Former Executive Director of Street Sense Joins Schusterman Family Foundation
Abby Strunk Saloma to head suite of training experiences and opportunities to enhance the skills of young Jewish service leaders and professionals
Washington, DC—September 8, 2011 – The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to helping the Jewish people flourish, announced today that Abby Strunk Saloma will join its national office in Washington, DC, as a Program Officer.
Strunk Saloma will develop and implement initiatives to engage and support young Jews involved in secular service work and otherwise as they explore and become creators of Jewish life. She will focus on broadening and deepening the Foundation’s work with Teach For America, particularly through its REALITY Israel Experience program, which brings corps members to Israel for 10 days to explore their commitment to leadership, education and social justice through a Jewish lens.
The success of the program, in tandem with the recent release of Volunteering + Values: A Repair the World Report on Jewish Young Adults, has highlighted a significant opportunity to help young Jews see their commitment to volunteerism through the lens of a Jewish framework and to strengthen the Jewish community’s social impact. The program offers a replicable model for engaging young Jewish volunteers across other secular service organizations.
“Imagine how powerful it would be if all young Jews understood their commitment to service as an authentically Jewish value,” said Lynn Schusterman, chair of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation (CLSFF). “By bringing Abby on board, we are able to expand and deepen our efforts to enrich the Jewish lives of young adults and to heighten the impact they are able to have on the Jewish community and the world at large.”
“Assuming this role with the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation is much like coming home,” said Strunk Saloma, who previously worked as the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for BBYO, the world’s leading pluralistic Jewish teen movement. “My five years working in the Jewish community were the most professionally fulfilling of my career, and this particular position allows me to draw from and build on my experience supporting people in their personal journeys. I am thrilled to bring a unique vantage point that bridges both the Jewish and secular worlds, so I can create the most innovative leadership development experiences.”
Strunk Saloma brings to the Foundation a breadth and depth of experience from the for-profit, non-profit, Jewish and secular sectors, as well as extensive experience managing and coaching young and emerging professionals. Following her tenure at BBYO, during which she helped to nearly double teen involvement in meaningful Jewish experiences, Strunk Saloma assumed the Executive Director role at Street Sense, a DC-based non-profit organization that works to empower the homeless. Most recently, she led the development efforts for The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, a non-profit organization that trains health and mental health professionals, educators and community leaders.
In addition to her work with young Jewish secular service leaders, Strunk Saloma will design, manage and evaluate initiatives to recruit, network and train the best and brightest young Jewish professionals.
Strunk Saloma’s role is a natural extension of the Foundation’s work over the past two decades to help as many young Jewish adults as possible connect with one another and work together to build vibrant, inclusive Jewish communities. She will work in close collaboration with the Foundation’s global staff to build on and support its continuing efforts to expand the reach and impact of our work; incubate, pilot and launch new programs and initiatives; and empower young Jewish innovators to create new avenues of Jewish experiences.
“Our work engaging and inspiring young Jewish service leaders and professionals is a key pillar of our effort to build a more dynamic, relevant and purposeful global Jewish people,” Lisa Eisen, CLSFF’s National Director. “Abby is the ideal steward for advancing a cutting-edge strategy to support young Jews in their personal exploration of Jewish life and leadership.”
For more information, please contact Roben Kantor at rkantor@schusterman.org or at 202-289-7000, ext 6.
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About the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation
The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation is dedicated to ensuring vibrant Jewish life by empowering young Jews to embrace the joy of Judaism, build inclusive Jewish communities, support the State of Israel and repair the world. Established in 1987 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Foundation also provides assistance to non-sectarian charitable organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in our hometown, especially in the areas of education, child advocacy and youth development. www.schusterman.org
National Day of Jewish youth service. This year marks the seventh year in which Jewish youth from across North America, Europe and Israel have participated in J- Serve, in an effort to encourage community building and connections across religious and societal lines.
