Top young Jewish Federation leaders from across North America met in Orlando earlier this week for four days of leadership training, philanthropic education and spiritual reflection at The Jewish Federations of North America’s National Young Leadership Cabinet Retreat.

The 2012 NYL Cabinet Retreat, chaired by Emily Leventhal of Boston and Ben Schneider of Cincinnati, featured the theme, "Chart yOUR Path," and charged our best and brightest Cabinet members to become effective change agents in their communities, exceptional advocates for our people in Israel, at home and around the world, and recommit themselves to building a strong and vibrant Jewish community.

"Chart yOUR Path is about creating a year of learning, leading and exploring our ability to effectuate positive change – for ourselves, our communities and the entire world," said Retreat Co-Chair Leventhal. "Chart yOUR Path gives each of us the opportunity to focus on our own philanthropic and leadership journey."

Cabinet Retreat serves as the annual signature gathering of NYL Cabinet, a 50-year-strong leadership development program of The Jewish Federations, which trains and inspires young Jewish leaders over the course of a six-year program.

"Retreat is a time to strengthen your leadership, affirm your commitment to the Jewish community and place yourself into the Jewish narrative," said Retreat Co-Chair Schneider.

The event featured superb sessions and speakers designed to enhance participants’ connection to their Jewish identities and the greater Jewish community. Ambassador Yehuda Avner, Israeli diplomat and former prime ministerial advisor, delivered an inspiring keynote address, and Scholar-In-Residence, Arna Poupko Fisher, Jewish educator, author, and renowned speaker, provided a magnetic and empowering charge, which threaded through the conference. Jewish Federation leaders who spent time and shared wisdom and motivation with the Cabinet included  Kathy Manning, chair of the JFNA Board of Trustees, Susan K. Stern, JFNA National Campaign Chair, and Jerry Silverman, JFNA president and CEO.

Workshops and presentations provided valuable advice and skills to help guide Cabinet members to become effective leaders in the Jewish Federation community. The group spent a morning with the Disney Institute, which features a renowned executive-management program, and created its own brand of "TED talks" in the Herzl Talks, a hip and provocative forum for Jewish Federation lay and professional leaders to examine leading ideas, and projects across Federations and partner agencies. Local Federation Professionals in attendance also had the opportunity to attend I-LEAD professional development programs through JFNA's Mandel Center for Leadership Excellence during the conference.

A beautiful Shabbat program included several tracks for various choices of worship and Jewish exploration.  Beloved Jewish musician and spiritual guide, Rick Recht, raised the level of spirit and celebration throughout the program.

The Retreat included its unparalleled Campaign Day, uniquely focusing on the work of Jewish Federations at home, in Israel and in more than 70 countries around the world, and inspired Cabinet members to commit their time and resources to the 2013 Annual Campaign. Campaign Day was a resounding success, raising $1.7 million from over 180 National Young Leadership Cabinet men and women from 40 communities. Some pledges were raised during a spontaneous Shabbat celebration to make an even deeper impact.

The total raised reflected a 15 percent gift-for-gift increase over the previous year, and gifts from the rest of Cabinet will only increase this number in the near future.

"Coming together for Cabinet Retreat each year, face to face, reunites us and reinvigorates our relationships, and allows for new ones to be developed," said Elyse Lackie of Toronto, co-chair of JFNA's National Young Leadership. "It is an amazing time to be inspired together, and to watch others grow on their own leadership journey, as we learn and work together to become better leaders."

Keith Greenwald of Atlanta, co-chair of NYL, added, "The challenges we face as a community today are different and more daunting than ever before. NYL Cabinet has proven itself as the premiere leadership program in the Federation community, and now it is our turn to take up the baton and be part of the solution."

During Retreat, NYL Cabinet launched a pilot program called JBlock, a new digital social-media platform that enables Cabinet members to communicate, share and leverage successes from year to year. JBlock will capture institutional knowledge from Cabinet members across North America, and help share best practices that can enhance the work of Jewish Federations.

NYL Cabinet is this year celebrating its 50th anniversary, which will culminate with an Alumni Reunion on July 28-30, 2013 in Park City, Utah. NYL Cabinet will also host a Leadership Conference Dallas (LCD), March 10-12, 2013, targeted at emerging young adult leaders of the Federation communities across North America, and a Cabinet Study Mission to Stockholm and St. Petersburg April 21-28, 2013.

For more information on NYL programs, please contact Tali Strom.