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Herzog’s Voice of the People opens cohort application window

Organizers are seeking 150 participants from Israel, North America and across the Diaspora to address key challenges facing the Jewish people.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal Herzog, visit the Gvanim School in the Mateh Asher Regional Council in northern Israel, on the first day of the school year, Sept. 1, 2026. Photo by Sharon Leibel/Flash90.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog visits the Gvanim School in the Mateh Asher Regional Council in northern Israel, on the first day of the school year, Sept. 1, 2026. Photo by Sharon Leibel/Flash90.

Voice of the People, the global Jewish leadership initiative founded by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, opened applications on Wednesday for its second cohort, seeking 150 participants from communities worldwide.

The new cohort will include 50 participants from Israel, 50 from the United States and Canada and 50 from other Diaspora communities, according to the organization.

Voice of the People was established in 2023 to provide a framework for Jews with different backgrounds and perspectives to build relationships and trust, deepen understanding and develop practical responses to challenges facing the Jewish people.

The initiative’s inaugural cohort brought together 150 Jews from a range of countries, denominations, professions and generations, leading to more than 20 initiatives that have already reached the proof-of-concept stage.

“The strength of the Jewish people has always come from our ability to remain connected across differences of geography, tradition and perspective,” Herzog said in a statement, inviting Jews worldwide to contribute their “voices, experiences and ideas.”

Applicants must be Jewish, at least 21 years old, proficient in English and demonstrate leadership potential, with selections aided by an AI algorithm designed to produce a diverse and representative cohort.

Applications are open through Oct. 12, with those selected set to participate in a 16-month program.

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