The Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City has announced a new initiative: 18 under 40. This initiative is sponsored by Deloitte Consulting LLP and The Jewish Chronicle. The list identifies and shines the spotlight on 18 young Jews, between the ages of 21 and 39, who are contributing in meaningful ways to the greater Kansas City area.
The 18 (in alphabetical order) are: Jeremy Antes; Sam Arbesman; Erika Feingold; Seth Freiden; Elliott Fried, M.D.; Taly Friedman; Gina Kaufmann; Joseph Megerman; Lara Krigel Pabst; Rabbi Daniel Rockoff; Rabbi Mendel Segal; Martin Shuster, Ph.D.; Yosef Silver; Hilary Cohen Singer; Greg Smith; Eva Jenny Lipner Sokol; Melissa Stern; and Leah Swartz. Check out the list and full profiles of the honorees online at jewishkansascity.org.
“The 18 under 40 initiative aims to identify and showcase emerging, young Jewish professionals in Kansas City. Our honorees spotlight young leaders noted for making a difference in their work, giving back and earning distinction in the broader Kansas City community,” stated Dr. Helene Lotman, president & CEO of Jewish Federation. “We are incredibly proud of our first class of young leaders and we’re confident that the future Kansas City Jewish community is bright.”
The 18 were chosen from among more than 70 nominations generated by members of the local Jewish community. The only requirements for consideration for the list were that the nominees be Jewish, currently living in Kansas City and be between the ages of 21-39.
The program is being directed by Andrew Cotlar, development associate at Jewish Federation. He describes the inaugural list of honorees as diverse and very talented. It includes people who were born and bred here in Kansas City as well as those who have chosen to live here because of what Cotlar describes as the “renaissance we are experiencing right now” both in the city and the Jewish community.
“It was really tough for our selection panel to narrow it down to 18, because there is so much ambition in the community that I don’t think is talked about enough.”
The Jewish Federation chose to select 18 people to honor because the gematria (numerical value) of chai/life is 18. The Jewish tradition places an emphasis on life and teaches that God created us to be partners in making the world a better place. The selection committee saw all 18 people as those who embody this spirit of a principled life.
Cotlar pointed out that the local Jewish Federation is “borrowing” the idea from a successful program established in Chicago. The Jewish United Fund’s program there is called “36 Under 36,” another derivative of chai. Kansas City chose to honor 18, Cotlar said, because, “we felt it was important for us to start with 18 and see how it went.”
“We are a smaller community and we want to have a really impressive group this first year. It’s possible it could grow in the future, but we felt 18 to start with was a good plan for us.”
Cotlar said with this program, Jewish Federation is shining the spotlight “on the successes happening every day in Kansas City.”
Furthermore, the program recognizes the next generation of top innovative business professionals, academic thought leaders, community activists, philanthropists and ground breakers in the Kansas City Jewish community. Cotlar said the hope is to cultivate the next generation of leaders while advancing Jewish Federation’s mission to sustain and enhance Jewish life at home and around the world.
“We know that there’s a potential leadership gap about to happen in the Jewish community,” said Cotlar, explaining it’s been well documented in a PEW study regarding engagement and Jewish identity. “We decided to be proactive about it and talk about the success stories out there.”
The majority of the 18 under 40s are considered to be millennials, a demographic group with no set definition. However, many believe millennials were born between the early 1980s to around 2000, and the generation is often associated with technology and social media. This demographic is typically concentrating on building their families and careers and aren’t as apt to spend as much time volunteering and putting their dollars toward philanthropy as previous generations.
“So we decided to use this initiative as a means to open the conversation earlier with them,” Cotlar said.
The 18 under 40s will meet as a group a couple of times and be given an opportunity to tackle an issue of their choosing.
“We hope their talented 18 minds will come together to do something to better our community. It could be something the Jewish Federation already focuses on or it could be something completely different,” said Cotlar. “It may even be outside the Jewish community.”
Based on the questionnaires the 18 under 40s completed after their selections, one issue they may choose to tackle is the lack of kosher restaurants in the area.
“Not everyone on the list keeps kosher, but that comment, and a similar one about lack of real delis here in town, was on the list on several honorees who do not keep kosher,” Cotlar said.
Cotlar said all the honorees are very interested and excited about what they are calling the Think Tank, because it will be a meaningful way of using this group’s brain power. He said the group will get together for the very first time in the next month or so. Cotlar pointed out that Jewish Federation is raising money specifically for the Think Tank, and all funds raised will go toward the chosen issue.
Cotlar has begun meeting with each of the 18 under 40s to learn more about each person individually. A little leadership development will be thrown into those sessions in the hopes that some of these people will decide to take on more volunteer and leadership roles in the Jewish community.
“Some of these 18 are very experienced and participate in Jewish activities, for example a couple serve on Jewish agency boards and several are paid professionals in the Jewish community. But some of these honorees have very little interaction with the Jewish community, so we hope that this will aid in showing the benefits in not only what the Jewish Federation does but what it means to be an active leader in the Jewish community.”
“Millennials want to do what they are interested in. They don’t want to be told what to do. But I think that makes them a more passionate advocate for their cause and they are more apt to stick with it and spend time doing things that they are interested and passionate about,” Cotlar continued.
The 18 under 40s will be celebrated as a group on Sunday, June 26, at a kosher brunch at The Gallery Event Space downtown. The event is open to the public.
“It will be a nice, joyful occasion to honor these 18 people. We’re excited to invite their family and colleagues.”
For more information on 18 under 40 go to www.jewishkansascity.org
