Deadline Approaching for Beutel Seminar Apps

The deadline to apply to the 2023 Beutel Seminar for Progressive Jewish Leadership has been extended for one week to February 17!

If you aspire to grow and solidify your leadership within Progressive Judaism — in your community, region, or beyond — the Beutel Seminar will equip you with the skills, network, knowledge and perspective to drive and strengthen your course toward greater impact. 

We spoke with Lisa Jane Hack, a 2022 Beutel Seminar participant who is Vice Chair of the South African Union for Progressive Judaism and Chair of the Johannesburg region, about her experience with the program.

What advice do you have for anyone considering the Beutel Seminar?

“Take the chance! Whether you want to get out of your comfort zone or you are new to a leadership role and you want that bit of confidence to help grow your community, Beutel will give you that support and skill set to get to the next level and beyond. Just go for it!”

“The program promised the opportunity to meet like-minded Progressive Jewish leaders and grow our knowledge and leadership potential together. As chair of a congregation and quite new to the lay leader role, I wanted to improve and enhance my skills to be a stronger leader and also widen my network. I liked the idea of being mentored by the educators and also exploring ideas and possibilities with fellow participants.”

Did you have any “aha” moments during your time in the Beutel Seminar?

“Every session has such a moment, but my major one was when I looked where I was at the beginning, and where I was at the end. I knew I had the skills to forge ahead as a leader in my region and with the confidence to take on any project that comes my way.”

What is the value of the connections you made as a Beutel participant?

“Immeasurable. Beutel brings together leaders from around the globe to discuss our challenges, and also to celebrate the victories. We realized we had a shared vision of a strengthened and thriving Progressive Movement. We are now able to pick up the phone just to pick each other’s brains and support community together. I know I have the WUPJ and my Beutelniks by my side.”

There is a project component to Beutel, one that you can develop and apply. What was yours?

“When it started, it was how to grow a small synagogue. But that evolved, and when it ended, it was growing a youth movement. Here in Johannesburg, we haven’t had an active youth movement in quite a long time. It’s now a priority. The support from the WUPJ and the networking has been and is invaluable for this.”