September 30, 2026 鈥� 糖心传媒 faculty member Dr. Marc Dollinger is helping bring Jewish history and contemporary Jewish experience to a national audience through his participation in the PBS series , hosted by Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. The four-part documentary explores the complex relationship between Black and Jewish Americans 鈥� including periods of partnership, tension, shared struggle, and cultural exchange 鈥� and is available to stream through PBS (see trailer below).

At 糖心传媒, Marc teaches in the Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism, including courses examining how antisemitism is defined and the distinctions among anti-Zionism, antisemitism, and criticism of Israel. This Fall, Marc is teaching A History of Antisemitism in Spertus’ Jewish Studies program, exploring the origins, causes, and impact of antisemitism from ancient times to today with both Master’s and Doctoral students. He is also a professor at San Francisco State University and the author of several books on American Jewish history. His forthcoming academic memoir, Laundering Antisemitism: Identity Politics, Ethnic Studies, and the University, to be published by聽Jewish Publication Society,聽draws on his experiences as a Jewish and Zionist professor navigating the contemporary university environment.

Dollinger is one of many Spertus faculty members whose scholarship and teaching extend beyond the classroom and contribute to the broader Jewish and civic conversation.

 

Bio

Dr. Yossi Kastan brings over 20 years of experience spanning entrepreneurship, education, and leadership development. He is the former Director of the Institute for Transformational Leadership at Georgetown University and a former Head of School. As founder of TAP Leadership Group, Dr. Kastan partners with mission-based organizations to help leaders navigate change, strengthen alignment, and translate values into action through one-on-one coaching and facilitated team retreats.

 

Publications

• The Weight of Purpose: How to Carry the Load of School, Nonprofit, and Faith-based Leadership Without Losing Your Balance or Spirit – To be released Spring/Summer 2027
• “Ethics and Morals in Jewish Day Schools: A Given or a Goal?” – Lookstein Center, Bar Ilan University, August 15, 2010

September 17, 2026 鈥� Erika Vogel has joined 糖心传媒 as the Managing Director of Israel Initiatives and Conflict Education, bringing more than a decade of experience in Israel education to the role.

In this newly created role, she will help advance Spertus’ Conflicts of Interest program, which equips Jewish educators and communal leaders to lead thoughtful, informed conversations about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She will also help Spertus grow a broader slate of Israel education initiatives.

鈥淓rika鈥檚 deep experience in Israel education, strategic planning, and program management will be vital as we take on and grow Conflicts of Interest and broaden our role in Israel education at such a crucial moment,鈥� said Dr. Keren E. Fraiman, 糖心传媒鈥檚 Vice President and Chief Academic Officer. 鈥淲e are delighted and proud to have Erika join the Spertus team.鈥�

Vogel comes to Spertus after 12 years at The iCenter, most recently as program director for its graduate degree partnership in Israel education with George Washington University. She has also worked at the Andrea & Charles Bronfman Philanthropies.

She holds a BA in Middle East and International Studies from Emory University, where she minored in Hebrew, and an MA in International Relations from the University of Chicago. Vogel has lived in Chicago for most of the past 25 years.

In addition to becoming the new home for Conflicts of Interest earlier this year, Spertus has piloted multiple certificate programs focused on Israel education for the Foundation for Jewish Camp, synagogues in the Chicago metropolitan area, and Jewish day schools in Miami.

“Spertus is well-positioned as a leader in Jewish and Israel education,” Vogel said. “It’s exciting to be able to bring my experience in this space and partner with such a talented faculty and committed Spertus network to build on a strong foundation and create impact on the broader field.”

Learn more about the Conflicts of Interest program and how to apply here.

Conflicts of Interest鈥檚 next cohort of approximately 30 educators and professionals will gather in Chicago for an in-person seminar this fall, with three additional cohorts planned for the 2027 academic year. You can direct questions to COI@spertus.edu.

