National Young Leadership Cabinet's Alumni recently traveled together to Bucharest and Vienna on Cabinet’s New Alumni Mission - a powerful journey that wove together remembrance, resilience, and renewal.

 

The group stood in places heavy with history: memorials honoring those murdered during the Shoah, neighborhoods where vibrant Jewish life once flourished, and homes where survivors and their descendants still live. They also solemnly stood below the balcony in Vienna where Hitler once declared Austria’s annexation, looking out over the very square where tens of thousands of Austrians cheered and embraced Nazism. In Romania, they walked through Ceaușescu’s Palace - once a symbol of dictatorship, transformed and renamed into the Palace of the Parliament, a striking reminder of the heavy price paid to secure democracy and the ongoing responsibility of leaders to defend it.

 

"Amid reminders of pain and resilience, we also saw the thriving, determined Jewish communities of today, sustained in part by the Jewish Federations of North America and our partners. This Alumni Mission reaffirmed that Federations are more than institutions; they are networks of resilience, compassion, and leadership that touch lives in every corner of the world," said Alona Levine, Cabinet Alumni Director.

 

In Romania, participants visited the homes of elderly Jews whose lives are sustained through the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), a Federation core partner. Stephanie Markle from Detroit, MI, reflected: “It was an emotional moment for me during a home visit when I met a woman whose mother was liberated from the same camp as my grandmother. The only difference between our families’ stories was geography. My grandmother went to the US, while her mother returned to Romania. It reminded me of life’s fragility and the importance of giving when we can. When we are able, it is our Jewish responsibility to ensure every Jew can live with respect, dignity, and the opportunity to embrace Jewish life fully.”

 

In Vienna, the group stood at the Wall of Names, which memorializes the 65,000 Austrian Jews murdered in the Holocaust. One of the participants, Meridith Goldstein from Columbia, SC, found her own family members listed there and described the profound meaning of honoring her great-grandparents while also walking the streets where her grandparents once walked. She said the experience deepened her drive to lead, particularly at a moment when “Never Again” feels urgent and present.

 

These personal moments underscored the Mission’s central theme: taking responsibility as leaders to both honor the past and secure the Jewish future.

 

The Cabinet Alumni also experienced the vibrancy of today’s Jewish life in both communities:

 

• Conversations with Jewish university students in Vienna through The Jewish Agency for Israel.
• Dialogues with young leaders from Hashomer Hatzair, Moishe House, Bucharest JCC, and Vienna’s Israeli community, Zusammen
• Shabbat celebrations, home hospitality, and insights from local rabbis and community experts.

North American Federation philanthropy is not abstract. It builds communities. It sustains dignity. It nurtures Jewish identity and connection across the globe.

 

As Cabinet’s Alumni return home from Bucharest and Vienna, they carry with them not only memories of what was once a vision of what we can build as we work to secure the Jewish future.

 

Learn more about National Young Leadership Cabinet Alumni here.