Raise your glass

If you want to see the glass half full when it comes to our Jewish future, check out this year's class of "36 Under 36."

These 36 inspiring young leaders are showing up for the Jewish community and beyond, living and breathing their Jewish values, and balancing what they view as their obligation to repair our broken world-all while simultaneously embracing their Jewish joy. 

Yes, in these trying times, they are standing up to Jewish hate and extinguishing the dark. But they are also spreading love and creating light, pursuing justice, liaising to the non-Jewish world, lifting others up, and sparking and nurturing Jewish joy in others. 

The roster includes educators, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, social workers, clergy, public servants, community builders, and champions for society's most vulnerable. 

Some of the honorees in this year's class: 

*A social worker who helps people heal during their darkest and most vulnerable moments. She plans community grief education programs for members of our community in mourning, and performs taharah

*A biochemist who worked during college at a therapeutic cancer research lab developing light-activated drugs to target malignant tumors. As his college's Hillel president, he helped the student government adopt a resolution to recognize rising antisemitism on campus. 

*A boundary pusher--with a rare form of muscular dystrophy--who uses her platform to dispel stereotypes and redefine what it means to live without barriers. She set a Guinness World Record in swimming, and was the first model to use a wheelchair to take the catwalk in New York Fashion Week. 

*A lover of Israel who, after college, moved to the Jewish State, where she served as a sergeant in the IDF Education Corps. When she returned to Chicago, she launched a service program that places Israeli volunteer educators throughout the Chicago area, offering extra support since October 7. 

*A mechanical engineer and product designer who co-founded a company making toothbrushes for children with developmental disabilities. Through her involvement in Keshet, she has strived to foster a more inclusive, welcoming Jewish community for all. 

*An entrepreneur who transformed his isolation into purpose during the pandemic, studying to become a rabbi and reimagine spiritual leadership outside of traditional Jewish structures, and creating his company's first Jewish affinity group.

With these individuals at the helm, the Jewish future lies in capable and compassionate hands. So, raise your glass to these honorees, champions of Jewish life and harbingers of a more hopeful, brighter tomorrow. 

To learn more about the honorees, visit juf.org/36under36 .