November 17, 2022 Submitted by Steven Chaitman
Ethan among 12 ‘All-Star’ young leaders chosen for Season 5 of Jewish Star leadership initiative
After receiving a record number of submissions, Jewish Rock Radio (JRR) has named Ethan Warhaftig from Hingham one of 12 promising young leaders from Season 5 of Jewish Star, a nationwide leadership initiative that seeks to identify musically talented Jewish teens and young adults (ages 14-27) with a passion for Jewish music and leadership.
JRR provides their musicians with leadership training, mentorship, and networking with some of the top artists and educators in the Jewish world.
Jewish Star leadership training, a signature initiative of non-profit Judaism Alive will support these 12 ‘All Stars’ — and the nearly 150 young leaders who entered Jewish Star this year — in growing and honing their leadership skills as well as identifying and achieving their goals. Jewish Stars are invited to participate in special leadership-training opportunities such as the Jewish Star Mentoring Program, skills-training webinars, 1-on-1 consultations, free registration for the Songleader Boot Camp (SLBC) National Conference, new audio/video equipment and more.
“I am thrilled that I have this opportunity to learn from some of the best Jewish artists and educators. I love being a songleader at my synagogue, Congregation Sha’aray Shalom, in Hingham, MA) and at my summer camp, Camp Tel Noar. I am excited to take my skills to the next level through this program,” Ethan said after being named an ‘All-Star’.
The 12 All-Stars are:
Under 18 Age Bracket
Sami Bray (Cordova, TN)
Zoe Davidson (San Pedro, CA)
Jacob Morrell (Scotch Plains, NJ)
Sia Presser (Palos Verdes Estates, CA)
Kayla Treviño (Phoenix, AZ)
Ethan Warhaftig (Hingham, MA)
18+ Age Bracket
BerKalit (a cappella group from Boston, MA)
Jonah Broscow (Oakland, CA)
Tema Cohen (Columbus, OH)
Mikayla Goodkin (Bothell, WA)
Hannah Gundersheim (New York, NY)
Jack Leopold (Wilton, ME)
Jewish Star leadership-training opportunities include:
- The Jewish Star Mentoring Program — the only small-group mentoring program in the field of Jewish music and leadership, led by nationally renowned artists and educators Chava Mirel, Rick Recht, Naomi Less, Joe Buchanan, Eliana Light, Jacob Spike Kraus, Eric Hunker, Cantor Abbie Strauss, and Rabbi Josh Warshawsky.
- Personal 1-on-1 consultation with a Jewish Star mentor
- Free audio/video equipment
- Free registration for the 2023 SLBC National Conference (February 19-21, 2023 in St. Louis)
- Monthly skills-training webinars led by top artists and educators in the Jewish world
- Access to the Jewish Star Community of Practice, a WhatsApp group of 200+ young Jewish leaders who share and discuss ideas, music, opportunities, and more in a supportive, growth-focused environment.
Jewish Star serves as an entry point for the Judaism Alive leadership pipeline, which identifies, trains, promotes, and places young leaders in Jewish organizations throughout North America. The Judaism Alive – Take the Lead Campaign aims to place 500 new young leaders in the Jewish world over the next 5 years to create the massive leadership infusion necessary to meet the growing demand for powerful and effective Jewish leadership.
“We want to guarantee that every teen and young adult who has the potential to be a Jewish leader will have free access to proven, one-of-a-kind mentorship and training; then we want them to go out and inspire Jewish communities and make Judaism exciting and meaningful for future generations,” said Rick Recht, Founder and Executive Director of Judaism Alive. “The Judaism Alive pipeline is designed to turn on a light for young leaders who may have previously believed there was no viable leadership path for them in Jewish life, or who never considered a long-term investment in becoming a Jewish leader.”
Jewish Star cultivates Jewish leadership by leveraging the power of music. For teens and young adults, Jewish music is the soundtrack of their most profound Jewish experiences and the key ingredient in the formation of their Jewish identities. While music serves as the entry point for teens and young adults to engage in leadership training, the leaders who emerge from the program represent the gamut of Jewish leadership including rabbis, cantors, cantorial soloists, educators, camping professionals, songleaders, Israel advocates, and lay leaders.
“If [Jewish Star] had been around when I was a teen, I would have found my path to this work much earlier,” said Rabbi Josh Warshawsky, a Jewish Star Mentor and nationally touring Jewish artist and educator. “In a few years, all of these Jewish Stars will be ready to meet our challenges and needs.”
Participants were informed about the opportunities they received for Season 5 on October 25, 2022. View the Jewish Star announcement video and recommend a Jewish Star for future seasons at https://jewishstar.jewishrockradio.com.