For Noam Kovacs, age doesn’t matter when it comes to advocacy and leadership.
The rising senior at Berman Hebrew Academy believes in standing up for what’s right, inspired by his late grandmother and his family’s Jewish values. That’s why Kovacs got involved with the Kemp Mill Civic Association as the secretary. He’s the KMCA’s youngest current board member by decades.
This summer, the teen is working as a camp counselor at Lessans Camp JCC at the Bender Jewish Community Center in Rockville.
Kovacs lives in Kemp Mill and belongs to Chabad of Silver Spring and Kemp Mill Synagogue.
Tell me about your Jewish upbringing and background.
I lived in Kemp Mill my entire life. My mom’s Yemenite and my dad is Chabad. I went to the Torah School of Greater Washington from kindergarten to sixth grade, and then I went to Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School in D.C. for seventh grade. I went to Berman in Rockville from eighth grade and I’m going into 12th grade now. I’ve had a beautiful time at all [three] schools. I go to such an incredible shul and such a beautiful community.
What inspired you to get involved with the Kemp Mill Civic Association?
I’m very interested in traffic safety, improvement and the Department of Transportation. I’ve been biking since I was in elementary school and longboarding — which is like skateboarding — since middle school, so I spend a lot of time outside. I love exploring Montgomery County [and] D.C., and I love going biking, walking, driving and exploring everywhere. I love going outside. I started getting very familiar with our roads, our trails, our parks, all of Montgomery County, especially where I live.
On a more personal level, [what] really got me into advocacy was Lamberton Drive. Anyone that lives in the Kemp Mill community knows that there are two notoriously dangerous intersections at the top of Lamberton Drive. It was October 2024 and there was a very bad crash at one of the intersections. I literally sat down for hours that night and [went], “This needs to stop. I’m going to commit myself to making a difference.” That night, I emailed the county after that crash and [said], “We need to do something about this.” And I’ve been working with them ever since, every single day.
What are your responsibilities as a board member of KMCA?
The secretary is [a] more logistical [role], taking notes, organizing, responding [to emails] and all that. As a board member, I’m working with all the other people: the head of transportation, the vice president, the president. I’m very close with the other board members and we’re working all together. I’m able to give my input and everyone’s able to work together. So although I have my specialty as a secretary, I’m working with my fellow board members to advocate for my community [and] my community’s needs.
How do you feel as the youngest current board member?
At the University Boulevard Corridor Plan meeting, I was, I think, the youngest person there. But really, I don’t think age matters. I encourage all young people to follow their passion in advocacy, and this is just where it leads me. I don’t think about my age so often. I’m coming into these meetings with the county and the state, and I work closely with [the] Montgomery County Department of Transportation and the Maryland State Highway Administration to pursue improvements in my community. I care about my passion more than my age.
How do your Jewish values inform your civic engagement?
My values are definitely standing up for what’s right. Whatever I’m advocating for, … I don’t just [make a] beeline for “this is what Noam Kovacs wants.” I meet with families in the Kemp Mill area, in the Glenmont area, in the Wheaton area, in the Sligo area, all around the community, to see “What do people want?”
In ninth grade at Berman, I had a Tehillim class that truly changed the way I think. I remember learning in Perek 27, Pasuk 13, “Were it not that I believe I should see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” There have been so many times when I had no idea what was going to happen, but I truly took it and put it in the hands of Hashem and at the end of the day, Hashem has my back. If things don’t go right and my advocacy falls short, I know that Hashem has my back and that I still believe in him and he’s going to lead me down the right path.
What goals do you have for the community?
I’m working on a lot of things. A lot of my projects have started out smaller, like updating the paint markings here, fixing the signage here, fixing the turn lane here. I really hope that I’m able to transform my community to make it a champion in terms of safety and reliability and transparency, making sure that whether you’re walking or biking, driving or taking the bus, you’re able to get there reliably and fast.
You’re headed into your senior year at Berman. What’s next for you?
I hope to spend a year in Israel, then I’m off to college. In Israel, I hope to continue my advocacy.
