Co-Chairs of Networking& Nosh l. to r.: Sheri Rosenberg, Anna Stern, Dina Barabash, Hayley Levy Kupin

Last month, over 35 Jewish young adults came to The Temple for “Networking and Noshing," a joint program with NowGen – Jewish Federation and Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee’s young adult group – and Next Dor – The Temple’s young adult group. The participants were able to meet, learn and connect with eight mentors that are knowledgeable and successful in their fields.

This was the second event of its kind, the first being this past spring. Knowing that many young adults are craving professional development and that there are many Nashville community events that focus on the topic, the co-chairs realized that they could create their own event with Jewish experts in their specific professional fields. These two events have received positive feedback from both the mentors and the participants.

“Rabbi Danziger, Sheri Rosenberg and their team have been working hard to expand Judaism in

Nashville beyond the strictly religious to include the community in all aspects,” said mentor Adam Boehler, the founder and CEO of Rubicon Founders. “At the networking event, leaders in the Jewish community had the opportunity to mentor up-and-comers along with great drinks, food, and conversation — ultimately this is what being Jewish is all about.”

The evening began with a panel in which mentors shared the best piece of advice they have received, a “six-word memoir” that describes them as a person and how they give back in the community – both secular and Jewish. Next, there were four 15-minute preassigned rounds for the participants to ask the mentors questions.

“I enjoyed having the opportunity to meet amazing Jewish leaders in the community who have had great success in their professional and personal lives,” said attendee Jake Savitz. “My biggest takeaway is that if you focus on giving value rather than taking it, more people and opportunities will follow."

“We are lucky to live in a community where established professionals are not only available, but willing and excited to give their time and expertise,” said event co-chair Anna Stern. “It is inspiring to hear their stories and incredibly flattering to hear so many of them be eager to learn about us and our careers. Simply looking at the numbers, the event was a resounding success – it is hard to get 40 busy people in the same room these days. Perhaps more important, though, was that the event seemed to have an immediate impact. We watched people exchange business cards, set up follow-up conversations and connect with new people and opportunities. People were excited about the future of this series, and we are, too!”

Co-Chairs of Mentoring l. to r.: Harriet Schiftan, Alan Mazer,

Matthew Leff, Adam Boehler, Jessica Averbuch, Fred Zimmerman, Rabba Daniella Pressner, Dr. Nancy Lipsitz