By Lacey Storer
Contributing Writer
Earlier this year, as college students and recent grads were absorbing the disappointments of canceled internships and Birthright trips, they began wondering how they’d pass the long summer months. The answer came in the form of a question: Are you ready to be a Changemaker?
Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) issued a call for young Jewish adults to apply for the Jewish Changemakers Fellowship, a three-week online leadership development experience designed to expand their careers, networks and, most importantly, their ability to effect positive change in their communities and the world.
“With COVID affecting so many plans for the summer, the fellows were looking for a meaningful, productive way to spend their time,” said Andi Milens, senior director of community engagement for Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City. “Jewish Federations of North America seized an incredible opportunity to engage our young people with inspiration and growth in a dark time.”
JFNA received 2,300 applications for the Changemakers fellowship. More than 1,000 were selected to be in the first cohorts of Changemaker Fellows, joining peers from more than 100 communities across North America, as well as Mexico, Brazil, Spain, France, the UK, South Africa, Czechia and Israel.
Two aspiring young leaders from our Kansas City Jewish community were selected for the program: Josh Eisemann, 21, son of Leslie Mark and Mark Eisemann, and Elie Simon, 21, daughter of Connie and Richard Simon.
They were both among a group of 10 that were recommended for the fellowship by Herzl Camp, their summer camp. For Eisemann, who had been enrolled in a summer architecture program at Harvard that was cancelled, having a structured way to connect with his camp friends was a big incentive to apply for the Fellowship.
Simon’s planned summer internship with the Children’s Theater Company in Minneapolis went entirely virtual. She applied to Changemakers because the change in her internship left her with more time and she was “very excited to be introduced to other Jewish communities and to learn about what Jewish organizations were doing in the current state of the world.”
The program focused on three main topics: Story of You, Story of Us, and Story of Now. Fellows engaged in 100 hours of Changemaker podcasts, daily challenges, core sessions and electives, and mentor and cohort meetings over July and August. Those who completed the fellowship received a $500 stipend.
Although it was a virtual fellowship, the Changemakers experiences gave Simon and Eisemann the opportunity to expand their world view and offered insight into what life is like for Jews in other communities, across the country and around the world.
“To meet other Jews from across the country was really cool. There are a lot of differences that, growing up in the Midwest, I wasn’t really exposed to,” Eisemann said. “One of the first speakers was a Black gay Jew talking about the convergence of these different identities and how they played into his sense of self. It interesting to see as a white Jew from Kansas who doesn’t see very many non-white Jews.”
“Hearing about people and organizations across the globe who are doing incredible things has really opened my eyes,” said Simon. “In the future, I want to make sure that I am well informed of what is going on in the world to make sure I am educated on current issues, especially those that affect the Jewish community.”
Follow-up activities for the first Changemakers cohort will take place throughout the year, including a special Changemakers event at this year’s virtual General Assembly. Plans for a third session this winter will be announced soon. Interested prospective Changemakers can email for more information.