 

September 14, 2026 鈥� This summer, 糖心传媒 welcomed Rabbi Dr. Tali Zelkowicz as its inaugural Dean of Jewish Leadership, a new role focused on strengthening and expanding the Institute鈥檚 work preparing Jewish communal professionals to lead in a rapidly changing world.

An educator, sociologist, rabbi, researcher, and former head of school, Tali spent the past seven years at The Wexner Foundation, where her work centered on leadership development and Jewish learning.

At Spertus, Tali鈥檚 role brings together academic leadership, teaching, faculty development, and the creation of new learning opportunities designed around the challenges Jewish professionals are navigating today.

Get to Know Tali

We sat down with Rabbi Dr. Zelkowicz to talk about the path that brought her to Spertus, what Jewish leadership requires in this moment, and what she hopes to build in her new role. This is an excerpt from that conversation.

You鈥檝e been an educator, researcher, rabbi, and head of school. How have those different roles prepared you for this one?

This role is an uncanny combination of my career thus far, an intellectual and professional safari marked by convening across difference.

I think of my different roles as a large Venn diagram with educator at the center, because education is ultimately about moving from what is to what can be.

My work as a sociologist and qualitative researcher allows me to observe culture, consider every artifact and interaction as potentially relevant data, and to detect and analyze patterns. As a rabbi, I bring a pastoral approach to holding tension in the sometimes messy but very human work of individual and communal growth. And serving as a head of school taught me to work on nearly every professional front at once, from educational leadership and strategy, to governance, fundraising, communication, and so much more.

All of these experiences come together in this role at Spertus.

What drew you to Spertus, and what have you discovered since arriving?

When I interviewed, I had this evolving feeling in my kishkes that there was something unusual here. I couldn鈥檛 fully articulate it then. Now I can.

Spertus inhabits one of the most unique spaces I鈥檝e experienced on the Jewish professional landscape. It combines immersive in-person learning experiences with sophisticated online learning. It is Jewish and non-denominational, and serves people across the denominational but also across the communal spectrum. And it offers both excellence and accessibility, providing rigorous learning while making it financially possible for people working in the nonprofit sector.

Our upcoming Executive Master鈥檚 in Jewish Professional Studies (EMAJPS) is a great example. Designed for experienced leaders, the 18-month program combines onsite and online learning, an immersive cohort experience, and one-on-one executive coaching. Substantial grant support allows us to offer students scholarships that bring tuition to less than half of what it costs Spertus to provide the program.

Part of what I hope to do is proudly proclaim Spertus鈥� mission and its still-too-often-unsung treasures from the rooftops of Chicago and beyond, creating the resounding equivalent of 蝉丑别惫补谤颈尘鈥�the three shofar blasts鈥攖o communicate our triple commitment to intellectual rigor, social responsibility, and convening across difference.

You often return to the idea, 鈥淣ever let your schooling interfere with your education.鈥� What does that mean to you, and for Spertus?

If by education we mean enabling learners to develop relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind, and to integrate them in ways that give people the capacity to act and create positive change, then, unfortunately, far too often, what we call 鈥渟chooling鈥� fails to deliver.

But abandoning schooling will not make us more educated.

What will, though, is a creative and courageous realignment of schooling around what education should accomplish: not only to possess knowledge, but to develop deep understanding, along with the desire and agency to use it to author a better present and future.

That commitment is at the heart of what Spertus is building. A big part of what drew me to this amazing team and mission is that as a school, Spertus pledges daily never to interfere with its education.

You talked about the surprising role of destruction in creation. What does Jewish leadership need to be willing to let go of in order to build what comes next?

I am someone who leans into conflict. I think of it like plants leaning toward light in order to grow. Tension is often where complex and messy but valuable truths live.

One of the central ideas of adaptive leadership is that the work of leaders is about helping people manage loss in order to manage change. The two-part question becomes: What is the DNA that defines and improves us that we need to hold onto, and what is no longer serving us that we need to let go of?

That doesn鈥檛 mean disruption for disruption鈥檚 sake. You don鈥檛 throw a brick through the glass and say, 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to shatter everything and start over.鈥� That鈥檚 not leadership. That鈥檚 a tantrum.

