Vision CRC seeks to connect and empower next generation of community leaders

A group committed to civic discourse and mutual understanding is furthering its mission by welcoming younger advocates. The Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh — a division of the umbrella organization that seeks to build “harmonious relations and mutual understanding in a diverse world” — is partnering with more than a dozen young adults, between the ages of 22-45, for a yearlong cohort. Titled, “Vision CRC,” the group will  receive training from local leaders and enable participants to strengthen Jewish life, promote public policy, effectively support Israel and build a more inclusive Pittsburgh.

“The whole focus is on building relationships, civic engagement and empowering the next generation of community leadership,” Beth Vander Stoep, CRC’s assistant director said. “We live in a hyper-polarized society and we’re in a moment where we need leadership, especially young adult leadership. Now, really more than ever, we need people who want to engage both in the Jewish community and also in the broader Pittsburgh community.”

Over the course of eight sessions and a trip to Harrisburg, participants will connect with interfaith leaders and elected officials, practice bridge building skills, learn about Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods and makeup, and develop confidence to engage in civic advocacy and interfaith dialogue.

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“The whole focus of Vision CRC is envisioning not the Pittsburgh that we see today, but a future Pittsburgh — a Pittsburgh that is really warm, really inclusive, where people can have deep conversations and meaningful relationships across cultural divides,” Vander Stoep told the Chronicle.

North Side resident Elayna Tell, 38, said she was drawn to the cohort for personal and professional reasons.

“I work in the Israel advocacy space, and I see firsthand how difficult it is to have important conversations that people want to have but they wonder whether they feel safe enough to have those conversations,” she said. Having the space to discuss sensitive topics with similar-aged adults, without being judged, “was something that appealed to me more than anything.”

Aspinwall resident Rebekah Adams, 27, said the cohort represents a chance to learn and discuss. “It’s important nowadays to have this type of dialogue, especially since there’s just a lot of misconceptions about Judaism,” Adams said. “A lot of people, especially on campus, tend to be stuck on the opinions that they read on social media or what people synthesize for them.”

Having the chance to work through texts — whether shared religious readings or other materials — learn from diverse leaders and partner with other young adults is an opportunity to bolster Pittsburgh’s future, Adams added.

It’s also a chance to remind the wider community that the next generation is deeply invested in growth, Tell said. “Sometimes there’s a fundamental misunderstanding that there isn’t a desire by younger generations to engage in these conversations — that we’re just stuck on our phones and in our TikToks, and that we’re all just being brainwashed — I think it’s important for readers to understand that there are young people that want these spaces to exist, that seek out these spaces, and that want to have conversations with each other.”

Vision CRC officially begins Oct. 6.

Applications for participation are still being accepted. And while the work is “focused on the Jewish community, Jewish values and Jewish worldviews, there’s actually no hardline requirement to be Jewish if you want to be in this cohort,” Vander Stoep said. “Allies of the Jewish community are more than welcome to sign up. We would honestly love to have them join.”

By working and learning together, the cohort will prove a truth and engender a better future, Vander Stoep explained.

“Young adults in the Pittsburgh Jewish community have hope,” she said. “And small conversations, and deep and meaningful relationships, do make long-term change.” PJC

Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.