On Wednesday, May 5th, several generations of Los Angeles Jewish civic leaders gathered to celebrate the legacy and naming of The Jewish Federation’s Rautenberg New Leaders Project (NLP) after the late philanthropist Erwin Rautenberg. Hosted by Lisa and Josh Greer, this special evening celebrating Erwin Rautenberg’s legacy culminated with a keynote address by Congressman Ted Deutch.
Erwin Rautenberg Foundation trustee Tom Corby spoke briefly about Mr. Rautenberg’s personal journey as a survivor of the Holocaust. Mr. Rautenberg came to the United States nearly penniless. Through his hard work and dedication he built and eventually became the owner of a freight forwarding company in Los Angeles. Mr. Rautenberg founded The Erwin Rautenberg Foundation in 1994 with the mission of strengthening Jewish life in Los Angeles, Israel, and other parts of the world. The foundation awards grants to a wide range of Jewish causes and organizations, positively impacting thousands of lives each year.
During his remarks, Congressman Ted Deutch shared his personal story of seeking elective office and how Judaism played a role in shaping his career. Congressman Deutch began his career as an attorney and participated in the Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) National Young Leadership Cabinet before eventually running for public office. As a Florida State Senator, Deutch earned national recognition for passing legislation making his state the first in the U.S. to impose economic pressure on Iran. While serving in the United States Congress, he has made Middle East affairs and energy policy two of his main priorities.
Other speakers included Jewish Federation President & CEO Jay Sanderson, Federation Board Chair Julie Platt, Federation Community Engagement Chair Jesse Gabriel, NLP Steering Committee leadership Jeremy Rawitch and Shauna Nep, and Jewish Federation Senior Vice President Catherine Schneider.
Founded in 1990, The Rautenberg New Leaders Project is the premier civic leadership training program of The Jewish Federation that has trained emerging Los Angeles Jewish leaders for more than 25 years. During the course of 11 months, NLP exposes participants to elected, civic, and community leaders to address some of the most critical challenges facing Los Angeles. NLP alumni have successfully run for office, have been appointed to government commissions, and have become influential in Los Angeles civic life. To learn more about the Rautenberg New Leaders Project, please contact Aubrey Farkas at NLP@JewishLA.org or visit www.JewishLA.org/NLP.
