"The networking subsequent to my actual experience in Mandel Jerusalem Fellows has been very valuable"

Jay Brodbar
Graduate of Cohort 5, Mandel Jerusalem Fellows
Executive Director, New Israel Fund of Canada 

 
As Executive Director of the New Israel Fund of Canada, an organization which raises funds for innovative non-profit organizations working to advance civil rights and social justice in Israel, Brodbar’s tasks are multifaceted. He deals with financial and legal administration, grants, writing, fundraising and formal and informal education.

“Besides the grind of administration, the major challenge of my job is educating the community about challenges in Israel’s development as a democracy and a place of justice, and specifically NIF’s impressive track-record in supporting efforts in this direction,” says Brodbar.

Brodbar came to the MJF program with extensive social research experience. According to Brodbar,  the late Prof. Seymour Fox believed that sociological and research skills would be in high demand in the field of Jewish Education and therefore encouraged Brodbar to join the program.

Today, Brodbar continues his relationship with the Mandel community through a vested interest in the colloquia and networking opportunities offered by MLI.

“I have always argued that the investment in Fellows is short-sighted if the investment isn’t continued in colloquia, regional meetings etc. Both in reaction to my presentation at the most recent colloquium and further conversations, I learned a lot which I hope to incorporate into my community education. Hopefully this will be facilitated by follow-up dialogues. A real problem is being so overwhelmed in the field, the time for reflection and refinement is at a premium."

"I have found that the networking subsequent to my actual experience in Jerusalem has been very valuable,” added Brodbar.