Shanie Reichman
Adam Basciano
Emily Yehezkel
From National Chair, Adena Philips
We founded IPF Atid last July with the goal of activating a community of young professionals dedicated to engaging with Israel Policy Forum's work and advancing the discourse through robust, nuanced conversations with their friends, families, and communal affiliations. Since our launch, our networks in New York, Washington DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles have seen tremendous momentum and interest. From initiating monthly meet-ups to better understand and disseminate Two-State Security policy proposals in Chicago, to crafting interactive opportunities for our online community, our IPF Atid regional chairs and their local steering committees of engaged leaders continue to inspire and energize.
IPF Atid, in the same vein as Israel Policy Forum, strives to be a convener in the American Jewish communal space. We work with many different synagogues and organizations each month, and I am proud that IPF Atid attracts individuals from a wide range of communal, professional, and denominational backgrounds. It is a huge win that young professionals connected to IPF Atid are sharing Israel Policy Forum’s policy resources and opportunities with their wider networks to inspire more nuanced, pragmatic conversations.
This is just the beginning. Looking forward, we plan to build on existing programs and ideas that can be brought to scale across our four U.S. chapters and beyond, including volunteer-hosted Shabbat dinners that began earlier this year and were facilitated through IPF Atid Conversation Kits. IPF Atid leaders will also soon begin playing key roles in Israel Policy Forum’s educational meetings with elected officials and diplomats from the region, elevating our demographic’s desire to see progress toward a viable two-state solution, and empowering our peers to play a role in advancing IPF’s efforts. We are grateful that the Israel Policy Forum leadership has chosen to invest in this important endeavor and given us the latitude to speak to our generation in a meaningful, substantive way. There are indeed many challenges facing our work ahead, but IPF Atid’s strong start gives me reason to be optimistic!