Jewish Federation of San Antonio Leader Chosen for Inaugural Fellowship Focusing on Jewish Service
November 1, 2022
Anna Schragin, the Development Specialist and YAD Manager at the Jewish Federation of San Antonio, is among 14 young Jewish leaders from across North America who were selected to be part of the inaugural cohort of “The Catalyst,” a professional development Fellowship for next-gen engagement launched by Jewish Federations of North America in partnership with Repair the World.
“We are so very proud of Anna’s dedication and passion for the Jewish Federation’s mission. This honor is a testament to Anna’s innovation and creative programming to engage future Jewish leaders in San Antonio,” said Nammie Ichilov, JFSA President and CEO.
Anna said of being selected, “I am beyond honored and excited to be one of 14 Jewish Professionals selected in the first Catalyst Program through Jewish Federations of North America in partnership with Repair the World. Over the course of 9 months, I will explore the meaning of Jewish service while applying Jewish traditions and volunteerism to inspire the San Antonio Jewish young adult community. The Catalyst Fellowship will provide education and resources to implement a positive volunteer-driven program for Jewish young adults to connect and create a better tomorrow.”
This virtual cohort-based training program will deepen the expertise of professionals from 12 Jewish Federations across the system to design and deliver programming grounded in volunteerism and Jewish learning for their local next-gen community members (individuals in their 20s-30s). The nine-month program includes training from Repair the World educators using Repair’s best-in-class curriculum, community-building and networking for Federation professionals with in-person Jewish service learning at Jewish Federations’ General Assembly, and micro-grant funding of up to $7,000 for each participating community to pilot a new volunteer/service initiative or to grow an existing one.
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the Jewish principle of service and the means to communicate it, in addition to enhanced leadership skills for integrating volunteerism as a key engagement strategy for their work as part of the Federation system.
“Jewish Federations is thrilled to partner with Repair the World on the development and launch of The Catalyst, a transformational fellowship to inspire more volunteerism in Jewish communities across North America,” said Sarah Eisenman, Chief Community & Jewish Life Office of Jewish Federations of North America. “We believe in the power of service as a core pedagogy for expanding engagement in Jewish life across the system, and we are excited to partner with Repair to leverage their deep expertise in this space. This partnership is a great example of the powerful impact that can be realized from collaborations between Jewish Federations and national engagement organizations.”
Jewish Federations of North America are proud to be one of seven leading organizations of the Jewish Service Alliance (JSA), a coalition of organizations convened by Repair the World dedicated to enhancing and expanding service opportunities for young adults to address the most pressing social needs of our time. Funding for The Catalyst is provided by the Jewish Community Response and Impact Fund.