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“For the first time, I saw young adults in their 20’s and 30’s leading the Federation movement and engaging in discussions about Jewish continuity.” –Brittany Lenhart, new WNC Jewish Federation Board member ___________________________________________________________________________ |
Like most Jewish communities, involving and inspiring young adults within our community to participate in Jewish organizations such as WNC Jewish Federation is a constant challenge. And yet, the survival of Jewish philanthropy and volunteerism is reliant on the involvement of our future generations. To address this challenge, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) established the National Young Leadership (NYL), a network of socially conscious Jews in their 20’s, 30’s and early 40’s. NYL offers leadership development programs to prepare young adults to play a key role in the Jewish community. Annually, JFNA and NYL sponsor TribeFest, an entertaining, interactive and educational celebration that brings together over 1,500 Jewish young adults (ages 22-45) from across North America with the goal of connecting and invigorating a new generation. This year, 4 young adults from the Asheville community attended TribeFest 2014, having been sponsored by WNC Jewish Federation and Bob and Carol Deutsch.
Asheville’s participants to TribeFest 2014, which was held in New Orleans, included Neil Garson, Brittany Lenhart, and Dara Leinweber, who comprise the leaders of Asheville’s group for 25-40 year olds, called YAJA or Young Adult Jews of Asheville. Joining the group at TribeFest was Sharon Feingold, another Jewish organizer and current YAJA participant.
In reference to her experience, Dara says, “other than the opportunity to spend time in a city as culturally inspiring as New Orleans, the highlights included the networking, educational workshops, and engaging in the local community through social action projects.” Neil highlights a different aspect of the conference, “as a small contingency, there was real benefit to connecting to other small Southeastern community representatives. These connections served as impetus for us, (the YAJA leadership) to begin planning a Regional event here at home, in Asheville. ”
Brittany recalls that, “for the first time, I saw young adults in their 20’s and 30’s leading the Federation movement and engaging in discussions about Jewish continuity. That was powerful, as it made me feel that my peers were invested in the Jewish future.” A heartfelt thank you is extended from all participants to the WNC Jewish Federation for affording this opportunity. As a result of their trip, YAJA leadership will be working with the WNC Jewish Federation in the coming year, specifically by spreading awareness and knowledge of the fundraising campaign to local young adults.