From Sanctuary to Boardroom

Hal Lewis draws on classical Jewish texts to identify six character traits — piety, tenacity, compassion, service to followers, humility, and consistency — that he argues are central to effective leadership, then applies them to contemporary organizational management. The book's most original contribution is the 'keteric' organizational model, drawn from the Hebrew concept of keter (crown), which proposes separating administrative, religious, and educational authority to prevent power from concentrating in ways that corrupt institutions. The Jewish Book Council and JUF News reviewed it positively, and it fills a genuine gap in Jewish communal leadership literature. The audience is frankly narrow — leaders of Jewish nonprofits, synagogues, and communal organizations will find the most direct application, while broader business readers may not connect with the specifically textual Jewish framework. A thoughtful, values-grounded contribution for its intended community.