Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program

The purpose of this course is to prepare Jewish professional leaders with frameworks, concepts, tools, and skills to manage and lead nonprofit organizations effectively while also enhancing the quality of employee work life. The course integrates contemporary management theory and research, case studies, and experiential assignments to provide understanding of individual and group behavior in Jewish nonprofit organizations. Topics include (but are not limited to) organizational culture, power and influence, organizational structure, human resources, group dynamics, lay-professional relations, and organizational innovation and change.

Mission-driven organizations rely on effective human resource management (HRM) to ensure that the employee policies and practices align with the organization’s goals and values. In this course, students will learn how to supervise and coach peers, direct reports and upper-level management; how to influence without authority; and the use of best practices and metrics in DEI work.

After a disturbing increase in antisemitic incidents since the beginning of the 21st century, the Jewish community is now reeling from the sharp rise in global antisemitism. In this atmosphere of growing antisemitism, it is more important than ever that Jewish professional leaders have the skills and knowledge to prevent and respond to anti-Jewish propaganda and acts. In this course, students will gain an understanding of the complex factors that contribute to antisemitism, develop tools to prevent, confront and combat it, and learn about effective crisis leadership.

This course emphasizes the impact that a comprehensive development program can have on achieving Jewish communal vitality. Students will learn why contemporary Jewish communal professionals must be both organizational and communal development strategists and adept donor relationship developers, regardless of position or title. Students will begin to develop requisite fundraising acumen and skills accelerated by engaging in solution-based thinking around case studies reflecting contemporary fundraising challenges.