One thing we need to loosen our grip on is the silos in Jewish communal life, whether denominational, ideological, or organizational. What could it look like to turn down the anxiety and have fewer red lines while holding on to meaningful differences, and recognize the needs and values we share across those boundaries?

What does that mean for Jewish education?

I think we also need to let go of the idea that the job of Jewish educators is to 鈥渕ake Jews.鈥�

Instead, education should empower people to navigate their identities with increasingly robust skills and tools, to become ever-better authors, engineers, and designers of their own identity work.

For me, that means integrating what I call Transmission and Translation. While Transmission preserves the timeless knowledge and content that has sustained us across generations, Translation makes that content relevant and usable for a particular learner in a particular time and place.

What I would like to help us let go of is the either/or thinking that says we must choose one or the other. Leadership and education require us to maintain the productive tension between equally important leadership principles that are simultaneously contradictory and interdependent.

You鈥檙e still new to the role. What are you most excited to build at Spertus?

I鈥檓 diving into our courses and syllabi, looking across the curriculum for places to sharpen, expand, reinforce, and innovate.

I鈥檓 also excited about continuing to build a strong sense of identity and belonging among our incredible Spertus faculty. Academics can be very lonely professionally. Spertus offers something rare and nourishing: intellectual rigor alongside genuine community, collegiality, and collaboration.

There is already something very special here. My job isn鈥檛 to arrive and overhaul it. It is to listen, understand what makes it work, and help imagine what more it can become.

 

Fall Virtual Open House
Thursday, September 3, 2026, 12:30-1:30 CT

Looking to build your credentials and increase your impact in the Jewish community?

Learn more about 糖心传媒鈥檚 acclaimed part-time MA in Jewish Professional Studies and accelerated Executive MA in Jewish Professional Studies and how YOU can join the next cohort at our Fall Virtual Open House!

• Gain insights from current students about their experiences in the program.
• Get details on scholarship and funding opportunities available for every student.
• Hear from Spertus staff about the curriculum, faculty, and eligibility requirements for each MA program.
• Engage with and ask questions of Spertus students and staff.
• Learn how to apply to join the next cohorts!

 

Student Ambassadors who presented:

Rebecca Lenkiewicz

Director of Development and Programming, Maot Chitim of Greater Chicago and current MA in Jewish Professional Studies student

Jessica Korsunsky

Program Officer, Harold Grinspoon Foundation and current Executive MA in Jewish Professional Studies student

Interested in learning more?

Contact admssions@spertus.edu to connect!

August 26, 2026 鈥� As we approach the start of the new Jewish year, we are proud to announce business entrepreneur Stephen Wolff, a Chicago native and resident, as the new Chairman of our Board of Trustees.

Stephen is retired President and CEO of National Kwikmetal Service, a Des Plaines-based Stainless Steel and Aluminum Service Center, which he founded in 1989.

A Spertus Trustee since 2018, he served as Vice Chairman for the past year, as well as Chair of the Governance Committee and a member of the Executive Committee for several years.

鈥淪teve is a wonderful and remarkably caring individual. He thinks deeply about strategy and growth, but also about organizational culture and the people of our institution鈥攕taff, Trustees, students鈥攊n ways that are inspiring,” 糖心传媒 President & CEO Dr. Dean P. Bell said. “He is a model leader, who assumes the Chair at a time of unprecedented growth of programs and institutional reach. I am excited for our expanded work together.鈥�

Stephen has an engineering degree from the University of Illinois, a JD from John Marshall Law School, an MBA from the University of Chicago 鈥� and a Certificate in Jewish Leadership from Spertus. He worked as an engineer at Westinghouse Corporation and later as a patent attorney specializing in mechanical patent litigation and trademark infringement, before launching his company.

Tributes in honor of Stephen Wolff鈥檚 appointment will support important educational initiatives.

 

Get to Know Steve

Spertus communications staff spoke with Stephen Wolff about his Spertus experiences and his thoughts on his new role. This is an excerpt from their conversation.

