Youth Foundation shows Compassion in Action

By JEWISH REVIEW

article created on: 2011-05-01T00:00:00

Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation’s Compassion in Action Annual Benefit Dinner April 28 at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center drew a record 163 attendees.

The 28 teen philanthropists were flanked by adult advisers Julie Diamond and Jonathan Emanuel. The money raised at the dinner, including $21,650 pledged during the Mitzvah Moment led by OJCF President Eric Rosenfeld, funds the OJCYF’s final allocation of the year when the teens will award grants to some of the secular and Jewish organizations that submitted grant requests.

Between the Mitzvah Moment and Sponsorships the dinner brought in $44,517; after expenses OJCF Executive Director Julie Diamond expects that $28,000-30,000 will be available for the teens to allocate.

Compassion in Action also gives the teens a forum to share their experiences in OJCYF.

Since its inception in 2003, the OJCYF has had a profound impact in the community, allocating more than $186,000 to more than 88 Jewish and secular organizations in Oregon and SW Washington. This year’s participants were Stacy Abrams, Maayan Agam, Mati Agam, Arielle Berne, Michael Brock, Rachel Brock, Rachel Caron, Emilie Cohen, Allison Dobscha, Brooke Edelson, Taylor Goodman, Leah Haykin, Matan Horenstein, Max Lehman, Julianne Levinson, Katherine Levinson, Rachel Mendelsohn, Alex Meyer, Ben Molloy, Josh Nudelman, Adam Oken, Michael Pauleen, Chelsey Policar, Justine Silberberg, Rivkah Smith, Danielle Spring, Anna Steckel and Maya Volk.

In recognition of the continuing impact of the economy on the state’s vulnerable residents, this year’s dinner included a canned food drive for the Oregon Food Bank and centerpieces of bags of apples donated by Zupan’s, which were then given to Urban Gleaners for distribution to the hungry.