Misha Galperin

Practical and inspiring guidance for leading with more conviction, commitment and passion--and results." Bringing people together through their organizational affiliations and then asking them to think beyond those institutions to serve the community in the best possible way is one of the most important challenges we face today in a world of too many Jewish nonprofits. That takes strong leadership. Are you prepared for it?"--from the IntroductionIn today's increasingly demanding world, you need a practical way to improve current lay and professional leadership in Jewish community organizations. Dr. Misha Galperin draws on over thirty years of professional experience, as well as insights from the world of business, psychology and research in Jewish demographics and sociology, to help you see what is working and what is not. In a style that is informative, accessible and direct, he provides inspiring, action-oriented advice and examples that illustrate how these "lessons from the field" can help you cultivate strong, effective and transformative leadership that will help your organization achieve its goals.

For over one hundred years, the American Jewish community has built a remarkable network of institutions to help manage fundraising, education and social welfare initiatives. Virtually every one of these organizations is currently preoccupied with issues of leadership from succession planning to board development to conflict management. This urgent need for leadership guidance is occurring at the same time organizational life has come under question, with young leaders often claiming that established Jewish organizations are afraid of innovation and change. In this charged atmosphere, this book serves as a practical guidepost for lay and professional leaders to evaluate the current paradigm with insights from the world of business, psychology and research in Jewish demographics and sociology. Accessible and finely focused, it is supported by vignettes from the field that illustrate the successes of the lessons as well as the consequences of not implementing them.

Peoplehood—everyone's talking about it. But what does it actually mean and why is it important to the future of Judaism? "Why is this conversation important? Why does it merit your attention? If you care about Jewish identity and community, then you know that we have no trouble identifying the problems that fragmentize us as a people but have far less success identifying that which unites us. Without a unifying, collective notion of Jewish identity that is meaningful and robust, it is virtually impossible to make a strong case for Jewish continuity." —from the Introduction This call to Jewish community explores the purpose, possibilities and limitations of peoplehood as a unifying concept of community for a people struggling profoundly with Jewish identity. It defines what peoplehood is—and is not—and explores both collective and personal Jewish identity and the nature of identity construction. Drawing on history, sacred texts and contemporary scholarship, The Case for Jewish Peoplehood identifies some of the obstacles that challenge a shared notion of peoplehood: personal choices, construct of membership and boundaries, growth of Jewish illiteracy, identity fragmentation between Israeli and Diaspora Jewry and the generational divide affecting traditionalists, baby boomers and generations X and Y. To help you join the conversation, the authors support a vision for the future and provide practical guidance and recommendations for getting there.

Peoplehood--everyone's talking about it. But what does it actually mean and why is it important to the future of Judaism? "Why is this conversation important? Why does it merit your attention? If you care about Jewish identity and community, then you know that we have no trouble identifying the problems that fragmentize us as a people but have far less success identifying that which unites us. Without a unifying, collective notion of Jewish identity that is meaningful and robust, it is virtually impossible to make a strong case for Jewish continuity."--from the IntroductionThis call to Jewish community explores the purpose, possibilities and limitations of peoplehood as a unifying concept of community for a people struggling profoundly with Jewish identity. It defines what peoplehood is--and is not--and explores both collective and personal Jewish identity and the nature of identity construction. Drawing on history, sacred texts and contemporary scholarship, The Case for Jewish Peoplehood identifies some of the obstacles that challenge a shared notion of peoplehood: personal choices, construct of membership and boundaries, growth of Jewish illiteracy, identity fragmentation between Israeli and Diaspora Jewry and the generational divide affecting traditionalists, baby boomers and generations X and Y. To help you join the conversation, the authors support a vision for the future and provide practical guidance and recommendations for getting there.