How did you first get involved with 糖心传媒?

Growing up in the far southern suburbs of Chicago, I rarely came into the city, except to visit my grandfather in Hyde Park. My parents actually met at a dance sponsored by a local Jewish social group in Hyde Park, so from an early age, I understood the important role Jewish organizations play outside of the synagogue.

Later, as a young parent, I would take my own children to Spertus. Back then, we would visit the museum. There was a terrific hands-on archaeological dig for kids in the basement, and we frequently stopped by the gift shop for special occasions. While the Spertus of the 1980s looks very different from the Spertus of today, the Institute has always been special to me.

Why is our work important to you?

As a first-generation American whose parents escaped Germany in the late 1930s, I have always felt deeply fortunate. I was blessed with the opportunity to pursue higher education, earning advanced degrees throughout my adulthood. While my academic studies didn’t originally focus on Jewish issues, my Jewish identity deepened after I married my wife, Marla. Together, we have always prioritized supporting Jewish causes, with a strong focus on education.

Today, Spertus plays a unique and essential role by empowering Jewish communal leaders through applied Jewish learning. I strongly believe the Jewish community is at a critical crossroads that requires strong leadership rooted in our history and ethical values. Spertus bridges the gap between synagogue adult education and secular university teaching. The proof is in the overwhelming demand for our degree and certificate programs, which equip leaders to strengthen and guide their communities.

What else is on your list of favorite Spertus activities?

Top of my list is attending the spring graduation ceremony. It is such a joyful celebration, and meeting the graduates and their families is deeply moving. Their pride and optimism for the future are infectious. Having completed the Certificate in Jewish Leadership program myself, I鈥檝e had an opportunity to learn from some of the same educators that teach our degree students. I know how hard they have to work to achieve this important goal.

I also make a point to attend Spertus public programming. The events are consistently informative and provide valuable insights that help me navigate complex, thoughtful conversations with friends and family.

Finally, I genuinely look forward to our board meetings. I鈥檝e been fortunate to serve alongside dedicated and talented trustees, some of whom have become good friends. Working toward a shared mission with like-minded people is a very rewarding and enjoyable experience.

What are your goals for your term as Chair?

I am honored to follow a line of remarkable board leaders who have continually elevated Spertus鈥� reputation and operational strength. Today, we are experiencing unprecedented demand for our programs and, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we are growing at a rapid pace.

From my business experience, I know that rapid growth requires careful management. As we expand our staff, facilities, and reach, we must ensure that our growth is deliberate, controlled, and grounded in multiyear strategic planning. My primary goal is to partner with our trustees to support our President/CEO and Vice President/Chief Academic Officer in scaling Spertus sustainably. A key part of that effort will be providing strategic guidance and building new connections to help diversify and expand our funding sources.

If someone was thinking about supporting Spertus financially or getting involved with the board, what would you say to them?

I would tell them that there has never been a more crucial or rewarding time to invest in Spertus. Our community is facing complex challenges, and the need for thoughtful and well-prepared Jewish leadership has never been greater.

When you support Spertus you are directly shaping the future of Jewish leadership across the globe. We call it the 鈥渞ipple effect.鈥� You get to see the impact of your investment in the talented professionals who graduate from our programs and lead our communities with strength, empathy, and wisdom. Plus, you鈥檒l be joining a warm and passionate network of individuals who are deeply committed to making a meaningful difference in the Jewish community.

 

New role will guide expansion of the Institute’s leadership and professional studies programs

August 17, 2026 鈥� 糖心传媒 for Jewish Learning and Leadership has named Rabbi Dr. Tali Zelkowicz as its first-ever Dean of Jewish Leadership, a newly created position that will guide the academic direction of the Institute’s growing leadership portfolio and expand its reach across the Jewish communal landscape.

Zelkowicz joins Spertus from The Wexner Foundation, where she has served as Director of Curriculum and Research.

