Why apply for the ASLP?

The Adam Science programme was set up in memory of Adam Science, a young dynamic lay leader who was exceptionally engaged in communal life (you can watch a video about him below). He recognised that the community would benefit greatly from engaging young adults at an early age and he organised events and ‘Quest’ weekends for young people to meet and be inspired to get involved in communal life. 

In 1991, Adam was tragically killed in a car accident and the community lost one of its shining stars. His friends and family rallied to continue his communal work and set up a young leadership programme in his name to help young adults learn about the community and get involved in communal leadership. 

The first Adam Science Programme was held in 1992, making the last cohort, our 2022-23 group, the 30th Anniversary cohort. The programme was originally run by Adam’s friends, many of whom are now in senior lay leadership positions across the community. It was then housed within UJIA together with the Adam Science Foundation for 10 years. Since 2011 it has housed within Lead, the leadership development division of the Jewish Leadership Council.  

Each cohort of leaders has included a diverse group of people from across the community, bringing their communal, denominational and cultural perspectives to the Adam Science table. As well as learning from the professional and lay leaders that they hear from, the group also learns much from each other’s rich tapestry of backgrounds and experiences. This heavily subsidised programme has supported and developed generations of Jewish leaders since its inception and many alumni now hold senior lay and professional roles in the Jewish community. You can get a sense of the tremendous impact of the programme from the video above which we invite you to take a look at.

After a pause for the pandemic, our 2022-23 cohort featured our largest ever group of participants and for the first time included participants based in both London and Manchester. The have embarked upon a new programme featuring the best of current leadership knowledge, Jewish leadership lessons as well as amazing networking opportunities. 

The ASLP programme is specifically for emerging leaders within the Jewish Community and those wanting to lead. The programme is twelve months long and will blend in-person and online development experiences.

Vision: The vision of Adam Science is to inspire, empower and enable young adults within the Jewish community to lead and know how and where they can best contribute to a vibrant and vital UK Jewish Community

Aims:

• Understand: Engaging a broad cohort of emerging leaders to understand and navigate the UK Jewish Community, the voluntary sector, in which the community operates and the wider global Jewish community and how this may support and impact their leadership

• Lead: Enabling participants to apply this knowledge and understanding in their leadership and inspiring them to continue their leadership journey

• Network: Allowing participants to build a diverse network of connections that will support their ongoing leadership journey and help to strengthen the Jewish community more broadly.

The Adam Science Leadership Programme is scaffolded around these key questions:

What is leadership for?

What is the strategic purpose - what must it achieve for Jewish communities and organisations in the UK?

What makes a good leader?

What leadership behaviours will enable me to achieve what I set out to do? What leadership will fit my context in the organisations and places that I wish to shape?

How does leadership ‘work’?

How do these key behaviours connect with, engage and inspire followers? How can I build my vision and bring about change? What are some of the key skills I will need to take my leadership forward? What are the differences between leadership and management?

How do I continually develop leadership in myself and others?

Who am I and what do I stand for? How do I build and nurture my leadership network that will allow me to sustain and grow my leadership potential?

The programme, blends in-person and online learning sessions led by top leadership facilitators and will include core and optional modules on a range of essential topics as set out below (subject to review): The programme will also support participants in navigating the UK Jewish Community, developing their leadership vision and connecting with a network of peers.

Full Cohort Gatherings

Residential​

A residential experience that builds connections between the cohort, introduces Relational Leadership practice and community mapping​ ​

Graduation event

Guest speaker and action planning​

Regional Cohort Gatherings

​Combination of days/evenings gatherings with local leadership to learn and reflect.  Includes cross denomination panels, Jewish Leadership Learning and current community issues​

Core Online Modules​*

• Introduction to Charity Commission Guidelines (Trusteeship and good governance​)

• The Bottom Line (Financial Management for Charities)​

• Managing Up/Down/Across

• Strategic Planning​ and impact measurement

• Managing the lay/professional relationship

Optional Online Modules*

• Fundraising for Charities

• Effective Marketing and Comms​

• Leading Change​

• Team Dynamics​

• Courageous Conversations​

• Inclusive Leadership in a Changing World

• Facilitating effective meetings

• Coaching and mentoring

• Effective networking

• Project management

*Adam Science is a programme that is responsive to the needs of our cohort, so modules may be subject to change

Is Adam Science for you? The following are the pathways.

Current Lay Leadership Role

You are a leader who is actively engaged and involved in an existing​ organisation (for example as a trustee/advisory board member,​ committee/organising/steering group member)​

Communal professional

You are working as a professional within a Jewish community organisation and will have experience to draw and reflect upon during your time on the programme from this. You may also have a lay leadership role. You may or may not manage others.

Volunteering commitment

If you don't have a current lay or professional role​ within a communal organisation, the programme is still open for you to apply to participate. In order to ensure the impact of the programme is maximised, for those applying in this situation and through our partner organisation JVN, we will help facilitate a substantive volunteering opportunity that will complement your leadership development​.

