On Friday night, June 18th, about 50 Jewish young adults gathered at the Next Dor STL house in the Central West End for Third Friday’s. Third Friday’s - a Shabbat dinner event on the third Friday of every month - has quickly become a landmark program at the Next Dor house. Every month, different Birthright Israel alumni host the dinner with financial support from Birthright Israel Next’s ‘Next Shabbat’ initiative. This week David Elias hosted Third Friday’s and prepared fabulous food including chicken, salmon, and veggie options. Even better, the event benefitted from good weather allowing guests to spread out more and eat outside. Third Friday’s has continually attracted 50+ guests ranging from their 20s-30s, and coming from diverse backgrounds. It has quickly become one of the best events for getting out and meeting new people. Also, the event, just like most other events, does not require a rsvp and guests are encouraged to bring friends. View the pictures here!
Birthright Israel alumni who wish to host a Shabbat dinner are eligible to be funded by the Next Shabbat program. Contact David Elias to help co-host next month's dinner!
Local Social Entrepreneur Selected as PresenTense Global Fellow
St. Louis, MO (May 2010) – Yoni Sarason, the Program Director of Next Dor STL, has been invited to spend 6 weeks this summer living in Jerusalem as a PresenTense Fellow. Since opening its doors in November of 2009, Next Dor STL has connected hundreds of young Jewish adults in St. Louis. Each year, PresenTense selects a handful of social entrepreuers working on a variety of social ventures that seek to solve problems facing the Jewish People and the World to participate in the program.
Sarason connected with Ariel Beery, the co-founder of PresenTense at the Birthright Israel NEXT National Conference in New Orleans in March of this year. They immediately recognized the connection between the work that Next Dor STL has been doing in the St. Louis community and the work that PresentTense does on a global scale. After the conference, Beery invited Sarason to connect with Aharon Horowitz, his business partner, who encouraged Sarason to apply for the fellowship, believing that he could bring his knowledge to the table to help other projects. “I'm honored to have been selected for this fellowship” remarks Sarason, “Not only do I believe this to me an amazing opportunity for personal development, I think that it is really a testament to the power of the community that has grown around Next Dor STL and the impact that community has had for individuals involved.”
The PresenTense website describes the PresenTense Summer Institute as “a unique training program for Jewish social entrepreneurs, built by entrepreneurs. It incorporates a number of training modules to provide innovators the resources, skills and opportunities needed for venture success. Fellows are taught core business skills through skillbuilding sessions, the tool-kit is refined by leading academics and business professionals, fellows are mentored by leaders in their fields, coached by professionals, connected with industry peers -- and showcased to the greater community in a final Launch Night.” Sarason adds “I look forward to gaining skills related to leadership, management, organizational development and sustainability within a Jewish context that understands and respects the unique position of the Next Dor STL project.”
Sarason departs June 8, 2010. He shares “I anticipate coming back to St. Louis with an even greater passion matched with heightened abilities and more honed skills.” For the year following his return, PresenTense will continue to work with Sarason and Next Dor STL through the Venture Development services.
While Sarason is travelling, Jacob Albert and David Elias will assume his responsibilities.
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