Marc Levy

It’s hard to tell what Marc Levy’s full-time job is. After all, he sometimes finds himself waking up before his day job as a research analyst to volunteer in the community. Whether it’s serving food at a local food kitchen, cooking, tutoring students, playing games, or partnering with young students to help them learn how to read, he’s always giving back.

“Marc is always looking to find opportunities in Chicago to better himself and those around him,” said his brother, Brian. “He has always encouraged me to volunteer, and has helped me realize the kind of impact one person can make to better the lives of others. He is truly a selfless person.”

Thanks to his strong Jewish identity, Marc cares about discovering his Jewish European roots. A lover of the Yiddish language, he traveled to Germany in high school, where he saw firsthand the artifacts left over from the Holocaust. Later, while earning his Master’s Degree at the London School of Economics, he returned overseas to explore Jewish Europe. Here in Chicago, he’s currently involved in the Anti-Defamation League’s GlassLeadership Institute, fostering the next generation of Jewish leaders, and looking forward to joining the ADL’s board.

Marc’s a voracious reader—he reads The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and The New Yorker religiously, and he’s a book lover too. He has two large bookcases in his room, and is in dire need of a third, according to his brother. And, when Marc is not working full-time, volunteering, or reading, he still manages one last passion—running. He’s completed several 5Ks, the Brussels Marathon, and—of course—the Chicago Marathon.

Name:
Marc Levy

Age:
28

Pays the bills:
Research Analyst at a market research firm

Relationship status:
Single

Describe yourself in 10 words or less:
Restless, neurotic, usually somewhat sleep-deprived, empathetic, inquisitive.

Celebrity doppelganger:
Jay Gatsby

How do you Jew in Chicago?
Bagels are a central part of my diet. I like to drop Yiddish words now and then.

Passions:
Volunteering, running and reading.

How do you give back?
Most tangibly, by volunteering all across Chicago. I've done all sorts of volunteer activities: serving food, cooking, playing t-ball/soccer/football/basketball, tutoring, reading, arts & crafts among others at schools, shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries. Also, I'm involved with young professional boards that help fundraise and support great causes.

Fill in the blank: If time and money were limitless, I would:
Sleep in most days, go for a morning jog, volunteer more, read more, travel more domestically and internationally, become great at sailing, work in philanthropy and learn really cool languages like Yiddish.

Chicago's Jewish community in 10 years:
Smaller.

Me in 10 years:
No idea.