More than 80 early-career professionals from 34 Jewish Federations convened in Chicago for the first-ever Aleh Summit last month, a three-day program developed by M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education (M²) and Jewish Federations of North America. Designed for professionals from the Jewish nonprofit sector with two to five years of work experience, Aleh provides participants with a highly specialized foundation of values-centered approaches to bolster confidence and facilitate growth as they set out to establish meaningful and lasting careers in the Jewish world.
Recognizing the need to strengthen the Jewish nonprofit sector’s talent pipeline and create fresh, targeted programming to support the development of those at the beginning of their Jewish professional journey, M² and Jewish Federations partnered to initiate Aleh.
Using frameworks which seek to address timely issues and promote positive action through the lens of Jewish values, the diverse group of participants gathered to explore three core goals: how to stay motivated in a career of service to the Jewish people, how to navigate current issues facing the Jewish community, and how to cultivate a strong network and learn skills to create impact.
The summit included a variety of components, ranging from small individualized workshops to full-group learning experiences, with participants divided into small affinity groups focused on networking and workplace integration support. The gathering was also marked by powerful moments of Jewish joy and pride, particularly during nightly social activities, among them a Borscht Belt-themed party.
Encouraged by the momentum of the inaugural event, M² is actively developing future Aleh initiatives as part of its long-term vision.
“As Jewish professionals, we rarely have the space to pause and reflect — to ask why we do this work and how the values that matter to us can be integrated into both our professional and personal lives,” said Mollie Andron, vice president of programs at M². “Aleh created that rare moment of reflection, and it was powerful to witness how deeply participants craved meaningful, relevant content. Being in a room filled with curious and committed young professionals was profoundly inspiring.”
“Developing a strong talent pipeline is critical for building flourishing Jewish communities, which is why Jewish Federations are investing in our early career professionals,” said Liz Fisher, chief talent officer at Jewish Federations of North America. “The Aleh Summit in partnership with M² exceeded our expectations. Participants felt truly seen and uplifted. Many described the summit as unlike any other conference — marked by deep learning, meaningful rituals, celebration and creative connection.”
“Inspired, grounded, energized and thankful: That’s how I returned home after three days in Chicago at the Aleh Summit,” said Evelyn Orlovitz, next-gen development manager at Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and Aleh participant.
“I’m grateful for having a mentor in the affinity group, and learning from like-minded professionals was incredibly meaningful. It was also great to see firsthand how M² approaches learning, different from any training I’ve done before,” she said. “Every session was intentional and well-planned. I’m looking forward to continuing to learn from them.”
