The Women’s Jewish Learning Center Named One of North America’s Most Innovative Jewish Non-Profits in SlingShot, 2012-2013
Scottsdale, AZ – November 5, 2012 – The Women’s Jewish Learning Center (WJLC)has been named one of the nation’s 50 most innovative Jewish nonprofits in Slingshot ’12-‘13, a resource guide for Jewish innovation.
Slingshot organizations are selected from among hundreds of nominees based on their strength in four areas: innovation, impact, leadership, and organizational efficiency. Julie Finkelstein, Program Director of Slingshot, reports, “This year, we received more applications than ever before, making the evaluation and selection process highly competitive.” The Women’s Jewish Learning Center was chosen by an independent panel of 48 foundation professionals from across North America.
Rabbi Elana Kanter, The Women’s Jewish Learning Center Director, shares, “It is an honor to be recognized by Slingshot and be in the company of organizations we admire, such as IKAR and HADAR among others. This honor affirms our WJLC three-part mission: to help women grow in their Judaism through Torah study; to partner with other Jewish women’s organizations in making Jewish learning integral to their programs; and, to support the development of strong and effective Jewish Women’s leadership.”
The Women’s Jewish Learning Center provides an innovative and accessible approach to adult education combining multimedia, music and art with text and literature. The Center’s offerings include classes, retreats and forums with nationally acclaimed speakers. The welcoming environment with its exchanges of ideas and respect for the spectrum of viewpoints brings excellence in learning to students from a wide span of ages, denominations and backgrounds of Jewish knowledge. The Center, under Rabbi Kanter’s leadership, continues to grow and its commitment to collaboration has resulted in joint projects with Valley of the Sun Hadassah groups, the National Council for Jewish Women, women clergy Valley-wide, the JCC; and the Jewish Community Association.
Ellen Sacks, WJLC Steering Committee member, comments: “Slingshot’s selection of the Women’s Jewish Learning Center as one of the 50 most innovative nonprofit organizations impacting North American Jewish life today further validates the Center’s work. Slingshot’s recognition enables us to expand our reach to a broader group of potential students, funders and collaborators.”
Slingshot ‘s Resource Guide is distributed to 7,500 funders, foundation professionals, and organizational leaders annually, in addition to tens of thousands of online downloads. Readers use Slingshot to identify the most inspiring and trail blazing organizations, projects, and programs in the North American Jewish community today. Since its inception, Slingshot has highlighted 173 innovative Jewish organizations in North America.
The Guide highlights both newly formed organizations and innovative projects happening at established Jewish institutions, all making an impact by meeting the changing needs of today’s Jewish community.
According to Sarah Gelman Rueven, Slingshot Board member, “The Slingshot Guide promotes organizations that are pushing the boundaries and negotiating what it means to be Jewish in the 21st century, while at the same time, promoting transparent business practices and strong leadership.
The Guide contains information about each organization’s origin, mission, strategy, impact and budget, as well as details about its unique character. Now in its eighth edition, Slingshot has proven to be a catalyst for next generation funding and offers a telling snapshot of shifting trends in North America’s Jewish community. The book, published annually, is available for free in hard copy and as a download at www.slingshotfund.org.
