
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


In this episode of the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast, host Dr. Rob Harter speaks with Rabbi Joanna Samuels, CEO and President of the Marlene Meyerson JCC in Manhattan, the largest Jewish Community Center in the United States. Rabbi Samuels discusses her leadership philosophy, rooted deeply in faith and optimism, and how the JCC builds community through programs that span every age and stage of life. She explains why friendship and community are the true “products” her organization delivers and how these relational values drive their mission.
Rabbi Samuels shares how she navigated major challenges, including leading through the COVID-19 pandemic and the profound impact of October 7th on the Jewish community. She offers honest reflections on the resilience required in leadership and how being both kind and bossy—a description offered by her own child—has helped her succeed. This episode is a powerful reminder of the essential human need for connection, belonging, and the role of nonprofits in fulfilling that need.
Key Topics Include:
Mentioned in This Episode:
This Episode is Sponsored By:
Links to Resources:
Subscribe and Share
Listen and subscribe to the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, or Amazon Music. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with other nonprofit leaders!
By Dr. Rob Harter4.7
7878 ratings
In this episode of the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast, host Dr. Rob Harter speaks with Rabbi Joanna Samuels, CEO and President of the Marlene Meyerson JCC in Manhattan, the largest Jewish Community Center in the United States. Rabbi Samuels discusses her leadership philosophy, rooted deeply in faith and optimism, and how the JCC builds community through programs that span every age and stage of life. She explains why friendship and community are the true “products” her organization delivers and how these relational values drive their mission.
Rabbi Samuels shares how she navigated major challenges, including leading through the COVID-19 pandemic and the profound impact of October 7th on the Jewish community. She offers honest reflections on the resilience required in leadership and how being both kind and bossy—a description offered by her own child—has helped her succeed. This episode is a powerful reminder of the essential human need for connection, belonging, and the role of nonprofits in fulfilling that need.
Key Topics Include:
Mentioned in This Episode:
This Episode is Sponsored By:
Links to Resources:
Subscribe and Share
Listen and subscribe to the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, or Amazon Music. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with other nonprofit leaders!

39,013 Listeners

2,268 Listeners

10,706 Listeners

2,255 Listeners

1,459 Listeners

319 Listeners

7,074 Listeners

14,027 Listeners

270 Listeners

8,670 Listeners

9,246 Listeners

2,115 Listeners

61,213 Listeners

20,370 Listeners

158 Listeners