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From Profits
To Prophets

Local rabbi participates
in new corporate training program.

JULIE WIENER STAFF WRITER

L

ong a staple in the world of
profits, corporate training is
now entering the realm of
prophets.
Under the auspices of an in-
novative new program, Rabbi
Steven Weil of Young Israel of
Oak Park, along with 16 other
young Orthodox rabbis from all
over North America, has been se-
lected to spend the next two years
enhancing his corporate execu-
tive skills.
"We want to provide rabbis
with the kinds of skills that, by
and large, they do not get in the
course of their formal training,"
said Dr. David Schnall, a Yeshi-
va University professor who is
serving as director of the Lead-
ership Education and Develop-
ment Program (LEAD). LEAD
brings rabbis together for two-
and three-day semiannual train-
ing seminars focusing on such
leadership skills as strategic

planning, creative decision mak-
ing, time management, group,
dynamics, team building, su-
pervision, communication and
conflict resolution.
According to Rabbi Robert S.
Hirt, vice president for admin-
istration and professional edu-
cation at Yeshiva U.'s Rabbi
Isaac Elchanan Theological
Seminary, the organization co-
ordinating LEAD, "If the CEO
has no strategic vision for the
company's future, there will be
no growth. The same holds true
for a congregation.
"So we need rabbis who artic-
ulate a creative direction for the
spiritual enhancement of their
communities, rather than rab-
bis who act solely as functionar-
ies performing their everyday
activities."
The introductory series of
seminars occurred in December
in New York, and Rabbi Weil in-

teracted with peers and men-
tors. "It's been wonderful so far,"
he said. "It's stimulating and
challenging and exposes you to
new angles."
The 31-year-old Rabbi Weil
hopes the program will improve
his skills as a communal leader
and help him to create a
warmer, more stimulating en-
vironment for his con- .
gregants.
In addition to partic-
ipating in seminars, the
participating rabbis are
required to design, im-
plement and manage
two ongoing experien-
tial learning projects,
the first to benefit their
synagogue and the sec-
ond the broader Jewish
community in which
they reside.
Working in conjunc-
tion with local Jewish
agencies, Rabbi Weil
hopes to establish a re-
source center for Jewish
women suffering from
domestic violence. With-
in his own congregation,
he will be working to
create an adult educa-

bi, he has watched his congre-
gation double in size, growing
from 120 to 260 families.
LEAD is co-sponsored by the
Orthodox Caucus and the Rab-
binical Council of America. It is
funded in part by the Federation
of Jewish Philanthropies of
Greater New York. I

Rabbi Steven Weil: One of
17 rabbis nationwide.

Professional Pe ormance for the Home

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tion program which challenges
his congregants to explore the
intellectual components of Ju-
daism.
Rabbi Weil was ordained
through Yeshiva University and
also holds an MBA in finance
from New York University. In
the 2 1/2 years he has served as
Young Israel of Oak Park's rab-

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