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The Young Leadership Division (YLD) of JUF is heading to Las Vegas this March 6-8 for Tribefest…and you’re invited!  Every year, YLD participates in the Jewish Federation of North America's (JFNA) National Leadership Conferences and this year’s event, Tribefest, will bring together young adults from across the country to explore why it matters to be Jewish, volunteer, network, and of course, socialize!  TribeFest will offer inspiring programming, music, food, arts, and entertainment, all celebrating the richness of our Jewish culture and heritage.  Please join us for this incredible opportunity in Las Vegas with more than 1,800 of your fellow members-of-the-tribe in attendance.

If you haven’t already started booking your trip, then here are a few more incentives to come.  Meet local Chicagoans, Melissa Burstein, Scott Lieber and Jon Meyer, they’ve all already booked their trips to Vegas and want you to join them in representing Chicago in Vegas this spring!

Melissa Burstein:

Tell us about yourself.  I am a second year YLD Board member from Bloomfield Hills, MI.  I have lived in Chicago for 10 years and love it!  I have been on many trips with YLD and can't wait for this one! 

Why is it important for you to connect with other young Jewish adults?  It is important, because I love meeting new people and creating new friendships.  It's also nice to have the same faith as your friends, so you can share the holidays and attend similar events together.

What are you most looking forward to at the Conference?  I am looking forward to meeting a lot of new people from all over the country, and for the events and speakers that will be at the event.  And of course, Vegas!

Scott Lieber:

Tell us about yourself.  I am a Leo.  I enjoy watching and playing many sports, but my top list includes football, baseball and golf.  Three words that would best describe me are creative, athletic, and funny.  I currently live in the Gold Coast and work at an insurance brokerage firm called Associated Agencies.  I attended Ithaca College where I majored in Sport Management and Finance and graduated in ’08.  I also played football during my time at Ithaca College.

Why is it important for you to connect with other young Jewish adults?  It is important to connect with young Jewish adults because we are the future of the Jewish community.  As long as we stay together and help others in our community, there will always be a sense of Judaism in the US and the world.

What are you most looking forward to at the Conference?  I am looking forward to meeting a lot of new people at the conference.  I have found that the easiest way to meet new people is at conferences.  Plus, this one is in Las Vegas.

Jon Meyer:

Tell us about yourself.  I grew up in a suburb of Chicago and attended Indiana University.  Upon graduating in 2004, I took a job as a trading assistant at a small proprietary trading firm in Chicago where I am still employed and trading my own account.  I enjoy staying active by playing sports and working out.  If there’s a good movie out, I'm generally the first one to see it, and if I've read a good book (which I often do), I'm not shy about telling everyone about it.  My most recent favorites are the Hunger Games Trilogy and City of Thieves.  I love drinking Corona in the summer, but in the winter I go with Guiness to keep me warm on those cold Chicago nights.
 
Why is it important for you to connect with other young Jewish adults?  Because we are such a small segment of the global population, it is so important that we stick together as Jews.  Sometimes you'll see rivalries between American Jews based on what city they are from or what fraternity they were in, etc.  I find this silly.  We all have the same ancestors who have endured the same hardships.  As a group we need to understand that and grow from it.
 
What are you most looking forward to at the Conference?  I'm most looking forward to meeting young people from other cities.  When I've visited Vegas in the past it’s mostly been for a work trip or a bachelor party.  I'm excited to be there with so many different people in a different capacity than I have in the past.  The vibe is going to be electric!

For more information and for all trip details, please visit the YLD website.  Also, you’re invited to join us at a Tribefest Informational Happy Hour this Thursday, January 20.