Jordan Sills
San Francisco, California
Votes for Jordan Sills: 1107
Tell us about your nominee. Why should he or she be recognized as a Jewish Community Hero?
Jordan Sills has been serving the San Francisco Bay Area young adult Jewish Community for the past eight years. Hundreds of young professional Jews who move to the Bay Area have been welcomed into and become involved in the Jewish community through Jordan Sills. His big smile, warm friendly demeanor and genuine passion for Judaism and a strong Jewish community are contagious and inspiring to other young Jewish adults around him. Jordan served on the board of the Young Adult Division of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco for five years before becoming President. Additionally, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Community Federation, is a member of National Young Leadership Cabinet, serves on the National Hillel Board and soon will become the youngest president of San Francisco Hillel. As if that wasn't enough, Jordan is involved with AIPAC's NLN (New Leadership Network) program, where Jordan is building a relationship with an Ohio Congressman in order to educate him about Israel and help explain why supporting Israel is of vital importance.
What problem did your nominee identify in the community that needed to be solved? How has your nominee's efforts made a difference for others?
Jordan cares deeply and passionately about connecting the next generation of leaders to the existing Jewish network in San Francisco. Jordan founded the Young Adult Jewish Group at the Jewish Home for the Aged, which brought in young volunteers to the senior living facility. Through fun interactive programs, such as dealing blackjack and poker, calling bingo and serving cookies at Holiday parties, young Jewish adults interact with Jewish seniors; bringing to life L'dor v'dor. Another example of Jordan's dedication to the future Jewish leaders can be seen in his work through San Francisco Hillel. There are 13 individual colleges and universities within San Francisco and none of them has its own Hillel. Instead, the SF Hillel serves all 13 colleges and universities and provides one central location for Jewish life and programming. Two years ago, after Jordan's first Hillel Board meeting, he found himself chatting with some students that were lounging around Hillel. Jordan was curious about the aspects of Hillel the students enjoyed. They told him that due to budget cuts they only had Shabbat twice a month, instead of weekly as in the past. The students told Jordan that attendance had dwindled because people were getting confused about which Friday nights were the Shabbat dinners. He asked the Hillel Director how much money it would take to bring back the dinners. The answer was $8,000. Jordan knew that weekly Shabbat dinners were a vital part of a student's Jewish life across the numerous San Francisco campuses and took it upon himself to bring Shabbat dinners back. At the next Federation Board meeting, Jordan stood up and told the story of San Francisco Hillel Shabbat dinner program to the entire board. He then asked who would join him in making a donation to bring back Shabbat dinner to SF Hillel. In a manner of minutes, Jordan had raised the necessary funds. San Francisco Hillel still has weekly Shabbat dinners that bring Jewish students together from all over the city. Jordan's involvement with Hillel has grown since that time and he is now incoming President of San Francisco Hillel.
