“Jewish Federation launches community new board member training” was written by Eileen Freed. It appeared in the July 2026 edition of Washtenaw Jewish News.
This winter, 40 board members from almost every local Jewish congregation and organization gathered for a three-part educational experience coordinated by the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor and funded by the Jewish Community Foundation.
The aim of the Jewish Community Leadership Training series was to provide important general information about nonprofit board service for new and current board members of local Jewish organizations, large and small. The Jewish Federation hoped this information would drive increased board effectiveness at participating organizations. Other key goals were for participants to develop cross-communal connections, learn best practices from one another, better understand the local Jewish communal landscape, and increase collaboration.
Under the leadership of facilitator Carrie Hammerman, formerly the Chief Strategy and Programs Officer at the NEW Center, a three-part curriculum was developed and delivered. Session One focused on “The Basics,” such as board and governance responsibilities; board structure, roles, committees, meetings and recruitment; and challenges of volunteer boards. The session was facilitated by University of Michigan Professor Emerita Janet Weiss. Professor Weiss taught nonprofit and public management for 40 years in the Ford School of Public Policy and the Ross School of Business and founded the UM Nonprofit Board Fellows Program at UM, which has provided opportunities for over a thousand graduate students to serve on nonprofit boards in Michigan, and to learn hands-on about board service.
The second session focused on fiduciary responsibilities — organizational financial policy and fundraising. Greg Lewis, an executive coach and consultant and longtime lecturer at Ross School of Business, led the group through understanding the financial obligations of the board and how to serve as stewards of the organization’s finances. Participants received handouts about financial terms and engaged in an exercise around reading financial statements. This was followed by Carrie introducing “the elephant in the room” — the very key role board members play in ensuring financial stability through fundraising — giving, educating, and connecting for the benefit of the organization. Carrie encouraged the group to get comfortable with and find joy in fund development. People serve on boards because they care about the cause or mission, and fundraising is simply giving people the opportunity to support the organization to which they commit their time and leadership. Former development director at JFS and UM’s Museum of Natural History and current team leader for the Temple Beth Emeth Life & Legacy team Robin Little spoke to the group about the importance of incorporating planned and legacy giving into the culture of the community’s Jewish communal organizations.
The final session focused on better understanding the Jewish community organizations and structures in Washtenaw County. Jewish Federation CEO Eileen Freed gave a presentation on Ann Arbor’s Jewish history, receiving much appreciated input from the participants regarding their organizations’ important milestones. She spoke about the Jewish community today and shared opportunities and incentives for community collaborations.
Temple Beth Emeth Board Chair Jack Billi thanked Freed for the “very valuable series of sessions for training our community leaders. I hope we can carry forward some of the excellent suggestions for future areas of collaboration.”
Rabbi Gabrielle Pescador and the board members of the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation (AARC) believe that serving on the board of a congregation is “a terrific way to give back to the community, but it can come with challenges.” The AARC leadership were eager to attend the training to learn and network with board members of other area congregations, and the AARC was strongly represented at all three sessions.
“Rabbi Pescador and our board strive to create a warm, supportive leadership cohort that will reflect in the vibe and experience of the congregation,” wrote AARC Board Member Julie Norris in a reflection after the final session. “We work to serve our congregation by fostering an inclusive and caring environment for our current and future congregants. This training helped further these intentions.
“Our Board members sat together during the training, which strengthened our team, and enabled us to quickly discuss and begin applying the valuable learning points directly to our growing Reconstructionist congregation. The sessions were an effective mix of teaching best practices and allowing for participant interaction.”
Dave Nelson, Chair of the AARC’s Board, said, “The program was substantive, informative, and engaging. We really appreciated the opportunity for concentrated time together to reflect on our own leadership, processes, and planning.” He added that “the dinners were delicious and the quinoa stuffed squash was especially good.”
Norris continued, “We are grateful to Federation for the significant work that went into producing this high-quality training. Our hope is that having this resource will encourage our congregants and members of the greater Jewish community to volunteer for board service with more confidence. We now have access to an excellent training program with extensive accompanying resources, all tailored to our unique and wonderful Ann Arbor community.”
The Jewish Federation plans to offer this series on a regular basis, taking the input from this inaugural group to make adjustments. For more information, contact the Jewish Federation at info@jewishannarbor.org.
