Leadership Programs

Millstone Fellows

Millstone Fellows is a collaborative leadership training program designed for individuals who seek to deepen their involvement in the Jewish community. Through highly interactive sessions, you’ll join an exclusive cohort of emerging leaders who will be empowered to shape the future of the St. Louis Jewish community. If selected, you can expect:

Powerful Networking: Connect with diverse, passionate individuals who will become part of your lifelong leadership community.

Personal Growth: Discover your unique leadership style and learn to tackle challenging conversations with confidence

Real Impact: Graduate with concrete tools and frameworks that immediately enhance your leadership abilities

“Society is where we come together to achieve collectively what none of us can do alone…It is the realm in which all of us is more important than any of us. ” – Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z”l


The 2026/2027 Millstone Fellows program will feature Guest Facilitators with backgrounds in coaching, dialogue, Jewish learning, community building and leadership. The program is designed for individuals ages 30-50; younger and older individuals are welcome to apply. This cohort experience is limited to 18 participants. A $299 participant commitment fee is due upon acceptance to the program. Details about each session and facilitator listed below.

Jewish Federation of St. Louis is now accepting applications for the 2026/2027 Millstone Fellows Cohort #10

Applications are due by September 1
All applicants will be notified no later than September 4, 2026.

To learn more about Millstone Fellows, contact Marci Mayer Eisen, Director, Jewish Federation Leadership Initiatives, Meisen@JFedStL.org, 314-442-3810.

Apply for the 2026-27 Millstone Fellows – Applications Due September 1
Apply Today

2026/2027 Program Schedule

The Millstone Fellows Program includes 8 unique sessions; 6 weeknight sessions and 2 Sunday sessions. There is also a pre-program opening reception. Lunch will be provided for the weekend sessions; a light dinner provided for weeknight sessions.

The 2026/2027 program is as follows:

Opening Reception – Thursday, October 15 6:30pm
Session #1 – Sunday, October 25, 9 am
Session #2 – Monday, November 16, 6 pm
Session #3 – Monday, December 13, 6 pm
Session #4 – Tuesday, January 12, 6 pm
Session #5 – Wednesday, February 10, 6 pm
Session #6 – Sunday, March 7, 9am
Session #7 – Wednesday, April 7, 6 pm
Session #8 – Tuesday, May 11, 6 pm

Most sessions take place at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, #12 Millstone Campus Drive

Apply for the 2026-27 Millstone Fellows – Applications Due September 1
Apply Today

Detailed Session Information

Detailed program as of June 2026

Session #1 – Opening Retreat – Sunday, October 25

Session #1 | Opening Retreat | Sunday, October 25, 9:00 am – 2 pm.

Building our Fellows Community
Facilitated by Ron Gubitz

With a focus on leadership development, the informal opening retreat will deepen connections, establish shared goals, and foster a strong sense of community, creating the foundation for a meaningful and collaborative year ahead. Ron is an exceptional facilitator and brings an extensive background in organizational dynamics, leadership and creativity. Currently the Executive Director of the Music Artists Coalition, he is a leadership coach and previously worked as a nationally recognized high school principal, Executive Director of Tulane Hillel and Managing Director of Programs for Teach for America.

Session #2 – Power of Philanthropy – Monday, November 16

Session #2 | Monday, November 16, 6 – 8:30 pm

Power of Philanthropy
with Jewish Federation’s Danny Cohn, President & CEO and
Amy Bornstein, Chief Development Officer

Explore how philanthropy can transform communities and reflect personal values. Fellows will gain insight into the breadth of Jewish Federation’s impact and ways leaders can inspire generosity and meaningful engagement. Danny is a visionary leader who came to St. Louis in 2025 to inspire and guide Jewish Federation’s role in the community. He came from Birmingham where he served as President & CEO after a 20 year career in Marketing, Communications and PR. Amy has spent more than ten years advancing the work of Jewish Federation and is among the youngest CDOs serving a Jewish Federation nationally. She previously worked at The J and at Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Session #3 – Giving Voice to Your Story – Monday, December 14

