The ROI of funding Jewish communal infrastructure in a post-Oct. 7 world | eJP
By Rabbi Ana Bonnheim and Avidan Halivni
Out of a core belief in the long-term and systemic value of one-on-one, customized Jewish learning for employees and lay leaders at Jewish organizations, the JLC built a structure to support individualized, self-directed learning for Jewish communal professionals and volunteers. We anticipated that our startup would benefit learners, their host organizations and the future of the Jewish people. In fact, during our first three years in operation, we observed a great demand for habitual Jewish learning and satisfaction with our infrastructure for its intended purpose: more than 400 hours every month of learning for learning’s sake with more than 100 educators and the cultivation of understanding, belonging and personal growth at 26 organizations.
But when we set out to build this experimental model, we couldn’t foresee the trauma Jews all over the world would feel after Oct. 7. The infrastructure we created at JLC is now strengthening our community in new and critical ways. Learners are turning to JLC for the additional support they need in a time of deep crisis.
