Jewish leadership is a multifaceted responsibility that requires an individual to balance different roles and responsibilities to improve the Jewish community and one’s connection to communal institutions and other Jews. As Jewish leaders, we need to have a vision and understanding of the desires and needs of the community. We need to navigate institutions working with professionals and lay leaders to make ideas become reality. Most importantly, in order to lead, we need to be someone that community members respect and will follow as we help direct them through their personal journeys. One major element that distinguishes Jewish leaders from other leaders is our utilization of Jewish values and ethics to drive our direction, decisions, and actions.
David Manchester has been active in Jewish Young Professional events, having served on the advisory board of the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Birthright Israel NEXT DC, and Young Leadership of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. Manchester received a B.A. in international relations from American University and serves as the vice president of the board of directors of American University Hillel. He began his career as a legislative assistant for Hadassah’s Washington Action Office and now works for the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies.
Photo by Fred Marcus Photography