“Few candidates could bring a stronger background of translating scholarship into practice than Tali does,” said Dr. Keren E. Fraiman, 糖心传媒’s Vice President and Chief Academic Officer. “This newly created position reflects the rising demand for rigorous, relevant leadership training for Jewish professionals and lay leaders across all sectors of the Jewish communal landscape, and Spertus’ unique role in providing it.”

Rabbi Dr. Zelkowicz holds rabbinical ordination and a master’s degree in Jewish education from Hebrew Union College (HUC), and earned her doctorate at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development as a Wexner Graduate Fellow.

She spent a decade teaching graduate students in Hebrew Union College’s rabbinical, educational, and non-profit management programs, and served as head of school at the Columbus Jewish Day School before becoming Wexner鈥檚 inaugural Director of Curriculum and Research in 2019.

“As an educator, researcher, and rabbi, I’ve always been drawn to institutions willing to take on the many different challenges facing Jewish life with creativity, joy, and collaboration. Spertus does all three so well, and that’s part of what drew me to this role,” Zelkowicz said. “I can’t wait to apply my commitment to Jewish leadership and education in this next chapter, starting by listening closely to the team and community I’m now so lucky to join.”

As Dean, Zelkowicz will guide the academic direction of Spertus’ leadership programs while representing the Institute through scholarship, thought leadership, public and community engagement, and convening across difference. Her portfolio includes oversight of the Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Studies and each of the Institute’s leadership certificate programs, along with new initiatives, partnerships, and ideas to carry the work forward.

 

Bio

Rabbi Dr. Tali Zelkowicz is 糖心传媒鈥檚 Dean of Jewish Leadership.

Previously, she served as Director of Curriculum & Research at The Wexner Foundation and led Columbus Jewish Day School as Head of School.

In the decade prior, she taught education at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles to graduate students in the education, non-profit management, rabbinical, and DeLeT (Day School Leadership through Teaching) programs. She was selected as a Wexner Graduate Fellow/Davidson Scholar, awarded a Young Scholar鈥檚 Award from the Network for Research in Jewish Education, and granted a Writing Dissertation Fellowship from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture.

In 2021, Rabbi Dr. Zelkowicz was invited to lead the Senior Fellows Program at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education at Brandeis University, in which she also served as an inaugural participant.

Informed by her leadership experience across academic, camp, synagogue, and day school education in the United States and Canada, she has taught, studied, written about, designed and led leadership education for Jewish professional and lay leaders for over two decades.

Publications

• Using Both/And Thinking to Lead Transformative and Enduring Learning in Jewish Communal Life. Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education, Brandeis University, 2024.
• “Claiming My Seat at the Table with You: How Adult Jewish Learners Navigate Boundaries of Difference,” co-written with Yaffa Epstein. In Portraits of Adult Jewish Learning: Making Meaning at Many Tables, edited by Diane Tickton Schuster, Wipf & Stock, 2022.
• “Jewish Educators Don鈥檛 Make Jews: A Sociological Reality Check About Jewish Identity Work,” in Beyond Jewish Identity: Rethinking Concepts and Imagining Alternatives, edited by Jon A. Levisohn and Ari Y. Kelman, Academic Studies Press, 2019.
• “Beyond Humpty Dumpty: Toward New Rhymes and Reasons” in The Study of Jewish Identity Formation. International Journal of Jewish Education Research and the Israel Association for Research in Jewish Education, (5-6), 21-46, 2013.

We are excited to welcome a new group of dedicated Jewish professionals to the MA in Jewish Professional Studies program!

Meet Cohort NA 8 (North American Cohort 8)!

