When Elyssa DiRaddo moved to Indianapolis in 2019, she didn’t plan to stay very long. New to the city, desperate for connection, and maneuvering a global pandemic, DiRaddo looked to the Jewish Federation for help meeting other young Jewish people. Stepping out of her comfort zone, she attended her first NEXTGen event and found her new community.

“The Federation was able to help me build those connections,” DiRaddo said. “Now I feel like Indiana is home.”

The goal of NEXTGen is to help people like DiRaddo in their 20s, 30s, and 40s engage in Jewish life, teach them about the Federation, build them as leaders, and get them involved as volunteers and donors.

DiRaddo soon joined the NEXTGen committee and, at the turn of the 2023 year, she took over as committee chair.

As chair, DiRaddo runs committee meetings, plans events, meets with Senior Director of Engagement Margo Fox, and acts as a spokesperson for NEXTGen.

“I am so fortunate to have a committee that makes that part of my job easy,” she said.

Fox said DiRaddo’s creativity, enthusiasm for connecting with her peers, and organizational skills made her a great candidate for committee chair.

DiRaddo said she knew early on that she had skills that would benefit the committee. She brought fresh ideas to meetings and a new perspective.

DiRaddo is a Board Certified Music Therapist, has been involved with the Miss America Organization for years, and runs a podcast called “Inclusivity for All” that aims to uplift the voices of those with disabilities and create a more accepting and inclusive community.

“When I look at everything that I do, the biggest thing to me is building connections,” DiRaddo said. “Whether that is using my skills at the state level and advocating for disability licensure, building therapeutic relationships in my work each and every day, or when I have a crown on my head, I am talking with people to make them feel seen.”

As committee chair, DiRaddo said she hopes to use these skills to engage young Jewish people and welcome them into the NEXTGen community. Originally from the Chicago area, DiRaddo knows what it’s like to start fresh in a new city.

“Everybody has to attend a first event once,” she said.

To those who are thinking about attending an event, DiRaddo said, “We want to welcome you in with open arms. We know we have the ability to create meaningful connections with other young adults in the city, and that's what we're here to do. So come to an event that you feel comfortable with, find something that you'll find interesting and I promise that you'll meet people who are interested in getting to know you as well.”

Fox emphasized the diversity of the NEXTGen group: “They come to Judaism differently, they identify differently. This is a very thoughtful group, and they want to engage lots of people.”

More than one couple in recent years met at NEXTGen and have started families together.

Though the group meets for a monthly happy hour, Fox said the group is about more than socializing.

“They get engaged,” Fox said. “They want people to know that it's about connection, about building relationships, and it's about the Federation and philanthropy, not about drinking.”

NEXTGen recently hosted Shabbat dinners across the city in three different houses, as well as various community service projects.

Fox said she hopes that in addition to making social connections, the group focuses on understanding and engaging in philanthropy, such as participating in phone-a-thons and other Federation fundraisers, as well as becoming more involved in leadership.

The board consists of seven members, Megan Snow, Levi Snow, Erica Abrams (immediate past chair), Jason Kirschtel, Joel Bustamante, Joshua Abrams, and Emma Law Oppman.