FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: Roben Kantor, Communications Officer / Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation / 202.289.7000, ext. 6 • rkantor@schusterman.org
Schusterman Family Foundation Hires Seth Cohen as Director of Network Development
Cohen to spearhead an expanded approach by Foundation to reach and connect emerging networks of young Jewish adults
Washington, DC—May 3, 2011 – The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to helping the Jewish people flourish, announced today that Seth Cohen will join its senior leadership team as Director of Network Development.
Cohen will initiate and direct efforts by the Foundation to work with existing and emerging networks of young Jewish adults around the world, an increasingly important and influential part of the global Jewish community. His responsibilities will include identifying, animating and linking those networks and their leadership to resources that will enable them to create meaningful Jewish experiences for themselves and their peers.
“We are committed to spreading the joy of Jewish living, giving and learning by empowering young Jewish adults to take ownership of their Jewish identity and lives,” said Lynn Schusterman, chair of the Foundation. “By bringing Seth on board, we will broaden and deepen our capacity to facilitate stronger connections and relationships between the individuals, organizations and networks that comprise Jewish life today.”
Over the past decade, in response to a world defined by an accelerating pace of change and expanding opportunities for choice, the Jewish community has given rise to a wide variety of programs, initiatives and independent networks that seek to engage young adults and their peers through the many facets of their identities. The Foundation recognizes the time is ripe to begin finding ways to connect these vibrant hubs of activities, experiences and networks in service of its larger goal of building inspired, enduring Jewish communities.
Working in close collaboration with his colleagues at the Foundation, the Schusterman Foundation-Israel and the ROI Community of Young Jewish Innovators, Cohen will oversee a complementary mix of programs and partnerships designed to further the Foundation’s goal of helping as many young Jewish adults as possible connect with one another and work together to build vibrant Jewish communities.
“As a community, we must be adept and nimble at adapting to the realities of the world we live in—hyper-connected, fast-paced, rapidly changing,” said Seth Cohen. “I am incredibly excited to work with a visionary philanthropist and join an experienced professional team with an evolving vision, and astute understanding, of what it will take to inspire large numbers of young Jewish adults to live rich Jewish lives in the 21st century.”
The strategic approach Cohen will develop is a natural extension of the Foundation’s efforts over the past two decades to enrich the Jewish lives of young adults. It will build on and support its continuing efforts to fund and collaborate with Jewish institutions and organizations; to incubate, pilot and launch new programs and initiatives; and to empower young Jewish innovators to create new avenues of Jewish experiences through the ROI Community.
“We are deepening our investment in the course we have been charting for more than two decades,” said Sandy Cardin, president of the Schusterman Family Foundation. “We recognize that our vision of supporting young Jews throughout their Jewish journeys now requires a broader portfolio of interwoven approaches. Given his rich experience and deep understanding of contemporary Jewish life, we believe Seth is the ideal steward for advancing this cutting-edge young Jewish adult engagement and networking strategy.”
Based in Atlanta, Cohen is an accomplished professional, activist and author on topics of Jewish communal life and innovation. His current Jewish community activities include serving as a President of Jewish Family & Career Services in Atlanta and a Trustee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. He has also recently served as a member of the Strategic Planning Committee of the Jewish Agency for Israel and a member of the board of Joshua Venture Group, a New York-based non-profit supporting the development of outcomes-focused Jewish innovation.
For the past 13 years, Cohen has worked as an Atlanta-based attorney, most recently as a partner at the international law firm of Holland & Knight LLP, leading its Atlanta corporate and M&A team with a practice that includes representing companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 10 telecommunications companies. Throughout his career, Cohen has also held numerous volunteer leadership roles in the non-Jewish community, including as a member of the Board of Directors of the 24/7 Gateway Center, Atlanta’s premier program for addressing chronic homelessness, and numerous other civic initiatives, including serving as a lead attorney in a federal lawsuit protecting the voting rights of Georgia citizens. He contributes regularly to www.ejewishphilanthropy.com and can be found on Twitter at @sethacohen33.
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.
The Foundation is part of the Schusterman philanthropic network, a global group of initiatives and organizations established by the Schusterman family to advance their charitable mission and vision of ensuring vibrant Jewish living, giving and learning. Also included in the SPN are the Schusterman Foundation-Israel and the ROI Community of Young Jewish Innovators. 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.
