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April 9, 2004/Nisan 18 5764, Vol. 56, No. 29
Tomorrow's leaders todayEditorialAs the baby boomers who lead our community begin to age, it's time for their children to prepare to accept the mantle of leadership.Individuals don't suddenly appear seasoned, experienced and ready to take the reins of organizations. Rather, they must learn how to advocate for Jewish causes and become leaders of community organizations. One unparalleled opportunity to learn was last month's United Jewish Communities' "Washington 14" conference. More than 1,800 Jewish young adults from across the country gathered in Washington, D.C., including a 27-strong Phoenix delegation. For three days, they listened, experienced and socialized, returning home inspired and motivated to become leaders, not of tomorrow, but of today. Their challenge now is to harness the abstract lessons they acquired and apply them concretely in our community. For starters, many Washington 14 delegates participated in Super Sunday, the fund-raising phone-a-thon conducted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix on March 28. But how else will they choose to become advocates and leaders? Young adults are better educated and have more freedom than previous generations. They can choose any career, live in any neighborhood and join any health, golf or tennis club. This freedom can easily lead to self-absorption - as they devote their energy and resources to careers, children and possessions. But what about charity and tzedakah? What about discovering and nurturing passions to improve the Jewish community and the greater community? Current leaders have the obligation to ensure that opportunities exist for younger leaders to work alongside them and ultimately take their place - at the federation, Hillel Jewish Student Center at Arizona State University, Jewish National Fund, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee - and scores of other community organizations. Additionally, 2004 is an election year for the U.S. presidency, U.S. Congressional seats and many state offices. Opportunities abound for young adults to invest in our democracy by becoming political advocates. We began this week by gathering around seder tables and re-telling the story of our people's escape from slavery in Egypt. But our hard-won freedom is not absolute. Ensuring it entails shouldering the responsibility for improving our Jewish and general communities. It's incumbent on all of us to devote our energies and passions in service to our community - and for current leaders to ensure a seamless transition of power from generation to generation. |
