“The Jewish people, ever since David slew Goliath, have never considered youth as a barrier to leadership.” -John F. Kennedy At every pivotal moment in Jewish history, the youth have been at the forefront of change. In NFTY, this is no different. I have witnessed empowered teens in this very movement lead with conviction and intention, moving Judaism to new heights. To harness this momentum and maximize NFTY’s role in world Judaism, I will look for new ways to create meaningful Jewish experiences that fit into the lifestyle of the modern NFTYite. Thereby, it is with unwavering love for this community, fidelity, and passion that I, Madison Rosenfield, declare my candidacy for the position of 5780-5781 NFTY Religious and Cultural Vice President. As a leader, I pride myself on building our world from love, compassion, and justice. I’m enthusiastic and honored to have the opportunity to build on my experiences as NFTY-STR President, NFTY-STR Religious and Cultural Vice President, two-term NFTY Israel Engagement Committee member, and alumna of the URJ Kutz Camp’s Torah Corps and NFTY Incubator immersive programs in working to bring our movement and our faith into the new decade. Kennedy’s powerful words provide a wealth of inspiration for me to do just that: We must provide meaningful opportunities to engage with our faith in non- traditional ways. As someone who deeply values pluralism, I am excited to explore non- traditional ways in which we can immerse ourselves in, struggle with, and question Judaism. Ever since Jacob wrestled with the angel in the Book of Genesis, we as a people have been rooted in struggle; recognizing this struggle connects us to our past and makes us work even harder to preserve our faith. Initiatives like virtual services and Torah study, Shabbat quotes over Remind, and the creation of an online database for quick Jewish experiences will provide easy opportunities to be Jewishly engaged. We must use our sacred traditions, texts and homeland (Israel) to inspire our movement’s present and future. The story of the unlikely victor (David) and the defeated giant (Goliath) is a biblical text that teaches us the value in fighting for what we believe in despite the odds being stacked against us. Actively engaging with narratives like this has been important to me in my pursuit of Jewish knowledge. Encouraging this same engagement within our movement is key so that we can boost constructive argumentation and discussion and, in turn, create a body of passionate, spiritually-informed teens. Moreover, I feel strongly about furthering Israel education and interaction across NFTY. Israel is a complex topic and it’s crucial that we provide regions and networks with programmatic and content-based resources from across the ideological spectrum so that a constructive dialogue surrounding Israel’s complexities can be opened. I am also excited to reshape the goals of NFTY’s Israel Engagement Committee as we move into this new year. We must empower teens to become genuinely and energetically involved as leaders in diverse Jewish spaces. NFTY should prepare our members to be Jewishly engaged both during and after high school, so it is a priority of mine to partner with each regional RCVP, NFTY alumni, and the URJ College Department to encourage Jewish connection post-high school. In addition to acting as a resource for the NFTY RCVP network, I’m equally excited to support each region as they develop their Jewish trajectories for the year, as well as to create special spiritual experiences at NFTY Convention 2021. Integral to our movement is the idea of breaking down barriers. I hope that you’ll allow me to work with all of you to do exactly that as we champion Jewish leadership for generations to come!

Kol tuv (all the best), Madison Rosenfield