Session #3 | Monday, December 14, 6 – 9pm

Telling Your Story
with Steven Harowitz, Executive Director, Campfire

Every leader has a story worth sharing. This workshop is where Fellows start telling theirs. Steven will introduce a simple framework for shaping a complete, compelling story in just a few lines. Through pair-sharing and small group exercises, participants will practice the skill in real time, building confidence, sharpening their storytelling and public speaking, and connecting more deeply with each other. Steven brings deep expertise in storytelling, public speaking, and group facilitation, and knows how to help people find and shape the stories they didn’t know they had. Fellows will leave with a practical tool they can use right away and a clearer sense of the story only they can tell.

Session #4 – Jewish Identity – Tuesday, January 12

Session #4 | Tuesday, January 12, 2027 6-8:30 pm

Jewish Identity
with Karen Sher, Jewish Federation Chief Impact Officer

Examine the role of Jewish identity in shaping leadership, purpose, and community responsibility. Karen Sher brings more than 30 years of experience as both a professional and lay leader in the Jewish community and has participated extensively in national professional leadership programs. Karen oversees planning, allocations, partnership investments, and leadership initiatives for Jewish Federation and proudly served as founding staff and primary facilitator for Millstone Fellows Cohorts 1–8.

Session #5 – Conversations that Matter – Wednesday, February 10

Session #5 | Wednesday, February 10, 6 – 8:30 pm.

Conversations that Matter
with Dr. Tabari Coleman

Develop the skills needed to navigate difficult conversations with empathy, trust, and authenticity. Dr. Tabari Coleman has over 25 years of experience facilitating impactful workshops locally, nationally, and internationally. His work focuses on fostering meaningful dialogue and creating safe spaces for understanding across diverse perspectives. Tabari has a doctorate in education and has worked in diverse spaces, including as Education Director at the ADL and leading hundreds of workshops with law enforcement, educators, nonprofits and corporations.

Session #6 – Solutions-Oriented Leadership for Israel and the American Diaspora – Sunday, March 7

Session #6 | Sunday, March 7 – 9:00 – 2:00 pm

Solutions-Oriented Leadership for Israel and the American Diaspora
with Roey Kruvi

Engage in thoughtful conversations about Israel, Jewish peoplehood, and global Jewish leadership. Roey Kruvi brings extensive experience in Israel education and Jewish leadership development, having previously served as Deputy Director of North American Israel Strategy at Jewish Federation of North America, Senior Program Officer at the Schusterman Foundation and a Senior Director at Moishe House where he facilitated workshops for Jewish young adults around the world.

Session #7 – Leadership Today – Wednesday, April 7

Session #7 | Wednesday, April 7, 6 – 8:30 pm

Leadership Today
with community leaders

Through engaging small-group discussions, Fellows will explore the realities, challenges, and opportunities shaping leadership today at the local, national, and global levels. Participants will examine how issues such as antisemitism, societal change, and evolving community dynamics impact leadership and community-building. Conversations will focus on the perspectives, skills, and strategies needed to lead effectively in a complex and rapidly changing world.

Session #8 – Closing Program – Tuesday, May 11

Session #8 | Closing Program | Tuesday, May 11, 6 – 8:00 pm

Celebrate the journey of Cohort #10, reflect on personal and collective growth and recognize the relationships and leadership skills developed throughout the fellowship experience. Explore opportunities for ways to be involved in the coming months and years.

Millstone Fellows will be recognized at the November, 2027 Morris & Steneck Presidents Circle

Years after participating in Millstone Fellows, I went on to become a board president. Millstone Fellows gave me the confidence and a new network to support my leadership journey.

The diversity in the cohort helped to make the experience even more enriching than I anticipated.

I know when I attend large community events, I get to reconnect with other Millstone Fellows alumni.

Before Millstone Fellows I considered myself an active volunteer. After Millstone Fellows I recognized my own leadership skills and ability to have an impact on the community—both the St. Louis Jewish community and the region.

