Teens Chosen for Rose Youth Foundation

One Boulder-Area Teen Chosen

Denver, CO – Twenty-three Jewish youth in grades 9 through 12 have been selected as members of Rose Youth Foundation, including eight returning members. Now beginning its ninth year, Rose Youth Foundation is a grantmaking initiative of Rose Community Foundation. Launched in 2001, Rose Youth Foundation is the first Jewish youth foundation in the Rocky Mountain region.

The members of Rose Youth Foundation learn about philanthropy by becoming grantmakers, while bringing a youthful perspective on Denver’s Jewish and wider communities to Rose Community Foundation. Rose Youth Foundation includes teens from 12 Denver-area schools and seven municipalities. They also represent a broad spectrum of Judaism, describing themselves as Conservative, Reconstructionist, Reform, Renewal, secular and Traditional Jews.

From November 2009 through May 2010, the youth will explore Jewish philanthropic concepts, establish funding priorities, develop grant guidelines, conduct site visits, and decide how to grant $60,000. “Rose Youth Foundation has given me a unique connection to both Judaism and philanthropy,” says first-year member Samantha Hea, a junior at Heritage High School. “I have already learned about both in unexpected ways and look forward to the challenges and rewards of supporting solutions to issues facing my community.”

Regular meetings are planned for once or twice a month through April 2010. The group will investigate and analyze community needs, decide on a grantmaking approach to address the needs they identify, and then award grants based on their findings. All decisions on funding priorities and the awarding of grants will be made by the youth. The members elected Reid Spitz, a senior at Cherry Creek High School, to serve as their chair, and Jeffrey Aschkinasi, a junior at East High School, as their vice chair. Lisa Farber Miller and Sarah Indyk will serve as resource personnel from Rose Community Foundation, and Scott Esserman, a Cherry Creek High School teacher, will serve as the group’s facilitator.

More information is available at rcfdenver.org/RYF or by calling Sarah Indyk at 303.398.7416.

Rose Youth Foundation 2009-2010 Members

(Name, High School, Grade)

Jeffrey Aschkinasi *, East High School, 11

Jonathan Bentley, Colorado Academy, 11

Morgen Bernstein *, Cherry Creek High School, 12

Elizabeth Dansky *, Kent Denver School, 10

Maya Ellis, Fairview High School, 9

Corey Goldman, Cherry Creek High School, 11

Ari Grant *, Herzl/RMHA at the Denver Campus, 10

Talia Halfon, Herzl/RMHA at the Denver Campus, 11

Samantha Hea, Heritage High School, 11

Kaila Hood, George Washington High School, 10

Jordan Kastrinsky, Cherry Creek High School, 10

Simon Kaufman, Herzl/RMHA at the Denver Campus, 10

McKenna Klein, Regis Jesuit High School, 9

Grace Kohn *, George Washington High School, 12

Maddie Kornfeld, East High School, 10

Elliot Mamet *, East High School, 11

Taylor Minckley, Dakota Ridge High School, 12

William Payne *, Heritage High School, 11

Michelle Saipe, East High School, 11

Julia Sigman, George Washington High School, 11

Elizabeth Sobol, Career Education Center, 12

Reid Spitz *, Cherry Creek High School, 12

Eliza Stein, Denver School of Science and Technology, 9

*Indicates returning members

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Photo Listing

Front row (left-right): Maddie Kornfeld, Elizabeth Dansky, Grace Kohn

Second row (left-right): Jonathan Bentley, Jeffrey Aschkinasi, Eliza Stein

Third row (left-right): Reid Spitz, Ari Grant, Simon Kaufman

Fourth row (left-right): Jordan Kastrinsky, McKenna Klein, Michelle Saipe

Fifth row (left-right): Kaila Hood, Samantha Hea, Elliot Mamet

Sixth row (left-right): Talia Halfon, Julia Sigman, Maya Ellis

Seventh row (left-right): Elizabeth Sobol, William Payne, Corey Goldman

Eighth row (left-right): Taylor Minckley, Morgen Bernstein