Mandel Programs for Leadership Development in the Haredi Community
The program aims to foster a thriving Haredi community that is integrated into and actively contributes to Israel's social and economic life, while remaining true to Haredi values, culture and principles.
Program FormatOne day a week, separate tracks for men and women
DurationTwo academic years
The Haredi community in Israel, currently numbering approximately 1.3 million, is devoted to a highly traditional and conservative religious lifestyle, with a major focus on Torah study. While the community’s historical preference for isolation and segregation—in education, employment and more—has preserved its unique character, it has also created immense challenges, both within the community itself and in its relationship with the broader Israeli society and the State of Israel.
The vision of the programs is to foster a thriving Haredi community that is integrated into and actively contributes to Israel’s economy, public leadership and academia. The aim is to cultivate a community that shares its human and spiritual treasures with the wider Israeli society and contributes to Israel’s security, welfare, character and values – based on a strong sense of civic responsibility, while remaining faithful to Haredi values and preserving its unique culture and principles.
The programs are designed for members of the Haredi community who are deeply committed to its values and way of life and are driven by a sense of mission and concern for the future of both their community and Israeli society as a whole. The programs recruit men and women in separate cohorts, with new cohorts beginning in alternating years. Fellows hold leadership roles in both Haredi and general society, across a range of fields including education, civil society, the public sector and academia.
The programs aim to develop a cadre of committed leaders who can respond to the needs of the Haredi community with professionalism; who will advance educational, social, cultural and governance systems to help the community prosper; and who will promote public and civic responsibility within the Haredi sector. Additionally, these leaders seek to enhance the representation, integration and involvement of Haredim in Israel’s public sector, civil society, economy and security. They share a non-partisan commitment to the common good and prosperity of Israeli society, while maintaining their loyalty to Haredi values and principles.
Course of Studies
The curriculum covers a wide range of subjects, including philosophy, education, society, ethics and government, while providing practical tools in management, entrepreneurship and public policy to help fellows build networks and develop resources.
The programs provide a safe space for internal Haredi discourse, as well as opportunities to engage with the diverse perspectives found within Israeli society. Throughout the program, all fellows work on practical initiatives designed to be implemented within the Haredi community. While Haredi society is often perceived as homogeneous, it actually consists of various sub-communities, each with its own unique characteristics. Each cohort reflects this diversity, bringing together fellows with a range of perspectives and traditions, which broadens the outlook of all participants.
Impact in the Field
Program graduates hold senior leadership roles in Haredi community and educational institutions, in national and local government and in civil society organizations.
Recently, graduates have spearheaded several initiatives designed to strengthen connections between the Haredi community and government authorities, foster better relationships with public services and institutions and encourage positive shifts in community attitudes. Notable examples include:
Improving community relations: Projects aimed at improving interactions between the Israel Police and the Haredi public.
Mental health and welfare: The establishment of a network of professionals dedicated to raising the quality of care for the Haredi community.
Encouraging civic engagement: The publication of texts aimed at promoting good citizenship and civic responsibility among the Haredi community.
Support for military service: Initiatives addressing the issue of military service and the community’s responsibility to support and care for those who serve within their community.
Advancing core curriculum: Efforts to promote the teaching of core curriculum subjects, such as English and math, in Haredi schools, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, local authorities and other agencies.
Additional examples of graduates in influential leadership roles include:
Mayor of Tzfat: In 2024, a program graduate was elected mayor of Tzfat, a major city in the Galilee facing significant challenges in welfare, employment and education.
Impact on public discourse: A graduate serves as director of the Real Time Data Institute, which conducts public opinion polls and research studies on the Haredi community, and has a major impact on public and political discourse in the Haredi sector and within Israeli society as a whole.
Promoting military service: Another graduate leads Atid Yisrael, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the number of young Haredi men enlisting in the IDF and supporting them throughout their service.
Addressing sexual abuse. A graduate is the director of Bishvilam, an organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of sexual abuse in Haredi society, working closely with leading rabbis, law enforcement, welfare services and civil society organizations.
About the Institute
The Mandel Leadership Institute believes that vision-driven leadership, grounded in a broad and deeply rooted worldview, has the potential to contribute greatly to the flourishing of Israeli society, inspired by the values of Israel’s Declaration of Independence. Our fellows are people with proven leadership experience from the fields of education, culture, and society, from the public sector and civil society, from the IDF and the Haredi community, and from all regions and communities in Israel. Graduates of the Institute hold key positions in Israeli society and work to advance a just, inclusive, compassionate and democratic Israel.