted to the advancement of informal Jewish education. They are shaping the community's response to the educational needs of youth and young adults, sharing their skills and knowledge and becoming a vital resource for others. They are guiding their organizations and communities toward a future in which our young people will want to be involved and stay involved.

The IJE is now applying the leadership seminar model to a number of new professional training initiatives currently in development. We welcome community support for this work.