Beth Horwitz

Loving your neighbor, pursuing justice and generosity -- Beth Horwitz believes that all people were created b'tzelem Elohim, in God's image. As project director for the Homeless Youth Prevention Planning Grant at Illinois Collaboration on Youth, she helps influences state policies for older adolescents regarding housing, social connections, emotional support, education and employment.

Beth has also helped launch a health care coordination entity and managed the children's program at a California family homeless shelter. Social responsibility-minded, she promotes an ethically raised kosher meat buying club, pays for a compost service and bikes as often as she can. A leader of Lakeview Minyan, she has transformed a small Friday night group to a vibrant community of 50 to 100 participants. Although many know the world is broken, Beth is engaged in its repair through the way she lives her life. 

Age:

31

Primary gig:

I work at the Illinois Collaboration on Youth, leading a statewide effort to design a new model of care to improve outcomes for adolescents in the child welfare system.

On the side:

I ride my bike, do pottery and make delicious vegan challah.

Relationship status:

Single

Describe yourself in 10 words or less:

Youth advocate, composting enthusiast, dedicated friend, Aunt Beth.

How do you Jew in Chicago?

I help organize Lakeview Minyan, a lay-led egalitarian minyan and am an active member at Anshe Emet Synagogue where I serve on a committee that thinks strategically about prayer and community. I also organize the Lakeview Grow and Behold buying club, helping to expand Lakeview’s access to ethically raised kosher meat.

Chicago's Jewish community in 10 years:

Continuing to grow and thrive, and working to address local social problems.

Me in 10 years:

Continuing to fix a small part of the world for at-risk youth, living in Chicago, with a couple of my own foster kids in tow.