Center for Small Town Jewish Life

Makom Fellowship

2021

$100,000 over two years

Nearly one in eight American Jews lives in a small town, yet nearly all major Jewish institutions and funders concentrate their work in major cities—effectively writing off this growing population of roughly 1,000,000 people. The Center for Small Town Jewish Life is changing that by 1) shining a light on Jewish life outside of urban centers and 2) helping small town Jewish organizations attract the leadership they need to thrive. Having successfully piloted a state-wide program in Maine, they are launching a national fellowship that will provide training and mentorship to rabbis and other early-career professionals accepting positions in rural towns like Greenville, South Carolina; Bristol, Tennessee; and Bennington, Vermont. The three-year Makom Fellowship Program will provide peer-to-peer support—especially important for clergy who are geographically isolated—and specific tools for building powerful Jewish communities in small towns.