By Margaret Schreiber
Joelle Abramowitz, originally from New Jersey, lived in Washington DC, Brussels, Hong Kong, Chicago, and Seattle before coming to Ann Arbor in 2016. She is a Ph.D economist working as research faculty at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, and she is an active participant in our local Jewish community. In fact, at the young age of 35, Joelle is paving the way for young adults in Ann Arbor in that she has signed a commitment to leave a legacy gift as part of the LIFE & LEGACY® program!
Joelle’s involvement in the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor began when she first moved to town and she wanted to get connected to the Jewish community and make new friends. Joelle immediately started attending Jewish Young Professional programs. She had a vision of creating a novel program where text study was combined with sharing of personal experience so as to create deep connection between participants. Initially called “Taboo Topics,” the program later became known as “Delicious Deep Dive Discussion” and was a tremendous success. Joelle initially joined JYP’s board to develop this program, and she was gratified to see that it blossomed into a space where people of different Jewish backgrounds could wrestle with Jewish texts while getting to know each other on a deeper level.
Over time, Joelle began to plan different types of events – educational, social, and related to religious observance – beyond the text study program. In August 2020, Joelle became president of the Jewish Young Professionals group. Her goal was to provide a place for young adult community members to feel welcome and thrive, whether it was an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends, an opportunity to learn or try something new, or an opportunity to empower community members to create the sorts of programs and community that they want to see. After completing her term as president of the JYP Board, Joelle will continue to serve on the Board of Directors for Federation.
When asked why she decided to sign a “Letter of Intent” (LOI) to leave an after-lifetime gift to Federation, Joelle said “I am very committed to supporting our Jewish community now and in the future. I am interested in how Jewish organizations work and how to make them sustainable. I chose to make this legacy commitment because I want to see a flourishing Jewish community in general and the Ann Arbor Jewish community in particular – in the same way that JYP helps to foster young leadership as an investment in our future, so too is legacy giving an investment in our future.”
Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor Outreach & Programs Coordinator Jessica Weil notes that, “Joelle continues to strengthen our Jewish community by empowering others to lead. She is a role model to young adults in the community, and her decision to sign a LOI is inspiring to so many young adults!” Federation is one of 11 local Jewish organizations participating in the LIFE & LEGACY program. The other organizations are: Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan, Beth Israel Congregation, Chabad House of Ann Arbor, Eastern Michigan University Center for Jewish Studies, Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor, Jewish Community Center of Greater Ann Arbor, Jewish Cultural Society, Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County, Temple Beth Emeth, and University of Michigan Hillel. Please reach out to Margaret Schreiber for more information on the LIFE & LEGACY program, via phone (734-773-3538) or email (margaret@jewishannarbor.org).