Zachary Minuk of Rady JCC Selected for Fourth Cohort of

JCC Association’s Martin Pear Israel Fellowship

 
WINNIPEG, MB — The Rady JCC is proud to announce that Zachary Minuk, Rady’s Director of Development, Partnerships & Communications, was selected as one of the fifteen JCC professionals for the fourth cohort of The Martin Pear Israel Fellowship, an 18-month professional development program that immerses JCC professionals in a robust learning experience through in-person gatherings, web-based education, and an intensive Israel seminar, followed by six months of project implementation. The fellowship is designed to develop and retain JCC talent while cultivating a new generation of leaders deeply committed to Israel and Jewish communal life.

Now situated within the Center for Jewish Peoplehood, part of JCC Association’s new strategic operating framework, the Martin Pear Israel Fellowship reflects JCC Association’s commitment to strengthening Jewish identity, connection, and leadership across the JCC Movement. Named in memory of Martin Pear, z”l, the beloved longtime CEO of the Valley of the Sun JCC in Scottsdale, Arizona, the fellowship honors his enduring belief that Jewish professionals should be deeply committed and connected to Israel.
 

“The Martin Pear Israel Fellowship has consistently exceeded our expectations in both its depth and its impact,” said Dr. Andi Meiseles, Director of the Martin Pear Israel Fellowship and senior advisor for Jewish education at JCC Association of North America. “Over the course of the program, I have seen fellows form meaningful relationships across the JCC Movement, wrestle honestly with the complexities of Israel, and translate that learning into thoughtful, creative initiatives in their home communities. As we welcome the fourth cohort, it is exciting to see how each new group brings fresh perspectives while building on the strong foundation established by those who came before them. The fellowship continues to prepare leaders who are reflective, connected, and equipped to make a lasting impact in their JCC communities.”

Zachary Minuk is the Director of Development, Partnerships, and Communications at the Rady JCC in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Since joining the JCC in 2020, he has reinvented strategic fundraising by reimagining the annual Sports Dinner flagship gala, turning moments into memories while helping the event raise more than $400,000 annually and creating the largest gala of its kind in Western Canada. A natural storyteller, Minuk believes connection matters more than spreadsheets and that at its best, fundraising is not about dollars alone. It is about people saying, “I believe in what you do.” That belief guides how he leads, listens, and builds relationships. Minuk is passionate about strengthening Jewish life and deepening connections to Israel in ways that feel authentic and welcoming. In addition to his work, Minuk is a devoted husband and father of two daughters and will always choose a phone call over an email, because connection is the whole point.

“I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and honestly a little humbled by it. The Rady JCC is my home,” said Minuk. “It’s where I’ve learned that Jewish Community is built through connection and showing up for one another. To grow through this fellowship and bring that learning back to a place I love so deeply means everything to me.”

The cornerstone of the fellowship is an intensive, nine-day seminar in Israel, anchored by monthly education sessions before and after the Israel experience. As a final component of their participation, Pear Fellows implement a project that brings Israel to their JCC in a new and purposeful way. Each new cohort is welcomed by program alumni into the broader Martin Pear Fellowship, benefiting from an established network of peers, shared learning, and ongoing projects.

The Martin Pear Israel Fellowship, a key offering of the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Center for Jewish Education, is housed within JCC Association’s Center for Jewish Peoplehood. The fellowship is open to full-time employees of any faith and from any area of a JCC. Applicants must be interested in building a career in the JCC Movement and able to commit to remaining at their current JCC for at least two years. Each year, the cohort includes professionals who seek to thrive, both individually and collectively, within the rigorous program. The Pear Fellowship is made possible by a generous, multi-year gift to JCC Association. 

With more than 10,000 full-time professionals, over 20,000 part-time staff, and 17,000 seasonal staff, the JCC Movement is the largest employer on North America’s Jewish communal landscape, and JCC Association is devoted to developing the talent of the JCC workforce and continuing to attract the best and brightest to the movement’s work.

More information about the Martin Pear Israel Fellowship is available at jcca.org.

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About JCC Association of North America 

JCC Association of North America leads the JCC Movement, the most expansive and inclusive platform for Jewish life in the U.S. and Canada, which comprises nearly 150 Jewish Community Centers and Jewish Community Camps (JCCs). By virtue of its size and scope—serving more than 1.5 million people weekly, in person, and online—and with guidance and support from JCC Association, the JCC Movement dynamically influences efforts to create Jewish community, vibrant Jewish life, and intentional and measurable Jewish outcomes in local communities and across the continent.

Learn more at JCCA.org or on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Please note that JCC Association of North America should not be referred to as JCCA or the JCC Association but initially as JCC Association of North America and as JCC Association in subsequent references.