The Prystowsky ATID program (meaning “future” in Hebrew) provides a meaningful educational experience that develops emerging leaders of the Indianapolis Jewish community. The first cohort started 12 years ago and is currently in its sixth class.

The program is generously funded by Bonnie and Eric Prystowsky, who have been community philanthropists for decades.

Bonnie says they have always believed in encouraging young people to find their passion and be involved in shaping the community. As a clinician, teacher and mentor, Eric has worked his entire career fostering leaders in his field. That passion, coupled with their philanthropic work, was a perfect match for supporting this program.

“The majority of the people involved in the program have been committed and have gone on to take leadership roles in the Jewish community and community at-large, which is very heartening,” she said. “The federation has been showing a great deal of commitment and success in this program.”

And this year’s ATID chairs, Barry Wormser and Marlo Katz, who were part of 2015-16’s ATID IV, have been instrumental leaders because of the ATID program.

“The people you connect with and the relationships you build are so important,” Wormser said. “ATID exposed me to the interworking of the Jewish Federation and its agencies and how someone like me can be a contributor in the community.”

Katz said her class was incredibly close and gave her a network of people that she wouldn’t have necessarily known in the community.

Both Katz and Wormser want the next class of ATID to learn how the program can complement their existing work and expand their knowledge base to pursue more interests in the community.

They said the ATID 6 cohort already has good community knowledge and experience. They are impressed with their enthusiasm and leadership skills. They hope the class finds their path to leadership success in the Jewish community and they cannot wait to see what’s next for them.

As Bonnie looks to the ATID 6 class and all future leaders, she says she learned so much from observing the brilliant and talented leaders before her. She learned how to lead, about the work the Jewish community does, how to listen and hear what other people are saying, and how to engage in meaningful ways. She took those tools and found her own passion for what she could do to help bring the community to another level. She said she received more than she put into her work and hopes the next class of ATID feels the same way when they complete the program.

“A program like this is valuable at any time but right now at this point in our history, with the rise in antisemitism, we are once again facing hostility and adversity around the world and here in the US,” Bonnie said. “It is important and necessary for the Jewish community to educate our people and provide a blueprint on how to combat the hate that is around us. It’s important that the community and world see that we are standing together. It is a crucial time for all of us to stand up.”