(The following was written by BJF volunteer Amanda Weil. Amanda, who is co-chairing The BJF's Jewish Community Relations Coalition, participated in a two-day BJF leadership program in Atlanta.)

By Amanda Weil

I learned a lot, thought a lot, felt a lot -- and in two days, came away with an even deeper connection to our Birmingham Jewish Federation. Two Sundays ago, Lisa Engel and I, as The BJF's new JCRC Co-Chairs, had the opportunity to travel to Atlanta with BJF staff members Richard Friedman, Joyce Spielberger, Samantha Dubrinsky and Daniel Odrezin. It was a whirlwind trip -- full of interesting people, learning, reflection and fun!

We began in Atlanta by meeting Rabbi Brian Glusman, former rabbi of Birmingham's Temple Beth-El, at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta for a tour. Rabbi Glusman now works for the Marcus JCC. From the sprawling, beautiful campus, to the "Main Street" promenade that runs through the heart of the building, to the size of the membership, we were in awe.

After the tour, we found ourselves at Moshe's -- a nearby Mediterranean restaurant. Rabbi Glusman and Elina Kishinevsky-Stern, who was born in the former Soviet Union and resettled in Birmingham in the early 1990s, and who now lives in Atlanta, joined us for a conversation that we could still be having today if we didn't have to get some sleep!

We talked about leadership and how to measure your own success as a leader. We each talked about personal experiences where we thought we had displayed leadership. Hearing the stories was an inspiration and a reminder of our strong Jewish beliefs, which were underlying themes in every story.

We also talked a lot about "Holy Work" and how to define it. We came to the consensus that no matter what we do, as long as we are responding to a calling, and using the power that we have to lift one another, we are performing Holy Work.

INSPIRED JEWISH LEADERSHIP

Once dinner was over, the six from Birmingham reconvened to talk about the book that we read as a group, Inspired Jewish Leadership. It was a very open conversation about how we all view leadership and what it takes to be a leader in a Jewish community.

One of the concepts that was discussed, and that I was drawn to, in particular, was mentoring. Richard, Lisa and Joyce have been mentors to me since I moved to Birmingham three years ago, just out of college, and began volunteering with The BJF. But, the book really opened my eyes to what a mentor really is, and the "leap of faith" and belief in an individual's potential to take on a mentee. I also feel that being a mentor reflects part of what our Jewish tradition teaches us: to be a teacher, to invest in the future so that it may be brighter than your own, and to pass on life's lessons from generation to generation.

Monday, we had a wonderful day, full of meetings with Jewish agencies in Atlanta that work with The BJF. Over breakfast, we met with Israeli Consul General Opher Aviran and two of his colleagues from the Consulate. We had a serious conversation about some of the difficulties Israel is facing and what else we in Birmingham can do to support Israel during this time.

Our next meeting was with staff members of the Anti-Defamation League, focusing on domestic issues. The Atlanta-based ADL office serves four states -- Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. We talked about anti-Semitism, violent extremism, challenges posed by Alabama's new immigration bill and ways the ADL and BJF could help each other.

We kept moving -- even in the Atlanta traffic -- and our third meeting was already underway by 11:30 am. We met with a top professional from the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee's regional office. It was an eye-opening meeting and gave me even more insight into the importance of educating our elected officials about the need for a strong US-Israel relationship.

Our last meeting was with officials from the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Southeast Region. We talked about ways that The BJF and the Chamber are working together to help Israel economically, through such efforts as The BJF's current "Buy Buy Israel" project which has been very successful.

COMMON THEME

Throughout each of our meetings, the common theme was this: What else can we do in Birmingham to help make a difference? Every person we met with commented on the impact The BJF is making. They also commended our BJF Update and the power it has to reach and educate people, not only in our region, but around the nation and the world.

Our Atlanta trip was full of learning experiences, and I continue to feel very proud of being from Alabama and especially the work we do in Birmingham. Every day we make a difference.

At dinner on the way home to Birmingham, we wrapped up the experience with a wonderful conversation on how to continue bettering our Birmingham Jewish community. "What can we do in our everyday lives to make people feel more connected to The BJF and the other Jewish institutions that are in Birmingham?" we asked ourselves. We all believe that the things that draw most people into community life are engagement, which leads to connection.

As I finish writing this, I find myself thinking about a moving memorial at the Marcus JCC, where our trip started. It was a beautiful Holocaust memorial statue right in the middle of the campus -- with baseball fields on one side and the Marcus JCC building on the other.

At first, we questioned why this somber piece was in the middle of campus, but soon came to the realization that it was strategically placed there -- right in the middle of the hustle and bustle. The symbolism became clear: because, and in spite of, what we Jews went through, both during the Holocaust and throughout time, we are still living and thriving -- in Atlanta, in Birmingham and throughout the world.