Leadership Cohort
Since October 7th, 2023, Israel-Palestine has been a central point of division within progressive organizations, coalitions, and communities. As a leader, it can feel almost impossible to navigate the complex web of politics that come with this issue without being burned. NJN’s Leadership Cohort is a tool to support nonprofit, business, and philanthropic leaders and elected officials to do just that.
The NJN Leadership Cohort (a one-year program) provides a safe, constructive space for leaders to engage with a wide range of topics related to Israel-Palestine from both an unabashedly progressive and deeply nuanced approach. Topics the cohort may cover include: unpacking Zionism and American Jewish connection to Israel, hearing directly from Palestinian and Israeli activists mobilizing against the Occupation, learning about ongoing peacebuilding efforts, understanding where and how criticism of Israel can fall into antisemitism, how accusations of antisemitism can be weaponized against voices speaking out against Israel’s government, and more.
Participants can expect to improve their ability to navigate difficult conversations and divisions within their organizations and movements and will have the opportunity to workshop personal case studies. To be clear, we will not say what the “right answer” is on Israel and Palestine – instead, NJN will help participants learn to navigate this topic in a way that works for them and their organizations.
Our 2026-27 cohort will consist of approximately 12-15 progressive, US-based, mid-to-senior level professionals who do not specialize in Israel-Palestine or Jewish community work in their full-time jobs, but who are looking to learn how to practically handle the conversation around Israel and Palestine in a way that is true to their values and organizational needs. We want to build a diverse cohort of individuals from a variety of different industries (including but not limited to: nonprofit and union professionals, policy specialists, philanthropy workers, elected officials, and state/local government workers).
What does participation entail?
An in-person gathering in Washington, DC, which will take a day and a half. This exciting kickoff event will be filled with expert briefings, Q&A sessions, in-depth discussions, and opportunities for cohort members to get to know one another.
Monthly Zoom meetings throughout the year. These meetings, which will take place once a month and will continue through June of 2027, provide a confidential space to ask questions and learn how to navigate the world of American political engagement on Israel and Palestine. We will provide workshops and briefings with policy and communications professionals and organizations doing on-the-ground work in Israel and Palestine. We’ll cover bad case studies, good case studies, difficult conversations, and bad-faith actors, and complex topics like the ongoing weaponization of antisemitism as a mechanism for bad faith engagement on Israel/Palestine. Participants will also present their own questions and case studies – it is our hope that as a cohort, participants will also learn to lean on each other and learn from one another’s diverse backgrounds and points of view.
There is no fee to participate in the cohort.