Just for Young Adults
Jonathon Nisenboum, Young Leadership Division (YLD) Chair
Welcome to YLD! If you are between the ages of 21 and 45, living in the Cleveland area and want to meet new people, become more invested in your community, develop your leadership skills, and make a difference in the world we share, then you are in the right place. Please contact us if you have any questions. We look forward to getting to know you and helping you become more involved in your community. Also, please check out our Facebook page.
Our Top Stories
Issues that matter to young adults
Young Leadership Division (YLD)
This is where young people connect, to Jewish life and to each other. You don’t have to be very religious, or maybe you are; you might be really into volunteer work, or maybe just interested in trying something new; you could have met your soul mate, or this feels like a good time to mix and mingle with other singles; wherever you are in your life journey, we probably know others who are there too! We will help you connect to Cleveland’s vibrant, diverse, and welcoming Jewish community of young adults age 21 to 45.
Get to Know us:
Networking & Social Events
We host events throughout the year, from volunteer events to happy hours to fundraisers; there is always a reason to get together as a community and strengthen our relationships with each other. We hope you’ll join us at an upcoming event.
Here’s a few of our favorite moments captured
View upcoming events
Meet a few of our friends
Check out how our young leaders are becoming the change they want to see in the world. Watch the video.
Let’s have coffee!
We love getting emails from new community members—or folks thinking about moving and wondering about what it’s like to be young and Jewish in the Cleveland area. If you’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Drop us a line to meet up for coffee. We are happy to welcome you to Cleveland!
Hands-on Volunteering
Jewish Clevelanders, ages 21 – 45, come together for a day of hands-on volunteering. In the last five years, hundreds of young adults have made new friends who share an interest in doing good around our community. Together, they are helping improve local lives working at non-profits around the community.
A few of our favorite places to volunteer
Cleveland Metroparks
We roll up our sleeves and spend the day in nature with some of the greatest people that we’ve ever met: JFSA's YouthAbility. We help clean and beautify their adopted trail in the great outdoors during hands-on volunteer events.
Ronald McDonald House
We help to relieve families’ stress by dedicating an afternoon to cook and serve lunch to the residents. A simple meal helps create lasting connections with the families of the Ronald McDonald House and our greater community.
Warrensville Community Apartments
We laugh, learn, and engage with a few of Cleveland's best storytellers when we volunteer at the J's Senior Lunch Plus Program. Who knows...next time you might even get to play bingo!
Moishe House Cleveland
We are proud to sponsor Moishe House Cleveland, one of 63 houses across the country that cultivates young leaders to create Jewish community—on their own terms—for their peers, in ways that are meaningful and relevant. Check out their Facebook Page.
In their own words:
“What is Moishe House Cleveland? Oh, you know, just your average, run-of-the-mill, avalanche of awesomeness. We are three remarkable, creative, interesting, modest young Jews who want to make Cleveland an even better place to live and play. At our home base, MoHoCle, located in downtown Cleveland, we regularly host a wide variety of engaging events for Jewish professionals and grad students. Whatever your background, come join us! We look forward to welcoming you to our community! Keep up to date with our schedule! Join our listserve by emailing mohocle@gmail.com, subject: join listserve.”
Message from D.C.
Check out the video from the Moishe House in D.C. where it all started.
Be a Leader
LEADS is designed to introduce young professionals between the ages of 21-45 to YLD, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and the greater Jewish Community. By participating in LEADS, you will have the opportunity to be a part of a cohort of young leaders who share your desire to become more involved in our strong Jewish Community. Together we will explore the ways you can most effectively put your skills, passion and expertise into action in a professional and volunteer capacity.
Gain access to and work with senior leaders
Connect to a strong and growing Jewish community
Become a leader—today and in the future
Interested in learning more? Contact, Jack Fuchsman at jfuchsman@jewishcleveland.org or 216-593-2872
See the World:
The Roslyn Z. Wolf Cleveland-JDC International Fellows Program
Every year, we provide a college graduate the opportunity to spend a year abroad, to help isolated or re-emerging Jewish communities develop programs that educate youth, care for the elderly and train future leaders. The experience can be life-changing, for both the fellows and the communities they serve. For more information, contact Janet Schwartz Shapiro at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland at 216-593-2875 or jshapiro@jewishcleveland.org.
About Roslyn Z. Wolf
Roslyn Wolf devoted her life to volunteerism and community leadership through the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Jewish Family Service Association (JFSA), Mt. Sinai Foundation, and many other charitable organizations. Her legacy is remembered through multiple awards, memorials, and programs in her honor, including the Roslyn Z. Wolf Cleveland-JDC International Fellows Program. This joint project of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) Jewish Service Corps (JSC) was established through the generosity of the late Ambassador Milton A. Wolf, Ph.D. and their children to permanently honor and memorialize her. A Federation Trustee for Life, Roz's Jewish community commitments set an example for many and continue to motivate other volunteers to help make this world a better place.
“The fellowship is a significant and tangible way to both honor Roslyn Wolf and affirm her practice of our sacred Jewish value, kol Yisrael areveim zeh le zeh, each Jew is responsible for one another,” said Charles A. Ratner.
Past Fellows
Molly Kazan
2018 – 2019
Riga, Latvia
Rachel Kraus
2017 – 2018
Israel-Unlimited in Israel
Shoshana Weiner
2016 – 2017
Tallinn, Estonia
Ben Fleisher
2015 – 2016
Bat Yam, Israel
Rachel Sieger
2014 – 2015
Berlin, Germany
Justin Kadis
2013 – 2014
Krakow, Poland
Menachem Weiss
2012 – 2013
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Joseph Eisman
2011 – 2012
Riga, Latvia
Ariela Alpert
2010 – 2011
Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda
Molly Fried
2009 – 2010
Berlin, Germany
Dina and Sol Adelsky
2008 – 2009
Odessa, Ukraine
Aliyah Phillips
2007 – 2008
Minsk, Belarus
Alyson and Matt Fieldman
2006 – 2007
St. Petersburg, Russia
Jordan Namerow
2005 – 2006
Warsaw, Poland
Jessica Chait
2004 – 2005
Warsaw, Poland
