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B
ack from a community event in
Toronto in 2019, Lou Goldhaber
and Jordon Wertheimer — both
now in their fifth year of Cabinet —
were sharing a cab to the hotel. As
first year National Young Leadership
Cabinet members at the time, they were
reminiscing about the experiences of the
retreat and asked themselves one very
simple question: Why can’t this retreat
take place in the heart of Detroit?
This simple question began a four-year
process, from seeds to fruition, where
folks far and wide, covertly and overtly,
would be recruited and work to make
this dream of bringing Cabinet retreat to
Detroit a reality.
On July 28, 2023, National Young
Leadership Cabinet with almost 300
Jewish leaders from across North
America, were in Downtown Detroit for
the annual Cabinet retreat.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS CABINET?
National Young Leadership Cabinet
is the Jewish Federations of North
America (JFNA) premier young
leadership development program
that educates and connects the next
generation of global Jewish leaders and
philanthropists. Cabinet trains and
inspires young volunteers ages 30-40,
or as we call them, chevre (friends in
colloquial Hebrew), for positions of
leadership in the Jewish community.
Cabinet’s focus is to provide tools
for participants to better themselves
and their capacity as leaders through
continued learning, reflection and
action. Members participate in a
five-year curriculum that builds on a
series of Jewish values: Hineni (Call to
Leadership), Achrayut (Responsibility),
Kehilah Kedosha (Sacred Community),
Klal Yisrael (Jewish Peoplehood) and
Hazon (Vision).
Cabinet not only has a robust
curriculum that’s aligned with its
members’ advancement but also builds
on the skills and knowledge acquired
during the previous years.
In addition to annual retreats,
members are able to enrich and
strengthen their development on a
global level, through travel experiences
that include hands-on service
opportunities, meeting with local and
national leaders, and engaging with
the people who their work impacts.
Since its founding in 1963, Cabinet
has successfully attracted individuals
who lead at the highest levels of Jewish
communal life.
It is the only Jewish leadership
program where members are not
only taught the skills they need to be
successful but also are given the chance
to put those skills into action.
With over 4,200 alumni, 300+
existing members and an annual
raise of over $3.75 million, Cabinet
distinguishes itself as a force to be
reckoned with in the Jewish communal
space and has nurtured some of today’s
exceptional Jewish communal leaders.
Some homegrown leaders include
Gary Torgow (incoming Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
president), Michael Berger (incoming
United Jewish Foundation president),
and an impressive roster of former
Cabinet chairs from Detroit, including
Jane Sherman, Larry Jackier, Stanley
Frankel and Robb Lippitt.
CHAPTER 2: THE MISSION —
BRING CABINET TO DETROIT
Bringing Cabinet to Detroit was not
short of challenges. “Lou Goldfarber and
I ran the Detroit idea up the flagpole in
2019 while still in Toronto, and certainly
had some immediate pushback,” Jordon
Wertheimer reflects. “Then COVID
happened, and we lost two years. After
the annual retreat in Palm Beach in
2021, we reached back out to JFNA
about bringing the retreat to Detroit and
didn’t stop asking them until they came
for a site visit, which they did in 2022.”
Goldfarber adds, “Once we were even
considered, we engaged others to help
put the best plan and proposal in place.”
They put those plans and proposals
in place — including creating a pitch
FACING PAGE, COUNTERCLOCKWISE,
FROM TOP RIGHT: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
with Planning Committee: Sam Foon,
Lacey Foon, Lou Goldhaber and Jordan
Wertheimer. Cabinet Chevre tour of the
Friendship Circle. Detroit chevre Josh Ketai
and Andrew Luckoff. Pool party July 30
hosted by Shimon G. Levy.
Gary Torgow welcomes
over 300 participants
in the opening plenary
at the Westin Book
Cadillac Detroit.
Shimon G. Levy
with Rabbi Eli
Mayerfeld at the
Huntington Tower
Cabinet Reception