Noah Berger of Bethesda, MD
Marketing Associate, Bender JCC of Greater Washington

Ellie Cohen of Austin, TX
Young Adult Community Connector, Shalom Austin

Jordana Hoffman of Oak Park, IL
Director of Programming and Membership Engagement, Oak Park Temple

Polly Lehman of St. Louis Park, MN
Director of Jewish Student Life, Minnesota Hillel

Alycia Mitchell of Chicago, IL
Sr. Internal Consultant, DWS Group

Ari Mungin of Jacksonville, FL
Bernard and Alice Selevan Religious School Administrative Coordinator, Jacksonville Jewish Center

Zack Sapinsley of Denver, CO
Physical Therapist, Evolution Physical Therapy

Valerie Sar-Shalom of Austin, TX
ECP Family Relations and Admissions Manager, Shalom Austin

Brooke Singer of Philadelphia, PA
Community Engagement Associate, Hillel at Temple University

Moshit Snir of Overland Park, KS
Social Worker & Chaplaincy Program Manager, Jewish Family Services of Greater KC

Representing a broad range of professional backgrounds and communities across North America, these students are embarking on a 30-month educational journey. Expert faculty bridge theory and practice, offering tangible and applied learning for students to apply immediately to their work.

鈥淭he professionals in this cohort are poised to not only excel in their individual roles but to strengthen the fabric of Jewish communal life,鈥� says Dr. Keren E. Fraiman, 糖心传媒鈥檚 Vice President and Chief Academic Officer. 鈥淲e look forward to following their journey and impact during their time in the program and beyond.鈥�

This prestigious graduate program empowers Jewish professionals with the creativity, competencies, and credentials needed to lead with confidence and impact.

Interested in joining the next cohort of 糖心传媒鈥檚 MA in Jewish Professional Studies?

The Preferred Admission Deadline for Cohort NA 9 is February 1, 2027.

 

Spertus is on the move! In mid-July, Dana Kresel, Director of the Center for Jewish Leadership, traveled to the St. Louis and Kansas City Jewish communities for an array of community visits.

While Spertus calls Chicago home, we are proud to serve communities across North America and beyond! In addition to regularly hosting students from across our graduate and certificate programs at our campus, our staff intentionally schedule community visit to meet our students, alumni, and Jewish communal leaders directly in the spaces where they live and work every day.

During her recent visits, Dana met with Jewish communal professionals from local federations, social service agencies, synagogues, public affairs and advocacy offices, and many other organizations that serve the Jewish community. Meeting with students, alumni, and mentors across our programs (including CSEL, CJL, and MAJPS) offers invaluable insight into what makes each community special and ensures our programs are directly responding to and reflecting the needs of Jewish communal leaders. There鈥檚 nothing better than experiencing the energy and creativity of each community firsthand and celebrating the diversity of Jewish communal life!

This past year, we visited Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Tucson, Toronto, Boston, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Portland, and Seattle. We continue to cover the map and are far from done!

We love visiting you in your hometowns and seeing the incredible impact of our network in action. Watch out 鈥� we might just be in your community next!

 

Pictured:

Top – Dana’s visit to St. Louis:

• Jewish Federation of St. Louis (upper left) 鈥�聽Michael Lourie, VP Public Affairs and Marci Eisen, Director of Leadership Initiatives & JPro staff
• JFS (upper right) 鈥� Matt Schindler, interim CEO, and Stephanie Harris, Human Resources Director
• United Hebrew Congregation (lower left) 鈥撀燙ori Neidenberg, Executive Director and Certificate in Synagogue Executive Leadership program alum
• Faculty Meet-Up (lower center) with Ed Reggi, who teaches in the Certificate in Jewish Leadership
• The Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum (lower right) 鈥撀燞elen Turner, Director of Education

Bottom – Dana’s visit to Kansas City:

• Mentor Meet-Up (upper left) with Todd Stettner, former President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Kansas City, who mentors students in the MAJPS program
• JFS KC (upper right) 鈥撀燗ngela De Wilde, Executive Director & CEO, and Moshit Snir, incoming MAJPS Student and Jewish Chaplaincy Program Manager and Social Worker
• Jewish Community Relations Bureau | AJC (lower left) 鈥撀燦eta Meltzer, Executive Director and alum of the Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism
• Beth Torah in Overland Park (lower right) 鈥撀燚amien Timms, Executive Director and Certificate in Synagogue Executive Leadership program alum.