J-Fellows, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s premier leadership development program for young professionals, is returning for its eighth year, with the mentorship component of the program returning for its third year. Designed to engage, educate, and empower individuals in their mid-20s to early 40s, J-Fellows aims to cultivate the next generation of leaders within Ottawa's Jewish community.

The program offers participants the opportunity to build leadership skills, expand professional networks, and make impactful contributions to both their workplaces and the broader community. Over a three- to five-month period, participants engage in six interactive sessions led by seasoned professionals, focusing on essential topics such as workplace leadership, decision-making, and personal growth. Additionally, each participant is paired with an experienced mentor in their field, providing personalized guidance and insights through monthly one-on-one meetings. 

We spoke with Maddy Eisenberg, a member of last year’s cohort, to hear her thoughts on the program and what prospective participants can expect.

EB: What is J-Fellows and how was your experience in the program?

ME: I'll start off by saying that J-Fellows was more than I had ever anticipated it to be. When I was first reached out to about J-Fellows, it was kind of a base-level mentorship program advertisement. But when I joined, it was sort of a multifaceted thing that gave me not only professional growth, but also community growth as a Jewish person. It can be really difficult for young people and young Jews, especially those who aren't practicing as much as others, to really integrate themselves into the community.

In my personal experience, J-Fellows was a mentorship program, but it was also an opportunity to meet other young Jewish professionals and learn more about different aspects of Ottawa professional life. The city is very small and it opened that door to meet all of these people I hadn't had a chance to meet in other places around the city. 

EB: What sorts of activities did you do in J-Fellows? 

ME: It was a professional learning experience and a personal one. Each meeting, we would listen to a speaker discuss their experiences from their professional setting, whether it was financial or consulting or something else, and they would explain what they do and we would ask them questions about that.

We also did certain ice breaker activities together. Not only was I learning from the guest speaker, but I was also learning from my colleagues around the table about what they do and how they conduct themselves in their professional lives. 

Most importantly for me, in the long term, was the mentorship experience. Pretty shortly after joining J-Fellows, we get matched with a mentor who is in the same professional field as me or somebody else who's being matched. For example, I work in communications and my mentor is in communications at a higher level. So, the ability to talk to someone in my field in a position that I might want to be in in five years’ time was an invaluable experience. 

EB: What would you say to someone who may be on the fence about joining J-Fellows? 

ME: It can be really hard to put yourself out there in any stage of your life, whether you're trying to meet a friend online or in person. J-Fellows is meant to be a friendship-building base for Ottawa, which can be very intimidating. 

The benefit of this is that everyone is there for the same reason. They’re there to grow professionally. In the very best way possible, you’re forced to converse with these people around the table at J-Fellows and they make it easy break down those barriers and talk to people around the table and form those lasting connections. 

I went into J-Fellows because I wanted to grow professionally, but I found that when I got there, it was so much more. I formed lasting connections there. 

The registration process for the 2025 J-Fellows program is now open, with applications accepted until January 20, 2025. Interested candidates will undergo an application and interview process to secure their spot in this exclusive program. To successfully complete J-Fellows, participants are expected to attend at least five of the six core sessions and participate in three to four one-on-one mentorship meetings. 

For more details or to apply, please visit the Jewish Federation of Ottawa's J-Fellows page or contact Michael Reznick at mreznick@jewishottawa.com.