Working remotely on a Gen Z engagement and leadership development program, I often feel disconnected from other young Jewish professionals in the Federation space. That's why I was so thrilled to attend the M2 Aleh Summit, a three-day conference in Chicago this summer that was specifically designed for young Jewish professionals to foster personal growth for a professional purpose.

In partnership with Jewish Federations of North America, M2 created a space for us to thrive and better understand the innate skills we possess that can be brought into the workplace. Hearing about the opportunity to participate in this in-person professional development event was genuinely exciting.

Goals and Reflections 

Entering the summit, I had three main goals: to network, to connect with my fellow Changemakers Network Members, and to make sure I found time to share my voice in each session. I wasn't sure what the conference format would be, but I was enthusiastic about the planned sessions and affinity group meetings. Little did I know that the most valuable part of the experience would be its deeply self-reflective and introspective nature.

The M2 Aleh Summit was centered around values. We were challenged with questions like: How can we use values to design programs? What values resonate with us? What values do we wish we incorporated more in our daily lives? At Changemakers, we frequently consider values when thinking about programmatic themes. It’s crucial for our participants to understand that while we view these through a Jewish lens, they are truly human values that everyone can implement in their personal and professional lives.

My Three Key Takeaways 

There were three sessions that offered the most lasting takeaways for my personal and professional life: 

1. Time Management: The first was an “early riser” session focused on time management. Mapping out how I currently spend my time—and how I allocate it to different aspects of my life—allowed me to reflect on what I want to change. It was invaluable to take a step back and break down my work and personal tasks to understand what's most important in my day-to-day life. 
    
2. Strengths and Domains: The second session taught us about strengths and their designated domains, which helped me pinpoint my top strengths and where they fell. I was certain my strengths would place me heavily into the “relationship building” domain, so I was shocked to find they were split between both “relationship building” and “executing.” This session was important because it helped me not only understand my natural strengths but also clarify the kind of leader I am. 
    
3. Strengths vs. Gifts: The third session—my absolute favorite and the most touching of the whole conference—was the strengths versus gifts activity in our final affinity group. This was special to me because my peers so easily saw the gifts and skills that I know I possess but often feel are hidden. It was a truly affirming experience. 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of M²