Temple SholomFrequently asked
Etzah is a professional career mentorship program being developed at Temple Sholom. It is designed to connect members seeking career guidance with members who have professional experience, perspective, and insight to share.
The goal is to create thoughtful, curated mentoring relationships focused on career growth, professional development, and meaningful connection within the Temple Sholom community.
Etzah is focused specifically on professional and career mentorship. Conversations may include career paths, workplace experience, industry knowledge, leadership, career transitions, skill-building, professional confidence, and navigating different stages of working life.
Etzah is not intended to provide religious guidance, counselling, therapy, life coaching, or general advice outside a professional career context.
Temple Sholom is a welcoming, inclusive, multi-generational community where members connect with one another, honour tradition, and engage with contemporary life. Etzah builds on that spirit by creating a practical way for members to support one another professionally.
As people navigate changing workplaces, career transitions, new industries, leadership opportunities, and early career decisions, Etzah offers a way for members to share professional experience across generations, fields, and career stages.
Etzah means “connection”, a tie between two people, of the kind that holds. For this program, the name reflects the goal of helping members build meaningful professional connections through mentorship, conversation, and shared career experience.
Etzah is being designed for Temple Sholom members who are interested in professional career mentorship, whether they are seeking guidance or offering guidance. This may include people who are early in their careers, navigating a career transition, exploring a new direction, growing into leadership, returning to work, or looking for perspective from someone with relevant professional experience.
No. Etzah is not a job placement program, recruiting service, or hiring platform. Mentors are not expected to find jobs for mentees, make introductions on demand, or act as recruiters.
The focus is on professional guidance, career perspective, skill-building, and meaningful mentorship.
The matching process is still being developed, but the intention is to take a thoughtful and curated approach rather than a self-directed or open networking model.
As part of the pilot, the committee will learn more about members’ professional backgrounds, interests, goals, and availability and use that information to shape meaningful mentorship connections.
The program will include a thoughtfully curated match with a mentor or mentee, with the formal program taking place over a three-month period. It will include an in-person kickoff and wrap-up event, and participants will be encouraged to meet with their mentor or mentee at least once a month, either in-person or line.
We encourage you to express interest! Because Etzah is still being shaped, hearing from members will help the committee understand the range of professional experiences, career interests, and mentorship needs within the community.
You may be a fit for the first pilot, a future cohort, or another way of supporting the program as it grows.
You can navigate to the Etzah application page here. The application will walk you through a number of questions to make a meaningful match with either a mentor or mentee.
After you apply, the committee will review the information shared by interested participants and work to create meaningful matches for Etzah’s first cohort.
Because this is a pilot program, not everyone who applies may be included in the first group. You will receive a response letting you know whether you are being considered for the pilot or whether there may be an opportunity to participate in a future cohort.
We will be accepting interest applications until X date, and plan to launch the first cohort’s program in early 2027.
