JLIC-Yavneh CareerForward Jewish Impact Fellowship

Applications for Cohort 2 are now open!

Applications close Sunday, October 25, 2026.

Apply Now

The JLIC CareerForward Fellowship is designed for college juniors passionate about building meaningful careers in the Jewish nonprofit and formal Jewish education sectors. This fellowship aims to identify, inspire, and prepare the next generation of Jewish communal leaders.

Through a carefully curated combination of seminars, impactful internships, individualized senior projects, and guided job placements, fellows will gain the knowledge, skills, and real-world experience needed to thrive professionally. The program’s mission is to empower aspiring changemakers with the tools, mentorship, and network necessary to succeed in the Jewish nonprofit and education sectors—and to make a lasting difference in their communities.

Who We’re Looking For

Nonprofit Track: We are recruiting highly motivated second-semester college juniors who are passionate about pursuing a career in the Jewish nonprofit sector. This track is designed to provide hands-on experience, professional development, and mentorship to help fellows explore and launch meaningful careers in Jewish communal life.

Formal Educator Track: We are recruiting highly motivated second-semester college juniors who are passionate about pursuing a career in formal Jewish education. This track is designed to provide classroom experience, professional development, and mentorship to help fellows explore and launch meaningful careers in Jewish education.

Fellowship Stipend: $2,000

Program Timeline: Spring Semester Junior Year - Fall Semester Senior Year

Formal Education Track

  • Weekly Internship gaining valuable classroom experience. Fellows will be placed at local Jewish day schools and paired with expert teachers in the field.

  • 6 Virtual Seminars exploring the opportunities, challenges, and impact of careers in formal Jewish education. Sessions will be led by relatable and experienced educators who can help Fellows envision themselves beginning careers in the field.

Summer After Junior Year - All Fellows

  • Internship Placement Support: Fellows will be guided through an internship placement process, including personalized advising and interview prep.

  • Internship Experience: Fellows will complete a summer internship at a Jewish nonprofit organization. We will work with each fellow to ensure the opportunity aligns with their interests and goals. (Note: Internships may be unpaid or paid depending on the organization.)

Senior Year

Nonprofit Track

  • 6 Virtual Seminars offering an inside look at the Jewish nonprofit sector, from organizational leadership and community impact to building a sustainable career. Fellows will learn from professionals across the field and gain a clearer sense of the roles and pathways available to them.

  • Spring Shabbaton (End of May)

  • An immersive in-person weekend to build community, reflect, and network with professionals in the field.

  • Continued Classroom Practice & Leadership: Fellows will continue their weekly classroom placement at their assigned school and receive continued guidance from their teaching mentor.

  • Career Coaching: Fellows will meet 2–3 times with a career coach to reflect on their summer experience, clarify their interests, and explore potential career paths.

  • Capstone Project: Fellows will identify a real need in a community they care about (e.g., campus, hometown, camp, synagogue), develop a proposal to address that need, and implement the project with our support.

  • Fall Shabbaton: Fellows will attend the Yavneh Fall Shabbaton to reconnect, network, and share progress.

  • NYC Work Day: A day of learning and exposure to the OU organizational network.

After Graduation - All Fellows

Get support securing a job in the Jewish nonprofit and Jewish education world through ongoing advising and job placement assistance.

  • Career Coaching: Fellows will meet 2–3 times with a career coach to reflect on their summer experience, clarify their interests, and explore potential career paths.

  • Capstone Project: Fellows will identify a real need in a community they care about (e.g., campus, hometown, camp, synagogue), develop a proposal to address that need, and implement the project with our support.

  • Fall Shabbaton: Fellows will attend the Yavneh Fall Shabbaton to reconnect, network, and share progress.

  • NYC Work Day: A day of learning and exposure to the OU organizational network.

    After Graduation

  • Get support securing a job in the Jewish nonprofit and Jewish education world through ongoing advising and job placement assistance.

CareerForward is a program of the OU Leadership Pipeline Initiative

Interested in hearing more? Click “Learn More” or contact us: Careerforward@yavneh.us

Learn more

Cohort 1

  • Samantha Klein

    Queens College

    Shalom Task Force

  • Zachary Magerman

    Yeshiva University

    JLIC Summer & JLIC Jerusalem

  • Rebecca Brody

    University of Maryland

    OpenDor Media

  • Shaya Taub

    Yeshiva University

    OU-JLIC

  • Shira Kaplan

    Touro University

    Communities Confronting Substance Use & Addiction (CCSA) Ohel

  • Atara Keehn

    Binghamton University

    Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services

  • Adam Gould

    Brandeis University

    Prizmah

  • Lucy Schneider

    University of Maryland

    JFNA

  • Hadassah Reich

    Stern College

    TEACH Coalition

  • Bailey Spitz

    University of Maryland

    Beit Din of America

  • Ethan Birk

    Yeshiva University

    Camp Moshava Alevy

  • Hannah Helfgott

    Binghamton University

    Camp Moshava Ba'ir Metro West

  • Dani Minkove

    Yeshiva University

    Camp Moshava Ennismore

  • Aviva Soclof

    Binghamton University

    Jewish Education Center Of Cleveland

  • Chanan Schreiber

    Yeshiva University

    Yachad

    Areyvut