The Millstone Fellows Leadership program was an enriching experience. I appreciated the opportunity to connect with individuals from various Jewish backgrounds, engage with diverse perspectives and fresh ideas and enhance my leadership skills. It has been a valuable step on my journey of personal and professional growth.

Participating in the Millstone Fellows program helped me grow as a leader within the Jewish community. At each month’s meeting, I enjoyed seeing my cohort of Fellows who brought a variety of perspectives and diverse opinions from within the St. Louis Jewish community.

Millstone Fellows Alumni

Cohort #1

Hilary Cedergreen
Jason Cohen
J J Flotken
Phil Frischer
Josh Goldman
Alexandra Goldsmith
Charles Gross
James Levey
Steven Malter
Rachel Pepe
Ron Present
Nicole Rainey
Edward Reggi
Jennifer Schmitz
Ian Silberman
Greg Yawitz

Cohort #2

Amy Bender-Levy
Patty Bloom
Shelley Dean
Tom Eidelman
Ted Flom
Burton Garland
Julie Gibbs
Jeffrey Glogower
Anthony Granillo
Michael Kass
Sarah Kovenock
Kim Lieberman
Julia Partin
Avigail Rosenzweig
William Rubenstein
Lilly Scharff
Anna Shabsin
Abbey Small
Aaron Vickar
Robert Wasserman
Marjorie Weisman

Cohort #3

Andrew Babitz
Yosef David
Alan Fine
Geoffrey Gross
Yale Hollander
Matthew Litwack
Michelle Mills
Russel Neiss
David Rosenstock
Amy Scharff
Barbara Sherer
Bradley Snitzer
Amy Stone
Joshua Wallach
Stephen Wertman

Cohort #4

Tammy Arnow
Sarah Falkoff
Emily Follman
Shmuel Freedman
Abby Goldstein
Ted Houser
Elisa Israel
Marc Jacob
Douglas Kolker
Randi Mozenter
Dimitar Mushkov
Brian Newman
David Schenberg
Sherry Shuman
Julie Stern
Laura Whalen

Cohort #5

Jake Asher
Debbie Banashek-Twist
Naomi Barasch
Beth Deutsch
Scott Kaar
Karen Korn
Ken Levine
Emily Luten Maltby
Weston Manley
Andrew Oberman
William Remis
Marissa Rosen
Jonathan Sachs
Andrew Sharon
Esther Zuravin

Cohort #6

Amy Abramson
Jay Baumohl
Jennifer Bernstein
Jennifer Fishering
Amy Gage
Joseph Gerchen
Evan Glantz
Caroline Goldenberg
Adam Goldstein
Neil Jaffe
Brenda Ladin
Amy Lampert
Lauren Lourie
Abbi Marks-Mazur
Sharon Remis
Zev Rosenberg

Cohort #7

Erica Brasken
Stephen Davis
Rachel Deutsch
Laurie Furman
Traci Goldstein
Sabrina Gornish
Lisa Hirshberg
Elliott Kleiman
Julia Kofkoff Gould
Daniel Kraus
Elizabeth Lieberman
Stacey Owens
Arza Raviv
Ryia Ross-Peterson
Christine Schulze
Rachel Thimangu
Julie Zuick

Cohort #8

Seth Albin
Hila Ben Abraham
Mariel Brechner
Autumn Dennis
Jeremy Goldberg
Jessica Goltzman
Lea-Rachel Kosnik
Jennifer Lederman
Jenna Lew-Feit
Kevin Litt
Helen Petty
Adam Rosenberg
Benjamin Singer
Yona Spiegelglass
Daniel Stark

Cohort #9

Chana Bregman
Daniel Buchalter
Dana Emmenegger
Carly Ferdman
Jada Fox
Jennifer Hoffman-Mentle
Cindy Kalachek
Daniel Levy
Jessica Mirowitz
Brian Oberman
Simone Picker
Jose Rodriguez Goldstein
Zachary Rudolph
John Schneider
Robin Slen
Seth Toybes
Jared Weinstein
Shoshana Weiss