Joining the Great Conversation

This book, published by the Mandel Foundation and Magnes Press, examines the impact of the Mandel Foundation–Israel via the personal stories of a number of key figures and Mandel graduates. Author Avi Katzman, a faculty member at the Mandel Foundation–Israel, culture critic, journalist and editor, conducted 19 interviews with some of the most notable people involved in the Foundation's establishment and with graduates of its two main full-time programs over the years: the Jerusalem Fellows program and the Mandel School for Educational Leadership.

The book is divided into chapters detailing the individual stories of Mandel figures who are dedicating their lives to the complicated field of education in general and Jewish education in particular, and who are leading change. Each story presents the biography and personal journey of an outstanding leader, uncovering their charismatic personality and offering a deeper understanding of the tremendous impact they have had on pedagogical thinking and intellectual discourse in Israel and the Jewish world. As Katzman explains, “Mort Mandel and his desire to create change in the world are the driving engine behind all the stories” in the book, which provides insights into how Mandelian precepts and the principles of Jewish education are translated by the Mandel Foundation into ripples of change.