06/10/2025
Saltzman Youth Panel Grants $45,000 for Community Needs
26 Jewish high school juniors and seniors from public and private high schools across Cleveland have come together to recommend grants totaling $45,000 to 17 organizations for crucial programs in the Jewish and general community through the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s 2024-2025 Maurice Saltzman Youth Panel.
Saltzman Youth Panel was established in 1998 through a generous gift from Shirley Saltzman z”l and her family in memory of the late Maurice Saltzman z”l. The program is designed to help educate the next generation of Jewish community leadership, a passion of Maurice Saltzman’s, who was a past board chair of the Federation. Each year, a new Saltzman Youth Panel allocates up to $45,000 to worthy organizations – 85% of which are awarded to programs serving the Jewish community and 15% awarded to non-profit programs serving the general community. Through this experience, the participants learn about the philanthropic process and responding to community needs.
“The impact of the Saltzman Youth Panel over the past 24 years is nothing short of extraordinary,” said Daniel N. Zelman, Federation board chair. “Thanks to the foresight and generosity of the Saltzman family more than 800 young leaders have gained firsthand experience in philanthropy and tikkun olam, granting over $1.3 million to causes that matter. We are incredibly proud to offer this unique leadership opportunity that continues to shape our future community leaders.”
Panelists Dahlia Messeloff, Ariel Vilensky, and Avi Wolf presented the panel’s recommendations to the Federation’s Board of Trustees on May 28, 2025. Recommendations from the panel were unanimously approved by the board.
Among the grants were: $4,000 to Hebrew Shelter Home for people in crisis in need of temporary shelter; $4,000 to Jewish Agency for Israel for the Fund for Victims of Terror; and $2,000 to Achievement Centers for Children’s therapeutic horsemanship program.
Prior to the Board of Trustees meeting, panelists and their families gathered for a reception to celebrate their accomplishments. Federation President Erika B. Rudin-Luria congratulated the group on their successful collaboration and philanthropic spirit. Panelists commented on how much they learned about community needs, evaluation of grant proposals, and the struggle to prioritize needs when resources are limited.
Panelists, selected through a competitive application process, met eight times throughout the school year. They created a Request for Proposals, reviewed grant applications, learned about consensus decision making and, in the end, had a tremendous impact on programs and organizations which improve the lives of others.
To nominate a rising high school junior or senior or to apply for the 2025-2026 Saltzman Youth Panel, please visit https://www.jewishcleveland.org/involved/teens/. Priority application deadline is August 1, 2025.
