36 reasons to be hopeful

If you want to feel hopeful when it comes to our Jewish future, check out this year’s class of “36 Under 36,” showcased in the pages of this issue.  

These 36 inspiring young leaders are showing up for the Jewish community and beyond, living their Jewish values, and fulfilling what they view as their obligation to repair our broken world—all while embracing their Jewish joy.  

In this moment of immense challenge and division, these bright stars are not only standing up to Jewish hate and extinguishing the dark. They are also spreading love and creating light, pursuing justice, liaising with the non-Jewish world, lifting others up, and sparking and nurturing Jewish joy in others.  

Some of the honorees in this year’s class:  

*An advocate who serves adults with disabilities. After a young man with autism had expressed an aversion to unfamiliar activities and people, she changed his life by helping him expand his comfort zone, and he has developed an enjoyment of a variety of activities and social opportunities. 

*An attorney who—outside of his day job at a firm—maintains a robust pro bono practice representing families seeking asylum and incarcerated individuals pursuing civil rights claims. 

*One of the most distinctive Jewish food voices of her generation, she is a nutritionist, a chef, and a cookbook author. She has built a career at the intersection of food, Jewish identity, and community, and hosts a philanthropic Shabbat club for women. 

*An officer in the Illinois Army National Guard, he leads a team of soldiers and takes an active role in Jewish army life, supporting his Jewish peers and even launching a Torah study program while at Officer Candidate School. He also advocates for children in foster care in the Chicago area. 

*A voice for Catholic-Jewish relations, she is a professor of Catholic-Jewish Studies at the seminary where Pope Leo XIV is an alum. She is also the founder of a minyan that has become a centerpiece for hundreds of Jewish young adults. 

*A founder of a regenerative farm who is nourishing our community. His farm—whose vegetables and eggs are donated to members of the Jewish community in need—produces nearly twice the output of a conventional farm while restoring soil health and exceeding organic standards.   

The roster includes philanthropists, entrepreneurs, social workers, mentors, public servants, and advocates for society’s most vulnerable. They are Jewish ambassadors to the larger world, Shabbat hosts always ready to welcome another guest to their table, and “super connectors,” who seem to know everyone. They’re parents, clergy, and educators sparking and nurturing joy in Jewish children. 

With these trailblazers at the wheel, the Jewish future lies in capable and compassionate hands. Each honoree is a champion for Jewish life, scoring win after win for the optimists, and leading us into a brighter future. 

To learn more about the honorees, visit juf.org/36under36.