Vilna and Combined Jewish Philanthropies Welcome Seventh Cohort of Community Creative Fellows

Four selected Greater Boston artists to explore Jewish identity and bring people together through music, visual storytelling, stained glass, and photography.

Published by Combined Jewish Philanthropies

Combined Jewish Philanthropies

Contact Laura Mandel, Managing Director, Vilna

BOSTON — [November 4, 2026] — The Vilna Shul and Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) today announced the seventh cohort of the Community Creative Fellowship, welcoming musician Zach Mayer, visual artist Inna Zhukovsky Zilber, stained glass artist Rebecca Michelson, and photographer Sharona Jacobs.

Since 2020, this fellowship has supported 18 Boston-area creatives in growing their creative practice, and inspired thousands of people across our community. Created by CJP and the Jewish Arts Collaborative (JArts), now part of The Vilna, the fellowship invests in artists as both creators and community builders. Through workshops and shared creative experiences, fellows invite people of different ages and backgrounds to explore Jewish life and contribute to the artistic process.

“Artists can help us experience Jewish life through a new lens, and they help us connect with one another,” said Annie Knickman Plancher, CJP’s Vice President, Strategy & Impact. “We’re proud to support the arts in our community and to give artists the resources to explore meaningful questions while inviting all of us into the process. We’re thrilled to welcome these four fellows, and can’t wait to see how they’ll enliven our community.”

This year’s Community Creative Fellowship recipients are:

Zach Mayer, musician: Mayer will create music for Jewish children and families, bringing his interests in composition, spirituality and participatory music-making into conversation with community members. He hopes to develop new work informed by the people who will sing, play and learn alongside him.

Inna Zhukovsky Zilber, visual artist: Zhukovsky Zilber will explore Jewish stories, symbols and the traditions people carry across borders and generations. Her work with vintage trunks will consider migration, memory and the diversity of Jewish communities, with community encounters offering a space for visibility of diverse Jewish communities.

Rebecca Michelson, stained glass artist: Michelson will deepen her exploration of the Jewish dimensions of stained glass, including Hebrew letters, ritual objects and hiddur mitzvah, the practice of bringing beauty to a mitzvah. Through the form of stained glass, Rebecca aims to bring layers of meaning to participants.

Sharona Jacobs, photographer: A literary portrait photographer, Jacobs plans to create portraits of Jewish writers, poets, scholars and teachers who are interpreting and reshaping Jewish life. Through photographs and conversations, she will explore how inherited traditions become personal stories.

Throughout the fellowship, each artist will develop a capstone work and lead eight community workshops, free of charge to the community. Community organizations interested in learning about opportunities to engage with the fellows can contact Elyse Winick. The program will culminate in a closing celebration at the Vilna on June 8, 2027.

About the Community Creative Fellowship

Powered by Vilna and Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the Community Creative Fellowship supports Greater Boston artists in creating new work, exploring Jewish identity and developing their community engagement practices. Founded in 2020 by CJP and JArts, now part of Vilna, the program brings artists and communities together through Jewish learning, creative exploration and shared experiences.