Rosie Vayner and Samantha Gorelik, co-chairs of the NextGen Council, are focused on engaging young Jewish Milwaukeeans through the Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s NextGen program.
“We know that when we bring people in, and they feel welcome and start to feel more of a personal connection to Federation, that they’re more likely to stay involved for life,” Gorelik said.
There are 18 volunteers serving on the NextGen Council, leading and advising the NextGen group in partnership with an executive council and Federation staff.
NextGen, aimed at those 22-45, has seen recent success, including about 80 attendees at a Hanukkah party. Meanwhile, the two leaders have been working through NextGen to raise awareness of Federation’s role in the community. They seek to strengthen the ties between people on the ground and the institutions that serve Jewish Milwaukee, laying the groundwork for support of the Federation’s Annual Campaign.
Core goals for NextGen are leadership, philanthropy and engagement. As part of efforts towards engagement, the co-chairs like involving young people in decision-making “to make sure that we’re creating programming and experiences that resonate with people,” Gorelik said.
For example, an Israeli wine-tasting event at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, in Milwaukee, was a hit. “People want to get together with other young people, and we want to create fun opportunities for them to be able to do that,” Gorelik said.
Engagement also means being realistic about the fact that a 22-year-old may not have the same priorities as a 45-year-old. When planning events, the co-chairs keep their participants’ different stages of life in mind. They said they seek to find balance and plan activities that are more likely to appeal to everybody.
“We think a lot about the future of Jewish Milwaukee, and we want to ensure that it continues to be as vibrant as it is now,” Gorelik added. “It feels like a big responsibility for our generation to carry the torch, and we’re just really excited to have so many young people involved, and it continues to grow.”
It’s a reality that post-Oct. 7, people are looking to get more involved in Jewish life, Vayner said. Planners should not ignore that dynamic.
“There is very much a disconnect – people don’t really see what Federation is doing behind the scenes. And I think that that needs to come to light more,” Vayner said, adding that people in the NextGen demographic don’t always realize “how much Federation impacts their lives, with all the Jewish events that they take part in, or Jewish programming, or Jewish schools.”
She seeks to educate people, help them see how integral Federation is. For example, Federation is connected with a variety of institutions and partner agencies – at one event, this was turned into a fun demonstration.
“People could come up with a string and basically connect the dots of organizations that they’d been involved in, that were Jewish in Milwaukee,” Gorelik said. “And the web was massive.”
You, too, can get involved! NextGen is open to more participants, ages 22-45. If interested, contact Kelly Biedinger at 414-390-5733 or KellyB@milwaukeejewish.org.
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Learn more
To learn more about NextGen for young adults, Kelly Biedinger at 414-390-5733 or KellyB@milwaukeejewish.org.
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