Thirty Under 30: The Countdown Continues…

Last week Jewish News and the Jewish Leadership Council announced positions 30 to 21 in the list of 30 movers and shakers under 30 set to define Anglo-Jewry: Thirty Under 30. Today we proudly reveal those occupying places 20 to 11.

20. Josh Seitler, age 22

Josh deserves credit for his work as the current UJS president. Humble and unassuming, he has been incredibly hands-on in his approach to the role, travelling around the country to spend time at many different Jewish societies (JSocs) and listening carefully to Jewish students.

He has excelled at finding practical solutions to the problems faced, actively searching for spaces to facilitate different denominations on campuses and ensuring that Jewish students from across the spectrum feel equally supported and valued.

Coming from an Orthodox background, peers and colleagues note the effort he has gone to in learning about non-Orthodox Judaism, and respect his commitment to equal representation.

Josh has also been working hard to strengthen JSocs in Scotland and Ireland, and has represented UJS abroad at the European Parliament. He was the 2014-15 president of LSE’s Israel Society and received the LSE Outstanding Contribution to Student Life Award last year.

READ MORE: 

• It’s the final countdown! Thirty Under 30 top 10 
• Thirty Under 30: The community’s top young talent 30-21
• Eighteen Under 18: We reveal the young Jewish leaders on the rise!

19. Liron Velleman, age 21

UJS campaigns officer and student officer for the JLM, Liron is hard-working and a sharp political operator. He dedicates his time to promoting ideas not only for himself but on behalf of the community, and he speaks for those around him without putting words into their mouths or treading on toes.

His style of Israel advocacy is sensitive and effective, and he is able to discuss identity, culture and communal issues with Jews and non-Jews alike. Professional but always able to put others at ease, Liron is best known for his ability to do everything he says he will, and more besides.

He has never given less than one hundred percent to a task at hand, and colleagues and fellow activists admire his proactive attitude.

Those around him say his approach is refreshing in an often difficult political bubble, and trust his sound judgement on a range of issues.

18. Gabriel Pogrund, age 22

Currently writing for the features desk at The Sunday Times, Gabriel has worked for the New Statesman, Shortlist, Ha’aretz and Jewish News.

He is a 2016 Google News Fellow and was editor of the London Tab in 2014-15. Well-established as a talented journalist in the Jewish and national media, he impresses his seniors with his sharp reporting style and his capacity to write news, opinion and features.

He demonstrates proficiency as a researcher, having worked on The Sunday Times political editor Tim Shipman’s recent bestseller, All Out War, and has had a Sunday Times Magazine cover story published at this early stage in his career.

Gabriel approaches every project with versatility and precision, mastering diverse topics, turning round stories at lightning speed and producing engaging content regardless of time restraints. Journalists expect Gabriel to have a long and promising career in the industry.

17. Esther Marshall, age 27

Esther is strategy manager to the chief sustainability office at Unilever and the founder of Stand Tall, a charity that helps women and girls recover after suffering from abuse.

Inspired by the speakers of the One Young World conference in 2014 and driven by her own experiences, Esther has been recognised at the most senior level of the firm and has been made a 2016 Unilever Hero.

She is being supported in the charity’s aims to connect sufferers of domestic abuse with services and tools, and providing spaces for survivors to share their stories.

Esther has spoken at the 2015 One Young World conference, passing on her enthusiasm for community work and inspiring others with her selflessness and ambition.

She continues to garner support and funding to improve the lives of vulnerable people.

16. Emily Hilton, age 26

Bursting with vigour and dynamism, Emily is already one of the most prominent and dedicated activists of her generation.

As the youth representative on the Yachad Board of Trustees, she continually promotes and furthers the opinions of her peers and works single-mindedly for peaceful dialogue between activists involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

She galvanised the involvement of her peers during Yachad’s Sign on the Green Line and Kids Court in Conflict campaigns, and is relied upon by the organisation to engage young people and advocate its aims.

Also a talented journalist, Emily is proactive in spearheading stories she feels should be shared, and has also been recently appointed as joint chair of the editorial board for the Jewish Labour Movement’s new journal, Jewish Vanguard.

Thanks to her skills in writing, analysis and commentary, industry professionals are tipping her as the next Jonathan Friedland or Owen Jones.

