July 27, 2018 — New York
AJC has appointed Seffi Kogen to the newly created position of Global Director of Young Leadership. Kogen, who will also sit on the senior management team, will oversee AJC’s advocacy work with high school students, on college campuses, and with ACCESS, AJC’s award-winning young leadership division.
“Seffi Kogen is a thoughtful advocate on the issues that matter to the Jewish world. He has played a key role in the expansion of AJC’s Campus Affairs Department and the creation of our groundbreaking Leaders for Tomorrow (LFT) program for high school students,” said Daniel Elbaum, AJC Senior Associate Executive Director. “Seffi’s well-deserved promotion speaks volumes about him as it does about AJC’s commitment to hear the voices of the next generation of communal leadership.”
Kogen came to AJC four years ago after graduating from Columbia University with a degree in history and from the Jewish Theological Seminary with a degree in Talmud and rabbinics. In college he served as president of Columbia/Barnard Hillel, interned for then-Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and worked as a resident advisor. Since joining AJC, he has written extensively, publishing op-eds in Haaretz, Forward, JTA, and Times of Israel.
“This opportunity is a real honor," said Kogen. “Working at AJC has given me a first-hand view of the importance of effective Jewish advocacy in the United States and around the world. I am excited at the prospect of introducing other young people to this incredible organization and engaging them in our bridge-building work with communities across the U.S., in Israel, and elsewhere.”
Under Kogen’s direction, AJC’s engagement with college campuses has expanded significantly to reach hundreds of students on dozens of campuses. Just last month, nearly 400 students attended the AJC Global Forum in Jerusalem, and 10 university presidents traveled to Israel with AJC’s Project Interchange.
ACCESS, the young leadership division, is active in 12 AJC regions across the U.S., as well as in four of AJC’s overseas posts. Now in its fourth year of working with high school students, LFT cohorts are active in eight of AJC’s regional offices.
In addition, Ali Terkel has been appointed Acting Director of ACCESS.
AJC, founded in 1906, maintains headquarters in New York, 22 Regional Offices across the U.S., 11 international posts in Asia, Europe, Israel, and South America, as well as 35 partnership agreements with Jewish communities around the globe.
