/ articles for review

Social change often bubbles up from below, far from the corridors of power. And particularly in the Jewish community, weighed down as it is with slow-moving institutions headed (generally) by men in their 60s, the burden of innovation falls on the young. For five years now, we’ve been highlighting some of the young people who are driving change in the community with our “36 Under 36” section. This time around, we’ve noticed that the 36ers are broadening the definition of Jewish community….From artists and educators to philanthropists and social justice advocates, these young visionaries are challenging the Jewish community to expand the breadth and depth of its reach.

…his job is to promote high-level discussions in the Jewish community as North American director of the Shalom Hartman Institute, a group whose mission is “to enrich and elevate the conversation in Jewish life around Jewish ideas, learning and text, beyond the crises we talk about all the time and the politics of the institutions we inhabit.”

 

The 36-year-old Jerusalem institute hired Kurtzer two years ago to launch its North American division, creating partnerships with Jewish organizations and networks of leaders to offer a range of intensive Jewish learning options for lay and professional leaders. Already, the group is partnering with New Jersey’s Berrie Fellows Program and Boston’s Combined Jewish Philanthropies, among others.