For anyone--especially those of us who view life through a Jewish lens--it's been a hard 10 months to feel hopeful about, well, much of anything.
Even as an optimist--amidst the violence, hate, division, and misinformation--I've been having a tough time mustering my usual pollyannaish attitude.
But then, earlier this summer, our magazine's staff was lucky enough to dig into the 36 Under 36 nominations.
After getting to know these 36 inspiring young leaders, all
mensches
who exemplify the Jewish values of community and
tikkun olam
, I've been consoled by the fact that the forecast looks bright--that the Jewish future is in kind and capable hands.
This year's honorees, like the rest of us, are appalled by the horrors of October 7, and have changed as Jews, and as human beings, forever. For many of this year's 36 Under 36 class, their hearts beat as one with Israel, and that horrible day has moved them to act-as one honoree put it, "to control the controllables."
Some ways the 36ers shared their light:
After learning that Israel was in dire need of agricultural help due to the shortage of farmers caused by the war, one honoree flew to Israel this past winter to volunteer to pick fruits and vegetables on kibbutzim.
In the fraught campus environment, another 36er spent much of the academic year supporting students confronting antisemitism, helping them to navigate contentious conversations with fellow students and university administrators.
And, even after enduring antisemitism in her master's program, one student stood up to loud anti-Israel and anti-Jewish voices in her classrooms, refusing to let them drown her out.
Another honoree, a leader in the pet food industry, teamed up with an Israel pet food distributor to donate nearly 40,000 meals to Israeli pets who had become strays due to the war.
Some in this year's class have traveled on solidarity visits to Israel to bear witness to the stories of the victims, the survivors, and their loved ones.
Another is a lone soldier--serving in the IDF, with no family in Israel--who finished his sixth deployment earlier this summer as a reservist in Gaza. Long before October 7, he and his friends co-founded an initiative to help 5,000 lone soldiers (and counting) access subsidies to meet their basic needs and forge a community of soldiers living far from loved ones.
Even at this dark moment, this group has kept perspective, balancing the burden that sadly accompanies the Jewish experience lately-with the joys that come with being Jewish. "[We're] not Jewish simply to defend our existence," one of the honorees wrote, "but to celebrate our heritage."
The list includes philanthropists, social workers, rabbis, entrepreneurs, and even a musician and a chef nourishing people through music and deli food. They are Jewish ambassadors to the non-Jewish world, Shabbat hosts always ready to welcome one more guest to their Shabbat table, and "super connectors," who seem to know everybody, And they're parents, rabbis, camp directors, and educators sparking and nurturing joy in Jewish children.
Each honoree is a champion for Jewish life, scoring win after win for the optimists, and leading us out of the dark and into a more hopeful, brighter future.
Check out this year's honorees at
juf.org/36under36
.
