About Us
Founded in 1998 at the University of Michigan, the Maimonides Leaders Fellowship (MLF) came to Penn in 2004 and sparked a revolution giving rise to MEOR’s national debut and MLF’s expansion to 35 campuses throughout North America. MLF, now firmly rooted in Penn’s Jewish identity, has set the standard for Jewish educational programming on campus. The fellowship, spanning a college semester, engages students with the texts and concepts of their Jewish heritage in a mature and sophisticated manner and offers exposure to leaders and personalities shaping the Jewish world today.
In Maimonides, you will convene weekly on Monday nights for ten 2½ hour seminars, featuring guest speakers like Jewish scientists, teachers of mysticism, physicians, and black-belt martial arts rabbis, as well as lectures and discussions linking you, the modern Jewish student, with the ancient wisdom of your Jewish heritage. Discover and appreciate the tenacity of our people – how we’ve survived physically and spiritually amidst the greatest set of adverse circumstances. Understand the fragile state of American Jewry today. Feel inspired by your legacy, committed to your future as Jewish activists and leaders, and deeply touched by the humanity and sprit of your heritage.
We are seeking intelligent, engaged and empowered students who aspire to become tomorrow’s leaders and who feel compelled to learn how Judaism answers life’s most critical questions. The Maimonides Leaders Fellowship unlocks the door and presents what your Judaism has to say about itself, in a way you’ve surely never heard before.
The First hour of each weekly session is a mixture of lecture and discussion and is divided over the fellowship into three parts:
The foundations of Jewish philosophy: Who is G-d and the purpose of our existence, what is the Torah, how to understand heaven and hell, body and soul, reincarnation and resurrection, free will and revelation.
Contemporary Jewish issues: such as Happiness, Education, Suffering, Prayer, Spirituality, Love and Marriage – Judaism’s vision and its relevance to modernity.
The dynamics of leadership: Judaism’s dream of world perfection, our role, character development, by which standards do we measure success, and the qualifications and regiment of leadership.
The Second hour is devoted to hearing from outside speakers who are experts in the fields of government, finance, ethics, medicine, literature, philosophy and science, as well as from leaders and activists who work tirelessly for the Jewish people.
Students maintain a thoughtful journal entry after each meeting and are granted a $400 stipend upon completion of the program. Typically, the program also includes two off-campus Shabbat experiences (an often welcomed respite from campus with great company and home cooked meals) and a field trip to such places as Ellis Island, the Pentagon, New York City’s lower East Side, a traditional Jewish wedding. Dinner and refreshments are served every Monday night.
The Maimonides Leaders Fellowship provides a dynamic, interactive and intimate environment to discover the secrets of Jewish wisdom and a comfortable space in which to share your thoughts amongst like-minded students. It is a shared experience with unparalleled personal potential. Taste the sweetness of the Jewish experience. Unlock your Leadership potential. Discover the humbling privilege of your Judaism. Make the friendships of a lifetime. Join us on our journey.