Fellowship for Rabbinic Entrepreneurs

Intro

The Fellowship for Rabbinic Entrepreneurs (FRE) is Atra’s flagship fellowship, founded in 2016. Historically, FRE is a one-year fellowship for rabbis and Jewish spiritual leaders of all denominations who seek to build the communities they wish to serve.

Throughout the fellowship, fellows launch or expand new, independent initiatives or communities, or seek to expand the reach of legacy institutions. Through seminars with Atra faculty, staff, and invited experts, fellows learn the critical skills to design, develop, and scale new Jewish community projects. 

Atra has trained 79 Jewish clergy in the past 10 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 working within existing institutions—to participate in the program as well. In 2023, Atra expanded the FRE model through the launch of a regional fellowship in Northern New Jersey, illustrating how FRE continues to evolve in response to local leadership and community needs. 

Learn more about the (re)Design Regional Fellowship. 

Get to know our alumni fellows

The Atra x Base Fellowship for Rabbinic Entrepreneurs (FRE)

This year, we are bringing FRE back in partnership with Mem Global and tailored for their Base rabbis.

The Atra x Base Fellowship for Rabbinic Entrepreneurs (FRE) is a year-long, developmental experience designed to build and strengthen the skills and strategic capacities of entrepreneurial rabbinic leadership. 

This collaboration will support Base rabbis to try on new approaches and expand their comfort with experimentation so they’re able to lead effectively in today’s complex Jewish landscape.

Program Goals

Strengthen rabbis’ ability to lead adaptive, innovative, and sustainable Jewish communities.

Develop entrepreneurial, strategic, and visionary skills that align well with Base’s leadership competencies.

Create a peer network for collegial reflection, feedback, and shared experimentation.

Cultivate rabbis’ clarity of vision for their rabbinic future, both within and beyond Base.

Program Components

Workshops:
Monthly cohort-based workshops will provide shared frameworks, language, and tools related to entrepreneurial rabbinic leadership and community-building.

Incubator Model:
Each fellow will identify a community-based project or initiative to incubate over the course of the year. This project serves as a living laboratory for entrepreneurial, relational community-building.

Coaching:
Fellows will work one-on-one with a coach over the course of the fellowship for eight sessions total, supporting real-time leadership challenges, integration of learning, and future planning.

Peer Chevruta Groups:
Chevruta groups will meet monthly using a structured consultation practice to support accountability, experimentation, and reflection.

About Base

Base takes Jewish life out of the synagogue and into a home, creating a comfortable and inclusive space where young adults can explore their spirituality and Jewish traditions. With a rabbi who feels like a peer, Base offers a pluralistic approach to Judaism that invites big questions, meaningful learning, and authentic connections.

Discover more about Base: https://memglobal.org/base/

Interested in a Future FRE Cohort?

While the 2026 Fellowship for Rabbinic Entrepreneurs cohort is offered in partnership with Base and designed specifically for Base rabbis, FRE remains an ongoing Atra program for entrepreneurial rabbis and Jewish clergy across the field.

If you are a Jewish spiritual leader launching new initiatives, innovating within existing institutions, or exploring new models of Jewish community, please share your information to be notified when applications for a future FRE cohort open.