Cohort-based Experiences Experiment

The CBE Team – Heather Wolfson, Gamal J. Palmer and Seth Linden, and Rachel Brodie z’’l – began their planning with a literature review–much of it focused on the recent research from Rosov Consulting and The Center for Creative Leadership. They also interviewed twenty-six key informants with expertise in creating and facilitating cohorts. From this exploration emerged critical insights that they incorporated into the design of the initial cohorts, including: the importance of emphasizing diversity, equity and inclusion, an area in which the Jewish professional world is still lacking; the desire by many professionals for content that both nurtures their sense of mission and builds practical skills; the role of familiarity and prestige in successful recruitment; and the value of keeping cohorts small and organized around shared roles, experiences, and affinities. 

The six Aleph groups were: 1) Roles of Influence – those in positions of influence in their organizations (but not the top leader), 2) Event Planners - Individuals who are responsible for the execution of large-scale convenings in Jewish nonprofits, 3) Practitioners of CBEs – Professionals who themselves create and run cohort-based experiences, 4) Parents – new parents with young children at risk of leaving the field (all based in the greater Los Angeles area), 5) BIPOC DEI Professionals - People of color who lead DEI efforts within Jewish organizations, and 6) Israel Dialogue - Senior leaders who are seeking a space to have honest and open conversations about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

To date, the CBE experiments demonstrated that creating successful cohorts does not have to involve an extensive application process, months of frequent meetings, or major financial investment to provide professionals with meaningful peer connections and opportunities for growth. The next phase of the experiment will continue to explore how the process of launching cohorts can be further streamlined and democratized through a “train the trainer” model for facilitators and identifying groups within communities or professional networks that already have connections to be built upon.  The working hypothesis of this initiative is that by leveraging the expertise of the CBE Team (e.g., through training new facilitators) and hybrid modalities that combine virtual connection with occasional in-person gatherings, Jewish communal leaders and funders could make cohort-based professional development an expectation rather than an exception for Jewish professionals across the country.