FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
For Further Information
Contact: Alex Zaprudsky
Communications Associate
Tel.: (212) 760-1440
AZaprudsky@JOI.org

JOI Welcomes Community Leader
to National Board of Directors
Jim Stein Joins Board to Help Welcome Less-Engaged into the Twin City Jewish Community

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Big Tent Judaism/Jewish Outreach Institute welcomes Mr. Jim Stein to its National Board of Directors.
• Stein is a retired attorney living in Saint Paul, Minn., and has held multiple leadership roles in the Jewish community.
• Big Tent Judaism/Jewish Outreach Institute is an independent, national, trans-denominational organization reaching out to unengaged and intermarried Jewish families, and helping the organized Jewish community better welcome them in.

JUNE 12, 2014—Big Tent Judaism/Jewish Outreach Institute is delighted to announce that Jim Stein has joined its board of directors. Stein will work closely with Executive Director Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky and the rest of the board of directors to promote Big Tent Judaism, help guide its development, oversee its management, and ensure that it has the resources, professional leadership, and policies needed to fulfill its mission.

Stein is a retired attorney living in Saint Paul, Minn., with his wife. During his 32 years as an attorney, he held multiple leadership roles in his local Jewish community, as well as positions on the national level. Stein served as the president of his local Jewish Federation for three years, participated in the first group of a two-year intensive study and leadership development class, and held the office of executive director for a national Jewish disaster response organization. Throughout his life, Stein has been an avid student of Jewish religion, ethics, and values—and a firm believer that Judaism remains relevant today. He is the author of the recently published book, Renaissance: A Strategic Plan for Transforming Judaism, and he made an appearance at the recent Jewish Book Council Network conference in New York.

“We are very excited to have Jim as a member of the board,” said Michael Rappaport, President of Big Tent Judaism’s board of directors. “He is a creative, energetic individual committed to realizing the potential of our organization, and he shares our belief that the future of the North American Jewish Community will be determined by the warmth, wisdom, and caring with which we welcome and engage intermarried families and unaffiliated Jews into our midst.”

Rabbi Kerry Olitzky said Stein’s presence on the board is a great benefit. “Jim brings to the position a diverse background in leadership, both as an advocate for her community and for the Jewish community at large. We are confident in his ability to articulate JOI’s mission and we look forward to his continuing participation in the future of our organization.”

For more information about Big Tent Judaism/Jewish Outreach Institute, or to schedule an interview with Mr. Stein, please contact Alex Zaprudsky at AZaprudsky@JOI.org or (212) 760-1440.

Big Tent Judaism/Jewish Outreach Institute—is an independent, national, trans-denominational organization reaching out to unengaged and intermarried Jewish families, and helping the organized Jewish community better welcome them in. JOI conducts research, runs programs, and serves as a national training institution and network for outreach professionals, guiding and supporting innovative outreach in communities throughout North America.

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