Community Member Finds Leadership Opportunities through Partnership2Gether

Elan Daniel serves as the United States Co-chair of the Partnership2Gether Young Adult Forum. Since moving to Indianapolis several years ago, he has become increasingly involved in JFGI’s partnership with the Western Galilee. 
Daniel said he has always had a strong connection to Israel, and he strengthened that connection when he studied abroad there. 
After hearing about the Young Adult Forum, a group for young adults organized by Partnership2Gether, Daniel attended Building Bridges in 2018, an organized Summit in Israel for emerging young adult leaders. He met Jews who live in Budapest, and in cities across the U.S. 
“It came down to the relationships created during that trip and the closeness I experienced with those people,” Daniel said. “I wanted to create opportunities for other people to have those connections.”
A delegation of Young Adult forum participants from Hungary and Israel visited Indiana in 2019 through Partnership2Gether. Daniel said the trip was an opportunity for young Jews to get to know each other and form close bonds. He hosted several visitors in his home, which he said solidified their connection. 
Daniel quickly grew into leadership roles with the Partnership2Gether Young Adult Forum, taking on the role of Indianapolis Chair. Soon after, he was named the U.S. Co-Chair. In his current role, he works alongside Co-Chairs in the Western Galilee and in Budapest. The connections between participants in each of these countries is strong, Daniel said. 
Young Adult Forum members meet up for bi-monthly Zoom meetings as a part of a group called Horizons. Members receive leadership training, and they engage with experts on relevant issues. 
Daniel’s current goal is to form stronger bonds between young adults in the 16 Midwestern communities that make up the U.S. cohort of the forum. He hopes to plan a regional U.S. Summit soon. 
Partnership2Gether is a family affair for those who are deeply involved. Daniel and his wife Jaime are involved in a few other programs through the partnership, including Café Olam, a weekly Hebrew language conversation hour via Zoom. 
When Daniel and his family lived in Tel Aviv during the summer of 2019, they visited the Partnership region on multiple occasions. The Israeli delegation in the Western Galilee gathered to greet him, creating a resource guide and giving him a personalized tour of the region based on his interests. Daniel’s family formed bonds with other families in the region, and his six-year-old daughter is growing up with deep connections to Israeli kids her age. 
If you are interested in learning more about the Partnership, and if you would like to visit the delegation in the Western Galilee, contact the Federation at info@jfgi.org.

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