Intro
Are you a rabbi or spiritual leader building a new community from the ground up?
We invite you to apply for the Fellowship for Rabbinic Entrepreneurs. Read on for background, eligibility, and application instructions. Use the “Notify me” button above if you’d like us to contact you when applications open for next year.
The Fellowship for Rabbinic Entrepreneurs (FRE) is a one-year fellowship for rabbinical students and early-career rabbis and clergy of all denominations who seek to build the communities they wish to serve.
Fellows are launching or expanding new, independent initiatives or communities, or seeking to expand the reach of legacy institutions. Through a one-year-long practicum and didactic seminars with Atra faculty, staff, and invited experts, fellows learn the critical skills to design, develop, and scale new Jewish community projects.
What’s involved
Fellows seek to build new forms of Jewish community and consider new business models and revenue streams for such projects. As a natural course, Fellows’ community-building projects as originally conceived will likely change, transform, or deepen through the applied learning of the program. Fellows receive in-depth training in the principles, practices, and approaches necessary for entrepreneurial / intrapreneurial community-building. With mentoring, one on one coaching, and peer support, fellows create, pitch, launch, and grow their ventures. Fellows will receive a $10,000 stipend, will be eligible to apply for modest seed funding, and will be given guidance as they seek revenue streams and pitch to external funders for their projects.
Through its two flagship Fellowship programs, Atra has trained 59 Jewish clergy in the past 8 years. These clergy have gone on to lead or start new communities and projects across the world. Beginning in 2020, we invited Rabbinic Intrapreneurs – those who are working within existing institutions – to participate in the program as well, provided their projects serve new populations in new ways, and do not have an expectation that these people will become “members” of their current institutions.
Program Dates
Attendance at seminar dates below is a requirement of participation
Click here to view the full 2023-2024 calendar
Key dates:
Virtual Orientation:
Monday, August 28
Kickoff Seminar:
Monday, October 23 to Wednesday, October 25
In-person — Location TBA.
Mid-year Seminar:
Monday, January 22.
Virtual.
Closing Seminar:
Monday, June 3 to Wednesday, June 5
In-person — location TBA.
Workshops:
Will take place on Monday evenings (ET).
Virtual. Dates and times here.
Coaching:
One to two hours per month, scheduled by Coaches and Fellows independently
Eligibility
Applicants must be in their last two years of seminary or first five years in the field.
Current seminary students interested in applying must be launching or expanding community-directed projects they are building with the goal of continuing to lead those projects after ordination.
All applicants must have conceived of a project in its early stages, and/or have a clearly defined target audience. Clergy who are new to leading an already existing start-up community or project should email us at cri@hillel.org before applying to confirm whether they are eligible candidates.
Projects must work to form relationship-driven Jewish community.
If you have questions about eligibility, contact us.
Expectations
Fellows commit to attending two in-person seminars (October 2023 and June 2024) a virtual one-day seminar in January 2024, monthly virtual workshops, and individualized coaching. The detailed anticipated schedule can be found here.
Fellows commit to participating fully and open-heartedly as part of a diverse pluralistic cohort of clergy. All will be encouraged to use both their minds and hearts — their intellect and personal experience — in our work together. Fellows are expected to dedicate significant time and energy towards completing guided projects that further their initiative.
Fellows are eligible for a $10,000 stipend. All costs associated with participation are fully subsidized by Atra, made possible through the generous support of our donors.
Application Timeline and Deadlines
We invite talented rabbis and clergy who received ordination or graduated from seminary within the last five years, as well as students in their last two years of seminary, to apply for the eighth cohort.
Priority Application deadline:
March 15, 2023
Final Application deadline:
March 29, 2023
Virtual Interviews:
April 14 – May 3, 2023
Offers Extended:
End of May 2023
Program Launch:
September 2023
- Step I:
Online application
Complete an online application. Click here to apply.
- Step II:
Virtual Interview
After submitting an application, you will be directed to VideoAsk to complete a virtual interview with pre-recorded interview questions. You will be asked to prepare and record yourself answering these questions in the time allotted. You can complete this step immediately, or save it for later, as the link will also be provided in the post-application email you receive. Please email us at shalom@atrarabbis.org if you are not able to find the link to the video interview. You will not be able to complete this step until you have submitted a written application.
Steps I and II must be completed by March 29.
Select applicants will be invited to advance to a second round interview, which will be conducted via video call.
Atra is committed to making reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities or special needs. If reasonable accommodations are needed to participate in this application or interview process, please email us to discuss.