A Federation Community Leadership Institute (CLI) participant, Nasiyah Isra-Ul, wrote the following article about her experience. 

 

By Nasiyah Isra-Ul

Life always has such poetic ways of showing us our North Stars, often through the random moments that seem insignificant at the time. My North Star is Jewish leadership, rooted in Tikkun Olam, and I couldn’t be more grateful for where that poetic compass has pointed me. 

It all started last year with a random Instagram ad for the Changemakers Fellowship, a program designed and run by the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) for young Jewish leaders. It was around this time that I had decided to dive deeper into my Judaism and try to apply my existing skills as a nonprofit professional to Jewish lay leadership. 

 

I guess my algorithm saw my search history and sensed that I was craving a connection with other young Jewish professionals, because this random ad that flashed across my screen seemed like the perfect opportunity. So, I applied. 

 

Before long, I had graduated from the program with a renewed sense of vigor for applying my skills to my local Jewish community. And it didn't stop there. I was soon put in contact with my local federation, and through a whirlwind of programming and networking, I got connected with Avi Remetz and NextGen. 

 

Having this resource helped me come out of my shell and encouraged me to become more active in my local community. I soon learned about and applied to the Community Leadership Institute (CLI), started volunteering on committees at my local Conservative shuls, joined two sub-committees on the JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Committee), and launched a local learning initiative called Mekor RVA, which runs as a part of my nonprofit learning community, the Mishpacha Rising Collective. 

 

I also got to attend JFNA’s General Assembly last November for the first time with the rest of the Richmond delegation. 

 

Being involved in my local federation’s programming has been life-changing, and the impacts of learning in community with other young professionals in Richmond gave me the confidence to pursue a deeper involvement in Jewish communal leadership.

 

I was accepted into a certificate program for Liberatory Torah Education, applied and got accepted into rabbinical school, and helped Congregation Or Atid launch their new young adult program, called Beacon. I also worked to partner with the Weinstein JCC this past February to host Virginia’s first-ever Black Jewish Cultural Celebration. 

 

 

As an autistic and multiply-disabled Jew of color, it is often hard for me to find programming that suits my unique needs and allows me to show up as my full self. But my local federation, and specifically NextGen’s programming, has allowed me to feel connected in ways I didn’t think were possible as a young disabled Jewish professional. 

 

I would have never pursued these opportunities if not for being connected to NextGen through the Changemakers program. CLI specifically gave me the confidence and experience to reach out, make connections, and grow my skills beyond what I thought possible, leveraging my existing abilities to benefit my local community.

 

As I near graduation from my CLI cohort, my North Star continues to guide me towards even more involvement in my local Jewish community via board volunteering and more community events (and a Birthright Israel trip in the near future). 

 

I am excited for the opportunities that await me. The journey is just getting started, but I’m just happy that I took a chance on that seemingly random Instagram ad that ended up leading me toward my destiny.

 

I can’t wait to see what I do next.