15. Jay Stoll, age 26

Jay is the senior Parliamentary assistant to Tulip Siddiq, and through his efforts to connect her to the Jewish community, he has helped to develop a political relationship with an MP ready to defend Israel and call out anti-Semitism.

She has since visited synagogues in her constituency of Hampstead and Kilburn, and vice-chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism.

Jay has also played a major role in revitalising the Jewish Labour Movement, which has since become a key player in developing relations between the community and the Labour Party. He has previously worked as the public affairs director for the London Jewish Forum and as public affairs officer for the Jewish Leadership Council.

In his role as general secretary (president) of the LSE Student Union in 2013-14, Jay fiercely defended the rights of Jewish students, and organised and introduced a lecture from a Holocaust survivor at the NUS Conference in 2014.

14. Michael Gladstone, age 29

Management consultant by day and community volunteer as much as is possible, Michael is known and loved throughout Jewish Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade as an inspiring leader, innovator and educator.

As a trustee for the past six years, he has been instrumental in restructuring the movement to make it more youth and volunteer-oriented, no mean feat in an organisation with more than 100 years of history and tradition.

He has been the regional coordinator for both Hertfordshire and Middlesex, was the senior coordinator for the national summer camp, which included 60 participants from abroad, and led Israel Tour in 2007.

Michael deserves credit for his co-chairing of Limmud Conference 2015, during which it moved from Warwick University to the Birmingham NEC, which he oversaw with skilful and effective leadership.

He is an alumnus of the 2013 Adam Science programme, and his commitment to lay leadership will continue positively influencing the community for years to come.

13. Oliver Anisfeld, age 22

Ollie’s potent cocktail of charm and chutzpah has resulted in the online explosion that is J-TV, the Jewish YouTube channel, which shares weekly content, covering politics and current affairs, religion and philosophy, interviews, debates, cooking, and other entertainment.

Renowned speakers, including the Chief Rabbi, have appeared on the channel thanks to this history graduate’s single-minded enthusiasm and inability to take no for an answer.

Guests who have appeared on the channel have commented on his incredible energy, which drives the bold, curious attitudes of everyone working on the project, and marvel at the way he is willing to pull strings and use all of his influence to help J-TV develop.

This highly credible content outlet marks a significant stage in the community’s growth and expansion onto modern platforms, and Ollie’s instrumental role makes him one to watch in the future.

12. Abi Jacobi, age 25

Abi shows her commitment to the community through her past work for Liberal Judaism, her involvement in Woodford Synagogue’s outreach programmes, and, most of all, through Limmud.

Taking on senior roles for Conference every year since 2011, Abi has been a guiding force in the development of the event for the past few crucial years. She chaired programming in 2014, a demanding role that oversaw one of the largest programmes ever seen at Conference before moving to chair volunteering in 2016.

This year she is conference chair, spreading her time between this weighty role and completing a Masters in Holocaust education.

She coordinated the first Limmud L’Am programme for participants with learning disabilities and other additional needs, working with Norwood and Kisharon to promote inclusion and flexibility at Conference.

Abi’s passion for social justice and cross-communal work contributes to the vibrancy of British Jewry, from which many will benefit in the coming years.

11. Judith Flacks, age 27

Judith is the head of campaigns at the Jewish Leadership Council, and is appreciated within the organisation as an astute strategic thinker, political analyst and deliverer of results.

Always going above and beyond wherever she can, she has been cited as a chief executive in crucial community establishments. Before working at the JLC, she served as development fieldworker and then campaigns director for UJS, working with student activists across the country and encouraging JSocs to develop their politics and to take active roles in student life.

Judith spent some time in California working for the Jewish Federation and Family Services as manager of leadership initiatives, and then returned to the UK to work for the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM) as its press officer. She sits on the board of Nisa-Nashim, a Jewish and Muslim women’s interfaith charity, and is contributing significantly on fundraising and governance issues

 

LAST WEEK’S POSITIONS :

FROM 30 TO 21… 30 Eliezer Gilbert, aged 25, 29 Mia Gray, aged 19, 28 Graham Carpenter , aged 25, 27 Abi Symons, aged 28, 26 Georgina Bye , aged 29, 25 Noah Levy, aged 22, 24 Ben Dov Salasnik, aged 28, 23 Devora Khafi, aged 20, 22 Joel Macadar, aged 27, 21 Charlotte Agran, aged 26

See last week’s first instalment of Thirty Under 30 here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/thirty-under-30-2017/