[by Shannon Benovitz]
For the second year, Ariel Kronenberg has stepped up as a leader in the community and agreed to chair the Young Adult Division (YAD) of the 2013 Annual Federation Campaign. When asked why he chose to serve for a second year Kronenberg said, “We had a good year last year; more people were involved and more excited about the really great programs that were being planned.” He added, “It’s often tough to find volunteers, and I wanted to help make the job easy for the staff.”
While many details are still in the works and he doesn’t want to give too much away, Kronenberg feels there are many interesting programs being planned for the upcoming year that will engage different parts of the community. Some will even be offered on a community-wide level. Of course, the committee is currently working on the main YAD Campaign event, which will probably be held in late January or February. “Stay tuned; you won’t want to miss out on all the great things that will be happening,” he says.
Kronenberg’s goals for the upcoming year are the same as last year. He hopes to see more people involved, regardless of their monetary contribution, and wants people to generally feel part of the community at large.
“One of the things we are working on with the Jewish Community of Louisville (JCL) staff is to change the definition of YAD,” he comments, “lots of people have young families past the age threshold. We want to remove the age [barrier] and be more inclusive; not just for people with families, but also for adults who want to be part of this group.”
With regard to the 2013 annual Federation Campaign, Kronenberg remarks, “The needs in the community are as great as ever. We cannot keep the community working and vibrant and have programs we love without funding. It’s great to have non-solicitation events, but there comes a time when we have to charge.”
Furthermore, he adds, “we want people to come out to events and be excited, as well as to volunteer and share ideas [and challenges], so we know what to improve upon. The staff and leadership are always open to hear people and work with everyone.” Kronenberg encourages community members to come out to events and see for themselves.
Kronenberg and his wife, Faina, have lived in Louisville since 2004 after Kronenberg was offered a job by Lior Yaron, while working in New York. They quickly became community volunteers, helping out with Super Sunday telethons and participating in Young Adult Division events at Congregation Adath Jeshurun.
In 2007, they chaired Louisville’s Yom HaZikaron/Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel Memorial Day/Israeli Independence Day) event, and together they completed the Jewish Community Federation’s Young Leadership Development program.
Ariel Kronenberg also served three years on the Jewish Family & Career Services board.
The Kronenbergs met in Israel and return there every year. They have two children, Emma and Gabi.