Last week saw the launch of the second year of study for cohort 2 of the Mandel Programs for Leadership Development in the Haredi Community, attended by the director of the Mandel Leadership Institute, Dr. Eli Gottlieb, and the program director, Naomi Perl.
Dr. Gottlieb wished the fellows well on the continuation of their studies and expressed his admiration for the extent of their activism and for their broad perspective, one which transcends their immediate surroundings. “We have much to learn from you about strong, quiet female leadership (and, when needed, leadership that is not so quiet), about loyalty and commitment to tradition and community, and about striving constantly for change and improvement,” he said.
The program participants are leading women from Haredi communities with a strong record of achievement in the fields of education and society: school inspectors, principals, academics, artists and entrepreneurs who lead educational and community-based programs.
Naomi Perl, the program director, referred to the second year as being a “year of doing good” - a year for translating vision and ideas into meaningful action on behalf of the community and Israeli society. The program is based on five fundamental principles and beliefs: a belief in people; in the interaction between people and ideas; in the resilience of the Haredi community and its contribution to Israeli society; in individual leadership; and in the power of the individual to influence society as a whole.
