Critical Conversations | Exploring Economic Vulnerability within Jewish Communities

Critical Conversations is an annual Spertus Institute program that brings together high-profile experts and activists to address the most critical issues of the day. Our 2025 program will bring together leaders and practitioners in the field who will help us understand economic vulnerability in the U.S. Jewish community, as well as some of the existing strategies and resources around supporting members of the Jewish community experiencing financial hardships.

Past Critical Conversations have focused on issues including rising antisemitism, climate change, race, and immigration.

About the Panel

Critical Conversations 2025 brings together leading voices who are actively shaping the understanding of economic vulnerability within Jewish communities. This year’s panel features professionals whose work spans research, philanthropy, and community-based services. This panel will be moderated by Spertus CEO and President Dr. Dean P. Bell.

Jon Hornstein, Program Director, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation

Jon Hornstein leads the Weinberg Foundation’s grantmaking focused on the Jewish community in the United States. He oversees $25 million in annual grants, with a focus on providing direct services to individuals experiencing poverty, strengthening Jewish nonprofit organizations, and combating antisemitism.

Hornstein was instrumental in establishing TEN: Together Ending Need (formerly the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty), a collaborative initiative designed to raise awareness and coordinate responses to poverty within Jewish communities. He also co-authored Jewish Poverty in the United States: A Summary of Recent Research in 2019, contributing to a broader understanding of economic hardship in the Jewish population.

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2017, Hornstein worked as a strategy consultant for over 20 education and social impact organizations through Tyton Partners in Boston and Huron Consulting Group in Chicago. He is a Wexner Field Fellow, a Baltimore Corps Fellow, and an Education Pioneers Fellow. 

 

Dr. Ilana M. Horwitz, Fields-Rayant Chair of Contemporary Jewish Life | Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies and Sociology, Tulane University

Dr. Ilana Horwitz is a sociologist whose work explores the intersection of religion, social class, race, gender, and education. She holds a PhD in Sociology of Education and Jewish Studies from Stanford University and serves as the Fields-Rayant Chair of Contemporary Jewish Life at Tulane University.

Her first book, God, Grades, and Graduation: Religion’s Surprising Impact on Academic Success (Oxford University Press, 2022), received praise from The Wall Street Journal and earned a Distinguished Book Award from the American Sociological Association. Her latest book, The Entrepreneurial Scholar, was published by Princeton University Press in 2024.

Dr. Horwitz’s research is widely published in leading academic journals, and she is a regular contributor to national media, including The New York Times and The Washington Post.

 

Reuben D. Rotman, President and CEO, Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies

Reuben Rotman is the founding President and CEO of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA), a membership association that supports a broad range of Jewish human service organizations across the United States, Canada, and Israel. The Network provides capacity-building support, strategic advocacy, and a collaborative platform for sharing best practices.

With over three decades of experience in Jewish communal service, Rotman has led efforts to strengthen the infrastructure of organizations serving individuals and families facing poverty, mental health challenges, disability, aging, and more.

Through his leadership, NJHSA has become a national voice in the conversation around economic vulnerability, guiding its members in delivering compassionate, effective, and inclusive services.

Spertus Institute is a partner with the Jewish United Fund in serving our community.

Spertus Institute’s Center for Jewish Leadership is supported in part by a generous grant from the Crown Family.

Critical Conversations is generously funded by the late Eric Joss. The program receives additional support from the Alex and Klara Tulsky Presentation on the Jewish Future.