[Archived from February 06, 2009]
Is our Jewish community growing or shrinking? Why do so many of our Jewish youth go out of state for college and then don’t return? What makes Louisville such an attractive place for young families?
These questions and others have sparked much interest in the topic of bringing Jewish individuals and families back to Louisville or attracting new young Jews to the city. Reed Weinberg and Jane Goldstein have volunteered to chair a Jewish Family & Career Services Task Force designed to identify potential people who might have an interest in returning, develop strategies for recruitment opportunities and enlist people in the Jewish community to get involved with this important issue.
Weinberg provides a great example of this phenomenon. “I grew up in Louisville, moved away to attend college and stayed away for initial employment opportunities. It became clear to me that I wanted to return to Louisville to be close to family and for the great quality of life that we have here,” Weinberg says. “I believe there are many more people in the same situation who would welcome the opportunity to return to Louisville.”
Weinberg continues, “For our community, I believe this is one of the most important issues we face – bringing in new or returning Jewish families, increasing our Jewish community numbers so that Louisville’s Jewish life can continue to flourish.”
The initial Task Force will be a time-limited commitment with four meetings starting in early March. Participants will be asked to consider such topics as:
- How can we identify and maintain a list of contacts for out of town individuals who might want to return;
- What kinds of volunteer activities can be developed to reach out to them;
- How we might develop a system to share resumes and develop job leads; and
- How we might market the benefits of a small Jewish community, with a reasonable cost of living, accessibility and life style.
This project is being coordinated by Jewish Family & Career Services, but this is an issue that impacts all of our Jewish institutions. If you are interested in serving on this Task Force or have some specific ideas about this topic, please contact Judy Freundlich Tiell at JFCS, 452-6345, ext. 224 or jftiell@jfcslouisville.org.
