02/13/2026
NextGen: Who Knew? | Maddy Mizrachi
Mizrachi
Article reprinted with permission from Cleveland Jewish News
by Jimmy Oswald
Growing up in Solon, Maddy Mizrachi never would have guessed she would have ended up working in the Jewish nonprofit space. In fact, she wasn’t deeply involved in the community until she started college at Kent State University.
“Going to college there changed my life in more ways than one,” Mizrachi told the Cleveland Jewish News. “I connected to Judaism for the first time and was part of a Jewish community for the first time. Going to Israel was also really transformative.”
It led Mizrachi, 25, down a career path in the Jewish communal world, and she took the next step in her journey last month with her promotion as the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Young Leadership Division director.
“The young adult community here is incredible,” Mizrachi said. “And I love getting to meet all of the amazing young professionals here and connect them in meaningful ways to the Jewish community. I’ve worked with college students before, and I’m very excited to continue working with young professionals.”
Mizrachi, who resides in Lyndhurst, first got a job through the Hillel International Springboard Fellowship, which is a paid, two-year program for graduates to work as experiential educators and community builders on Hillel campuses across North America. Mizrachi worked at Florida State University Hillel in Tallahassee, but wanted to come back to Cleveland and become part of the Jewish community here.
“That was something that I didn’t have the opportunity to do growing up,” she added.
Mizrachi was an associate of the Federation’s YDL for about two-and-a-half years before being elevated to her current position as director. She described it as “really important” and an “honor” that she is able to train the next generation of leaders that will continue to move the community forward.
“The Jewish Cleveland community has an incredible legacy,” she said. “I feel really lucky because the things young adults that I work with are navigating in their lives, I’m navigating my life as well. We all get to do it together, which is really special and meaningful.”
According to the Federation, YLD is one of Jewish Cleveland’s most vibrant hubs for young adults. It offers a space where networking, service, leadership and Jewish identity intersect. Mizrachi develops programming for the initiative, which is aimed at those ages 22 to 45, such as providing social gatherings or volunteer experiences. She also helps them develop leadership skills and provides opportunities to allow them to deepen their connections to Israel.
“I am working with our YLD board chair, Jillian Nataupsky, to come up with a high-level strategy for what we want to accomplish this year,” Mizrachi said. “Two years ago, we had a record breaking campaign for YLD where we raised over $1 million for the annual Campaign for Jewish Needs.
“It’s very evident that so many young adults care about the community, and we want to make sure we have the right strategy in place to give every one of them an opportunity to contribute to the community in ways that are meaningful to them.”
Mizrachi said that the potential is “endless” for all that the YLD can accomplish, and she added that she is looking forward to playing a pivotal role in working towards it.
“It’s interesting because I feel like I’m not going to see the results of what I do for a while,” she said. “But I can’t wait to see these young leaders at the helm of the Federation itself or in other massive Jewish institutions decades down the road. They’re going to use all the experience and leadership they gained here in the wild. They’re creating the future of the Jewish people.”
Meet Maddy
What’s the most unusual or unexpected talent you have? I can sing. I used to perform the national anthem for sporting events at Kent State, for the baseball team and volleyball once, too.
If you could only eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Pickles because they are amazing.
What’s the best book or movie (or series) you’ve read or watched recently that you’d recommend to others? I’m rewatching “The Big Bang Theory” with my husband, and I forgot how funny it is. I would definitely recommend people to watch it if they haven’t or rewatch it if they have.
Where are you going on date night? Il Venetian or the Marble Room. The Marble Room is absolutely fantastic and they also catered our wedding, so it’s really special for us.
What is your most meaningful Jewish memory? I have two. One was visiting the Kotel for the first time when I was on birthright. I cried and didn’t know why. That’s when I realized I really wanted to pursue Judaism and have it be a huge part of my life. And then both of my weddings. I had one in America and one in Israel because my husband’s Israeli. Connecting to Judaism through the traditions that are in a typical Jewish wedding was really special for me.
