Anatomy of a Jewish Leader

Rabbi Steven Burg is the CEO of Aish HaTorah and the former International Director of NCSY and Eastern Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Rabbi Burg sits down to discuss how he became a leader, how one can connect to others, and the challenges of leading when one is not always "on the ground." He discusses the necessity to stand up for all Jews and emphasizes that Jewish education should focus on wisdom, as opposed to guilt. Rabbi Burg provides insights that he learned from Rabbi Noach Weinberg and Simon Wiesenthal, talks about standing up for his beliefs during cancel culture, and concludes with defining what it means to truly lead. 

Keshet Starr is the CEO of ORA (Organization for the Resolution of Agunot), which seeks to eliminate abuse from the Jewish divorce process. Mrs. Starr sits down to discuss how she came to be in such a leadership role, the balance between empathy and justice, and what it's like to be a female leader in a potentially confrontational role in the very community that she lives in.  She goes on to explain how she tries to make sure that her staff is emotionally intelligent and she offers advice to those who may be in an unhealthy relationship. Keshet goes on to discuss her personal experiences with family, infertility, and the pressures associated with these things in the Orthodox world, before concluding with a definition of what it means to be a leader. 

Richard Joel is the president emeritus of Yeshiva University and Hillel. Dr. Joel sits down to discuss how he came to be in leadership positions, overcoming adversity (such as the death of his father at a young age and being the first non-Rabbi president of YU), what it takes to change the culture of an organization, and the emotional makeup required to be an effective leader. He shares some of his favorite stories and discusses his meaningful relationship with Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. 

As someone who is looking to ultimately be in a leadership role in the Jewish community, I have spent much time trying to not only pick up "tips and tricks" from mentors and people that I look up to, but to also learn from them as a person. What are their values? How do they interact with different emotions, such as doubt, grit, and empathy? How do their values and ways that they approach emotions relate to the ways that they interact with others? As I connected with mentors and learned from who they are as a person, the more I came to realize how misunderstood many of them are and how so few have even thought to relate to them on a more human level.

Over the last several months, I decided to pursue this interest and "problem". I have spent this time planning a podcast called "The Anatomy of a Jewish Leader," in which each episode would contain a meaningful conversation and interview with a different leader in the Jewish community. The goal of this podcast is to allow members of the Jewish community to connect with leaders in a real way, learn from their values, and how those values translate to action.

Welcome to the Anatomy of a Jewish Leader.