Mission: J'Burgh is an initiative of the Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh with support from Shalom Pittsburgh and the Jewish Healthcare Foundation. It is designed to serve the needs of the approximately 2,500 Jewish graduate students and young professionals in their twenties living in Pittsburgh. Our mission is to bring together Jewish grad students, young professionals, and their friends to create opportunities for them to build a community together, celebrate their Judaism together, and network for professional opportunities and development. J'Burgh's goal is to provide a gateway for Pittsburgh's young Jewish adult population to explore and develop their personal Jewish identity within our city.
Results: It is estimated that there are 2,500 young Jewish adults between the ages of 21-29 years old, living in Pittsburgh. In our first full year of programming, we reached out to over 600 individual participants, and expect to have over 900 during the 2009-2010 academic year.
I represent a local foundation that helps JUC with funds for its various programs. We were involved in the capital campaign and have continued our support and interest in the ongoing effort. A few of us have been on the board and are very well informed and knowledgeable about the program achievement. We also have two students in the program who have had good experiences.It truly has been reaching the older student while not missing a beat with the undergraduate.
I'm a Pittsburgh Jewish community member and avid supporter of J'Burgh. We've long needed a program like this in Pittsburgh, and J'Burgh has met and surpassed our expectations. We expect this program to help us keep young Jewish men and women in Pittsburgh to start their careers and raise their families. This is a winner!
