Building Educational Vision: The Hadar Seminar at Mandel Leadership Institute

Founders of Mechon Hadar (MH), an institute of Jewish study, prayer and personal growth, participated in a unique seminar this spring at the Mandel Leadership Institute. The seminar served as the culmination of a year-long Mandel fellowship, which helped the three educational entrepreneurs, Rabbis Ethan Tucker, Elie Kaunfer and Shai Held, develop their educational vision for a new initiative – Yeshivat Hadar.

MH aims to help foster the development of new independent minyanim (prayer groups) outside NYC, and to provide opportunities for intensive Jewish study. This summer's planned Yeshivat Hadar program will offer 36 participants an eight-week in-depth study experience, combining traditional text study, egalitarian prayer and social action with a special focus on personal religious growth.
Over the past year, Tucker, Kaunfer and Held have interacted and learned with Mandel faculty from the United States and Israel, including Professors Dan Pekarsky, David Stern, Devora Steinmetz , Rabbi Elisha Anscelovits, and Dr. Eli Gottleib.

In this one-off educational venture, the Mandel Leadership Institute provided the three founders with a fellowship to assist them in creating a deeper understanding of the vision behind Hadar. During their week-long visit to Israel for a final seminar, studies and discussions focused on creating an in-depth understanding of issues relating to culture creation, and what it means to build organizational culture which supports and strengthens educational goals.

Following their year-long participation in the Mandel fellowship program, both Kaunfer and Tucker have won prestigious awards. Rabbi Kaunfer, executive director of MH, was named to the inaugural class of Avi Chai Fellows, which recognizes emerging communal and educational leaders within the North American Jewish community. One of six fellows chosen from a national search, Kaunfer will direct the proceeds of this three-year grant to provide initial funding for a year-round yeshiva program, expected to launch in 2009. This award follows co-founder Rabbi Tucker's receipt of the first Social Entrepreneur Fellowship from the Grinspoon Foundation. The Forward recently named Kaunfer one of the country’s top fifty Jewish leaders and the Jewish Week named him one of its “36 Under 36” in its May 23, 2008, issue.