Submitted by The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati welcomes Tess Cohan as its new Young Adult Division (YAD) Development Officer.
Originally from the Boston area, Cohan graduated from the University of Kansas with a double major in Sociology and Jewish Studies. After graduation, she was awarded a two-year Springboard Fellowship through Hillel International and was placed at the University of Iowa. For the past three years, she has worked at Iowa’s Hillel, most recently as their Engagement Coordinator focusing on engagement, programming, and fundraising.
Guided by her Jewish values, Cohan is eager to stay in the Jewish nonprofit world and wants to continue to see her impact firsthand. The Young Adult Division Development Officer position is a great fit and the perfect next step for her career. After many years working with college students, she is eager to focus on young adults.
“I want to do whatever I can to make this world a better place for other people, and I know the Federation is doing amazing things, so I’m excited to be a part of it,” Cohan said. “I’m looking forward to meeting new people, working together toward a common goal, and going out into the community to make a difference.”
As Cohan builds relationships with Cincinnati’s Jewish young adults, she aims to create more leadership opportunities for them. She also hopes to strengthen the LEAD program — which stands for Lead, Educate, Act and Develop — created by the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati to educate young professionals about all that the community offers, ultimately preparing each participant to take a leadership position within the Jewish community.
“I feel very strongly about tzedakah and the significance of giving back. I want to teach my peers why it’s important to give, and how a gift can be so much more fulfilling than say, a daily Starbucks drink,” she said with a laugh.
Cohan is determined to develop and implement new opportunities for young adults and hopes to show them why the Federation is such an integral part of this city and its Jewish community. “I look forward to making connections and talking with young adults,” Tess said.
David Harris, Chief Development Officer, stated, “Tess will be a great asset to our team. I have no doubt she will thrive and succeed in her new role and help us build relationships and ways for young adults to give back to the community.”
