By Richard Friedman, Executive Director

Several years ago, I had a conversation regarding "Our Next 100 Years" with a longtime Jewish community volunteer leader. Our Next 100 Years is a historic Birmingham Jewish Federation-led initiative that will strengthen our Jewish community for generations to come. (See below link.)

As we finished and I walked this person to the door, I found myself continuing to talk about Our Next 100 Years (big surprise!). And then I had a vision -- yes, a vision.

I pictured young people arriving at the Birmingham airport -- people in their early to mid-20s. I didn't know all the faces I saw and didn't know exactly where they were all coming from. But I did know that they were coming here -- to Birmingham, to our Birmingham Jewish community and into our hearts and future. It inspired me to reflect even more deeply on what Our Next 100 Years is about: Getting ready for those who will come after us, and many of them, I thought to myself in that moment, are already on their way. Now, several years later, they are here.

COMMON DESTINY

Who are these people? They are the new generation -- our sons and daughters and the sons and daughters of people who live elsewhere. They all don't even know one another, yet they are bound by what will be a common destiny: To emerge as one of the greatest, most effective and inspiring generations in the history of our Birmingham Jewish community.

Our Next 100 Years is about raising money. And we're doing that. Nearly $27,000,000 has been raised thus far, in current and deferred gifts, and, as I like to tell folks, "we're just getting started." As important as the money is, engaging people -- particularly young people -- is just as important. We've been working hard and the results have been gratifying. Many of these young people, both those I knew and didn't know in my airport vision a few years ago, have begun to make a big impact on our Jewish community and especially on The BJF.

Almost one-fourth of our BJF board members are now in their 20s and early 30s and we expect the number of young board members to keep growing. These young, passionate leaders are supporting our campaign generously, participating financially in Our Next 100 Years, and embracing opportunities to expand their Federation knowledge and enhance their leadership skills. They have created the propulsion that has led to our new Inter-Generational Leadership Models, which have paired some of these young emerging leaders with more seasoned BJF volunteers. The idea is for them to benefit from each other's insights, perspectives and energy.

In addition, this week we will start a new project -- Leadership Writing. We've invited a small group of young people to come together, to help them further discover their leadership potential and give them the opportunity to affirm their leadership voices by writing for Update and other media. It should be great and lots of fun!

RIGHT DIRECTION

As the new Jewish year begins, we believe that we are moving in the right direction. We are embracing the future with determination, innovation and imagination. We are an organization that can present to our donors a vision for the decades ahead, providing a unique comfort zone for them to go ahead -- now -- and make major endowment gifts to our future through Our Next 100 Years.

A conversation I had a few days ago was perhaps meant to be. I ran into the person mentioned at the start of this story, who I had met with several years ago. After a minute of social chat, she said, "I've got to tell you -- what you are doing by putting the younger and more experienced people together, through your Inter-Generational Leadership approach, is fabulous!"

Yes, we think so. At The BJF, we are embracing the future, everyday in so many ways, and ready to greet even more young people upon their arrival. We are excited, ready and motivated -- and, clearly, they are as well.