By Richard Friedman, Executive Director

Update, a project of The Birmingham Jewish Federation, has entered its second decade. The past 10 years have seen our small Jewish Federation introduce a daily email, which is not replicated anywhere else, and which today goes to nearly 7000 people -- locally, nationally and globally. We have even been told by one of his top aides that the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, reads Update on occasion!

Update, however, is in the midst of one of its periodic evolutions. More and more, we will feature one major story that we believe has universal importance. We're doing this, frankly, because these days there is so little of this kind of daily journalism.

Moreover, many "news" emails typically offer a compendium of items with many of them taken from other news sources. The journalism in Update, we hope, will be original, fresh and homegrown, continuing to be of interest not only to readers in Birmingham but also elsewhere.

YOUNG WRITERS

Equally important, and especially exciting, is another new development. Update will begin featuring younger writers. We have found that young adults in their 20s and early 30s have so much to say, and through Update we intend to give them a platform to say it.

One of the most powerful examples of this was Layne Held's recent Update piece from Israel headlined "Zionism was pounding through my chest." Layne, a 25-year-old BJF board member, was in Israel coaching a teen basketball team from Birmingham. (See below link.)

Our hope is that on a small scale, Update will mirror some great newspapers of a bygone era and will become a haven for young writers -- a venue through which talented, well-educated, passionate young people find their voices, communicate their ideas and assert their leadership.

Layne has been a great Update contributor. Three other names to watch for, among others, are Daniel Odrezin, a third year University of Alabama law student who has been working for The BJF, and who is already familiar to Update readers; Samantha Dubrinsky, a recent Birmingham-Southern College graduate who is working for The BJF as a part-time projects assistant; and Amanda Weil, an emerging volunteer leader who is sharing The BJF's Jewish Community Relations Coalition chairmanship with long-time volunteer leader Lisa Engel. All three are in their 20s.

PASSION & AMBITION

Through Our Next 100 Years, a historic BJF-led initiative, we are planning to offer workshops on leadership writing for young adults -- to help them discover and affirm their leadership voices through their writing. Leadership writing is a unique genre that requires skill, endurance, introspection, risk-taking and passion.

We are finding that this new generation is full of talent, ideas, passion and ambition; they are the best educated and most widely-traveled generation in Jewish history. These are people who, for sure, will make a dramatic and lasting impact on Jewish life. At The BJF, we want to be a partner in helping them embrace their Jewish destinies.

Update continues to be the most powerful tool that our Jewish community has ever had for communicating. Now, as we get ready for the new Jewish year, we intend to harness the extraordinary talent being assembled through The BJF, and, together with our young people, lead our community to even greater heights.