
Yachad, the Jewish Educational Platform for Teens, has been selected to participate in the UpStart Accelerator program – the Jewish community’s leading engine behind the success of innovative, early-stage organizations. Dana Kanter Prottas, an alumna of the first cohort of the
EXECUTIVE M.A. PROGRAM IN JEWISH EDUCATION, serves as Yachad’s Executive Director.
“The Executive M.A. Program in Jewish Education gave me the foundation and skills to explore new ways to create Jewish educational opportunities for our families,” stated Prottas. “The philosophy behind Yachad is the direct result of the education I received at HUC-JIR. Our courses, faculty, and colleagues provided the perfect backdrop to deeply understand the trajectory of Jewish education and created a safe place to explore new, innovative ideas and educational philosophies. I can’t thank HUC-JIR and the Jim Joseph Foundation enough for investing in the EMA program and helping to plant the seeds for the future.”
YACHAD represents a fundamental transformation in the way Jewish education is delivered for teens in Minneapolis, which is a direct response to a significant decline in teen engagement in Jewish educational programs and communal life. Yachad engages, inspires, and educates teens along their Jewish journeys in order to create future leaders who possess confidence, enthusiasm, and curiosity about Jewish learning and living.
“Our community is fortunate to have Dana Prottas taking Yachad to new heights both locally and nationally,” said Jed Stillman, Interim President of Yachad. “She has worked effortlessly to change the landscape of teen Jewish education in Minneapolis. Clearly, her visionary approach has translated to a broader audience through her informed and compelling work.”
Since 2006, the
UPSTART ACCELERATOR has served as a launch pad for over thirty Jewish organizations, providing them with the training, network, and funding needed to transform vision and passion into gamechanging Jewish social ventures.