Lishma Municipalities Program trains senior-level professional Haredi women, who are employed by local municipalities, to use their professional strengths to drive social welfare projects to benefit the communities where they work. Lishma partners with local Haredi municipalities, or those with substantial Haredi populations, and the Ministry of Interior’s Professional Forum for Haredi Municipalities.

The Need:

There is a core of successful professional Haredi women in key municipal positions, with the potential to contribute substantially, professionally and systemically to the social-civic arena. However, these women, generally do not promote social agendas or initiative community projects because they lack exposure to or experience with social activism.. By creating a joint platform, provision of professional tools, and instilling in them values of social responsibility and involvement, Lishma leverages this valuable human resource for the benefit of the Haredi community and the employing municipalities.

Objectives:

פיתוח הון אנושי

To create a cadre of senior-level professional Haredi women employed by local municipalities

Achieving Knowledge

To deliver knowledge, tools, and expertise to institute, direct, and implement municipal initiatives to improve community quality of life

Creating a Community

To foster a passion for social activism in female Haredi municipal executives, who will operate from a perspective of social responsibly and involvement, a joint vision and motivation to benefit the community and society

Target Population:

Senior-level Israeli Haredi women executives employed by and/or influential in municipalities with large Haredi populations

Work Model

Lishma operates the program on three main axes:

The study Axis:

academic/professional knowledge along with practical hands-on experience directing municipal social processes

Group Axis:

creating a cadre of women that shares values and objectives, constitutes a platform for personal professional development and growth, and jointly promotes solutions for the needs of the Haredi community and the municipalities where they are employed

Personal Axis:

professional development, enhancement of personal strengths/realized capabilities

Program alumni join the Lishma Network to continue to advance solutions for social challenges, from a feeling of shared social responsibly, mutuality and networking.

The Training Program:

Lishma’s innovative full-year senior-level management training program combines study units and hands-on experience, according to a practical and theoretical continuum methodology. During the year, the participants utilize the tools that are taught to deal with actual municipal work challenges that they face, with an emphasis on developing personal expertise. The main study topics deal with work outlook and personal development as part of the Harvard Leadership Development Program taught by Professor Chefetz. In addition, the study units emphasize understanding communal strength, data collection as a work tool, change theory, managing partnerships and collaborations, communication skills, negotiation, work plans, and specific work characteristics of local municipalities.

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