In June 2010, Clal was visited by a group of high school students from St. Louis, MO, who are part of a yearlong leadership training program called Cultural Leadership. Comprised mostly of Jewish and African American students, the program focuses on the historical and contemporary experiences of these two groups. Students are taught about African American and Jewish history, culture, religion, and the bigger issues of power, privilege, institutionalized racism and oppression. The goal is to nurture students who will become leaders who speak out when they see social injustice.

Meeting with Clal President Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, the students were challenged to think about leadership in a new way ─ one that was grounded in a specific tradition but that prepared leaders to reach beyond the boundaries and membership of any one group.

Rabbi Hirschfield pointed out that by virtue of their being in this program, the students were already leaders, and that everyone could exercise leadership to make the world better, whether by helping one person or one community at a time. He also emphasized that great leaders are always learning, gathering new information to widen their perspective.

"Great leaders have a vision beyond their reach. From Moses, to Jews who traveled to the U.S. from foreign lands beginning 350 years ago, to Dr. Martin Luther King standing at a mike telling the world he had a dream ─ in each case their aspirations for the future exceeded their grasp, which is what made them successful."

He concluded by reminding students that vision is bigger than what we can see, and that it takes a great leader to inspire people to believe in it also. "All people see what can be seen; leaders see what can’t be seen. They help other people to see it."

By Judy Epstein from Clal

For Cultural Leadership video on youtube.com, click here.