Fourth Cohort of Sacks Scholars Announced

The Rabbi Sacks Legacy is delighted to announce the fourth cohort of Sacks Scholars, a global programme dedicated to exploring the enduring wisdom of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt”l and empowering leaders to bring his values and vision to life in communities around the world.

Following the success of the first three cohorts, the programme continues to bring together outstanding educators, academics, communal leaders, and professionals who are deeply engaged in Jewish thought, education, leadership, and public life. Participants are carefully selected through a rigorous nomination and interview process.

This year’s Scholars, representing the US, UK, Israel, Australia, Poland, and South Africa, will form a dynamic and diverse learning community. Through online sessions and a week-long immersive retreat in Jerusalem in November 2026, the groups will benefit from direct engagement with leading thinkers, educators, and public figures. They will grapple with some of the most pressing challenges facing Jewish communities today, including education, leadership, antisemitism, and the evolving relationship between Israel and the Diaspora, all through the lens of Rabbi Sacks’ thought.

Each Scholar will also create and implement a project that brings Rabbi Sacks’ ideas to life in new and meaningful ways within their own communities and fields of influence.

Rabbi Jeremy Bruce, Director of Programming at the Rabbi Sacks Legacy, said: “Rabbi Sacks’ teachings continue to speak powerfully to the challenges of our time. The Sacks Scholars programme is about equipping outstanding leaders to engage deeply with his ideas and translate them into action, ensuring that his legacy continues to inspire, challenge, and guide communities around the world.”

We are delighted to welcome the members of the fourth cohort of Sacks Scholars:

• Dr. Adam Baruch, Assistant Professor, University of Michigan Medical School, USA
• Rabbi Leron Bernstein, Director of Innovations, Koren Jerusalem, Israel
• Rabbi Dr. Jay Goldmintz, Educator, Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School, USA
• Audi Hecht, Senior Director of Education and Innovation, Civic Spirit, USA
• Dr. Ayelet Hoffmann Libson, Associate Professor, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
• Zak Jeffay, Director of Education, JRoots, Israel
• Rabbi Matti Laufer, Executive Director, Yeshivat Siach Yitzchak, Israel
• Rabbi Andrew Markowitz, Rabbi, Congregation Shomrei Torah, USA
• Rabbi David Mason, Executive Director, HIAS+JCORE, UK
• Quentin Miller, Director, Intrinsic Partners, Australia
• Rebbetzin Sara-Tal Rehovi, Community Leader, Jewish Community of Krakow, Poland
• Dr. Alon Shalev, Research Fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, Israel
• Michelle Shelemay Dvir, Educator and Lay Leader, Israel
• Dr. Lindsay Simmonds, Research Fellow and Educator, UK
• Rabbi Sam Thurgood, Head of Jewish Life and Learning, United Herzlia Schools, South Africa
• Dr. Rebekah Tokatlilar, Managing Director, JLIC Israel, Israel
• Persha Valman, CFO and Educator, Israel
• Yoetzet Tova Warburg Sinensky, Educator and Yoetzet Halacha, USA
• Dr. Rebecca Winter, Judaic Studies Principal, Atlanta Jewish Academy, USA