The programme sessions are a blend of in-person and online. The schedule below offers a sense of our 2025-26 programme with exact dates of sessions to be confirmed as soon as possible. Sessions below are in person and for the whole cohort (Northern/Southern), unless stated otherwise. By signing up for the course participants are committing to attending these sessions. There will also be optional sessions which will be added throughout the programme.

Residential weekend/Opening:

• Sun-Mon 18th/19th May 2025, daytime

• Where: Venue TBC, nr London

Regional local gatherings**

• June 2025 (Dates TBC)

• February 2026 (Dates TBC)

• Where: TBC (Southern cohort) & TBC (Northern cohort)

Mid-point workshop:

• Sun-7th December 2025, daytime

• Where: Venue TBC, nr London

5x Core Module Sessions:

• When: weekday evenings in July, September, November 2025 and January, March 2026

• Where: Online (90 mins)

Optional module sessions*:

• When: weekday evenings in October 2025 and April 2026 TBC

• Where: Online (90 mins)

Graduation Event:

• When: May 2026, Sunday daytime

• Where:

  TBC (Full cohort meeting in London)

*= optional

**=regional

Applications will open on 3rd February 2025 until 28th February.

Once you have registered your interest, you will be sent the new programme guide and (on 3rd February) the link to apply.

The first stage of the application process involves completing an application form with supporting statement. You will also be asked to provide references. From this point, we will shortlist candidates for interview.

Following an interview process, the cohort will be finalised in early April 2025 ahead of our launch in May 2025.

If you would like information or to express interest, please email Nick Young at nick@thejlc.org.

The 2022-23 cohort was the largest ever, with 22 participants. It was also the first to feature a group based in Manchester. You can read about the group here.

How long is the Programme?

The programme is 1 year long. Although the 2022-23 cohort was extended to 15 months due to the events of October 7th, the first gathering for the 2025-26 cohort takes place in May 2025 with graduation planned for May 2026.

What is the model of delivery?

The programme will blend in-person sessions with online core and optional modules.

How big is the cohort?

We are looking for a broad based cohort drawing from the spectrum of the Jewish community. We will have a cohort based in London, and, in partnership with UJIA and the Jewish Rep Council, a Northern cohort based in Manchester and Leeds.

What is the commitment?

The Adam Science Programme has been described as a both an individual and a group journey, and we hope that those participating will bring an open mind, a growth mindset, be ready to share their skills, experiences and ideas and be receptive to others. Those accepted onto the programme will be expected to attend and participate in every core and in-person session.

This is an exceptional opportunity to develop skills, learn about yourself, communal organisations, the community and grow your network. We hope that participants will be ready to make the most of that opportunity.

There may be information shared or reading opportunities between sessions, but most of the "work" will be about what you get out of sessions and take with you out into the community.

When will sessions take place?

Sessions will take place monthly. In -person sessions will normally be on Sunday daytime, with online sessions on weekday evenings. There will be approximately one session per month.

The residential in May 2025 is an overnight stay at a hotel just outside of London. We are able to provide a letter to explain that you are participating on a Leadership Programme that will include CPD if you need to take time out of work to participate.

Who are the facilitators?

The programme will include delivery by expert speakers and facilitators. under the direction of Nick Young (JLC/Lead). Michelle Janes will be serving as consultant for the programme and delivering some sessions.

What is the cost?

The cost to each individual is £750 for 2025-26, which is significantly subsidised. There is a 10% discount available to participants representing JLC member organisations.

We encourage participants to ask their organisations to sponsor them or share the cost with them and we are able to offer payment plans to participants. We aim to ensure that finance is not a barrier to participation. Please contact us in confidence if you have any questions/concerns.

What is the age of participants?

Adam Science participants over the years have tended to be in the 23-35 age bracket, but the focus is very much on developing emerging leaders in the community.

What do you offer for alumni?

As a graduate of the Adam Science Programme, with the Adam Science name on your CV (described as a Jewish communal “kitemark”), you will join a distinguished network of alumni, holding senior professional and lay leadership positions within and outside the Jewish community. We hope to redevelop our alumni network in the future but there is ample opportunity to connect to alumni at our events and events held around the community.

You will also have a broader network of contacts across the Jewish community developed through your cohort which will support you in your role and, by connecting our organisations, will help strengthen the Jewish community.

What has been the impact of the programme?

Many of our alumni are now in senior professional and lay leadership roles and our participants down the years have told us about the many ways in which they’ve benefited,

The best way to get a sense of the impact of the programme, apart from talking to one of the many alumni, is to watch the videos at the top of this page or read the testimonials below this panel. The videos on this page include testimony from alumni as well as images from the programme down the years, and words from Adam’s friends and family who brought the programme into existence. If you have further questions, please get in touch.