Key Points
Young Jewish Leadership Concepts (YJLC) Mission Goals:
What is the Challenge?
The Jewish community went “Oy Vey!” from the 1990 Jewish population study which revealed a 52% intermarriage rate.
More current studies debate if the rate is even more tragic. Israeli academician, Prof. Efraim Karsh, noted that the US Jewish population 50 years ago and today is a stagnant 5–6 million, when natural growth should have put us at more than 40 million!!!
Looking at YJLC contacts from 1986 to the mid–90's – almost all of 15,000 young adults participating at YJLC activities had 2 Jewish parents.
The growing trend from the last 10 years to now shows a current situation in that perhaps the majority of Jewish young adults we see have only one Jewish Parent.
How do Jewish young adults connect with each other? How can Jewish young professionals be encouraged to take on leadership roles in the American Jewish community?
We believe that YJLC has the ANSWER!
A Plan to Engage —
25 Years of Continuous programming
gives direction to the future:
YJLC has a unique program to identify young adults through a multi–generational, multi–organizational cooperative approach. We engage each young professional on a fun and personal level, and provide informal educational and programmatic support and encouragement for young adults to consider themselves as future leadership in the broad network of Jewish organizations.
YJLC has a proven “Feeder System” into Jewish organizational life, by providing quality programs and directing young adults into established Jewish organizations.
YJLC gives an alternative to some current conceptions promoting that young adults will only engage with “new” and “innovative” programs, forsaking established organizations.
YJLC has a 25 year track record that shows that with proper support, young professionals who have found a welcome “entre” through YJLC, will bring their creativity and innovation to established Jewish organizations.
Responding to the aforementioned CHALLENGE of engaging young adults, YJLC intends to develop a “grass roots” NEW structure in the Jewish Community.
This planned structure, being fully transferable and implementable in any, and every, area of the country where there are existing Jewish organizations, will not only identify and involve young adults, but will be a source of hope for Jewish communities that are losing their members.
Within FIVE YEARS, YJLC plans to be as recognizable in the Jewish Community as JDate. But rather than just bringing young adults together, YJLC will be giving them the tools and directions to take leadership roles in the Jewish community.
The Action Plan for Connection
Outreach Coordinators:
YJLC engages young adults as paid interns, called Outreach Coordinators, to make organizational contacts in specified geographical regions, or to do task–specific activities.
YJLC Administrator/Manager
In 2012 YJLC will engage a full–time Administrator – Manager to provide Outreach Coordinator Supervision, administrative and program coordination.
Jewish Singles* Outreach Project (JSOP)
This is the Unique Collaborative / Intergenerational mechanism in which YJLC gains organizational/community involvement in the goal of connecting Jewish young adults.
Synagogues and local Jewish organizations sign a letter of agreement (letter shown later in this brochure) to work cooperatively to identify young adults within their larger organizational family.
The Bubbe & Zayde Network:
In a special and unique “Intergenerational Approach” YJLC builds a network of past Board officers of participating synagogue and Jewish organizations, to be part of the “Bubbe & Zayde Network”).
YJLC Programs
Israel Encounter – National Young Professionals Tour
The program that initiated YJLC in 1986, 14 years before Birthright Israel/Taglit came into existence. Israel Encounter will be marketed in 2012 as a “post–Birthright” return experience for those ages 21–26, and for those beyond the age 26 barrier who can no longer attend Birthright Israel.
Annual Leadership Weekends:
Traditionally, YJLC has organized two annual Leadership Weekends for active social engagement, and exceptional Israel/Jewish community guest speakers:
1 – Summer Rafting Leadership Weekend
2 – Winter Ski Leadership Weekend
Of recent years, YJLC has received cooperative support of local and national Jewish organizations including: Jewish Federations of Lehigh Valley and Reading, PA, and Vineland, NJ, MASA–Israel Journey, B'nai B'rith International, AEPi, JAFI, Aliya Department, Magen David Adom, JNF, AJC, and Save a Child's Heart.
Other International Travel
Responding to the demand of young adults who wanted to go with Jewish peers to other destinations in addition to Israel, YJLC developed a travel program which augmented the travel experience by incorporated Jewish content, local Jewish community connections at their destination, and leadership aspects to their peer travel.
With the growth of the program we will also re–visit past successful international YJLC travel programs, eg: Caribbean Escape; Costa Del Sol; Cancun/St. Martin; Cuba; as well as add new destinations.
New for 2012 – YJLC “U”
YJLC participants of Jewish informal educational programs will be eligible to receive "enrichment credits" for leadership programs that they will attend. Recognition and a certificate will be presented to achieving YJLC'ers at the Annual Awards Program.
Programs of Engagement for Young Adults:
A sampling of YJLC community and leadership programs:
Your Participation
As the Talmud states, that when one “saves a life, one saves an entire World”
Each individual is important – and especially in the leadership role that YOU can play in “Saving the Jewish World.”
With this “IPO for a Jewish Future” know that you can be on the “ground floor” of an enterprise that within FIVE YEARS, will be as recognizable in the Jewish Community as JDate, providing necessary Jewish Leadership for the Future!
Here is a 4–Step Plan:
1 – Decide if you agree with the goals and mission of YJLC, and want to help play an important role.
2 – Share names and contact information of young adults you personally know who should be in the YJLC network.
3 – As a leader, assist YJLC in getting synagogues and organizations signed up in the JSOP.
4 – Encourage those community leaders of means, who agree with the goals and mission of YJLC, to be “a partner” and make a significant contribution to advance the success of this effort.
For more information and to set up a personal meeting to discuss YJLC “partnership,” please contact:
Lou Balcher
YJLC Co–Founder
yjlcevents@gmail.com
215.932.2974