Some lament the future of Jewish leadership. Well, these last two weeks, I’ve had a glimpse into the future — and it looks quite bright.

First in Israel and then in New York, I met young people who will someday become the leaders of our community. They come from different backgrounds and some have faced extreme challenges. What they share is an inspiring commitment to take the world as they’ve inherited it and make it better for others.

I started in Israel at a community center in Lod (a “periphery” community located in the heart of the country), where at-risk children from diverse communities — including Israeli Arabs and Jews — are matched with young, incredibly dedicated mentors who work tirelessly on their behalf. Appropriately called Youth Futures, the program — a joint effort of Federations, the Jewish Agency, and local municipalities — works with children from over 200 schools in 36 locations, and employs 300 mentors. Key to the program’s success is the development of these mentors. Trained to act as a bridge between families and teachers, mentors are often the only constant in a child’s life. And, not surprisingly, these mentors frequently go on to become community activists and leaders.

I next visited a mechina in Or Yehuda, near Tel Aviv — one of 14 post-high-school programs supported by UJA and the Jewish Agency, which help prepare disadvantaged young Israelis from periphery communities for army service. This particular mechina teaches essential skills and helps develop leadership training through the lens of filmmaking.

I met the impressive young head of the mechina, who’d had a successful hedge fund career, but decided to shift gears to help address what he characterized as a growing fragmentation in Israeli society. Now, he’s helping young people forge their futures. We watched a short movie created by one of the program participants, who’d arrived at the mechina with very limited skills, and now, almost miraculously, was on the cusp of joining the army. The title of his film? Pay it Forward.

Back in New York this past Sunday, I sat in on a series of extraordinary meetings at UJA’s Center for Youth Philanthropy. About 150 9th – 12th graders are part of the Center, where — guided by UJA staff and third and fourth-year participants who serve as “senior fellows” — the teens learn about philanthropy firsthand by raising and allocating funds to organizations they select. Just a few of the issues being debated at Sunday’s meeting: Should they grant more locally or globally? Do they give a grant that profoundly impacts one life vs. a grant with lesser impact that touches more people? (You know, regular teen stuff!)

I cannot adequately describe how inspiring it was to witness these teens in action. All were deeply engrossed in the process, and choosing to spend a precious weekend day focused on critical communal issues. In the not-too-distant future, they’ll be graduating to far bigger tables, teaching others as they were taught.

Whether in Israel or New York, there is no single path to leadership. Mentorship matters, as does creativity and a willingness to invest in the people and places that are often overlooked. Our role is to give young people from all walks of life every opportunity to grow and learn, to question and dream. And with that foundation, the future — our community’s future — is theirs to shape.

Shabbat shalom and Chag Purim sameach,

Eric

P.S. In last week’s message, I shared how we are working with our 22 local JCCs to enhance security. Based on a survey we conducted to identify any unmet security needs, we are now working with our local JCCs to address those findings. Specifically, we are funding: a) security assessments; b) security trainings; and c) the updating of emergency response resource materials.

This week, members of UJA’s Public Policy Committee, a local JCC executive, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), and Jewish Federations of North America met at the Capitol with key congressional leaders, including Rep. Mike McCaul, Sr., chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, to discuss Non-Profit Homeland Security monies for JCCs, day schools, and other Jewish institutions. Rep. McCaul was incredibly supportive of our efforts and pledged to work actively to address the needs of our local Jewish institutions.

We also met with a broad group of New York City council members who called for $25 million in additional monies for security at Jewish institutions. And, we attended a closed-door roundtable briefing on Staten Island with Mayor Bill de Blasio, Police Commissioner James O’Neill, and Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon to address local security concerns.

On an annual basis, we provide more than $20 million to support our vital JCC network. We are continuing to work very closely with our partners to address the current challenges.