A national mission sparked the urge for one Indianapolis philanthropic couple to create a new experiential and engaging program, which began this Spring.

In 2019, Todd and Linda Maurer joined Jewish Federations of North America’s Prestigious Fisher FLIGHT, an immersive experience that inspires participants to reach their potential as Jewish philanthropists and community leaders by focusing their charitable giving on Jewish and Israeli causes.

At the end of the 12-month program, they were charged with writing a philanthropic mission statement. Theirs was about educating young adults about the Holocaust.

“We were empowered to write this mission statement and what was important to us,” Todd said. “It has evolved more because our vision is not just Israel but focusing on Europe and concentration camps. We want aspiring leaders to see something that’s real. It’s impactful and enlightening.”

The couple started talking about developing a new program for the greater Indianapolis community during COVID.
They wanted a program that would bring groups together to learn, explore, engage, and advocate for the Jewish people.

“If we don’t speak up for ourselves nobody is going to do it for us,” she said.

Their idea, coupled with the recent rise in antisemitism, grew into the Maurer Koach Program. Koach in Hebrew means strength, which is a part of the core mission for this group.

The program will provide exposure and experiences that will equip participants with tools to educate, lead, and advocate for themselves and others, giving them the strength to battle this big topic. A cohort of 14 Jewish young adults in their mid-20s and/or early 30s were chosen and the program officially launched on May 11.

During the 8 educational sessions, local, national, and international leaders will address current approaches to understanding and combating antisemitism. These leaders will provide insights into Jewish life, leadership, and social justice through engaging discussions and storytelling.

The program will include a two-day trip to Chicago in August where they will visit Secure Community Network, the official safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America, and the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie.

To conclude the program, the group will experience a 10-day trip to Europe in November. During this time, they will visit the Auschwitz/Birkenau concentration camps, travel to Budapest to meet with leaders from Federation's
Partnership2Gether community and visit historical and contemporary sites.

Goals of the program include: encouraging participants to develop meaningful bonds and relationships; deepening their knowledge of the Jewish community and heritage; developing an appreciation for the Jewish and non-Jewish world and becoming equipped with the tools needed to approach antisemitic rhetoric in their everyday lives.

Along with Todd and Linda, the program is led by Joshua D. Abrams, who says he got involved with the program by sheer luck. After returning from his trip to Israel through the Prystowsky ATID V program, Joshua told Marc Swatez, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis (JFGI) that he wanted to do more. He mentioned his concerns of Jewish identity among his and younger age groups. Within a few weeks, Swatez connected Abrams with the Maurers who were happy to welcome him to the team.

Rounding out the program leadership team are Margo Fox, JFGI Senior Director of Engagement, and Amber Maze,
Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council’s Senior Associate who focuses on Holocaust and genocide education, human rights advocacy, and the preservation of memory.

“Bringing this group of people together in a meaningful and powerful way to give them strength as a group and strength to our community is what this program is all about,” Linda said. “What we are doing with the Koach program will impact the future.

Today, it’s 14 people, tomorrow, it’s 100 people and will make such an impact to bringing more strength to the community in the fight to combat Antisemitism.”

Along with combatting antisemitism, Todd said Holocaust education is equally important because the knowledge of it
amongst younger generations is very low.

Todd says this program’s focus is to give young leaders an opportunity for leadership development beyond NEXTGen, which offers meaningful programming based in Jewish values to deepen engagement in communal Jewish life. It is also designed to be a program before Prystowsky ATID, an advanced leadership development program for people in their mid-30s and 40s.

Abrams also stressed the importance of engaging this age group.

“Young Jews often become disengaged with the Jewish community between B'nai Mitzvah or Confirmation age up until they have children,” he said. “This program offers an opportunity to develop their Jewish identity, which will create a stronger bond to the Jewish community.”

Abrams has visited Auschwitz, and as a result, it led him to re-engage with the Jewish community. He believes that this program, and its visitation to a concentration camp will have the participants more engaged for decades to come.

Why visit Budapest? To see how one Jewish community rebuilt itself after the Holocaust, learn more about how the Jewish community has rebuilt itself after WWII and the rise of communism, and build personal connections with peers who are involved with Partnership2Gether. It will also be informative to understand how the Hungarian Jewish community is responding to the rise in European Antisemitism.

Fox added, “We want to show them what Federation does and make connections with people sharing similar life
experiences.”

Fox says developing this kind of immersive leadership development program is ahead of the curve.

“This type of program doesn't happen without the ideas, passion and collaborative work with our volunteers,” Fox said.