• 12 monthly sessions, February 2006 – March 2007 (no meetings in July or August)
• Most sessions will be held Sundays from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Foster City.
• Each session will include dinner.

I. Jewish Literacy Sessions (February – September 2006)

The instructor for these sessions is world-renowned Jewish educator Rabbi Leonid Feldman, the only Soviet-born Conservative rabbi in the US.

1. Judaism: an overview
2. Ancient Jewish history
3. Modern Jewish history
4. Major Jewish concepts and trends
5. Jewish holidays
6. Introduction to Jewish text study

II. Community Leadership Sessions (October 2006 – March 2007)

Led by the Jewish community’s most prominent lay leaders, activists and experts. Each session will offer a unique opportunity to understand our Jewish community.

1. Organized Jewish community
2. Jewish Community Federation
3. Operation Exodus: A case study of community at work
4. Federation and Israel
5. Lay leadership: What does it mean?
6. Where do I fit in? (Overview of boards/committees/agencies)

III. Community Project (April 2007 – March 2008)

Each participant will complete a one-year community project in conjunction with one of the Jewish agencies. This project is an opportunity for JCFI participants to bring to life the skills and knowledge that they have gained during the program sessions.

Participants may either initiate their own projects or define a significant role for themselves within an existing project. JCF staff and individual agencies will work with participants to match their interests and then support their individual projects.