Young Adult Division (YAD)

Live Jewishly. Give Jewishly. Lead Jewishly.

Serving ages 21-45

From Shabbats to young family programs, from Network & Nosh events to the Colorado Jewish Agency Professionals (CJA Pros), from the Ben Gurion Society to ELEVATE, YAD programs provide multiple pathways for young adult Jewish community members to live Jewishly, give Jewishly, and lead Jewishly.

YAD’s work encompasses a wide range of activities but, at its core, YAD is dedicated to empowering young adults to become active participants, leaders and philanthropists in our Jewish community, to connect with others like and unlike themselves, and to reinforce the core Jewish values and traditions that bind us all. YAD is committed to facilitating lasting connection, meaningful conversation, and genuine communal spirit to sustain and strengthen a strong Jewish future for the next generation.

 

For More Info

For more information about our Young Adult Division, please email YAD@JEWISHcolorado.org.

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YAD News

Community-Wide Havdalah fills the Butterfly Pavilion

Community-Wide Havdalah fills the Butterfly Pavilion

Some families came to JEWISHcolorado’s Community-Wide Havdalah because they remembered last ...
YAD Shabbat continues tradition at Denver Botanic Gardens Blossoms of Light

YAD Shabbat continues tradition at Denver Botanic Gardens Blossoms of Light

One night after the last night of Hanukkah, more than 120 members of JEWISHcolorado’s Young ...
YAD evening of community and conversation offers hope

YAD evening of community and conversation offers hope

Jenna Raimist, who is currently serving the dual role of JEWISHcolorado’s YAD Director and ...

Live Jewishly

Whether you’re single, a couple, or a young family, YAD has a place for you. Get involved in YAD!

Give Jewishly

Ben Gurion Society (BGS)

A prestigious group of emerging philanthropists ages 21-45 from across the country who make an impact on the Jewish world through their giving. The Ben Gurion Society’s mission is to cultivate a network of young adults empowered to deploy their knowledge, passion, and resources in order to create a vibrant and enduring Jewish community in Colorado and around the world.

National Young Leadership Cabinet (NYLC)

Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) premier young leadership development program, NYLC is comprised of our most promising young volunteers, ages 30-45. Those young leaders participate in a five-year curriculum that builds on a series of Jewish values: hineni (call to leadership), achrayut (responsibility), kehilah kedosha (sacred community), klal Yisrael (Jewish peoplehood), and hazon (vision). Each year builds on the skills and knowledge acquired during the previous one, and members may enrich and strengthen their development on a global level, through premiere travel experiences.

Today, there are 4,000 Cabinet alumni working in their communities as leaders and change-makers, many of them in senior positions in Jewish communal organizations and agencies. Together, they raise over $2.5 M annually for Federations around the country.

To learn more about these giving societies, please contact Jenna Raimist, Director of Annual Campaign at JRaimist@JEWISHcolorado.org.

Lead Jewishly

Colorado Jewish Agency Professionals (CJA Pros)

Are you a young professional working at an organization in Colorado’s Jewish community? Join our group of Colorado Jewish Agency Professionals or CJA Pros! We meet on a quarterly basis to focus on professional development and explore collaboration opportunities.

Please contact us at YAD@JEWISHcolorado.org for more information.

YAD Ambassadors

Our Ambassadors serve as, well… ambassadors to the young adult Jewish community here in Colorado. They create programs to welcome and reach out to newcomers, help promote YAD activities, extend personal invitations to YAD programs, and welcome guests at YAD events. From hosting a Party of Eight at your favorite restaurant to visiting the Botanical Gardens to ski trips, YAD Ambassadors are the face and the future of the Federation. YAD is committed to facilitating the intimate gatherings, meaningful conversations, and lasting friendships that are hallmarks of this program and of community.

Learn more about our 2023-2024 Ambassadors!

YAD Executive Committee

Adam Laarsen
YAD Chair

Shaina Abrams-Kornblum
Colorado Jewish Agency Professionals

Tamara Berkman
YAD Shabbat Chair

Nikki Kitain
YAD Family Engagement Chair

Sarah Knaster
YAD Jewish Life & Israel Engagement Chair

Marisa Porter
National Young Leadership Cabinet Chair

Carly Schlafer
Past YAD Chair

Nate Shull
YAD Volunteers Chair

Rachel Silvestain
YAD Ambassador Program Chair