Download a printable version of the New Leaders Project brochure.

Applications for the 2008 NLP are now being accepted.  The deadline has been extended to January 22.  Click here to apply now.

Founded in Los Angeles in 1990, the New Leaders Project is the premier Jewish civic leadership training program in the country, linking Jewish values with a commitment to civic activism. NLP participants have the opportunity to:

• Expand their knowledge of the Los Angeles civic and Jewish communities, and explore their assumptions regarding those communities.
• Identify their strengths and address their challenges as leaders, Jewish leaders in the civic community, and civic leaders in the Jewish community.
• Explore strategies and techniques for effective community leadership.
• Explore their Jewish identities and the connection between Jewish tradition/teaching and civic action.

We are searching for 18-21 accomplished Jewish activists in their late 20s to early 40s who have a proven commitment to engaging in civic life. The ideal NLP participant is an individual with current professional or volunteer responsibilities who demonstrates an interest in pursuing a significant role in the community and who has begun to take the steps necessary to reach that goal. After the program, participants are expected to take active leadership roles in the civic and Jewish communities of Los Angeles.

The NLP experience is as unique and varied as the participants themselves. A collaborative process between the participants and the program staff, NLP is most effective when the participants play a strong role in developing and guiding discussions, attend the program sessions and take initiative in using the resources made available to them. 

The Program
NLP is a nine-month-long series of discussions and experiences dedicated to learning about emerging and ongoing issues. Opening doors to the unfamiliar, the unexpected and the unexplored, NLP brings the most visible and accomplished leaders in Los Angeles to facilitate these discussions. 

Participants have an extraordinary opportunity to put their skills and experience into action in support of the community, as they work together to design and implement a community service project. Projects are structured so that participants develop relationships, learn collaboration skills and techniques, and develop a deeper understanding of the challenges facing leaders in Los Angeles.

The Details
Program participants will meet at least once a month on a weekday evening or a Sunday. The program also includes a weekend leadership retreat. Meetings occur at various locations around Los Angeles, allowing participants to become familiar with a wide array of agencies in and outside the Jewish community. Tuition for the program is $350, which includes the cost of the retreat. (Scholarships are available.)

How Do I Apply?
There is an application screening and interview process. Click here for the application. For more information, call (323) 761-8145 or e-mail LAJCRC@JewishLA.org.

Made Possible By
The New Leaders Project is a program of The Jewish Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Committee. Funding for NLP is generously provided by The Jewish Federation.

NLP funding has also been provided by: The Charles Brown Foundation; Bruce Corwin; The Nathan Cummings Foundation; The Hillside Foundation; Stanley Hirsh z”l and other individuals; The Audrey and Sydney Irmas Charitable Foundation; The David Polak Foundation; The Righteous Persons Foundation; The Saban Family Foundation. NLP was initially funded by a grant from the Jewish Community Foundation.

The New Leaders Project
Donna Bojarsky, Co-Founder and Co-Chair
Richard S. Volpert, Co-Chair
Abby J. Leibman, Program Director