The theme of this Fellowship was Confronting Modernity: Jewish Response. The program featured sessions covering:

Jewish religious responses to modernity
Jewish values in biblical stories: The story of Jonah and the story of Ruth
Jewish ethical imperatives in the 21st century
Swedish Jewry and the Holocaust
Raising Jewish consciousness: Where do we go from here?

Fellows also gathered together in small groups to discuss New paradigms and priorities for Jewish cultural life in our communities and combating anti-Israel and Anti-Semitic activities.

An exceptionally distinguished and diverse faculty participated at the 16th NGF, including:

Professor Sylvia Barack Fishman, Professor of Contemporary Jewish Life and Co-Director of Hadassah International Research Institute on Jewish Women, Brandeis University, Waltham, USA
Professor Saul Berman, Professor of Law at Columbia University School of Law, New York, USA
Professor David Ellenson, President, Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, New York, USA
Professor Benjamin Ish-Shalom, Rector, Beit Morasha, Jerusalem, Israel
Professor Ingrid Lomfors, Professor of Jewish History, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden

Dr. Rina Rosenberg, Private Psychologist, Jerusalem, Israel
Professor Jacob J. Schacter, Dean, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik Institute, Boston, USA
Dr. Shana Schacter, Private Psychoanalyst, Brookline, USA
Professor Uriel Simon, Professor of Bible, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

The educational structure of this Fellowship was shaped by feedback from past Fellows, with a focus on addressing Jewish ethical imperatives and the evolving Jewish educational landscape in a postmodern world. A new theme, Jewish Ethical Imperatives, was introduced and addressed by Prof. Saul Berman of Columbia University School of Law. Former Fellow Dr. Ingrid Lomfors also joined the faculty to present on the Holocaust and Swedish Jewry.

The seminar opened with two lectures on Jewish religious responses to modernity, taught by Prof. J.J. Schacter from Yeshiva University and Prof. David Ellenson, President of Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. At the conclusion of their presentations, after responding to each other’s insights and answering numerous questions and challenges from the Fellows, Professors Schacter and Ellenson embraced spontaneously. This moment left an indelible impression, symbolizing a powerful expression of Klal Yisrael.

The Shabbat experience remained central to building community at the NGF. The diverse backgrounds of the Fellows allowed for a unique and inclusive Shabbat experience. The pre-Shabbat program included Ladino music and stories from the Siberian Jewish community. Shabbat activities featured learning sessions on Jewish practices in Tehran, secular Jewish traditions, and a moving Havdalah service overlooking the Baltic Sea.

The Shabbat program was entirely planned and executed by a committee of Fellows, chaired by Debbie Durlacher from Montevideo and co-chaired by Ilan Bloch, a Jewish educator from Australia studying in Israel. Together, they created a meaningful and spiritual Shabbat experience for an extraordinarily diverse group of Jews, including a Reform rabbi from Moscow, a Conservative rabbi from Bogotá, and numerous secular and cultural Jews.

The discussion groups held throughout the program were instrumental in strengthening relationships among Fellows and laying a foundation for international cooperation among their respective Jewish communities.