Valparaiso, Indiana
Email: jgreenbergsez@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.greenberg.94/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgreenbergwrites/
My name is Jonathan Greenberg, and I am a proud son of Indiana. Originally from Fort Wayne, today I live in the Chicago area – the largest IU alumni community outside Indiana.
In addition to my IU degrees, I was ordained a rabbi in 2006 at Hebrew Union College (HUC), the seminary of Judaism’s Reform movement. I matriculated to HUC’s Jerusalem campus in 2001 and lived through the height of the Second Intifada before returning to complete my studies in Cincinnati.
I’ve dedicated my career to public policy in the non-profit sector. Currently, I am the CEO of Empower Illinois, a scholarship granting organization and advocate for school choice. I took over Empower at low tide and was tasked by my board with reimagining and revitalizing the organization from top to bottom. Eight months later, we have reorganized, right-sized, rebranded, and relaunched. The experience has basically been taking a legacy organization and applying start-up principles to its overhaul.
Previously, I helped run a private family charitable foundation focused on civic education and Jewish philanthropy. I advised the board on funding decisions and worked closely with grantees and others in the civic education ecosystem to build a national movement for high quality, content-based civic education. I was proud to play a part in the establishment of civics institutes at state universities in Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Texas, and elsewhere.
Earlier in my career, I served as Midwest Political Director at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). In that role, I covered nearly a quarter of Congress for one of the most influential and respected issue organizations in Washington.
I am running for Trustee not only because I love my alma mater, but because the decisions we make in the coming years will determine how successfully we navigate a number of rising challenges. These are a few experiences and dispositions that have made me an effective board member for other organizations:
- I’ve been working with boards my entire career. I respect and operate within existing institutional culture. I quickly learn personalities, build friendships, and forge alliances based on overlapping interests. I make a good colleague without sacrificing principle.
- My seminary training is useful in that I’m an active listener and genuinely try to see things from the perspective of others, whether I’m likely to agree or not.
- I’m an expert on a small number of things about which I have very strong opinions. About everything else, I unselfconsciously ask questions and am an eager, self-aware learner.
As a Trustee, in addition to providing competent oversight of and strategic input for the University, I’d like to focus my efforts on these areas:
Affordability – IU needs to be competitively positioned for upheaval in American higher education brought about by escalating costs, burdensome student debt, and alternative credentialing options. The coming crisis will lead to massive consolidation and creative destruction in the higher ed market. We need to prioritize excellence and value in an industry-leading way. The entire University should be committed at every level to providing an excellent education at the lowest possible cost.
Viewpoint diversity – Like any university, IU should be a place for the fearless pursuit of truth. Our systems, institutions, personnel, and culture need to welcome civil, productive engagement with the full spectrum of ideas. I’m a fierce proponent of open discourse – even for ideas I find loathsome. Guest speakers, faculty, and the students we admit to our undergraduate and graduate programs all need to reflect a diversity of thought while abiding by the law and university policy.
Civics – Confusion and misinformation about American history, political philosophy, and core civic institutions are, in part, the result of a lack of basic knowledge. IU should lead the country in preparing students for sovereign citizenship and future leadership. We should think and act creatively to prioritize the teaching of America’s founding principles and history.
Antisemitism – In the last 18 months, as a wave of anti-Jewish bigotry has swept over American campuses, IU has been better than most, but far from perfect. Jewish students, like all students, have a right to walk to and from classes, frequent places of worship and communal gathering, attend events, speak their minds, and host speakers without fear of harassment, intimidation, or worse. Students and faculty violating University policy – which includes adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism – and/or Title VI of the Civil Rights Act should face disciplinary consequences.