Loading organizations...
Key people at Clal – The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Inc..
Founded in 1974 by Rabbi Irving Greenberg, Elie Wiesel, and Rabbi Steven Shaw, the New York-based Clal operates as a leadership training institute and think tank bringing Jewish wisdom to American civic life. The organization generates revenue through foundation grants and fee-for-service contracts with local federations, historically managing an annual budget of $4 million with twelve full-time faculty members. Serving educational and philanthropic organizations, the center provides programming across multiple denominations by working directly with Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist Jewish communities. Under the current leadership of co-presidents Rabbi Irwin Kula and Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, the institute has reframed its mission around making Jewish wisdom a public good. Celebrating fifty years of operation in 2024, the organization continues to extend its innovative approaches into media, universities, and broader public discourse beyond traditional institutional settings.
Clal – The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Inc. is a nonprofit think tank, leadership training institute, and resource center dedicated to applying Jewish wisdom to modern life, fostering pluralism, and training Jewish leaders across denominations.[1][3][5] Founded in 1974, its mission centers on re-imagining the Jewish future by making Jewish wisdom a public good accessible to all, emphasizing optimism, partial truth, and communal wellbeing through innovative programs like Rabbis Without Borders, leadership retreats, and curricula on adaptive leadership and spiritual entrepreneurship.[4][5][8] Rather than an investment firm or tech startup, Clal influences the Jewish communal ecosystem by bridging intellectual heritage with contemporary challenges, such as Holocaust education, interdenominational dialogue, and societal change.[1][3]
Clal was established in 1974 by Rabbi Irving “Yitz” Greenberg, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, and Rabbi Steven Shaw, amid a transformative era for Jews following the Holocaust, Israel's founding, and rising American Jewish prominence and freedom.[1][2][5] The founders sought to deepen connections to Jewish roots while expanding communal horizons through inclusivity and innovation, moving beyond traditional models.[1] Early initiatives like the Zachor Holocaust education program and pluralistic retreats built new engagement models, while a merger with the Institute for Jewish Experience in 1983 broadened its scope.[1][3] Rabbi Irwin Kula joined in the late 1980s, becoming president in 1997, evolving Clal into a think tank adapting Jewish wisdom via systems thinking and spiritual entrepreneurship; leadership later passed to Rabbi Brad Hirschfield as president and Rabbi Elan Babchuck as Executive Vice President.[1][3][5]
Clal stands out in Jewish leadership development through these key strengths:
Clal operates outside commercial tech but intersects the "tech landscape" by leveraging digital tools and innovation trends to disseminate Jewish wisdom, such as online platforms for programs like The Wisdom Daily and collaborations adapting ancient texts to AI-era questions.[1][4][8] It rides waves of pluralism and adaptive leadership amid societal shifts like declining denominational loyalty and rising interfaith dialogue, using systems thinking—pioneered under Rabbi Kula—to help leaders navigate rapid change, much like tech firms address disruption.[1][3] Market forces favoring it include Jewish communal affluence and success, enabling scalable impact through federations, while its influence shapes ecosystem-wide leadership, from rabbinic training to public-facing content that positions Jewish thought as a resource for global challenges like ethics in technology and social movements.[4][6]
Clal's trajectory points to expanded digital outreach and hybrid programs, amplifying Jewish wisdom as a "public good" through emerging tech like AI-driven learning and global collaborations.[4][8] Trends like secularization, pluralism demands, and tech-mediated spirituality will propel its relevance, potentially influencing broader leadership models beyond Judaism. Its influence may evolve from niche training to mainstream cultural contributor, sustaining the founding vision of inclusive possibility amid uncertainty.[1][4] This enduring adaptability reaffirms Clal's role in making ancient wisdom thrive in modern horizons.
Key people at Clal – The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Inc..
