Mayim Bialik, a Jewish actress with a Ph.D. in neuroscience, is known for her role as Amy Farrah Fowler on the popular television series, The Big Bang Theory. Another Jewish person in the limelight, Rabbi Chief Lord Jonathan Sacks, served as Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth for the last twenty-three years and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth herself. Though one may not think these two famous Jews would cross paths, they’ve joined forces as co-chairs of a new Jewish leadership-training fellowship that begins this year: CORE18 Leaders Lab.
Rabbi Sacks and Bialik, along with the third co-chair, Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, renowned author and former lecturer on positive psychology at Harvard University, view the program as an opportunity to build a strong Jewish future in global ethical leadership. The program is designed to prepare the next generation of Jewish leaders for the many problems facing the Jewish nation today and to further the Jewish ideal of tikkun olam, the obligation to show the world the ethical way to live and lead.
The program is divided into two parts, phase one and phase two. During the first phase, from January through May 2014, all thirty-six fellows, aged 19-25, will attend a weekly webinar where they will participate in a wide array of discussions ranging from issues in the modern Jewish world to the ethics of leadership. The three co-chairs and other prominent Jewish leaders, including Alan Dershowitz and Natan Sharansky, will lead these webinars. Each fellow will also participate in an independent research project in which he/she will learn how to create successful enterprises. There will also be regional and national conferences where participants from America, Canada, Israel, and Britain will get a chance to meet one another. Then, beginning in June, participants will be placed in a one-month internship in Israel. During their seven-week stay, they will be given a series of lectures by prominent Israeli businesspeople and political scientists, spend time learning in the Beit Midrash, meet members of Knesset, and organize a public symposium on an international Jewish issue.
Phase two of the fellowship is for selected fellows who wish to realize an idea for a social venture. Starting in September 2014 and continuing through the next nine months, they will be given access to mentors, seed capitol, and networking opportunities. Additionally, in December 2014 they will visit Eastern Europe to learn about Jewish heritage and national responsibility.
This enriching program is geared towards students from all over the country and globe, with a range of Jewish backgrounds. According to the website, one must only be Jewish, have demonstrated leadership, and be passionate about doing good in order to apply. Melanie Miller, an MMY alumnus and political science major at the University of Florida, is involved in a diverse array of activities, from Jewish life to student government, and is applying for the CORE18 fellowship this October. She believes that the program “will give me the tools to develop my leadership and social entrepreneur skills with a focus on helping the Jewish community and will be intellectually stimulating as well as practical.” Regarding the prospect of learning from Rabbi Sacks and other major Jewish figures, she believes that “the opportunity to interact on a professional and hopefully personal level with these leaders will be very enlightening.”
Miller’s drive and desire to help both the Jewish population and the world at large, along with so many others like her applying to CORE18, will undeniably make this program a great success. As the website proclaims, “Everyone has a unique purpose; the world is waiting for you to reveal yours.”