Matt Martin, 29, is the youth and family program director at the Kaiserman JCC in Wynnewood.
During the summer, he’s busy leading Camp Kef. And when he’s not working, he’s probably watching New York sports teams or reading Stephen King novels, according to phillyjcc.com.
The Rockland County, New York, native and Roxborough resident grew up in the JCC world. That was why he wanted to work at one.
He discussed his motivation with the Jewish Exponent.
What was your Jewish life like growing up?
My Jewish life growing up revolved mainly around the JCC doing sports programs and at my synagogue Nanuet Hebrew Center in Nanuet, New York. As a child, one of my fondest memories was going to Hebrew school in the morning dressed in my JCC soccer or basketball uniform and heading to the J right after school.
Like every Jewish family, we also celebrated our Judaism through food and holiday dinners. My mom’s brisket and potato kugel was a major part of my childhood experience. I am also proud to have been a part of three JCC Maccabi Games as an athlete during my teenage years.
What made you want to serve the Jewish community professionally by working at the Kaiserman JCC?
Working in the Jewish community is something that has been at the forefront of my life with my father working at a JCC in the Bronx, New York, for over 40 years.
Getting to see the impact he has been able to make is something that has always inspired me and when I had the opportunity to look for jobs after graduating with a degree in education, it seemed like a no-brainer for me. Being in programming in the nonprofit field is a great way to leave a mark on the community and being able to do so at a Jewish organization that shares my goals and values hits close to home with me.
What do you enjoy most about working at Kaiserman?
When it comes to working at the Kaiserman JCC, I think everyone you ask will tell you that it is the people that make this place what it is. Doing what we do is hard work, and if you had to do it with people you do not get along with, I don’t think people would last very long.
I have made so many great friends through the JCC and, when we talk about the impact we make, it all starts with the people. A close second would be the water slides and bounce houses I get to go down every Wednesday during camp!
Where might you like to go in your career? Do you want to continue in Jewish community life?
In the short term, I would like to continue my growth as a program director and start to oversee more employees and projects. I also need to further flex my fundraising muscles and grow comfortable with making funding asks and requests.
Over time, I would like to see these skills grow to the point where I am able to be in an executive role and help lead an organization. I consider my work my primary connection to Judaism and nurturing that and continuing to grow it is a goal of mine.
What is your Jewish life like as a young adult?
As a young adult, my Jewish life began to revolve more around my work while still maintaining family traditions such as holiday family dinners.
Working at the Henry Kaufman Campgrounds in Pearl River as a lifeguard during summers in college, I was able to work with many different Jewish summer camps and JCCs. I think this is the time where I started to think about working at a Jewish nonprofit as an option once it was time to join the real world.
What do you envision your Jewish life becoming as you grow older?
As I grow older, I look forward to one day having my own Jewish holiday traditions that I can pass down to a family and continuing to share my values through my work.
And be sure to tell us any other Jewy or Jew-ish things about yourself.
Some Jewy things about me are that I play on multiple synagogue softball teams, I think that “Seinfeld” is the greatest sitcom of all time (this is fact and not up for debate) and I hold the belief that the greatest way to show someone you care about them is to feed them.