I have spent this last summer working as a college intern at J Leaders. I am a rising senior at the University of Puget Sound. Growing up in the Jewish Bay Area community and attending Jewish schools, interning at J Leaders has felt like the perfect fit for me. As a young adult, J Leaders has allowed me to connect deeply with my roots while making a meaningful impact on future generations. It has provided an avenue for me to give back to the community that raised me.
Over the past few months, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to help build out marketing for the JMentors program. JMentors is an innovative mentorship program which connects Jewish young adults with experienced Jewish professionals. Working on this project taught me a lot about why mentorship is valuable. This blog is a dedication to the lessons I learned from my mentors.
The JMentors Program
The JMentors program offers a 6-month mentee-driven mentorship program for Jewish young adults in the San Francisco Bay Area. The program provides personal, professional, and career development through a mentorship experience with Jewish business and community leaders. This program is a collaboration between J Leaders and the Jewish High Tech Community (JHTC).
The Power of Mentorship
In my life, I’ve found mentorship to be crucial for navigating the challenges of adulthood, growing my Jewish community, and exploring my career options. The insights and guidance from experienced professionals have been invaluable in helping me strive towards my personal and professional goals. As I enter my final year of college, I truly appreciate the mentorship of J Leaders Founder and CEO Peter Hoffman, whose advice has shown me the crucial aspects of marketing—driving engagement, being detail-oriented, and collaborating effectively with leaders in the Jewish community.
Interviewing participants in the mentorship program has been a highlight of my experience. Hearing how their relationships with their mentors or mentees have provided great insights and created close, impactful relationships has been inspiring. After my first interview with a mentor, I immediately signed up to be a mentee for the 2025 program.
Speaking with Rabbi Hugh Seid-Valencia, chief community officer of Jewish Silicon Valley, about a Jewish perspective on mentorship was also enlightening. One of my favorite stories he shared was about Honi the Circle-Maker, an ancient scholar who witnessed a woman planting a carob tree sapling. It’s a story about the importance of passing down traditions, ethics, and identity from one generation to the next. It’s a story about why mentorship is a very Jewish tradition.
Top-Notch Mentors
One of the best parts of the program is the quality of mentors matched with the mentees. Alexa Rubinov, an outstanding mentor and J Leaders board member, shared the value of being a mentee. “Mentorship is the conduit to unlocking doors so people can get exposure to new opportunities and experiences they would have never been able to access otherwise.”
Reflecting on My Time with J Leaders
I’m truly inspired by the passionate individuals dedicated to empowering Jewish young professionals with essential personal and professional skills and community connections. I have seen the tremendous volunteer effort that has gone into organizing the program from Dan Abouav, Linda Thompson, Larry Slotnick, Mauri Schwartz, Karen Treiger, Alexa Rubinov and many others on the JMentors organizing committee. J Leaders fostered an environment where curiosity was welcomed, questions were encouraged, and learning was at the forefront.
A huge thank you to everyone who shared their wisdom and worked alongside me this summer, especially, Peter Hoffman, Dan Abouav, and Leya Aronoff who have been incredibly supportive.
If you’re ready to embark on a journey of growth and connection, we invite you to apply to be a JMentors mentee or mentor.